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EXHIBIT 4.1
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INDENTURE
Dated as of October 1, 1997
Among
ADVANCED ACCESSORY SYSTEMS, LLC
and
AAS CAPITAL CORPORATION, as Issuers,
the GUARANTORS named herein
and
First Union National Bank, as Trustee
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$125,000,000
9 3/4% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007, Series A
9 3/4% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007, Series B
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
Trust Indenture Indenture
Act Section Section
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Section. 310(a)(1).................................................................... 7.10
(a)(2)........................................................................ 7.10
(a)(3)........................................................................ N.A.
(a)(4)........................................................................ N.A.
(a)(5)........................................................................ 7.08, 7.10.
(b)........................................................................... 7.08; 7.10; 13.02
(c)........................................................................... N.A.
Section. 311(a)....................................................................... 7.11
(b)........................................................................... 7.11
(c)........................................................................... N.A.
Section. 312(a)........................................................................ 2.05
(b)........................................................................... 11.03
(c)........................................................................... 11.03
Section. 313(a)........................................................................ 7.06
(b)(1)........................................................................ N.A.
(b)(2)........................................................................ 7.06
(c)........................................................................... 7.06; 13.02
(d)........................................................................... 7.06
Section. 314(a)........................................................................ 4.11; 4.12; 13.02
(b)........................................................................... N.A.
(c)(1)........................................................................ 13.04
(c)(2)........................................................................ 13.04
(c)(3)........................................................................ N.A.
(d)........................................................................... N.A.
(e)........................................................................... 13.05
(f)........................................................................... N.A.
Section. 315(a)........................................................................ 7.01(b)
(b)........................................................................... 7.05; 13.02
(c)........................................................................... 7.01(a)
(d)........................................................................... 7.01(c)
(e)........................................................................... 6.11
Section. 316(a)(last sentence)......................................................... 2.09
(a)(1)(A)..................................................................... 6.05
(a)(1)(B)..................................................................... 6.04
(a)(2)........................................................................ N.A.
(b)........................................................................... 6.07
(c)........................................................................... 10.04
Section. 317(a)(1)..................................................................... 6.08
(a)(2)........................................................................ 6.09
(b)........................................................................... 2.04
Section. 318(a)........................................................................ 13.01
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N.A. means Not Applicable.
NOTE: This Cross-Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a
part of the Indenture.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. Definitions...............................................................................1
SECTION 1.02. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act........................................22
SECTION 1.03. Rules of Construction....................................................................22
ARTICLE TWO
THE SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating..........................................................................23
SECTION 2.02. Execution and Authentication.............................................................24
SECTION 2.03. Registrar and Paying Agent...............................................................25
SECTION 2.04. Paying Agent To Hold Assets in Trust.....................................................25
SECTION 2.05. Holder Lists.............................................................................25
SECTION 2.06. Transfer and Exchange....................................................................26
SECTION 2.07. Replacement Securities...................................................................26
SECTION 2.08. Outstanding Securities...................................................................27
SECTION 2.09. Treasury Securities......................................................................27
SECTION 2.10. Temporary Securities.....................................................................27
SECTION 2.11. Cancellation.............................................................................28
SECTION 2.12. Defaulted Interest.......................................................................28
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP Number.............................................................................28
SECTION 2.14. Deposit of Moneys........................................................................28
SECTION 2.15. Book-Entry Provisions for Global Securities..............................................29
SECTION 2.16. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges..................................................30
ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01. Notices to Trustee.......................................................................34
SECTION 3.02. Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed...................................................34
SECTION 3.03. Notice of Redemption.....................................................................34
SECTION 3.04. Effect of Notice of Redemption...........................................................35
SECTION 3.05. Deposit of Redemption Price..............................................................35
SECTION 3.06. Securities Redeemed in Part..............................................................36
ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. Payment of Securities....................................................................36
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SECTION 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency..........................................................36
SECTION 4.03. Transactions with Affiliates.............................................................37
SECTION 4.04. Limitation on Indebtedness...............................................................37
SECTION 4.05. Limitation on Foreign Indebtedness.......................................................38
SECTION 4.06. Limitation on Senior Subordinated Indebtedness...........................................38
SECTION 4.07. Disposition of Proceeds of Asset Sales...................................................38
SECTION 4.08. Limitation on Restricted Payments........................................................40
SECTION 4.09. Limitation on the Sale or Issuance of Equity Interests of Restricted
Subsidiaries...........................................................................42
SECTION 4.10. Notice of Defaults.......................................................................42
SECTION 4.11. Limitation on Liens......................................................................42
SECTION 4.12. Provision of Financial Information.......................................................43
SECTION 4.13. Limitations on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting
Subsidiaries...........................................................................43
SECTION 4.14. Guarantees by Restricted Subsidiaries....................................................44
SECTION 4.15. Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.................................................44
SECTION 4.16. Offer to Purchase upon Change of Control.................................................45
SECTION 4.17. Compliance Certificate...................................................................46
SECTION 4.18. Corporate Existence......................................................................46
ARTICLE FIVE
MERGERS; SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 5.01. Mergers, Sale of Assets, etc.............................................................47
SECTION 5.02. Successor Corporation Substituted........................................................48
ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. Events of Default........................................................................48
SECTION 6.02. Acceleration.............................................................................50
SECTION 6.03. Other Remedies...........................................................................50
SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Past Default...................................................................51
SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority......................................................................51
SECTION 6.06. Limitation on Suits......................................................................51
SECTION 6.07. Rights of Holders To Receive Payment.....................................................52
SECTION 6.08. Collection Suit by Trustee...............................................................52
SECTION 6.09. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.........................................................52
SECTION 6.10. Priorities...............................................................................53
SECTION 6.11. Undertaking for Costs....................................................................53
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. Duties of Trustee........................................................................53
SECTION 7.02. Rights of Trustee........................................................................55
SECTION 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee.............................................................56
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SECTION 7.04. Trustee's Disclaimer.....................................................................56
SECTION 7.05. Notice of Defaults.......................................................................56
SECTION 7.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders............................................................57
SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity...............................................................57
SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee...................................................................58
SECTION 7.09. Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.........................................................59
SECTION 7.10. Eligibility; Disqualification............................................................59
SECTION 7.11. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Issuers........................................59
ARTICLE EIGHT
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 8.01. Securities Subordinated to Senior Indebtedness...........................................60
SECTION 8.02. Payment Over of Proceeds upon Dissolution, etc...........................................60
SECTION 8.03. No Payment on Securities in Certain Circumstances........................................61
SECTION 8.04. Subrogation..............................................................................62
SECTION 8.05. Obligations of Issuers Unconditional.....................................................63
SECTION 8.06. Notice to Trustee........................................................................63
SECTION 8.07. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent...........................64
SECTION 8.08. Trustee's Relation to Senior Indebtedness................................................64
SECTION 8.09. Subordination Rights Not Impaired by Acts or Omissions of the Issuers or
Holders of Senior Indebtedness.........................................................64
SECTION 8.10. Holders Authorize Trustee To Effectuate Subordination of Securities......................65
SECTION 8.11. This Article Not To Prevent Events of Default............................................65
SECTION 8.12. Trustee's Compensation Not Prejudiced....................................................65
SECTION 8.13. No Waiver of Subordination Provisions....................................................65
SECTION 8.14. Subordination Provisions Not Applicable to Money Held in Trust for
Holders; Payments May Be Paid Prior to Dissolution.....................................66
SECTION 8.15. Acceleration of Securities...............................................................66
ARTICLE NINE
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE
SECTION 9.01. Termination of the Issuers' Obligations..................................................66
SECTION 9.02. Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance.................................................67
SECTION 9.03. Conditions to Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance....................................68
SECTION 9.04. Application of Trust Money; Trustee Acknowledgment and Indemnity.........................69
SECTION 9.05. Repayment to Company.....................................................................70
SECTION 9.06. Reinstatement............................................................................70
ARTICLE TEN
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 10.01. Without Consent of Holders...............................................................70
SECTION 10.02. With Consent of Holders..................................................................71
SECTION 10.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act......................................................73
SECTION 10.04. Record Date for Consents and Effect of Consents..........................................73
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SECTION 10.05. Notation on or Exchange of Securities....................................................73
SECTION 10.06. Trustee To Sign Amendments, etc..........................................................74
ARTICLE ELEVEN
GUARANTEE
SECTION 11.01. Unconditional Guarantee..................................................................74
SECTION 11.02. Severability.............................................................................75
SECTION 11.03. Release of a Guarantor...................................................................75
SECTION 11.04. Limitation of Guarantor's Liability......................................................75
SECTION 11.05. Contribution.............................................................................76
SECTION 11.06. Execution of Security Guarantee..........................................................76
SECTION 11.07. Subordination of Subrogation and Other Rights............................................76
ARTICLE TWELVE
SUBORDINATION OF GUARANTEE
SECTION 12.01. Guarantee Obligations Subordinated to Guarantor Senior Indebtedness......................77
SECTION 12.02. No Payment on Guarantees in Certain Circumstances........................................77
SECTION 12.03. Payment Over of Proceeds upon Dissolution, Etc...........................................78
SECTION 12.04. Subrogation..............................................................................79
SECTION 12.05. Obligations of Guarantors Unconditional..................................................80
SECTION 12.06. Notice to Trustee........................................................................80
SECTION 12.07. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent...........................81
SECTION 12.08. Trustee's Relation to Guarantor Senior Indebtedness......................................81
SECTION 12.09. Subordination Rights Not Impaired by Acts or Omissions of the Guarantors
or Holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness............................................82
SECTION 12.10. Holders Authorize Trustee To Effectuate Subordination of Guarantee.......................82
SECTION 12.11. This Article Not To Prevent Events of Default............................................82
SECTION 12.12. Trustee's Compensation Not Prejudiced....................................................82
SECTION 12.13. No Waiver of Guarantee Subordination Provisions..........................................82
SECTION 12.14. Payments May Be Paid Prior to Dissolution................................................83
ARTICLE THIRTEEN
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 13.01. Trust Indenture Act Controls.............................................................83
SECTION 13.02. Notices..................................................................................83
SECTION 13.03. Communications by Holders with Other Holders.............................................85
SECTION 13.04. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.......................................85
SECTION 13.05. Statements Required in Certificate.......................................................85
SECTION 13.06. Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent, Registrar................................................86
SECTION 13.07. Governing Law............................................................................86
SECTION 13.08. No Recourse Against Others...............................................................86
SECTION 13.09. Successors...............................................................................86
SECTION 13.10. Counterpart Originals....................................................................86
SECTION 13.11. Severability.............................................................................86
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SECTION 13.12. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements............................................87
SECTION 13.13. Legal Holidays...........................................................................87
SIGNATURES..................................................................................................S-1
EXHIBIT A Form of Series A Security.................................................................A-1
EXHIBIT B Form of Series B Security.................................................................B-1
EXHIBIT C Form of Legend for Global Securities......................................................C-1
EXHIBIT D Form of Transfer Certificate..............................................................D-1
EXHIBIT E Form of Transfer Certificate for Institutional Accredited Investors.......................E-1
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NOTE: This Table of Contents shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part
of the Indenture.
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INDENTURE dated as of October 1, 1997, among ADVANCED
ACCESSORY SYSTEMS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Company"),
AAS CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation ("Capital Corp." and, together
with the Company, the "Issuers"), the GUARANTORS named herein and FIRST UNION
NATIONAL BANK, as trustee (the "Trustee").
Each party hereto agrees as follows for the benefit of each
other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the
Securities:
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. Definitions.
"Acquired Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of a Person (a)
assumed in connection with an Acquisition from such Person or (b) existing at
the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged or
consolidated with or into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.
"Acquired Person" means, with respect to any specified Person,
any other Person which merges with or into or becomes a Subsidiary of such
specified Person.
"Acquisition" means (i) any capital contribution (by means of
transfers of cash or other property to others or payments for property or
services for the account or use of others, or otherwise) by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary to any other Person, or any acquisition or purchase of
Equity Interests of any other Person by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary, in either case pursuant to which such Person shall become a
Restricted Subsidiary or shall be consolidated with or merged into the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary, or (ii) any acquisition by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the assets of any Person which constitute substantially
all of an operating unit or line of business of such Person or which is
otherwise outside of the ordinary course of business.
"Acquisition Facility" means a credit facility entered into by
the Company and one or more commercial banks or other lenders pursuant to which
the Company and/or its Restricted Subsidiaries may incur Indebtedness for the
purpose of financing one or more acquisitions of assets or equity securities of
any Related Business and paying related fees and expenses.
"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. For purposes of this definition,
"control" (including, with correlative meanings, the terms "controlling,"
"controlled by" and "under common control with"), as used with respect to any
Person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to
direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.
"Affiliate Transaction" has the meaning provided in Section
4.03.
"Agent" means any Registrar, Paying Agent or co-Registrar.
