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Exhibit 4.4
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PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
Allstate Financing I
Dated as of November 25, 1996
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation . . . . . . . 2
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1 Trust Indenture Act; Application . . . . . . 6
SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities . . . . . . . 6
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Preferred Guarantee
Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions
Precedent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
SECTION 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver . . . . . . . . . . 7
SECTION 2.7 Event of Default; Notice . . . . . . . . . . 7
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Preferred Guar-
xxxxx Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Preferred Guarantee
Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance
of Preferred Securities Guarantee . . . . . . 12
ARTICLE IV
PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 Preferred Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility . . 12
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of
Preferred Guarantee Trustee . . . . . . . . . 13
ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
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SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand . . . . . . . . . 14
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected . . . . . . . . . . 14
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions . . . . . . . . . 16
SECTION 6.2 Ranking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns . . . . . . . . . . . 19
SECTION 9.2 Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
SECTION 9.3 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
SECTION 9.4 Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
SECTION 9.5 Governing Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
This PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (the "Preferred
Securities Guarantee"), dated as of November 25, 1996, is executed and
delivered by The Allstate Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Guarantor"), and State Street Bank and Trust Company, a trust company duly
organized and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as
trustee (the "Preferred Guarantee Trustee"), for the benefit of the Holders (as
defined herein) from time to time of the Preferred Securities (as defined
herein) of Allstate Financing I, a Delaware statutory business trust (the
"Issuer").
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of
Trust (the "Declaration"), dated as of November 25, 1996, among the trustees of
the Issuer named therein, the Guarantor, as Depositor, and the holders from
time to time of undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer, the
Issuer is issuing on the date hereof 20,000,000 preferred securities, having an
aggregate liquidation amount of $500,000,000, designated the 7.95% Cumulative
Quarterly Income Preferred Securities, Series A, subject to an increase of up
to 3,000,000 additional preferred securities, having an aggregate liquidation
amount of $75,000,000 in the event the underwriters' over-allotment option is
exercised (the "Preferred Securities");
WHEREAS, the Preferred Securities will be issued by the Issuer
and the proceeds thereof, together with the proceeds from the issuance of the
Issuer's Common Securities (as defined below), will be used to purchase the
Debentures (as defined below) of the Guarantor which will be deposited with
State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Property Trustee under the Declaration,
as trust assets;
WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the
Preferred Securities, the Guarantor desires irrevocably and unconditionally to
agree, to the extent set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, to pay
to the Holders of the Preferred Securities the Guarantee Payments (as defined
herein) and to make certain other payments on the terms and conditions set
forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the Guarantor is also executing and delivering a
guarantee agreement (the "Common Securities Guarantee") in substantially
identical terms to this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the
holders of the Common Securities
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(as defined herein), except that if an Event of Default (as defined in the
Indenture), has occurred and is continuing, the rights of holders of the Common
Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under the Common Securities Guarantee
are subordinated to the rights of Holders of Preferred Securities to receive
Guarantee Payments under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each
Holder of Preferred Securities, which purchase the Guarantor hereby agrees
shall benefit the Guarantor, the Guarantor executes and delivers this Preferred
Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders from time to time of the
Preferred Securities.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation
In this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless the context
otherwise requires:
(a) Capitalized terms used in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee but not defined in the preamble above have
the respective meanings assigned to them in this
Section 1.1;
(b) a term defined anywhere in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee has the same meaning throughout;
(c) all references to "the Preferred Securities
Guarantee" or "this Preferred Securities Guarantee"
are to this Preferred Securities Guarantee as
modified, supplemented or amended from time to time;
(d) all references in this Preferred Securities Guarantee
to Articles and Sections are to Articles and Sections
of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless
otherwise specified;
(e) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the
same meaning when used in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, unless otherwise defined in this Preferred
Securities Guarantee or unless the context otherwise
requires; and
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(f) a reference to the singular includes the plural and
vice versa.