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"Asset Sale" means any direct or indirect sale, conveyance,
transfer, lease (that has the effect of a disposition) or other disposition
(including, without limitation, any merger, consolidation or sale-leaseback
transaction) to any Person other than the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of (i) any
Equity Interest of any Restricted Subsidiary (other than directors' qualifying
shares, to the extent mandated by applicable law); (ii) any assets of the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary which constitute substantially all of an
operating unit or line of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;
or (iii) any other property or asset of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
outside of the ordinary course of business (including the receipt of proceeds
paid on account of the loss of or damage to any property or asset and awards of
compensation for any asset taken by condemnation, eminent domain or similar
proceedings). For the purposes of this definition, the term "Asset Sale" shall
not include (a) any transaction consummated in compliance with Section 5.01 and
the creation of any Lien not prohibited by Section 4.11; (b) sales of property
or equipment that has become worn out, obsolete or damaged or otherwise
unsuitable for use in connection with the business of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be; (c) any transaction consummated in
compliance with Section 4.08; and (d) any transfers of properties and assets to
the Company, between the Company and Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries that
are Guarantors or between Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries. In addition,
solely for purposes of Section 4.07, any sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or
other disposition of any property or asset, whether in one transaction or a
series of related transactions, involving assets with a Fair Market Value not in
excess of $1.0 million in any fiscal year shall be deemed not to be an Asset
Sale.
"Attributable Indebtedness" in respect of a Sale and
Lease-Back Transaction means, as at the time of determination, the present value
(discounted according to GAAP at the cost of indebtedness implied in the lease)
of the total obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining
term of the lease included in such Sale and Lease-Back Transaction (including
any period for which such lease has been extended).
"Bankruptcy Law" has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.
"Board Resolution" means, with respect to any Person, a duly
adopted resolution of the Board of Managers of such Person or a duly authorized
committee of such Board of Managers.
"Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or Charlotte, North
Carolina are not required to be open.
"Capital Corp." means the Person named as "Capital Corp." in
the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Capital
Corp." shall mean such successor.
"Capitalized Lease Obligation" means, at the time any
determination thereof is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a
capital lease that would at such time be required to be capitalized on the
balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.
"Cash Equivalents" means: (a) securities issued or directly
and fully guaranteed or insured by the U.S. government or any agency or
instrumentality thereof, the government of Canada or the government of any
member of the European Union, in each case having maturities of not more than
one year from the date of acquisition; (b) domestic and Eurocurrency
certificates of deposit, time deposits and base rate certificates of deposit
with maturities of six months or less from the date of acquisition, bankers'
acceptances with maturities not exceeding six months and overnight bank
deposits, in each case with any commercial bank in-
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corporated under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, the District
of Columbia or its branches or agencies or under the laws of Canada or the laws
of any member of the European Union and having capital and surplus in excess of
$250 million and whose long-term debt is rated at least "A" (or such similar
equivalent rating) or higher by at least one nationally recognized statistical
rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the Act); (c) repurchase
obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities of
the types described in clauses (a) and (b) above entered into with any financial
institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (b) above; (d)
commercial paper rated P-1, A-1 or the equivalent thereof by Xxxxx'x Investors
Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or Standard & Poor's Ratings Group ("S&P"),
respectively, and in each case maturing within six months after the date of
acquisition; (e) marketable direct obligations issued by any state of the United
States of America or any political subdivision of any such state or any public
instrumentality thereof maturing within one year from the date of acquisition
thereof and, at the time of acquisition, having one of the two highest ratings
obtainable from either S&P or Moody's; (f) investments in money market funds
which invest substantially all their assets in securities of the types described
in clauses (a) through (e) above; and (g) in the case of any Foreign Restricted
Subsidiary, Investments: (i) in direct obligations of the sovereign nation (or
any agency thereof) in which such Foreign Restricted Subsidiary is organized and
is conducting business or in obligations fully and unconditionally guaranteed by
such sovereign nation (or any agency thereof) or (ii) of the type and maturity
described in clauses (a) and (b) above of foreign obligors, which Investments or
obligors (or the parents of such obligors) have ratings described in such
clauses or equivalent ratings from comparable foreign rating agencies.
"Change of Control" means the occurrence of any of the
following events (whether or not approved by the Board of Managers of the
Company): (i) any Person (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of
the Exchange Act, including any group acting for the purpose of acquiring,
holding or disposing of securities within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under
the Exchange Act), other than one or more Permitted Holders, is or becomes the
"beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act,
except that a Person shall be deemed to have "beneficial ownership" of all
shares that any such Person has the right to acquire, whether such right is
exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time, upon the happening of
an event or otherwise), directly or indirectly, of more than 35% of the total
voting power of the then outstanding Voting Equity Interests of the Company;
(ii) the Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, another Person
(other than a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary) or the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries sells, assigns, conveys, transfers, leases or otherwise disposes of
all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries
(determined on a consolidated basis) to any Person (other than the Company or
any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary), other than any such transaction where
immediately after such transaction the Person or Persons that "beneficially
owned" (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that
a Person shall be deemed to have "beneficial ownership" of all securities that
such Person has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time) immediately prior to such
transaction, directly or indirectly, a majority of the total voting power of the
then outstanding Voting Equity Interests of Holdings or the Company, as the case
may be, "beneficially own" (as so determined), directly or indirectly, a
majority of the total voting power of the then outstanding Voting Equity
Interests of the surviving or transferee Person; (iii) during any period of two
consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted
the Board of Managers of the Company (together with any new directors whose
election by such Board of Managers or whose nomination for election by the
members of the Company was approved by a vote of a majority of the directors of
the Company then still in office who were either directors at the beginning of
such period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so
approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board of Managers
of the Company then in office; or (iv) the Company is liquidated or dissolved or
adopts a plan of liquidation or dissolution other than in a transaction which
complies with the provisions described under Section 5.01.
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"Change of Control Date" has the meaning provided in
Section 4.16.
"Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first
paragraph of this Indenture until a successor shall have become such pursuant to
the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Company" shall mean
such successor.
"Consolidated Coverage Ratio" as of any date of determination
means the ratio of (i) the aggregate amount of Consolidated EBITDA for the four
quarter period of the most recent four consecutive fiscal quarters ending prior
to the date of such determination (the "Four Quarter Period") to (ii)
Consolidated Fixed Charges for such Four Quarter Period; provided, however, that
(1) if the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary has incurred any Indebtedness
since the beginning of such Four Quarter Period that remains outstanding on such
date of determination or if the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate
the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is an Incurrence of Indebtedness, Consolidated
EBITDA and Consolidated Fixed Charges for such Four Quarter Period shall be
calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis to such Indebtedness as if
such Indebtedness had been Incurred on the first day of such Four Quarter Period
and the discharge of any other Indebtedness repaid, repurchased or otherwise
discharged with the proceeds of such new Indebtedness as if such discharge had
occurred on the first day of such Four Quarter Period, (2) if since the
beginning of such Four Quarter Period the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
shall have made any Asset Sale described in clause (i) or (ii) of the definition
thereof, the Consolidated EBITDA for such Four Quarter Period shall be reduced
by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDA (if positive) directly
attributable to the assets that are the subject of such Asset Sale for such Four
Quarter Period or increased by an amount equal to the Consolidated EBITDA (if
negative) directly attributable thereto for such Four Quarter Period and
Consolidated Fixed Charges for such Four Quarter Period shall be reduced by an
amount equal to the Consolidated Fixed Charges directly attributable to any
Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary repaid, repurchased or
otherwise discharged with respect to the Company and its continuing Restricted
Subsidiaries in connection with such Asset Sale for such Four Quarter Period
(or, if the Equity Interests of any Restricted Subsidiary are sold, the
Consolidated Fixed Charges for such Four Quarter Period directly attributable to
the Indebtedness of such Restricted Subsidiary to the extent the Company and its
continuing Restricted Subsidiaries are no longer liable for such Indebtedness
after such sale), (3) if since the beginning of such Four Quarter Period the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (by merger or otherwise) shall have made an
Investment in any Restricted Subsidiary (or any Person that becomes a Restricted
Subsidiary) or an acquisition of assets, including any acquisition of assets
occurring in connection with a transaction causing a calculation to be made
hereunder, which constitutes all or substantially all of an operating unit of a
business, Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated Fixed Charges for such Four
Quarter Period shall be calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto
(including the Incurrence of any Indebtedness) as if such Investment or
acquisition occurred on the first day of such Four Quarter Period and (4) if
since the beginning of such Four Quarter Period any Person (that subsequently
became a Restricted Subsidiary or was merged with or into the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary since the beginning of such Four Quarter Period) shall
have made any Asset Sale or any Investment or acquisition of assets that would
have required an adjustment pursuant to clause (2) or (3) above if made by the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary during such Four Quarter Period, Consolidated
EBITDA and Consolidated Fixed Charges for such Four Quarter Period shall be
calculated after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Asset Sale,
Investment or acquisition of assets occurred on, with respect to any Investment
or acquisition, the first day of such Four Quarter Period and, with respect to
any Asset Sale, the day prior to the first day of such Four Quarter Period. For
purposes of this definition, whenever pro forma effect is to be given to an
acquisition of assets, the amount of income or earnings relating thereto and the
amount of Consolidated Fixed Charges associated with any Indebtedness Incurred
in connection therewith, the pro forma calculations shall be determined in good
faith by a responsible financial or accounting officer of the Company in
accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act as in effect on the
Issue Date. If any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest and is being
given pro forma effect, the interest expense on such Indebtedness shall be
calculated as if the rate in effect
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on the date of determination had been the applicable rate for the entire period
(taking into account any agreement under which Interest Rate Protection
Obligations are outstanding applicable to such Indebtedness if such agreement
under which such Interest Rate Protection Obligations are outstanding has a
remaining term as at the date of determination in excess of 12 months);
provided, however, that the Consolidated Fixed Charges of the Company
attributable to interest on any Indebtedness Incurred under a revolving credit
facility computed on a pro forma basis shall be computed based upon the average
daily balance of such Indebtedness during the Four Quarter Period.
"Consolidated EBITDA" means, for any period, the Consolidated
Net Income for such period, plus the following to the extent deducted in
calculating such Consolidated Net Income: (i) Consolidated Income Tax Expense
for such period; (ii) Consolidated Interest Expense for such period; and (iii)
Consolidated Non-cash Charges for such period less (A) all non-cash items
increasing Consolidated Net Income for such period and (B) all cash payments
during such period relating to non-cash charges that were added back in
determining Consolidated EBITDA in any prior period.
"Consolidated Fixed Charges" means, with respect to any Person
for any period, the sum, without duplication, of (i) Consolidated Interest
Expense and (ii) the product of (x) the amount of all dividends on any series of
Preferred Equity Interest (other than Qualified Equity Interests) of such Person
and its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than dividends paid solely in Qualified
Equity Interests) paid, accrued or scheduled to be paid or accrued during such
period times (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator
of which is one minus the then current effective consolidated federal, state and
local tax rate of such Person, expressed as a decimal.
"Consolidated Income Tax Expense" means, with respect to the
Company for any period, the provision for federal, state, local and foreign
income taxes payable by the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such
period as determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
"Consolidated Interest Expense" means, with respect to the
Company for any period, without duplication, the sum of (i) the interest expense
of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such period as determined on
a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, including, without limitation, (a)
any amortization of debt discount and amortization or write-off of deferred
financing costs, (b) the net cost or benefit under Interest Rate Protection
Obligations (including any amortization of discounts), (c) the interest portion
of any deferred payment obligation, (d) all commissions, discounts and other
fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers' acceptance
financing, (e) all capitalized interest and all accrued interest, (f) non-cash
interest expense and (g) interest on Indebtedness of another Person that is
guaranteed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary actually paid by the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) the interest component of
Capitalized Lease Obligations paid, accrued and/or scheduled to be paid or
accrued by the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries during such period as
determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
"Consolidated Net Income" means, for any period, the
consolidated net income (loss) of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries;
provided, however, that there shall not be included in such Consolidated Net
Income: (i) any net income (loss) of any Person if such Person is not a
Subsidiary, except (A) to the extent of cash actually distributed by such Person
during such period to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary as a dividend or
other distribution and (B) the Company's equity in a net loss of any such Person
(other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary) for such period shall be included in
determining such Consolidated Net Income; (ii) any net income (loss) of any
Person acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary in a pooling of
interests transaction for any period prior to the date of such acquisition;
(iii) any net income (but not
13
-6-
loss) of any Restricted Subsidiary if such Restricted Subsidiary is subject to
restrictions, directly or indirectly, on the payment of dividends or the making
of distributions by such Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to the
Company to the extent of such restrictions; (iv) any gain or loss realized upon
the sale or other disposition of any asset of the Company or the Restricted
Subsidiaries (including pursuant to any sale/leaseback transaction) outside of
the ordinary course of business (including, without limitation, on or with
respect to Investments) and there shall not be included dividends, distributions
or interest thereon; (v) any extraordinary gain or loss and any foreign currency
gains or losses; (vi) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles
after the Issue Date; and (vii) any restoration to income of any contingency
reserve of an extraordinary, non-recurring or unusual nature, except to the
extent that provision for such reserve was made out of Consolidated Net Income
accrued at any time following the Issue Date.
"Consolidated Non-cash Charges" means, with respect to any
Person, for any period the sum of (A) depreciation, (B) amortization and (C)
other non-cash expenses of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries reducing
Consolidated Net Income of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such
period, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP (excluding,
for purposes of clause (C) only, such charges which require an accrual of or a
reserve for cash charges or payments for any future period and excluding
minority interest).
"Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee" shall be at the
address of the Trustee specified in Section 13.02 or such other address as the
Trustee may give notice to the Company.
"Credit Facilities" means (i) the Second Amended and Restated
Credit Agreement, dated as of August 5, 1997, among the Company, the
Subsidiaries of the Company identified on the signature pages thereof and any
Restricted Subsidiary that is later added thereto, the lenders named therein,
NBD Bank, as Administrative Agent and Documentation and Collateral Agent, and
The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Co-Administrative Agent and Syndication Agent, (ii)
the Credit Agreement, dated as of July 2, 1997, among Advanced Accessory Systems
Canada Inc., First Chicago NBD Bank, Canada, as Agent, First Chicago NBD Bank,
Canada and The Chase Manhattan Bank of Canada, as lenders and the guarantors
identified on the signature pages thereof and (iii) an Acquisition Facility, in
each case, as amended, including any deferrals, renewals, extensions,
replacements, refinancings or refundings thereof, or amendments, modifications
or supplements thereto and any agreement providing therefor, whether by or with
the same or any other lender, creditor, group of lenders or group of creditors,
and including related notes, guarantee and note agreements and other instruments
and agreements executed in connection therewith.
"Currency Agreement" means any foreign exchange contract,
currency swap agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement designed to
protect the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company against
fluctuations in currency values.
"Custodian" has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.
"Default" means any event that is or with the passage of time
or the giving of notice or both would be an Event of Default.
"Defeasance Trust Payment" has the meaning provided in
Section 8.02.
"Depository" means, with respect to the Securities issued in
the form of one or more Global Securities, The Depository Trust Company or
another Person designated as Depository by the Company, which must be a clearing
agency registered under the Exchange Act.
14
-7-
"Designated Senior Indebtedness" means (a) any Indebtedness
outstanding under the Credit Facilities and (b) any other Senior Indebtedness
which, at the time of determination, has an aggregate principal amount
outstanding, together with any commitments to lend additional amounts, of at
least $25.0 million, if the instrument governing such Senior Indebtedness
expressly states that such Indebtedness is "Designated Senior Indebtedness" for
purposes of this Indenture.
"Designation" has the meaning provided in Section 4.08.
"Designation Amount" has the meaning provided in Section 4.11.
"Disposition" means, with respect to any Person, any merger,
consolidation or other business combination involving such Person (whether or
not such Person is the Surviving Person) or the sale, assignment, transfer,
lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of such
Person's assets.
"Disqualified Equity Interest" means any Equity Interest
which, by its terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is
convertible or for which it is exchangeable at the option of the holder
thereof), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily
redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable,
at the option of the holder thereof (except, in each case, upon the occurrence
of a Change of Control), in whole or in part, or exchangeable into Indebtedness
on or prior to the final maturity date of the Securities.
"Domestic" with respect to any Person shall mean a Person
whose jurisdiction of incorporation or formation is the United States, any state
thereof or the District of Columbia.
"Equity Interest" in any Person means any and all shares,
interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other
equivalents of or interests in (however designated) corporate stock or other
equity participations, including partnership interests, whether general or
limited, in such Person, including any Preferred Equity Interests.
"Event of Default" has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder.
"Exchange Securities" means the 9 3/4% Senior Subordinated
Notes due 2007, Series B, to be issued in exchange for the Initial Securities
pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.
"Existing Management Holder" means each of F. Xxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx.
"Expiration Date" has the meaning set forth in the definition
of "Offer to Purchase."
"Fair Market Value" means, with respect to any asset, the
price (after taking into account any liabilities relating to such assets) which
could be negotiated in an arm's-length free market transaction, for cash,
between a willing seller and a willing and able buyer, neither of which is under
any compulsion to complete the transaction; provided, however, that the Fair
Market Value of any such asset or assets shall be determined conclusively by the
Board of Managers of the Company acting in good faith, and shall be evidenced by
resolutions of the Board of Managers of the Company delivered to the Trustee.
15
-8-
"Final Maturity Date" means October 1, 2007.
"Foreign EBITDA" means, for any period, the aggregate of the
Consolidated EBITDA of each of the Company's Foreign Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Foreign Interest Expense" means, for any period, the
aggregate of the Consolidated Interest Expense of each of the Company's Foreign
Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Foreign Restricted Subsidiary" means a Restricted Subsidiary
other than a Domestic Restricted Subsidiary.
"Four Quarter Period" has the meaning set forth in the
definition of "Consolidated Coverage Ratio."
"Funding Guarantor" has the meaning provided in Section 11.05.
"GAAP" means, at any date of determination, generally accepted
accounting principles in effect in the United States which are applicable at the
date of determination and which are consistently applied for all applicable
periods.
"Global Securities" means one or more 144A Global Securities
or IAI Global Securities.
"Guarantee" means, as applied to any obligation, (i) a
guarantee (other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in
the ordinary course of business), direct or indirect, in any manner, of any part
or all of such obligation and (ii) an agreement, direct or indirect, contingent
or otherwise, the practical effect of which is to assure in any way the payment
or performance (or payment of damages in the event of non-performance) of all or
any part of such obligation, including, without limiting the foregoing, the
payment of amounts drawn down by letters of credit.
"Guarantee" means the guarantee of the Securities by each
Guarantor under this Indenture.
"Guarantor" means (i) each Domestic Subsidiary of the Company
existing on the Issue Date and (ii) each other Domestic Restricted Subsidiary,
formed, created or acquired before or after the Issue Date, required to become a
Guarantor after the Issue Date.
"Guarantor Blockage Period" has the meaning provided in
Section 12.02(a).
"Guarantor Payment Blockage Notice" has the meaning provided
in Section 12.02(a).
"Guarantor Senior Indebtedness" means, with respect to any
Guarantor, at any date, (a) all Obligations of such Guarantor under the Credit
Facilities; (b) all Interest Rate Protection Obligations of such Guarantor; (c)
all Obligations of such Guarantor under letters of credit; and (d) all other
Indebtedness of such Guarantor, including principal, premium, if any, and
interest (including Post-Petition Interest) on such Indebtedness unless the
instrument under which such Indebtedness of such Guarantor is Incurred expressly
provides that such Indebtedness is not senior or superior in right of payment to
such Guarantor's Guarantee of the Securities, and all renewals, extensions,
modifications, amendments or refinancings thereof. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Guarantor Senior Indebtedness shall not include (a) to the extent
that it may constitute Indebtedness, any Obligation for federal, state, local or
other taxes; (b) any Indebtedness among or between such Guarantor
16
-9-
and any Subsidiary of such Guarantor or any Affiliate of such Guarantor or any
of such Affiliate's Subsidiaries; (c) to the extent that it may constitute
Indebtedness, any Obligation in respect of any trade payable Incurred for the
purchase of goods or materials, or for services obtained, in the ordinary course
of business; (d) Indebtedness evidenced by such Guarantor's Guarantee of the
Securities; (e) Indebtedness of such Guarantor that is expressly subordinate or
junior in right of payment to any other Indebtedness of such Guarantor; (f) to
the extent that it may constitute Indebtedness, any obligation owing under
leases (other than Capitalized Lease Obligations) or management agreements; and
(g) any obligation that by operation of law is subordinate to any general
unsecured obligations of such Guarantor.
"Holders" means the registered holders of the Securities.
"IAI Global Security" means a permanent global security in
registered form representing the aggregate principal amount of Securities
transferred after the Issue Date to Institutional Accredited Investors.
"Income Tax Liabilities" means with respect to any member or,
in the event such member is a flow-through entity, such direct or indirect owner
or owners of such member as is or are subject to income taxes on income of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that are limited liability
companies for any calendar year, an amount determined by multiplying (a) such
Person's allocable share of all taxable income and gains of such limited
liability company by (b) forty-four percent (44%).
"Incur" means, with respect to any Indebtedness or other
obligation of any Person, to create, issue, incur (including by conversion,
exchange or otherwise), assume, guarantee or otherwise become liable in respect
of such Indebtedness or other obligation or the recording, as required pursuant
to GAAP or otherwise, of any such Indebtedness or other obligation on the
balance sheet of such Person (and "Incurrence," "Incurred" and "Incurring" shall
have meanings correlative to the foregoing). Indebtedness of any Acquired Person
or any of its Subsidiaries existing at the time such Acquired Person becomes a
Restricted Subsidiary (or is merged into or consolidated with the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary), whether or not such Indebtedness was Incurred in
connection with, as a result of, or in contemplation of, such Acquired Person
becoming a Restricted Subsidiary (or being merged into or consolidated with the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary), shall be deemed Incurred at the time any
such Acquired Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or merges into or
consolidates with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.
"Indebtedness" means (without duplication), with respect to
any Person, whether recourse is to all or a portion of the assets of such Person
and whether or not contingent, (a) every obligation of such Person for money
borrowed; (b) every obligation of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures,
notes or other similar instruments; (c) every reimbursement obligation of such
Person with respect to letters of credit, bankers' acceptances or similar
facilities issued for the account of such Person; (d) every obligation of such
Person issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services
(but excluding trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of
business and payable in accordance with industry practices, or other accrued
liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business; (e) every Capitalized
Lease Obligation of such Person; (f) every net obligation under Interest Rate
Protection Obligations or similar agreements or Currency Agreements of such
Person; (g) Attributable Indebtedness; (h) every obligation of the type referred
to in clauses (a) through (g) of another Person the payment of which, in either
case, such Person has guaranteed or is responsible or liable for, directly or
indirectly, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise; and (i) any and all deferrals,
renewals, extensions and refundings of, or amendments, modifications or
supplements to, any liability of the kind described in any of the preceding
clauses (a) through (h) above. Indebtedness (i) shall not include obligations of
any Person (x) arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial
institution of a check, draft or similar instrument inadvertently drawn against
insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business, provided
17
-10-
that such obligations are extinguished within five Business Days of their
incurrence, (y) resulting from the endorsement of negotiable instruments for
collection in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past business
practices and (z) under stand-by letters of credit to the extent collateralized
by cash or Cash Equivalents; (ii) which provides that an amount less than the
principal amount thereof shall be due upon any declaration of acceleration
thereof shall be deemed to be incurred or outstanding in an amount equal to the
accreted value thereof at the date of determination; (iii) shall include the
liquidation preference and any mandatory redemption payment obligations in
respect of any Disqualified Equity Interests of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary; and (iv) shall not include obligations under performance bonds,
performance guarantees, surety bonds and appeal bonds, letters of credit or
similar obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business.
"Indenture" means this Indenture, as amended or supplemented
from time to time.
"Independent Financial Advisor" means a nationally recognized
accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm or consultant (i) which does
not, and whose directors, officers and employees or Affiliates do not, have a
direct or indirect financial interest in the Company and (ii) which, in the
judgment of the Board of Managers of the Company, is otherwise independent and
qualified to perform the task for which it is to be engaged.
"Initial Purchasers" means Chase Securities Inc. and First
Chicago Capital Markets, Inc.
"Initial Securities" means the 9 3/4% Senior Subordinated
Notes due 2007, Series A, of the Issuers.
"Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding" means, with respect to
any Person, any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such Person, or any
bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, receivership or similar proceeding with
respect to such Person, whether voluntary or involuntary.
"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" means, with respect to the Securities, the sum of
any cash interest and any Additional Interest (as defined under "Registration
Rights") on the Securities.
"Interest Payment Date" means each semiannual interest payment
date on April 1 and October 1 of each year, commencing on April 1, 1998.
"Interest Rate Protection Obligations" means, with respect to
any Person, the Obligations of such Person under (i) interest rate swap
agreements, interest rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements,
and (ii) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person
against fluctuations in interest rates.
"Interest Record Date" for the interest payable on any
Interest Payment Date (except a date for payment of defaulted interest) means
the March 15 or September 15 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may
be, immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date.