"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person
directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect
common control with such specified Person; provided however, that an Affiliate
of the Guarantor shall not be deemed to include the Issuer. For the purposes
of this definition, "control" when used with respect to any specified Person
means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly
or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract
or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings
correlative to the foregoing.
"Board of Directors" means either the board of directors of
the Guarantor or any committee of that board duly authorized to act hereunder.
"Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday
or any day on which banking institutions in the City of New York, New York or
Boston, Massachusetts are authorized or required by any applicable law to
close.
"Common Securities" means the securities representing common
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall, at any particular time, be principally administered,
which office at the date of execution of this Agreement is located at Xxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000.
"Covered Person" means any Holder or beneficial owner of
Preferred Securities.
"Debentures" means the series of subordinated debt securities
of the Guarantor designated the 7.95% Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest
Debentures, Series A held by the Property Trustee (as defined in the
Declaration) of the Issuer.
"Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on any of
its payment or other obligations under this Preferred Securities Guarantee,
provided, however, that, except with respect to a default in payment of any
Guarantee Payments, the
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Guarantor shall have received notice of default and shall not have cured such
default within 60 days after receipt of such notice.
"Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or
distributions, without duplication, with respect to the Preferred Securities,
to the extent not paid or made by or on behalf of the Issuer: (i) any accrued
and unpaid Distributions (as defined in the Declaration) that are required to
be paid on such Preferred Securities to the extent the Issuer shall have funds
available therefor, (ii) the redemption price, including all accrued and unpaid
Distributions to the date of redemption (the "Redemption Price") to the extent
the Issuer has funds available therefor, with respect to any Preferred
Securities called for redemption by the Issuer, and (iii) upon a voluntary or
involuntary dissolution, winding-up or termination of the Issuer (other than in
connection with the distribution of Debentures to the Holders in exchange for
Preferred Securities as provided in the Declaration), the lesser of (a) the
aggregate of the liquidation amount of $25 per Preferred Security and all
accrued and unpaid Distributions on the Preferred Securities to the date of
payment, to the extent the Issuer shall have funds available therefor, and (b)
the amount of assets of the Issuer remaining available for distribution to
Holders in liquidation of the Issuer (in either case, the "Liquidation
Distribution"). If an event of default under the Indenture has occurred and is
continuing, the rights of holders of the Common Securities to receive payments
under the Common Securities Guarantee Agreement are subordinated to the rights
of Holders of Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments.
"Holder" shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and
records of the Issuer of any Preferred Securities; provided, however, that, in
determining whether the holders of the requisite percentage of Preferred
Securities have given any request, notice, consent or waiver hereunder,
"Holder" shall not include the Guarantor, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or
any Affiliate of the Guarantor or the Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Indemnified Person" means the Preferred Guarantee Trustee,
any Affiliate of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, or any officers, directors,
shareholders, members, partners, employees, representatives, nominees,
custodians or agents of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Indenture, dated as of November 25,
1996, between the Guarantor (the "Debenture Issuer") and
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Xxxxx Xxxxxx Bank and Trust Company, as trustee, and any indenture supplemental
thereto pursuant to which certain subordinated debt securities of the Debenture
Issuer are to be issued to the Property Trustee of the Issuer.
"Majority in liquidation amount of the Securities" means,
except as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, a vote by Holder(s) of Preferred
Securities, voting separately as a class, of more than 50% of the liquidation
amount (including the stated amount that would be paid on redemption,
liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to the date
upon which the voting percentages are determined) of all Preferred Securities.
"Officers' Certificate" means, with respect to any Person, a
certificate signed by two Authorized Officers of such Person and delivered to
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee. Any Officers' Certificate delivered with
respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this
Preferred Securities Guarantee shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers'
Certificate has read the covenant or condition and the definition
relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the
examination or investigation undertaken by each officer in rendering
the Officers' Certificate;
(c) a statement that each such officer has made such
examination or investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is
necessary to enable such officer to express an informed opinion as to
whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each
such officer, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Person" means a legal person, including any individual,
corporation, estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock
company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity
of whatever nature.
"Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means State Street Bank and
Trust Company, a Massachusetts trust company, until a Succes-
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sor Preferred Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such
appointment pursuant to the terms of this Preferred Securities Guarantee and
thereafter means each such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee, including any vice president, any assistant vice
president, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer or
other officer of the Corporate Trust Office of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above
designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate
trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of that
officer's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
"Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means a successor
Preferred Guarantee Trustee possessing the qualifications to act as Preferred
Guarantee Trustee under Section 4.1.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939,
as amended.
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1 Trust Indenture Act; Application
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee is subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed
by such provisions.
(b) If and to the extent that any provision of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties
imposed by Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such
imposed duties shall control.
SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities
(a) The Guarantor shall provide the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
with a list, in such form as the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may reasonably
require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Preferred Securities
("List of Holders") as of
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such date, (i) within 1 Business Day after January 1 and June 30 of each year,
and (ii) at any other time within 30 days of receipt by the Guarantor of a
written request for a List of Holders, in each case as of a date no more than
14 days before such List of Holders is given to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee; provided, that the Guarantor shall not be obligated to provide such
List of Holders at any time the List of Holders does not differ from the most
recent List of Holders given to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee by the
Guarantor. The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may destroy any List of Holders
previously given to it on receipt of a new List of Holders.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall comply with its
obligations under Sections 311(a), 311(b) and Section 312(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
Within 60 days after May 15 of each year, the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall provide to the Holders of the Preferred Securities such
reports as are required by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act, if any, in
the form and in the manner provided by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act.
The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall also comply with the requirements of
Section 313(d) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Preferred Guarantee Trustee
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Holders such documents,
reports and information, if any, as required by Section 314 of the Trust
Indenture Act and the compliance certificate required by Section 314 of the
Trust Indenture Act in the form, in the manner and at the times required by
Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
such evidence of compliance with such conditions precedent, if any, provided
for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee that relate to any of the matters
set forth in Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act. Any certificate or
opinion required to be given by an officer pursuant to Section 314(c)(1) may be
given in the form of an Officers' Certificate.
SECTION 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver
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The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of Preferred
Securities may, by vote, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Preferred
Securities, waive any past Event of Default and its consequences. Upon such
waiver, any such Event of Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of
Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose
of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, but no such waiver shall extend to any
subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent
therefrom.
SECTION 2.7 Event of Default; Notice
(a) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall, within 90 days
after the occurrence of an Event of Default, transmit by mail, first class
postage prepaid, to the Holders of the Preferred Securities, notices of all
Events of Default actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, unless such defaults have been cured before the giving of
such notice, provided, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of
a Guarantee Payment, the Preferred Guarantee 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 a Responsible Officer of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of
such notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be deemed
to have knowledge of any Event of Default unless the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee shall have received written notice, or a Responsible Officer of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee charged with the administration of the Preferred
Securities Guarantee shall have obtained actual knowledge.
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests
The Declaration shall be deemed to be specifically described
in this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the purposes of clause (i) of the
first proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be held by
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities, and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this
Preferred Securities Guarantee to any Person except a Holder of Preferred
Securities exercising his or her rights pursuant to Section 5.4(b) or to a
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee on acceptance by such Successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee of its appointment to act as Successor Preferred Guarantee
Trustee. The right, title and interest of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall automatically vest in any Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee, and such
vesting and cessation of title shall be effective whether or not conveyancing
documents have been executed and delivered pursuant to the appointment of such
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(b) If an Event of Default actually known to a
Responsible Officer of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee has occurred and is
continuing, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall enforce this Preferred
Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities.