"Investment" means, with respect to any Person, any direct or
indirect loan, advance, guarantee or other extension of credit or capital
contribution to (by means of transfers of cash or other property or assets to
others or payments for property or services for the account or use of others, or
otherwise), or pur-
18
-11-
chase or acquisition of capital stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other
securities or evidences of Indebtedness issued by, any other Person. For
purposes of Section 4.08, the amount of any Investment shall be the original
cost of such Investment, plus the cost of all additions thereto, but without any
other adjustments for increases or decreases in value, or write-ups, write-downs
or write-offs with respect to such Investment, reduced by the payment of
dividends or distributions in connection with such Investment or any other
amounts received in respect of such Investment; provided, however, that no such
payment of dividends or distributions or receipt of any such other amounts shall
reduce the amount of any Investment if such payment of dividends or
distributions or receipt of any such amounts would be included in Consolidated
Net Income. In determining the amount of any Investment involving a transfer of
any property or asset other than cash, such property shall be valued at its Fair
Market Value at the time of such transfer, as determined in good faith by the
Board of Managers (or comparable body) of the Person making such transfer. If
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary sells or otherwise disposes of any
Voting Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Restricted Subsidiary such
that, after giving effect to any such sale or disposition, the Company no longer
owns, directly or indirectly, greater than 50% of the outstanding Voting Equity
Interests of such Restricted Subsidiary, the Company shall be deemed to have
made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition equal to the fair
market value of Voting Equity Interests of such former Restricted Subsidiary not
sold or disposed of.
"Issue Date" means the original issue date of the Securities.
"Issuer Request" or "Issuer Order" means a written request or
order signed in the name of each of the Issuers by its respective Chairman of
the Board, its Vice Chairman of the Board, its President, a Vice President or
its Treasurer, and by its respective Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.
"Issuers" means collectively, the Company and Capital Corp.
"Lien" means any lien, mortgage, charge, security interest,
hypothecation, assignment for security or encumbrance of any kind (including any
conditional sale or capital lease or other title retention agreement, any lease
in the nature thereof, and any agreement to give any security interest).
"Maturity Date" means the date, which is set forth on the face
of the Securities, on which the Securities will mature.
"Net Cash Proceeds" means the aggregate proceeds in the form
of cash or Cash Equivalents received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
in respect of any Asset Sale, including all cash or Cash Equivalents received
upon any sale, liquidation or other exchange of proceeds of Asset Sales received
in a form other than cash or Cash Equivalents, net of (a) the direct costs
relating to such Asset Sale (including, without limitation, legal, accounting
and investment banking fees, and sales commissions) and any relocation expenses
incurred as a result thereof; (b) taxes paid or payable as a result thereof
(after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax
sharing arrangements); (c) amounts required to be applied to the repayment of
Indebtedness secured by a Lien on the asset or assets that were the subject of
such Asset Sale (including payments made to obtain or avoid the need for the
consent of any holder of such Indebtedness); (d) amounts deemed, in good faith,
appropriate by the Board of Managers of the Company to be provided as a reserve,
in accordance with GAAP, against any liabilities associated with such assets
which are the subject of 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 reflected in an officers' certificate
delivered to the Trustee (provided that the amount of any such reserves shall be
deemed to constitute Net Cash Proceeds at the time such reserves shall have been
re-
19
-12-
versed or are not otherwise required to be retained as a reserve); and (e)
with respect to Asset Sales by Restricted Subsidiaries, the portion of such cash
payments attributable to Persons holding a minority interest in such Restricted
Subsidiary.
"Net Proceeds Utilization Date" has the meaning provided in
Section 4.07.
"Obligations" means any principal, interest (including,
without limitation, Post-Petition Interest), penalties, fees, indemnifications,
reimbursement obligations, damages and other liabilities payable under the
documentation governing any Indebtedness.
"Offer" has the meaning set forth in the definition of
"Offer to Purchase."
"Offer to Purchase" means a written offer (the "Offer") sent
by or on behalf of the Company by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to each
Holder at his address appearing in the register for the Securities on the date
of the Offer offering to purchase up to the principal amount of Securities
specified in such Offer at the purchase price specified in such Offer (as
determined pursuant to this Indenture). Unless otherwise required by applicable
law, the Offer shall specify an expiration date (the "Expiration Date") of the
Offer to Purchase, which shall be not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days
after the date of such Offer, and a settlement date (the "Purchase Date") for
purchase of Securities to occur no later than five Business Days after the
Expiration Date. The Company shall notify the Trustee at least 15 days (or such
shorter period as is acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the mailing of the
Offer of the Company's obligation to make an Offer to Purchase, and the Offer
shall be mailed by the Company or, at the Company's request, by the Trustee in
the name and at the expense of the Company. The Offer shall also contain
information concerning the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries which
the Company in good faith believes will enable such Holders to make an informed
decision with respect to the Offer to Purchase (which at a minimum will include
(i) the most recent annual and quarterly financial statements and "Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations"
contained in the documents required to be filed with the Trustee pursuant to
this Indenture (which requirements may be satisfied by delivery of such
documents together with the Offer), (ii) a description of material developments
in the Company's business subsequent to the date of the latest of such financial
statements referred to in clause (i) (including a description of the events
requiring the Company to make the Offer to Purchase), (iii) if applicable,
appropriate pro forma financial information concerning the Offer to Purchase and
the events requiring the Company to make the Offer to Purchase and (iv) any
other information required by applicable law to be included therein). The Offer
shall contain all instructions and materials necessary to enable such Holders to
tender Securities pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. The Offer shall also state:
(1) the Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Offer to Purchase is
being made; (2) the Expiration Date and the Purchase Date; (3) the aggregate
principal amount of the outstanding Securities offered to be purchased by the
Company pursuant to the Offer to Purchase (including, if less than 100%, the
manner by which such amount has been determined pursuant to this Section of this
Indenture requiring the Offer to Purchase) (the "Purchase Amount"); (4) the
purchase price to be paid by the Company for each $1,000 aggregate principal
amount of Securities accepted for payment (as specified pursuant to this
Indenture) (the "Purchase Price"); (5) that the Holder may tender all or any
portion of the Securities registered in the name of such Holder and that any
portion of a Security tendered must be tendered in an integral multiple of
$1,000 principal amount; (6) the place or places where Securities are to be
surrendered for tender pursuant to the Offer to Purchase; (7) that interest on
any Security not tendered or tendered but not purchased by the Company pursuant
to the Offer to Purchase will continue to accrue; (8) that on the Purchase Date
the Purchase Price will become due and payable upon each Security being accepted
for payment pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and that interest thereon shall
cease to accrue on and after the Purchase Date; (9) that each Holder electing to
tender all or any portion of a Security pursuant to the Offer to Purchase will
be required to surren-
20
-13-
der such Security at the place or places specified in the Offer prior to the
close of business on the Expiration Date (such Security being, if the Company or
the Trustee so requires, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written
instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly
executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing);
(10) that each Holder will be entitled to withdraw all or any portion of any
Securities tendered by such Holder if the Company (or its Paying Agent)
receives, not later than the close of business on the fifth Business Day next
preceding the Expiration Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or
letter setting forth the name of such Holder, the principal amount of the
Security such Holder tendered, the certificate number of the Security such
Holder tendered and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing all or a portion
of his tender; (11) that (a) if Securities in an aggregate principal amount less
than or equal to the Purchase Amount are duly tendered and not withdrawn
pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Company shall purchase all such
Securities and (b) if Securities in an aggregate principal amount in excess of
the Purchase Amount are tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Offer to
Purchase, the Company shall purchase Securities having an aggregate principal
amount equal to the Purchase Amount on a pro rata basis (with such adjustments
as may be deemed appropriate so that only Securities in denominations of $1,000
principal amount or integral multiples thereof shall be purchased); and (12)
that in the case of any Holder whose Security is purchased only in part, the
Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the
Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities, of
any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in an aggregate
principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unpurchased portion of the
Security so tendered.
"Officer" means, with respect to each of the Issuers, the
Chairman, any Vice Chairman, the President, any Vice President, the Chief
Financial Officer, the Treasurer or the Secretary of such Issuer, and, with
respect to any Guarantor, the Chairman, any Vice Chairman, the President, any
Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer or the Secretary of
such Guarantor.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by two
Officers or by an Officer and an Assistant Treasurer or Assistant Secretary of
each of the Issuers complying with Sections 13.04 and 13.05.
"144A Global Security" means a permanent global security in
registered form representing the aggregate principal amount of Securities sold
in reliance on Rule 144A.
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion from legal
counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an
employee of or counsel to the Issuers or the Trustee.
"Participant" has the meaning provided in Section 2.15.
"Paying Agent" has the meaning provided in Section 2.03.
"Payment Blockage Notice" has the meaning provided in Section
8.03.
"Payment Blockage Period" has the meaning provided in Section
8.03.
"Permitted Holder" means each of (i) CCP and its affiliates,
(ii) the Existing Management Holders and (iii) any corporation, a majority of
the outstanding Voting Equity Interests of which are owned, directly or
indirectly, by Persons listed in clauses (i) and (ii) of this definition, and no
more than 35% of the outstanding Voting Equity Interests of which are
beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any Person (other than Permitted
Holders) or group acting for the purpose of acquiring, holding or disposing of
securities within the meaning of Rule 13d-15d(b)(1) under the Exchange Act.
21
-14-
"Permitted Indebtedness" means the following, each of which
shall be given independent effect:
(a) Indebtedness under the Securities;
(b) Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
Incurred under the Credit Facilities in an aggregate principal amount
at any one time outstanding not to exceed the greater of (i) $25.0
million and (ii) the sum of 85% of the total book value of accounts
receivable and 50% of the total book value of inventory, in each case
as reflected on the Company's most recent consolidated financial
statements prepared in accordance with GAAP;
(c) Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary owed to and held
by the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary, and Indebtedness of
the Company owed to and held by any Restricted Subsidiary which is
unsecured and subordinated in right of payment to the payment and
performance of the Company's obligations under any Senior Indebtedness,
this Indenture and the Securities; provided, however, that an
Incurrence of Indebtedness that is not permitted by this clause (c)
shall be deemed to have occurred upon (i) any sale or other disposition
of any Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
referred to in this clause (c) to a Person (other than the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary), (ii) any sale or other disposition of Equity
Interests of any Restricted Subsidiary which holds Indebtedness of the
Company or another Restricted Subsidiary such that such Restricted
Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary and (iii) the designation of a
Restricted Subsidiary that holds Indebtedness of the Company or any
other Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary;
(d) the Guarantees and guarantees by any Guarantor of
Indebtedness of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries and the
guarantees by the Company of Indebtedness of the Restricted
Subsidiaries; provided, however, that if such guarantee is of
Subordinated Indebtedness, then the Guarantee of such Guarantor or the
Company's obligations under the Securities, as the case may be; shall
be senior to such Guarantor's or the Company's, as the case may be,
guarantee of such Subordinated Indebtedness;
(e) Interest Rate Protection Obligations relating to
Indebtedness of the Company (which Indebtedness (i) bears interest at
fluctuating interest rates and (ii) is otherwise permitted to be
Incurred under this definition and Section 4.04); provided, however,
that (i) such Interest Rate Protection Obligations have been entered
into for bona fide business purposes and not for speculation and (ii)
the notional principal amount of such Interest Rate Protection
Obligations, at the time of the incurrence thereof, does not exceed the
principal amount of the Indebtedness to which such Interest Rate
Protection Obligations relate;
(f) Purchase Money Indebtedness and Capitalized Lease
Obligations which, at the time of the incurrence thereof, do not, in
the aggregate with all such other Indebtedness incurred pursuant to
this clause (f), exceed 5.0% of the total assets of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis determined consistent
with the Company's most recent balance sheet prepared in accordance
with GAAP at any one time outstanding;
(g) Indebtedness under Currency Agreements; provided, however,
that in the case of Currency Agreements which relate to Indebtedness,
such Currency Agreements do not increase the principal amount of
Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding
other than as
22
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a result of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or by
reason of fees, indemnities and compensation payable thereunder;
(h) Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries outstanding on the Issue Date, reduced by the amount of
any scheduled amortization payments or mandatory prepayments when
actually paid or permanent reductions thereof;
(i) Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries represented by letters of credit for the account of the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, in order to
provide security for workers' compensation claims, payment obligations
in connection with self-insurance or similar requirements in the
ordinary course of business in an amount not to exceed $3.0 million in
the aggregate at any time outstanding;
(j) Indebtedness arising from agreements of the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company providing for indemnification,
adjustment of purchase price or similar obligations, in each case
incurred or assumed in connection with the disposition of any business,
assets or a Subsidiary, other than guarantees of Indebtedness incurred
by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or
Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition; provided,
however, that (i) such Indebtedness is not reflected on the balance
sheet of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company
(contingent obligations referred to in a footnote to financial
statements and not otherwise reflected on the balance sheet will not be
deemed to be reflected on such balance sheet for purposes of this
clause (i)) and (ii) the maximum assumable liability in respect of all
such Indebtedness shall at no time exceed the gross proceeds including
noncash proceeds (the fair market value of such noncash proceeds being
measured at the time it is received and without giving effect to any
subsequent changes in value) actually received by the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with such disposition;
(k) Obligations in respect of performance and surety bonds and
completion guarantees provided by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company in the ordinary course of business;
(l) Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
Incurred under an Acquisition Facility in an aggregate principal amount
at any one time outstanding not to exceed $22.0 million, reduced by any
required permanent repayments (which are accompanied by corresponding
permanent commitment reduction thereunder);
(m) Indebtedness to the extent representing a replacement,
renewal, defeasance, refinancing or extension (collectively, a
"refinancing") of outstanding Indebtedness Incurred in compliance with
Section 4.04 clauses (a), (h) or (l) of this definition; provided,
however, that (i) any such refinancing shall not exceed the sum of the
principal amount (or accreted amount (determined in accordance with
GAAP), if less) of the Indebtedness being refinanced, plus the amount
of accrued interest thereon, plus the amount of any reasonably
determined prepayment premium necessary to accomplish such refinancing
and such reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection therewith,
(ii) Indebtedness representing a refinancing of Indebtedness other than
Senior Indebtedness shall have a Weighted Average Life to Maturity
equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of the
Indebtedness being refinanced; and (iii) Indebtedness that is pari
passu with the Securities may only be refinanced with Indebtedness that
is made pari passu with or subordinate in right of payment to the
Securities and Subordinated Indebtedness may only be refinanced with
Subordinated Indebtedness; and
23
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(n) in addition to the items referred to in clauses (a)
through (m) above, Indebtedness of the Company (including any
Indebtedness under the Credit Facilities that utilizes this clause (m))
having an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $10.0 million at any
one time outstanding.
"Permitted Investments" means (a) cash and Cash Equivalents;
(b) Investments in prepaid expenses, negotiable instruments held for collection
and lease, utility and workers' compensation, performance and other similar
deposits; (c) Interest Rate Protection Obligations and Currency Agreements; (d)
Investments received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of
suppliers and customers and in settlement of delinquent obligations of, and
other disputes with, customers and suppliers, in each case arising in the
ordinary course of business; (e) Investments in the Company and Investments in
Restricted Subsidiaries or Persons that, as a result of or in connection with
any such Investment, become Restricted Subsidiaries or are merged with or into
or consolidated with the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary; (f)
Investments paid for in Qualified Equity Interests of the Company; (g) loans or
advances to officers or employees of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
in the ordinary course of business for bona fide business purposes of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (including, but not limited to, travel
and moving expenses) not in excess of $1 million in the aggregate at any one
time outstanding; (h) Investments in Replacement Assets made in compliance with
Section 4.07; (i) Investments of a Person or any of its Subsidiaries existing at
the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or at the
time such Person merges or consolidates with the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries, in either case in compliance with this Indenture;
provided that such Investments were not made by such Person in connection with,
or in anticipation or contemplation of, such Person becoming a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company or such merger or consolidation; and (j) Investments
(including, without limitation, in the form of joint ventures with unaffiliated
third parties) in Related Businesses not in excess of $10 million in the
aggregate at any one time outstanding.
"Permitted Junior Securities" means any securities of the
Company or any other Person that are (i) equity securities without special
covenants or (ii) debt securities expressly subordinated in right of payment to
all Senior Indebtedness that may at the time be outstanding, to substantially
the same extent as, or to a greater extent than, the Securities are subordinated
as provided in this Indenture, in any event pursuant to a court order so
providing and as to which (a) the rate of interest on such securities shall not
exceed the effective rate of interest on the Securities on the date of this
Indenture, (b) such securities shall not be entitled to the benefits of
covenants or defaults materially more beneficial to the holders of such
securities than those in effect with respect to the Securities on the date of
this Indenture and (c) such securities shall not provide for amortization
(including sinking fund and mandatory prepayment provisions) commencing prior to
the date six months following the final scheduled maturity date of the Senior
Indebtedness (as modified by the plan of reorganization of readjustment pursuant
to which such securities are issued).
"Permitted Liens" means (a) Liens on property of a Person
existing at the time such Person is merged into or consolidated with the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such Liens were in
existence prior to the contemplation of such merger or consolidation and do not
secure any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other
than the property or assets subject to the Liens prior to such merger or
consolidation; (b) Liens imposed by law such as carriers', warehousemen's,
mechanics', suppliers', materialmen's, landlords' and repairmen's Liens and
other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business which secure
payment of obligations not more than 30 days past due or which are being
contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings; (c) Liens existing on
the Issue Date; (d) Liens securing only the Securities or the Guarantees; (e)
Liens in favor of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; (f) Liens for taxes,
assessments or governmental charges or claims that are not yet delinquent or
that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; provided,
however, that any reserve or other appropriate provision as shall be required in
conformity with GAAP shall have been made therefor; (g) easements,
24
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reservation of rights of way, restrictions (including, but not limited to,
zoning and building restrictions) and other similar easements, licenses,
restrictions on the use of properties, or minor imperfections of title that in
the aggregate are not material in amount and do not in any case materially
detract from the properties subject thereto or interfere with the ordinary
conduct of the business of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries; (h)
Liens resulting from the deposit of cash or notes in connection with contracts,
bids, sales or tenders or expropriation proceedings, or to secure workers'
compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social security,
including any Lien securing letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practices in connection therewith, surety, appeal
and performance bonds, costs of litigation when required by law and public and
statutory obligations or obligations under franchise arrangements entered into
in the ordinary course of business; (i) Liens securing Indebtedness consisting
of Capitalized Lease Obligations, Purchase Money Indebtedness, mortgage
financings, industrial revenue bonds or other monetary obligations, in each case
incurred solely for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase
price or cost of construction or installation of assets used in the business of
the Company or the Restricted Subsidiaries, or repairs, additions or
improvements to such assets, provided, however, that (I) such Liens secure
Indebtedness in an amount not in excess of the original purchase price or the
original cost of any such assets or repair, addition or improvement thereto
(plus an amount equal to the reasonable fees and expenses in connection with the
incurrence of such Indebtedness), (II) such Liens do not extend to any other
assets of the Company or the Restricted Subsidiaries (and, in the case of
repair, addition or improvements to any such assets, such Lien extends only to
the assets (and improvements thereto or thereon) repaired, added to or
improved), (III) the Incurrence of such Indebtedness is permitted by Section
4.04 and (IV) such Liens attach within 120 days of such purchase, construction,
installation, repair, addition or improvement; (j) any interest or title of a
lessor under any Capitalized Lease Obligation; provided, however, that such
Liens do not extend to any property or assets which are not leased property
subject to such Capitalized Lease Obligation; (k) Liens upon specific items of
inventory or other goods and proceeds of any Person securing such Person's
obligations in respect of bankers' acceptances issued or created for the account
of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such inventory
or other goods; (l) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to
commercial letters of credit which encumber documents and other property
relating to such letters of credit and products and proceeds thereof; (m) Liens
encumbering deposits made to secure obligations arising from statutory,
regulatory, contractual or warranty requirements of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries, including rights of offset and set-off; (n) Liens
securing Interest Swap Obligations and Currency Agreements which Obligations and
agreements are otherwise permitted under this Indenture; (o) Liens by reason of
judgments, attachments or decree not otherwise resulting in an Event of Default;
(p) Liens securing Indebtedness of non-Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries
Incurred in compliance with this Indenture; and (q) Liens to secure any
refinancings, renewals, extensions, modifications or replacements (collectively,
"refinancing") (or successive refinancings), in whole or in part, of any
Indebtedness secured by Liens referred to in the clauses above so long as such
Lien does not extend to any other property (other than improvements thereto).
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint
venture, association, joint-stock company, limited liability company, limited
liability partnership, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any
agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Physical Securities" means one or more certificated
Securities in registered form.
"Post-Petition Interest" means, with respect to any
Indebtedness of any Person, all interest accrued or accruing on such
Indebtedness after the commencement of any Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding
against such Person in accordance with and at the contract rate (including,
without limitation, any rate applicable upon default) specified in the agreement
or instrument creating, evidencing or governing such Indebt-
25
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edness, whether or not, pursuant to applicable law or otherwise, the claim for
such interest is allowed as a claim in such Insolvency or Liquidation
Proceeding.
"Preferred Equity Interest," in any Person, means an Equity
Interest of any class or classes (however designated) which is preferred as to
the payment of dividends or distributions, or as to the distribution of assets
upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation or dissolution of such Person,
over Equity Interests of any other class in such Person.
"principal" of a debt security means the principal of the
security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on the security.
"Private Exchange Securities" has the meaning provided in
Section 2(b) of the Registration Rights Agreement.
"Private Placement Legend" means the legend initially set
forth on the Initial Securities in the form set forth on Exhibit A hereto.
"Public Equity Offering" means, with respect to the Company,
an underwritten public offering of Qualified Equity Interests of the Company
pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act
(excluding registration statements filed on Form S-8).
"Purchase Agreement" means the Purchase Agreement dated as of
September 25, 1997 by and among the Issuers, the Guarantors and the Initial
Purchasers.
"Purchase Amount" has the meaning set forth in the definition
of "Offer to Purchase."
"Purchase Date" has the meaning set forth in the definition
of "Offer to Purchase."
"Purchase Money Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary Incurred for the purpose of financing all
or any part of the purchase price or the cost of installation, construction or
improvement of any property; provided, however, that the aggregate principal
amount of such Indebtedness does not exceed the lesser of the fair market value
of such property or such purchase price or cost, including any refinancing of
such Indebtedness that does not increase the aggregate principal amount (or
accreted amount, if less) thereof as of the date of refinancing.
"Purchase Price" has the meaning set forth in the definition
of "Offer to Purchase."
"Qualified Equity Interest" in any Person means any Equity
Interest in such Person other than any Disqualified Equity Interest.
"Qualified Institutional Buyer" or "QIB" means a "qualified
institutional buyer" as that term is defined in Rule 144A under the Securities
Act.
"Redemption Date," when used with respect to any Security to
be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption pursuant to this
Indenture.
26
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"redemption price," when used with respect to any Security to
be redeemed, means the price fixed for such redemption pursuant to this
Indenture as set forth in the form of Security annexed hereto as Exhibit A.
"Registrar" has the meaning provided in Section 2.03.
"Registration Rights Agreement" means the Registration Rights
Agreement dated as of the Issue Date by and among the Issuers, the Guarantors
and the Initial Purchasers.
"Registration" means a registered exchange offer for the
Securities by the Company or other registration of the Securities under the
Securities Act pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of the Registration
Rights Agreement.
"Related Business" means any business related, ancillary or
complementary (as determined in good faith by the Board of Managers) to the
business of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries on the Issue Date.
"Replacement Assets" has the meaning provided in Section 4.07.
"Required Filing Date" has the meaning provided in Section
4.11.
"Restricted Investment" means any Investment other than a
Permitted Investment.
"Restricted Payment" has the meaning provided in Section 4.08.
"Restricted Security" has the meaning set forth in Rule
144(a)(3) under the Securities Act; provided, however, that the Trustee shall be
entitled to request and conclusively rely upon an Opinion of Counsel with
respect to whether any Security is a Restricted Security.
"Restricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company
that has not been designated by the Board of Managers of the Company, by a
resolution of the Board of Managers of the Company delivered to the Trustee, as
an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to Section 4.15. Any such designation may be
revoked by a resolution of the Board of Managers of the Company delivered to the
Trustee, subject to the provisions of such Section.
"Revocation" has the meaning provided in Section 4.15.
"Rule 144A" means Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
"Sale and Lease-Back Transaction" means any arrangement with
any Person providing for the leasing by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
of the Company of any real or tangible personal Property, which property has
been or is to be sold or transferred by the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary to such Person in contemplation of such leasing.
"SEC" or "Commission" means the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
27
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"Securities" means, collectively, the Initial Securities, the
Private Exchange Securities and the Unrestricted Securities treated as a single
class of securities, as amended or supplemented from time to time in accordance
with the terms of this Indenture.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder.
"Security Guarantee" means the Form of Security Guarantee of
each Guarantor to be endorsed on each of the Securities in the form of Exhibit A
(in the case of an Initial Security) or Exhibit B (in the case of an Exchange
Security) hereto.
"Senior Indebtedness" means, at any date, (a) all Obligations
under the Credit Facilities; (b) all Interest Rate Protection Obligations of the
Company; (c) all Obligations of the Company under letters of credit; and (d) all
other Indebtedness of the Company, including principal, premium, if any, and
interest (including Post-Petition Interest) on such Indebtedness, unless the
instrument under which such Indebtedness of the Company is Incurred expressly
provides that such Indebtedness is not senior or superior in right of payment to
the Securities, and all renewals, extensions, modifications, amendments or
refinancings thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Senior Indebtedness shall
not include (a) to the extent that it may constitute Indebtedness, any
Obligation for Federal, state, local or other taxes; (b) any Indebtedness among
or between the Company and any Subsidiary of the Company; (c) to the extent that
it may constitute Indebtedness, any Obligation in respect of any trade payable
Incurred for the purchase of goods or materials, or for services obtained, in
the ordinary course of business; (d) Indebtedness evidenced by the Securities;
(e) Indebtedness of the Company that is expressly subordinate or junior in right
of payment to any other Indebtedness of the Company; (f) to the extent that it
may constitute Indebtedness, any obligation owing under leases (other than
Capitalized Lease Obligations) or management agreements; and (g) any obligation
that by operation of law is subordinate to any general unsecured obligations of
the Company.