(c) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee, before the
occurrence of any Event of Default and after the curing of all Events of
Default that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform only such duties as
are specifically set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no
implied covenants shall be read into this Preferred Securities Guarantee
against the Preferred Guarantee Trustee. In case an Event of Default has
occurred (that has not been cured or waived pursuant to Section 2.6) and is
actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested
in it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and use the same degree of care
and skill in its exercise thereof, as a prudent person would exercise or use
under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(d) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall be construed to relieve the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
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from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act,
or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and
after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default that may
have occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall be determined solely by the express
provisions of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable except for the
performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically
set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no
implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this
Preferred Securities Guarantee against the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the
statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed
therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee and conforming to the requirements
of this Preferred Securities Guarantee; but in the case of any
such certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof or
of the Trust Indenture Act are specifically required to be
furnished to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to
determine whether or not they conform to the requirements
hereof or thereof;
(ii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable
for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer
of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the
pertinent facts upon which such judgment was made;
(iii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable with
respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith
in accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less than a
Majority in liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities relating to
the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, or exercising
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any trust or power conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
under this Preferred Securities Guarantee; and
(iv) no provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall require the Preferred Guarantee Trustee to expend or risk its
own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its
rights or powers, if the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have
reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds or
liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee or indemnity, reasonably satisfactory
to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, against such risk or liability is
not reasonably assured to it.
SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Preferred Guarantee Trustee
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1:
(i) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may conclusively
rely, and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting
upon, any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion,
report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture,
note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document
believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or
presented by the proper party or parties.
(ii) Any direction or act of the Guarantor contemplated by
this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be sufficiently evidenced by
an Officers' Certificate.
(iii) Whenever, in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable that a matter be proved or established before taking,
suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee (unless other evidence is herein specifically prescribed) may,
in the absence of bad faith on its part, request and conclusively rely
upon an Officers' Certificate which, upon receipt of such request,
shall be promptly delivered by the Guarantor.
(iv) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have no duty to
see to any recording, filing or registration of any instrument (or any
rerecording, refiling or registration thereof).
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(v) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may consult with
counsel of its selection, and the advice or opinion of such counsel
with respect to legal matters shall be full and complete authorization
and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by
it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or
opinion. Such counsel may be counsel to the Guarantor or any of its
Affiliates and may include any of its employees. The Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall have the right at any time to seek
instructions concerning the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee from any court of competent jurisdiction.
(vi) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be under no
obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by
this Preferred Securities Guarantee at the request or direction of any
Holder, unless such Holder shall have provided to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee such security and indemnity, reasonably satisfactory
to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, against the costs, expenses
(including attorneys' fees and expenses and the expenses of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee's agents, nominees or custodians) and
liabilities that might be incurred by it in complying with such
request or direction, including such reasonable advances as may be
requested by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee; provided that, nothing
contained in this Section 3.2(a)(vi) shall be taken to relieve the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee, upon the occurrence of an Event of
Default, of its obligation to exercise the rights and powers vested in
it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(vii) The Preferred Guarantee 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
Preferred Guarantee Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further
inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.
(viii) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may execute any of the
trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either
directly or by or through agents, nominees, custodians or attorneys,
and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be responsible for any
misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney
appointed with due care by it hereunder.
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(ix) Whenever in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable to receive instructions with respect to enforcing any remedy
or right or taking any other action hereunder, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee (i) may request instructions from the Holders of a Majority in
liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities, (ii) may refrain from
enforcing such remedy or right or taking such other action until such
instructions are received, and (iii) shall be protected in
conclusively relying on or acting in accordance with such
instructions.
(x) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable
for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good
faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the
discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Preferred
Securities Guarantee.
(b) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall be deemed to impose any duty or obligation on the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee to perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty or
obligation conferred or imposed on it in any jurisdiction in which it shall be
illegal, or in which the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be unqualified or
incompetent in accordance with applicable law, to perform any such act or acts
or to exercise any such right, power, duty or obligation. No permissive power
or authority available to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be construed to
be a duty.