"Significant Restricted Subsidiary" means, at any date of
determination, (a) any Restricted Subsidiary that, together with its
Subsidiaries that constitute Restricted Subsidiaries (i) for the most recent
fiscal year of the Company accounted for more than 10.0% of the consolidated
revenues of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries or (ii) as of the end of
such fiscal year, owned more than 10.0% of the consolidated assets of the
Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries, all as set forth on the consolidated
financial statements of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries for such
year prepared in conformity with GAAP, and (b) any Restricted Subsidiary which,
when aggregated with all other Restricted Subsidiaries that are not otherwise
Significant Restricted Subsidiaries and as to which any event described in
clause (h) of Section 6.01 has occurred, would constitute a Significant
Restricted Subsidiary under clause (a) of this definition.
"Stated Maturity" means, when used with respect to any
Security or any installment of interest thereon, the date specified in such
Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such
installment of interest is due and payable.
"Subordinated Indebtedness" means, with respect to the Issuers
or any Guarantor, any Indebtedness of the Issuers or such Guarantor, as the case
may be, which is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Securities or
such Guarantor's Guarantee, as the case may be.
"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, (a) any
corporation of which the outstanding Voting Equity Interests having at least a
majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the election of directors
28
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shall at the time be owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or (b) any
other Person of which at least a majority of Voting Equity Interests are at the
time, directly or indirectly, owned by such first named Person.
"Surviving Person" means, with respect to any Person involved
in or that makes any Disposition, the Person formed by or surviving such
Disposition or the Person to which such Disposition is made.
"Tax Distribution" means, as of the time of determination
thereof, any distribution by the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
that are limited liability companies to their respective members (or in each
case, if such member is a flow-through entity, such direct or indirect owner or
owners of such member as is or are subject to income taxes on income of such
limited liability company) which (i) with respect to quarterly estimated tax
payments due in each calendar year shall be equal to twenty-five percent (25%)
of the relevant member's Income Tax Liabilities for such calendar year as
estimated in writing by the chief financial officer of the Company and (ii) with
respect to tax payments to be made with income tax returns filed for a full
calendar year or with respect to adjustments to such returns imposed by the
Internal Revenue Service or other taxing authority, shall be equal to the Income
Tax Liabilities of such member for such calendar year minus the aggregate amount
distributed to such member for such calendar year as provided in clause (i)
above. In the event the amount determined under clause (ii) is negative amount,
the amount of any distributions to the relevant member in the succeeding
calendar year (or, if necessary, any subsequent calendar years) shall be reduced
by such negative amount.
"TIA" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code
xx.xx. 77aaa-77bbbb), as amended, as in effect on the date of this Indenture
(except as provided in Section 10.03) until such time as this Indenture is
qualified under the TIA, and thereafter as in effect on the date on which this
Indenture is qualified under the TIA.
"Trust Officer" means any officer within the corporate trust
department (or any successor group of the Trustee) including any vice president,
assistant vice president, assistant secretary or any other officer or assistant
officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those
performed by the persons who at that time shall be such officers, and also
means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to
whom such trust matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity
with the particular subject.
"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 this Indenture and thereafter means such successor.
"United States Government Obligations" means direct
non-callable obligations of the United States of America for the payment of
which the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged.
"Unrestricted Securities" means one or more Securities that do
not and are not required to bear the Private Placement Legend in the form set
forth in Exhibit A hereto, including, without limitation, the Exchange
Securities and any Securities registered under the Securities Act pursuant to
and in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement.
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company
designated as such pursuant to Section 4.15. Any such designation may be revoked
by a resolution of the Board of Managers of the Company delivered to the
Trustee, subject to the provisions of such section.
"Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds" has the meaning provided in
Section 4.07.
29
-22-
"Voting Equity Interests" means Equity Interests in a
corporation or other Person with voting power under ordinary circumstances
entitling the holders thereof to elect the Board of Managers or other governing
body of such corporation or Person.
"Weighted Average Life to Maturity" means, when applied to any
Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing (a) the sum
of the products obtained by multiplying (i) the amount of each then remaining
installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required scheduled payment
of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by (ii)
the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse
between such date and the making of such payment, by (b) the then outstanding
aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness.
"Western Europe" means, with respect to any jurisdictional
matter, any of the twelve current member states of the European Community and
Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria and the Czech Republic (and
"Western European" shall have a meaning correlative to the foregoing).
"Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary" means any Restricted
Subsidiary of which at least 99.0% of the outstanding Voting Equity Interests
(other than qualifying shares or other Equity Interests owned by directors or
other members of any comparable governing body) are owned, directly or
indirectly, by the Company and/or one or more Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiaries.
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:
"Commission" means the SEC.
"indenture securities" means the Securities.
"indenture security holder" means a Holder.
"indenture to be qualified" means this Indenture.
"indenture trustee" or "institutional trustee" means the
Trustee.
"obligor" on the Indenture securities means the Issuers or
any other obligor on the Securities.
All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by
the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule and
not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them therein.
SECTION 1.03. Rules of Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
30
-23-
(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning
assigned to it in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles in effect from time to time, and any other reference in this
Indenture to "generally accepted accounting principles" refers to GAAP;
(3) "or" is not exclusive;
(4) words in the singular include the plural, and words in the
plural include the singular;
(5) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;
and
(6) "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.
ARTICLE TWO
THE SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating.
The Initial Securities and the Trustee's certificate of
authentication thereof shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto,
which is hereby incorporated in and expressly made a part of this Indenture. The
Exchange Securities and the Trustee's certificate of authentication thereof
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, which is hereby
incorporated in and expressly made a part of this Indenture. The Securities may
have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or
usage. The Issuers and the Trustee shall approve the form of the Securities and
any notation, legend or endorsement on them. Each Security shall be dated the
date of its issuance and shall show the date of its authentication. Each
Security shall have an executed Guarantee from each of the Guarantors endorsed
thereon substantially in the form set forth in Exhibits A and B hereto.
The terms and provisions contained in the Securities annexed
hereto as Exhibits A and B shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a
part of this Indenture and, to the extent applicable, the Issuers, the
Guarantors and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture,
expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.
Securities offered and sold in reliance on Rule 144A shall be
issued initially in the form of one or more Global Securities, substantially in
the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto, deposited with the Trustee, as custodian
for the Depository, duly executed by the Issuers and authenticated by the
Trustee as hereinafter provided and shall bear the legend set forth in Exhibit C
hereto. The aggregate principal amount of the Global Securities may from time to
time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the
Trustee, as custodian for the Depository, as hereinafter provided.
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SECTION 2.02. Execution and Authentication.
Two Officers shall sign, or one Officer shall sign and one
Officer (each of whom shall, in each case, have been duly authorized by all
requisite corporate actions) of each of the Issuers shall attest to, the
Securities for each of the Issuers, and the Guarantees for the Guarantors, by
manual or facsimile signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security or a Guarantee,
as the case may be, was an Officer at the time of such execution but no longer
holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Security or
Guarantee, as the case may be, the Security or Guarantee, as the case may be,
shall be valid nevertheless.
A Security shall not be valid until an authorized signatory of
the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Security.
The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been
authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall authenticate (i) Initial Securities for
original issue in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $125,000,000, (ii)
Private Exchange Securities from time to time only in exchange for a like
principal amount of Initial Securities and (iii) Unrestricted Securities from
time to time only in exchange for (A) a like principal amount of Initial
Securities or (B) a like principal amount of Private Exchange Securities, in
each case upon a written order of each of the Issuers in the form of an
Officers' Certificate. Each such written order shall specify the amount of
Securities to be authenticated and the date on which the Securities are to be
authenticated, whether the Securities are to be Initial Securities, Private
Exchange Securities or Unrestricted Securities and whether the Securities are to
be issued as Physical Securities or Global Securities and such other information
as the Trustee may reasonably request. The aggregate principal amount of
Securities outstanding at any time may not exceed $125,000,000, except as
provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.08.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, all Securities issued under
this Indenture shall vote and consent together on all matters (as to which any
of such Securities may vote or consent) as one class and no series of Securities
will have the right to vote or consent as a separate class on any matter.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably
acceptable to each of the Issuers to authenticate Securities. Unless otherwise
provided in the appointment, an authenticating agent may authenticate Securities
whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to
authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An
authenticating agent shall have the same rights as an Agent to deal with either
of the Issuers and Affiliates of either of the Issuers.
The Securities shall be issuable only in registered form
without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 2.03. Registrar and Paying Agent.
The Issuers shall maintain an office or agency, which may be
in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, where (a) Securities may be
presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange (the
"Registrar"), (b) Securities may be presented or surrendered for payment (the
"Paying Agent") and (c) notices and demands in respect of the Securities and
this Indenture may be served. The Registrar shall keep a register of the
Securities and of their transfer and exchange. The Issuers, upon notice to the
Trustee, may appoint one or more co-Registrars and one or more additional Paying
Agents. The term "Paying Agent"
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includes any additional Paying Agent. Except as provided herein, the Issuers may
act as Paying Agent, Registrar or co-Registrar.
The Issuers shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement
with any Agent not a party to this Indenture, which shall incorporate the
provisions of the TIA. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this
Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Issuers shall notify the Trustee of the
name and address of any such Agent. If the Issuers fail to maintain a Registrar
or Paying Agent, or fail to give the foregoing notice, the Trustee shall act as
such and shall be entitled to appropriate compensation in accordance with
Section 7.07.
The Issuers initially appoint the Trustee as Registrar and
Paying Agent until such time as the Trustee has resigned or a successor has been
appointed.
SECTION 2.04. Paying Agent To Hold Assets in Trust.
The Issuers shall require each Paying Agent other than the
Trustee to agree in writing that each Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the
benefit of Holders or the Trustee all assets held by the Paying Agent for the
payment of principal of, or interest on, the Securities, and shall notify the
Trustee of any Default by the Issuers in making any such payment. The Issuers at
any time may require a Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the
Trustee and account for any assets disbursed and the Trustee may at any time
during the continuance of any payment Default, upon written request to a Paying
Agent, require such Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the
Trustee and to account for any assets distributed. Upon distribution to the
Trustee of all assets that shall have been delivered by the Issuers to the
Paying Agent (if other than the Issuers), the Paying Agent shall have no further
liability for such assets. If the Issuers or any of their Affiliates acts as
Paying Agent, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of or
interest on the Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the
Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal or interest so
becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed
of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or
failure so to act.
SECTION 2.05. Holder Lists.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is
reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and
addresses of Holders. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Issuers shall
furnish to the Trustee before each Interest Record Date and at such other times
as the Trustee may request in writing a list as of such date and in such form as
the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders, which
list may be conclusively relied upon by the Trustee.
SECTION 2.06. Transfer and Exchange.
Subject to the provisions of Sections 2.15 and 2.16, when
Securities are presented to the Registrar or a co-Registrar with a request to
register the transfer of such Securities or to exchange such Securities for an
equal principal amount of Securities of other authorized denominations of the
same series, the Registrar or co-Registrar shall register the transfer or make
the exchange as requested if its requirements for such transaction are met;
provided, however, that the Securities surrendered for transfer or exchange
shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in
form satisfactory to the Issuers and the Registrar or co-Registrar, duly
executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing. To
permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Issuers shall execute and
the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar's or co-Registrar's
written request. No service charge shall be made for any regis-
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tration of transfer or exchange, but the Issuers 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 governmental
charge payable upon exchanges or transfers pursuant to Section 2.02, 2.10, 3.06,
4.07, 4.16, or 10.05). The Registrar or co-Registrar shall not be required to
register the transfer or exchange of any Security (i) during a period beginning
at the opening of business 15 days before the mailing of a notice of redemption
of Securities and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing and
(ii) selected for redemption in whole or in part pursuant to Article Three
hereof, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
Prior to the registration of any transfer by a Holder as
provided herein, the Issuers, the Trustee and any Agent of the Issuers shall
treat the person in whose name the Security is registered as the owner thereof
for all purposes whether or not the Security shall be overdue, and none of the
Issuers, the Trustee or any such Agent shall be affected by notice to the
contrary. Any Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Security shall, by
acceptance of such beneficial interest in a Global Security, agree that
transfers of beneficial interests in such Global Security may be effected only
through a book-entry system maintained by the Depository (or its agent), and
that ownership of a beneficial interest in a Global Security shall be required
to be reflected in a book entry.
SECTION 2.07. Replacement Securities.
If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee or if
the Holder of a Security claims that the Security has been lost, destroyed or
wrongfully taken, the Issuers shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a
replacement Security if the Trustee's requirements for replacement of Securities
are met. If required by the Issuers or the Trustee, such Holder must provide an
indemnity bond or other indemnity, sufficient in the judgment of both of the
Issuers and the Trustee, to protect the Issuers, the Trustee and any Agent from
any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. The Issuers may
charge such Holder for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in replacing a
Security, including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel.