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Preferred
Securities Guarantee
The recitals contained in this Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall be taken as the statements of the Guarantor, and the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee does not assume any responsibility for their correctness. The
Preferred Guarantee Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or
sufficiency of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IV
PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 Preferred Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility
(a) There shall at all times be a Preferred Guarantee
Trustee which shall:
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(i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and
(ii) be a corporation organized and doing business under
the laws of the United States of America or any State or Territory
thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or Person
permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission to act as an
institutional trustee under the Trust Indenture Act, authorized under
such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined
capital and surplus of at least 50 million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000),
and subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State,
Territorial or District of Columbia authority. If such corporation
publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or
to the requirements of the supervising or examining authority referred
to above, then, for the purposes of this Section 4.1(a)(ii), the
combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be
its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent
report of condition so published.
(b) If at any time the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall
cease to be eligible to so act under Section 4.1(a), the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee shall immediately resign in the manner and with the effect set out in
Section 4.2(c).
(c) If the Preferred Guarantee Trustee has or shall
acquire any "conflicting interest" within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee and Guarantor shall in all
respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture
Act.
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Preferred Guarantee
Trustee
(a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee may be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the Guarantor
except during an Event of Default.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be removed
in accordance with Section 4.2(a) until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee
has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by written instrument
executed by such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the
Guarantor.
(c) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee appointed to office
shall hold office until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have been
appointed or until its removal or resig-
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nation. The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may resign from office (without need
for prior or subsequent accounting) by an instrument in writing executed by the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor, which resignation
shall not take effect until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee has been
appointed and has accepted such appointment by instrument in writing executed
by such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor
and the resigning Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall
have been appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section 4.2
within 60 days after delivery of an instrument of removal or resignation, the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee resigning or being removed may petition any court
of competent jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor Preferred Guarantee
Trustee. Such court may thereupon, after prescribing such notice, if any, as
it may deem proper, appoint a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(e) No Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be liable for
the acts or omissions to act of any Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(f) Upon termination of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee or removal or resignation of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee pursuant
to this Section 4.2, the Guarantor shall pay to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
all amounts accrued to the date of such termination, removal or resignation.
ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in
full to the Holders the Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts
theretofore paid by or on behalf of the Issuer), as and when due, regardless of
any defense, right of set-off or counterclaim that the Issuer may have or
assert. The Guarantor's obligation to make a Guarantee Payment may be
satisfied by direct payment of the required amounts by the Guarantor to the
Holders or by causing the Issuer to pay such amounts to the Holders.
SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand
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The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee and of any liability to which it applies or may
apply, presentment, demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first
against the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Issuer or any other Person before
proceeding against the Guarantor, protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of
dishonor, notice of redemption and all other notices and demands.
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the
Guarantor under this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected
or impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the
following:
(a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or
otherwise, of the performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or
implied agreement, covenant, term or condition relating to the Preferred
Securities to be performed or observed by the Issuer;
(b) the extension of time for the payment by the Issuer
of all or any portion of the Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation
Distribution or any other sums payable under the terms of the Preferred
Securities or the extension of time for the performance of any other obligation
under, arising out of, or in connection with, the Preferred Securities (other
than an extension of time for payment of Distributions, Redemption Price,
Liquidation Distribution or other sum payable that results from the extension
of any interest payment period on the Debentures or any extension of the
maturity date of the Debentures permitted by the Indenture);
(c) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on
the part of the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege,
power or remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Preferred
Securities, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or
extension of any kind;
(d) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation,
dissolution, sale of any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy,
assignment for the benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement,
composition or readjustment of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting,
the Issuer or any of the assets of the Issuer;
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(e) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in, the
Preferred Securities;
(f) the settlement or compromise of any obligation
guaranteed hereby or hereby incurred; or
(g) any other circumstance whatsoever that might
otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor,
it being the intent of this Section 5.3 that the obligations of the Guarantor
hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances.