Every replacement Security is an additional obligation of the
Issuers.
SECTION 2.08. Outstanding Securities.
Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities that
have been authenticated by the Trustee except those canceled by it, those
delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section 2.08 as not
outstanding. Subject to Section 2.09, a Security does not cease to be
outstanding because either of the Issuers or any Affiliates of either of the
Issuers holds the Security.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 (other than
a mutilated Security surrendered for replacement), it ceases to be outstanding
unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security
is held by a bona fide purchaser. A mutilated Security ceases to be outstanding
upon surrender of such Security and replacement thereof pursuant to Section
2.07.
If on a Redemption Date, Purchase Date or the Final Maturity
Date the Paying Agent holds money sufficient to pay all of the principal and
interest due on the Securities payable on that date, and is not prohibited from
paying such money to the Holders pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, then
on and after that date such Securities cease to be outstanding and interest on
them ceases to accrue.
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SECTION 2.09. Treasury Securities.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal
amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent,
Securities owned by either of the Issuers, the Guarantors or any of their
respective Affiliates shall be disregarded, except that, for the purposes of
determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such
direction, waiver or consent, only Securities that a Trust Officer of the
Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be disregarded.
The Issuers shall notify the Trustee, in writing, when either
of them, any Guarantor, or any of their respective Affiliates repurchases or
otherwise acquires Securities, of the aggregate principal amount of such
Securities so repurchased or otherwise acquired.
SECTION 2.10. Temporary Securities.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the
Issuers may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon
receipt of a written order of the Issuers in the form of an Officers'
Certificate. The Officers' Certificate shall specify the amount of temporary
Securities to be authenticated and the date on which the temporary Securities
are to be authenticated.
Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of
definitive Securities but may have variations that the Issuers consider
appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Issuers
shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate upon receipt of a written order
of the Issuers pursuant to Section 2.02 definitive Securities in exchange for
temporary Securities.
SECTION 2.11. Cancellation.
The Issuers at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee
for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the
Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for transfer, exchange or payment.
The Trustee, or at the direction of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying
Agent, and no one else, shall cancel, and at the written direction of the
Issuers, dispose of and deliver evidence of such disposal of all Securities
surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation. Subject to Section
2.07, the Issuers may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that they
have paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation. If the Issuers shall
acquire any of the Securities, such acquisition shall not operate as a
redemption or satisfaction of the Indebtedness represented by such Securities
unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation
pursuant to this Section 2.11.
SECTION 2.12. Defaulted Interest.
The Issuers shall pay interest on overdue principal from time
to time on demand at the rate of interest then borne by the Securities. The
Issuers shall, to the extent lawful, pay interest on overdue installments of
interest (without regard to any applicable grace periods) from time to time on
demand at the rate of interest then borne by the Securities.
If the Issuers default in a payment of interest on the
Securities, they shall 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, which date shall be the fifteenth day
preceding the date fixed by the Issuers for the payment of defaulted interest or
the next succeeding Business Day if such date is not a Business Day. At least 15
days before the subsequent special record date, the Issuers shall mail to each
Holder, with a
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copy to the Trustee, a notice that states the subsequent special record date,
the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest, and interest payable on
such defaulted interest, if any, to be paid.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any interest which is paid
prior to the expiration of the 30-day period set forth in Section 6.01(b) shall
be paid to Holders as of the Interest Record Date for the Interest Payment Date
for which interest has not been paid.
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP Number.
The Issuers in issuing the Securities will use a "CUSIP"
number and the Trustee shall use the CUSIP number in notices of redemption or
exchange as a convenience to Holders; provided, however, that any such notice
may state that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of
the CUSIP number printed in the notice or on the Securities, and that reliance
may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the
Securities. The Issuers shall promptly notify the Trustee of any changes in
CUSIP numbers.
SECTION 2.14. Deposit of Moneys.
Prior to 12:00 noon New York City time on each Interest
Payment Date, Redemption Date, Purchase Date and the Final Maturity Date, the
Issuers shall deposit with the Paying Agent in immediately available funds money
sufficient to make cash payments, if any, due on such Interest Payment Date,
Redemption Date, Purchase Date or Final Maturity Date, as the case may be, in a
timely manner which permits the Paying Agent to remit payment to the Holders on
such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Purchase Date or Final Maturity
Date, as the case may be.
SECTION 2.15. Book-Entry Provisions for Global Securities.
(a) The Global Securities initially shall (i) be registered in
the name of the Depository or the nominee of such Depository, (ii) be delivered
to the Trustee as custodian for such Depository and (iii) bear legends as set
forth in Exhibit C.
Members of, or participants in, the Depository
("Participants") shall have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any
Global Security held on their behalf by the Depository, or the Trustee as its
custodian, or under the Global Security, and the Depository may be treated by
the Issuers, the Trustee and any agent of the Issuers or the Trustee as the
absolute owner of the Global Security for all purposes whatsoever.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Issuers, the
Trustee or any agent of the Issuers or the Trustee from giving effect to any
written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depository
or impair, as between the Depository and Participants, the operation of
customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of any
Security.
(b) Transfers of Global Securities shall be limited to
transfers in whole, but not in part, to the Depository, its successors or their
respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in the Global Securities may
be transferred or exchanged for Physical Securities in accordance with the rules
and procedures of the Depository and the provisions of Section 2.16; provided,
however, that Physical Securities shall be transferred to all beneficial owners
in exchange for their beneficial interests in Global Securities if (i) the
Depository notifies the Issuers that it is unwilling or unable to continue as
Depository for any Global Security and a successor Depository is not appointed
by the Issuers within 90 days of such notice or (ii) an Event of Default
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has occurred and is continuing and the Registrar has received a request from the
Depository to issue Physical Securities.
(c) In connection with the transfer of Global Securities as an
entirety to beneficial owners pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 2.15,
the Global Securities shall be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for
cancellation, and the Issuers shall execute, and the Trustee shall upon written
instructions from the Issuers authenticate and deliver, to each beneficial owner
identified by the Depository in exchange for its beneficial interest in the
Global Securities, an equal aggregate principal amount of Physical Securities of
authorized denominations.
(d) Any Physical Security constituting a Restricted Security
delivered in exchange for an interest in a Global Security pursuant to paragraph
(c) of this Section 2.15 shall, except as otherwise provided by Section 2.16,
bear the Private Placement Legend.
(e) The Holder of any Global Security may grant proxies and
otherwise authorize any Person, including Participants and Persons that may hold
interests through Participants, to take any action which a Holder is entitled to
take under this Indenture or the Securities and the Trustee is entitled to rely
upon any electronic instructions from beneficial owners to the Holder of any
Global Security.
SECTION 2.16. Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.
(a) Transfer and Exchange of Physical Securities. When
Physical Securities are presented to the Registrar or co-Registrar with a
request:
(i) to register the transfer of the Physical Securities; or
(ii) to exchange such Physical Securities for an equal
principal amount of Physical Securities of other authorized
denominations,
the Registrar or co-Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange
as requested if the requirements under this Indenture as set forth in this
Section 2.16 for such transactions are met; provided, however, that the Physical
Securities presented or surrendered for Registration of transfer or exchange:
(I) shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written
instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar or
co-Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly
authorized in writing; and
(II) in the case of Physical Securities the offer and sale of
which have not been registered under the Securities Act, such Physical
Securities shall be accompanied, in the sole discretion of the Issuers,
by the following additional information and documents, as applicable:
(A) if such Physical Security is being delivered to the
Registrar or co-Registrar by a Holder for
Registration in the name of such Holder, without
transfer, a certification from such Holder to that
effect (substantially in the form of Exhibit D
hereto); or
(B) if such Physical Security is being transferred to a
QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certification to
that effect (substantially in the form of Exhibit D
hereto); or
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(C) if such Physical Security is being transferred to an
Institutional Accredited Investor, delivery of a
certification to that effect (substantially in the
form of Exhibit D hereto) and a transferee letter of
representation (substantially in the form of Exhibit
E hereto) and, at the option of the Issuers, an
Opinion of Counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
Issuers to the effect that such transfer is in
compliance with the Securities Act; or
(D) if such Physical Security is being transferred in
reliance on Rule 144 under the Securities Act,
delivery of a certification to that effect
(substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto) and,
at the option of the Issuers, an Opinion of Counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Issuers to the effect
that such transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act; or
(E) if such Physical Security is being transferred in
reliance on another exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act, a certification
to that effect (substantially in the form of Exhibit
D hereto) and, at the option of the Issuers, an
Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the
Issuers to the effect that such transfer is in
compliance with the Securities Act.
(b) Restrictions on Transfer of a Physical Security for a
Beneficial Interest in a Global Security. A Physical Security the offer and sale
of which has not been registered under the Securities Act may not be exchanged
for a beneficial interest in a Global Security except upon satisfaction of the
requirements set forth below. Upon receipt by the Registrar or co-Registrar of a
Physical Security, duly endorsed or accompanied by appropriate instruments of
transfer, in form satisfactory to the Registrar or co-Registrar, together with:
(A) certification, substantially in the form of Exhibit D
hereto, that such Physical Security is being
transferred (I) to a QIB or (II) to an Accredited
Investor and, with respect to (II), at the option of
the Issuers, an Opinion of Counsel reasonably
acceptable to the Issuers to the effect that such
transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act;
and
(B) written instructions directing the Registrar or
co-Registrar to make, or to direct the Depository to
make, an endorsement on the applicable Global
Security to reflect an increase in the aggregate
amount of the Securities represented by the Global
Security,
then the Registrar or co-Registrar shall cancel such Physical Security and
cause, or direct the Depository to cause, in accordance with the standing
instructions and procedures existing between the Depository and the Registrar or
co-Registrar, the principal amount of Securities represented by the applicable
Global Security to be increased accordingly. If no 144A Global Security or IAI
Global Security, as the case may be, is then outstanding, the Issuers shall,
unless either of the events in the proviso to Section 2.15(b) have occurred and
are continuing, issue and the Trustee shall, upon written instructions from the
Issuers in accordance with Section 2.02, authenticate such a Global Security in
the appropriate principal amount.
(c) Transfer and Exchange of Global Securities. The transfer
and exchange of Global Securities or beneficial interests therein shall be
effected through the Depository in accordance with this Indenture (including the
restrictions on transfer set forth herein) and the procedures of the Depository
therefor. Upon
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receipt by the Registrar or Co-Registrar of written instructions, or such other
instruction as is customary for the Depository, from the Depository or its
nominee, requesting the Registration of transfer of an interest in a 144A Global
Security or an IAI Global Security, as the case may be, to another type of
Global Security, together with the applicable Global Securities (or, if the
applicable type of Global Security required to represent the interest as
requested to be obtained is not then outstanding, only the Global Security
representing the interest being transferred), the Registrar or Co-Registrar
shall reflect on its books and records (and the applicable Global Security) the
applicable increase and decrease of the principal amount of Securities
represented by such types of Global Securities, giving effect to such transfer.
If the applicable type of Global Security required to represent the interest as
requested to be obtained is not outstanding at the time of such request, the
Issuers shall issue and the Trustee shall, upon written instructions from the
Issuers in accordance with Section 2.02, authenticate a new Global Security of
such type in principal amount equal to the principal amount of the interest
requested to be transferred.
(d) Transfer of a Beneficial Interest in a Global Security for
a Physical Security.
(i) If the Depository is at any time unwilling or unable to
continue as a depositary for the Global Securities and a successor
depositary is not appointed by the Issuers within 90 days, Physical
Securities will be issued in exchange for the Global Securities. Upon
receipt by the Registrar or co-Registrar of written instructions, or
such other form of instructions as is customary for the Depository,
from the Depository or its nominee on behalf of any Person (subject to
the previous sentence) having a beneficial interest in a Global
Security and upon receipt by the Trustee of a written order or such
other form of instructions as is customary for the Depository or the
Person designated by the Depository as having such a beneficial
interest containing registration instructions and, in the case of any
such transfer or exchange of a beneficial interest in Securities the
offer and sale of which have not been registered under the Securities
Act, the following additional information and documents:
(A) if such beneficial interest is being transferred in
reliance on Rule 144 under the Securities Act,
delivery of a certification to that effect
(substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto) and,
at the option of the Issuers, an Opinion of Counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Issuers to the effect
that such transfer is in compliance with the
Securities Act; or
(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred in
reliance on another exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act, a certification
to that effect (substantially in the form of Exhibit
D hereto) and, at the option of the Issuers, an
Opinion of Counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
Issuers to the effect that such transfer is in
compliance with the Securities Act,
then the Registrar or co-Registrar will cause, in accordance with the
standing instructions and procedures existing between the Depository
and the Registrar or co-Registrar, the aggregate principal amount of
the applicable Global Security to be reduced and, following such
reduction, the Issuers will execute and, upon receipt of an
authentication order in the form of an Officers' Certificate in
accordance with Section 2.02, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver
to the transferee a Physical Security in the appropriate principal
amount.