There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to,
or obtain consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders
(a) The Guarantor expressly acknowledges that: (i) this
Preferred Securities Guarantee will be deposited with the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee to be held for the benefit of the Holders; (ii) the Guarantee Trustee
has the right to enforce this Preferred Securities Guarantee on behalf of the
Holders; and (iii) the Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of the
Preferred Securities have the right to direct the time, method and place of
conducting of any proceeding for any remedy available to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee in respect of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
exercising any trust power conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee under
this Pre- ferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) Any Holder of Preferred Securities may institute a
legal proceeding directly against the Guarantor to enforce such Holder's rights
under this Preferred Securities Guarantee, without first instituting a legal
proceeding against the Issuer, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or any other
person or entity. The Guarantor waives any right or remedy to require that any
action be brought first against the Issuer or any other person or entity before
proceeding directly against the Guarantor.
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment
This Preferred Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of
payment and not of collection. This Preferred Securities Guarantee will not be
discharged except by payment of the Guarantee Payments in full (without
duplication of amounts theretofore paid by or on behalf of the Issuer) or upon
distribution of
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Debentures to Holders of the Preferred Securities as provided in the
Declaration.
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation
The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights of the Holders
of Preferred Securities against the Issuer, if any, in respect of any amounts
paid to such Holders by the Guarantor under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee; provided, however, that the Guarantor shall not (except to the
extent required by mandatory provisions of law) be entitled to enforce or
exercise any right that it may acquire by way of subrogation or any indemnity,
reimbursement or other agreement, in all cases as a result of payment under
this Preferred Securities Guarantee, if, at the time of any such payment, any
amounts are due and unpaid under this Preferred Securities Guarantee. If any
amount shall be paid to the Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence,
the Guarantor agrees to hold such amount in trust for the Holders and to pay
over such amount to the Holders.
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations
The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are
independent of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Preferred
Securities, and that the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor
hereunder to make Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to in
subsections (a) through (g), inclusive, of Section 5.3 hereof.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions
So long as any Preferred Securities remain outstanding, if
there shall have occurred an Event of Default or an event of default under the
Declaration, then the Guarantor shall not, and shall not permit any Subsidiary
to, (a) declare or pay any dividend on, make any distributions with respect to,
or redeem, purchase or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of the
Guarantor's capital stock or (b) make any payment of principal, interest or
premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities
(including guarantees) issued by the Guarantor (including other Securities (as
defined in the Indenture) of any series) that rank pari passu with or junior in
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interest to such Securities (other than (i) dividends or distributions in
common stock of the Guarantor, (ii) redemptions or repurchases of any rights,
or the declaration of a dividend of any rights, or the issuance of any security
under any future rights plan of the Guarantor, (iii) purchases or acquisitions
of shares of common stock in connection with the satisfaction by the Guarantor
of its obligations under any benefit plans for its or its Subsidiaries'
directors, officers, employees or independent contractors, (iv) as a result of
a reclassification of the Guarantor's capital stock or the exchange or
conversion of one class or series of the Guarantor's capital stock for another
class or series of the Guarantor's capital stock or (v) the purchase of
fractional interests in shares of the Guarantor's capital stock pursuant to the
conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock of the Guarantor or the
security being converted or exchanged) or make any guarantee payments with
respect to the foregoing.
SECTION 6.2 Ranking
This Preferred Securities Guarantee will constitute an
unsecured obligation of the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior
in right of payment to all other liabilities of the Guarantor, except those
made pari passu with or subordinate to such obligations expressly by their
terms.
SECTION 6.3 Pari Passu Guarantees
The obligations of the Guarantor under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee shall rank pari passu with the obligations of the
Guarantor under any similar Preferred Securities Guarantee issued by the
Guarantor on behalf of the holders of preferred securities issued by any
Allstate Trust (as defined in the Indenture).
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 Termination
This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall terminate upon (i)
full payment of the Redemption Price of all Preferred Securities, (ii) the
distribution of the Debentures to the Holders in exchange for all of the
Preferred Securities or (iii) full payment of the amounts payable in accordance
with the Declaration upon liquidation of the Issuer. Notwithstanding the
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foregoing, this Preferred Securities Guarantee will continue to be effective or
will be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any Holder of Preferred
Securities must restore payment of any sums paid under the Preferred Securities
or under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation
(a) No Indemnified Person shall be liable, responsible or
accountable in damages or otherwise to the Guarantor or any Covered Person for
any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed
or omitted by such Indemnified Person in good faith in accordance with this
Preferred Securities Guarantee and in a manner that such Indemnified Person
reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such
Indemnified Person by this Preferred Securities Guarantee or by law, except
that an Indemnified Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim
incurred by reason of such Indemnified Person's negligence or willful
misconduct with respect to such acts or omissions.
(b) An Indemnified Person shall be fully protected in relying in
good faith upon the records of the Guarantor and upon such information,
opinions, reports or statements presented to the Guarantor by any Person as to
matters the Indemnified Person reasonably believes are within such other
Person's professional or expert competence and who has been selected with
reasonable care by or on behalf of the Guarantor, including information,
opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets,
liabilities, profits, losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and
amount of assets from which Distributions to Holders of Preferred Securities
might properly be paid.
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification
The Guarantor agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person for,
and to hold each Indemnified Person harmless against, any and all loss,
liability, damage, claim or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on
its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration
of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and expenses (including
reasonable legal fees and expenses) of defending itself against, or
investigating, any claim or liability in connection with the
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exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The
obligation to indemnify as set forth in this Section 8.2 shall survive the
termination of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Preferred
Securities Guarantee shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees
and representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the
Holders of the Preferred Securities then outstanding. Except in connection
with a consolidation, merger or sale involving the Guarantor that is permitted
under Article Eight of the Indenture and pursuant to which the assignee agrees
in writing to perform the Guarantor's obligations hereunder, the Guarantor
shall not assign its obligations hereunder.
SECTION 9.2 Amendments
Except with respect to any changes that do not adversely
affect the rights of Holders in any material respect (in which case no consent
of Holders will be required), this Preferred Securities Guarantee may only be
amended with the prior approval of the Holders of at least a Majority in
liquidation amount (including the stated amount that would be paid on
redemption, liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to
the date upon which the voting percentages are determined) of all the
outstanding Preferred Securities. The provisions of Section 12.2 of the
Declaration with respect to meetings of Holders of the Securities apply to the
giving of such approval.
SECTION 9.3 Notices
All notices provided for in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee shall be in writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and
shall be delivered, telecopied or mailed by first class mail, as follows:
(a) If given to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, at the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee's mailing address set forth below (or such other address as
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may give notice of to the Holders of the
Preferred Securities):
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00
Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx and Trust Company
Xxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
Telecopy: (000) 000-0000
(b) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor's mailing
address set forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice
of to the Holders of the Preferred Securities):
The Allstate Corporation
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Secretary
Telecopy: (000) 000-0000
(c) If given to any Holder of Preferred Securities, at
the address set forth on the books and records of the Issuer.
All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when
received in person, telecopied with receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class
mail, postage prepaid except that if a notice or other document is refused
delivery or cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice
was given, such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered
on the date of such refusal or inability to deliver.
SECTION 9.4 Benefit
This Preferred Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit
of the Holders of the Preferred Securities and, subject to Section 3.1(a), is
not separately transferable from the Preferred Securities.
SECTION 9.5 Governing Law
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND
CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW
YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
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THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE may be executed in any
number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the
same instrument.
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day
and year first above written.
THE ALLSTATE CORPORATION, as
Guarantor
By:/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
-----------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxxx
Title: Vice President and
Treasurer
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY,
as Preferred Guarantee Trustee
By:/s/ Xxxxx X. Seemore
-----------------------------
Name: Xxxxx X. Seemore
Title: Assistant Vice President