(ii) Securities issued in exchange for a beneficial interest
in a Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.16(d) shall be
registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the
Depository, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect
participants or otherwise, shall instruct
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the Registrar or co-Registrar in writing. The Registrar or
co-Registrar shall deliver such Physical Securities to the Persons in
whose names such Physical Securities are so registered.
(e) Restrictions on Transfer and Exchange of Global
Securities. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, a Global
Security may not be transferred as a whole except by the Depository to a nominee
of the Depository or by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another
nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a
successor Depository or a nominee of such successor Depository.
(f) Private Placement Legend. Upon the transfer, exchange or
replacement of Securities not bearing the Private Placement Legend, the
Registrar or co-Registrar shall deliver Securities that do not bear the Private
Placement Legend. Upon the transfer, exchange or replacement of Securities
bearing the Private Placement Legend, the Registrar or co-Registrar shall
deliver only Securities that bear the Private Placement Legend unless, and the
Trustee is hereby authorized to deliver Securities without the Private Placement
Legend if, (i) there is delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Issuers 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;(ii) such
Security has been sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the
Securities Act (including pursuant to a Registration); or (iii) the date of such
transfer, exchange or replacement is two years after the later of (x) the Issue
Date and (y) the last date that the Issuers or any affiliate (as defined in Rule
144 under the Securities Act) of the Issuers was the owner of such Securities
(or any predecessor thereto).
(g) General. By its acceptance of any Security bearing the
Private Placement Legend, each Holder of such a Security acknowledges the
restrictions on transfer of such Security set forth in this Indenture and in the
Private Placement Legend and agrees that it will transfer such Security only as
provided in this Indenture.
The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor,
determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed
under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any
interest in any Security (including any transfers between or among Participants
or beneficial owners of interest in any Global Security) other than to require
delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are
expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms
of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance
as to form with the express requirements hereof.
The Registrar shall retain copies of all letters, notices and
other written communications received pursuant to Section 2.15 or this Section
2.16. The Issuers 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 Xxxxxxxxx
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ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01. Notices to Trustee.
If the Issuers want to redeem Securities pursuant to paragraph
5 or 6 of the Securities at the applicable redemption price set forth thereon,
they shall notify the Trustee in writing of the Redemption Date and the
principal amount of Securities to be redeemed. The Issuers shall give such
notice to the Trustee at least 45 days before the Redemption Date (unless a
shorter notice shall be agreed to by the Trustee in writing), together with an
Officers' Certificate stating that such redemption will comply with the
conditions contained herein.
SECTION 3.02. Selection of Securities To Be Redeemed.
If less than all of the Securities are to be redeemed pursuant
to paragraph 5 of the Securities, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be
redeemed in compliance with the requirements of the national securities
exchange, if any, on which the Securities are listed or, if the Securities are
not then listed on a national securities exchange, on a pro rata basis, by lot
or in such other manner as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate.
Selection of the Securities to be redeemed pursuant to paragraph 6 of the
Securities shall be made by the Trustee only on a pro rata basis or on as nearly
a pro rata basis as is practicable (subject to the procedures of the Depository)
based on the aggregate principal amount of Securities held by each Holder. The
Trustee shall make the selection from the Securities then outstanding, subject
to redemption and not previously called for redemption.
The Trustee may select for redemption pursuant to paragraph 5
or 6 of the Securities portions of the principal amount of Securities that have
denominations equal to or larger than $1,000 principal amount. Securities and
portions of them the Trustee so selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 principal
amount or integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to
Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for
redemption.
SECTION 3.03. Notice of Redemption.
At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a Redemption
Date, the Issuers shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each
Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed at such Holder's registered address;
provided, however, that notice of a redemption pursuant to paragraph 6 of the
Securities shall be mailed to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed no
later than 60 days after the date of the Closing of the relevant Public Equity
Offering of the Company.
Each notice of redemption shall identify the Securities to be
redeemed (including the CUSIP number thereon) and shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date;
(2) the redemption price;
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(3) the name and address of the Paying Agent to which the
Securities are to be surrendered for redemption;
(4) that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered
to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(5) that, unless the Issuers default in making the redemption
payment, interest on Securities 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 upon surrender to
the Paying Agent; and
(6) in the case of any redemption pursuant to paragraph 5 or 6
of the Securities, if any Security is being redeemed in part, the
portion of the principal amount of such Security to be redeemed and
that, after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, a new
Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed
portion thereof will be issued.
At the Issuers' request, the Trustee shall give the notice of
redemption on behalf of the Issuers, in the Issuers' name and at the Issuers'
expense.
SECTION 3.04. Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Once a notice of redemption is mailed, Securities called for
redemption become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at the redemption
price. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the
redemption price, plus accrued interest thereon, if any, to the Redemption Date,
but interest installments whose maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date
shall be payable to the Holders of record at the close of business on the
relevant Interest Record Date.
SECTION 3.05. Deposit of Redemption Price.
At least one Business Day before the Redemption Date, the
Issuers shall deposit with the Paying Agent (or if the either of the Issuers is
its own Paying Agent, it shall, on or before the Redemption Date, segregate and
hold in trust) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued
interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date other than
Securities or portions thereof called for redemption on that date which have
been delivered by the Issuers to the Trustee for cancellation.
If any Security surrendered for redemption in the manner
provided in the Securities shall not be so paid on the Redemption Date due to
the failure of the Issuers to deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to
pay the redemption price thereof, the principal and accrued and unpaid interest,
if any, thereon shall, until paid or duly provided for, bear interest as
provided in Sections 2.12 and 4.01 with respect to any payment default.
SECTION 3.06. Securities Redeemed in Part.
Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the
Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security equal in principal
amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
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ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. Payment of Securities.
The Issuers shall pay the principal of and interest on the
Securities in the manner provided in the Securities and the Registration Rights
Agreement. An installment of principal or interest shall be considered paid on
the date due if the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Issuers or any
Affiliates of the Issuers) holds on that date money designated for and
sufficient to pay the installment in full and is not prohibited from paying such
money to the Holders of the Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
The Issuers shall pay cash interest on overdue principal at
the same rate per annum borne by the Securities. The Issuers shall pay cash
interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate per annum borne by
the Securities, to the extent lawful, as provided in Section 2.12.
SECTION 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Issuers shall 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 Issuers 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 this Section 4.02. The Issuers hereby
initially designate the Trustee at its address at: First Union National Bank, 00
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000.
SECTION 4.03. Transactions with Affiliates.
The Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, conduct any business or enter
into any transaction (or series of related transactions) with or for the benefit
of any of their respective Affiliates (including, without limitation, any
Unrestricted Subsidiary) or any officer, director or employee of the Company or
any Subsidiary (each, an "Affiliate Transaction"), unless (i) such Affiliate
Transaction is on terms which are no less favorable to the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, than could be available in a
comparable transaction with an unaffiliated third party and (ii) if such
Affiliate Transaction (or series of related Affiliate Transactions) involves
aggregate payments or other consideration having a Fair Market Value in excess
of $1.0 million, such Affiliate Transaction is in writing and a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board of Managers of the Company shall have
approved such Affiliate Transaction and determined that such Affiliate
Transaction complies with the foregoing provisions. In addition, any Affiliate
Transaction involving aggregate payments or other consideration having a Fair
Market Value in excess of $5.0 million will also require a written opinion from
an Independent Financial Advisor (filed with the Trustee) stating that the terms
of such Affiliate Transaction are fair, from a financial point of view, to the
Company or the Restricted Subsidiary involved in such Affiliate Transaction, as
the case may be.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions set forth in
this Section 4.03 shall not apply to (i) transactions with or among the Company
and any Restricted Subsidiary or between or among Restricted Subsidiaries; (ii)
reasonable fees and compensation paid to, and indemnity provided on behalf of,
officers, directors, employees, consultants or agents of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as determined in good faith by the
Company's Board of Managers; (iii) any transactions undertaken pursuant to any
contractual
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obligations in existence on the Issue Date (as in effect on the Issue Date);
(iv) any Restricted Payments made in compliance with Section 4.08; (v) the
provision by Persons who may be deemed Affiliates or stockholders of the Company
of investment banking, commercial banking, trust, lending or financing,
investment, underwriting, placement agent, financial advisory or similar
services to the Company or its Subsidiaries; (vi) reasonable and customary loans
to employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries which are approved by the Board
of Managers of the Company in good faith; and (vii) transactions with customers,
clients, suppliers or purchasers or sellers of goods or services, in each case
in the ordinary course of business and otherwise in compliance with the terms of
this Indenture, which are fair to the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries, in
the reasonable determination of the Board of Managers of the Company or the
senior management thereof, or are on terms at least as favorable as might
reasonably have been obtained at such time from an unaffiliated party.
SECTION 4.04. Limitation on Indebtedness.
The Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, Incur any Indebtedness
(including Acquired Indebtedness), except for Permitted Indebtedness; provided,
however, that the Company and any Domestic Restricted Subsidiary may Incur
Indebtedness if, at the time of and immediately after giving pro forma effect to
such Incurrence of Indebtedness and the application of the proceeds therefrom,
the Consolidated Coverage Ratio would be greater than 2.0 to 1.0 if the
Indebtedness is Incurred prior to December 31, 1999 and 2.25 to 1.0 if the
Indebtedness is Incurred thereafter; and provided, further, that any Foreign
Restricted Subsidiary may Incur Indebtedness in accordance with Section 4.05.
SECTION 4.05. Limitation on Foreign Indebtedness.
The Company shall not cause or permit any Foreign Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company to, directly or indirectly, Incur any Indebtedness
(including Acquired Indebtedness) other than Permitted Indebtedness set forth in
clauses (a) through (m) of the definition thereof unless (i) the Indebtedness is
Incurred, denominated and payable in U.S. dollars or the local currencies of the
jurisdictions of the operations of the Foreign Restricted Subsidiary Incurring
such Indebtedness or of the business or the location of assets being acquired
with the proceeds of such Indebtedness; provided, however, that any Indebtedness
permitted to be Incurred in a Western European currency pursuant to this clause
(i) may be Incurred in such Western European currency or any other Western
European currency, (ii) after giving effect to the Incurrence of such
Indebtedness and the receipt of the application of the proceeds therefrom, (A)
if, as a result of the Incurrence of such Indebtedness, such Restricted
Subsidiary will be or become subject to any restriction or limitation on the
payment of dividends or the making of other distributions, (I) the ratio of
Foreign EBITDA to Foreign Interest Expense (determined on a pro forma basis for
the last four fiscal quarters for which financial statements are available at
the date of determination) is greater than 3.0 to 1 and (II) the Company's
Consolidated Coverage Ratio (determined on a pro forma basis for the last four
fiscal quarters of the Company for which financial statements are available at
the date of determination) is greater than 2.0 to 1 if the Indebtedness is
Incurred prior to December 31, 1999 and 2.25 to 1.0 if the Indebtedness is
Incurred thereafter and (B) in any other case, the Company's Consolidated
Coverage Ratio (determined on a pro forma basis for the last four fiscal
quarters of the Company for which financial statements are available at the date
of determination) is greater than 2.0 to 1 if the Indebtedness is Incurred prior
to December 31, 1999 and 2.25 to 1 if the Indebtedness is Incurred thereafter,
and (iii) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing
at the time or as a consequence of the Incurrence of such Indebtedness.
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SECTION 4.06. Limitation on Senior Subordinated Indebtedness.
The Company shall not, directly or indirectly, Incur any
Indebtedness that by its terms would expressly rank senior in right of payment
to the Securities and subordinate in right of payment to any other Indebtedness
of the Company.
The Company shall not permit any Guarantor to, and no
Guarantor shall, directly or indirectly, Incur any Indebtedness that by its
terms would expressly rank senior in right of payment to the Guarantee of such
Guarantor and subordinate in right of payment to any Indebtedness of such
Guarantor.
SECTION 4.07. Disposition of Proceeds of Asset Sales.
The Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, make any Asset Sale, unless
(i) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, receives
consideration at the time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the Fair Market
Value of the assets sold or otherwise disposed of and (ii) at least 75% of such
consideration consists of (A) cash or Cash Equivalents; provided, however, that
the amount of (x) any liabilities (as shown on the Company's or such Restricted
Subsidiary's most recent balance sheet) of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary (other than liabilities that are by their terms subordinated to the
Securities) that are assumed by the transferee of any such assets, and (y) any
notes or other obligations received by the Company or any such Restricted
Subsidiary from such transferee that are immediately converted by the Company or
such Restricted Subsidiary into cash (to the extent of the cash received) shall
be deemed to be cash for the purposes of this clause (A), or (B) properties and
capital assets that replace the properties and assets that were the subject of
such Asset Sale or in properties and capital assets that will be used in a
Related Business ("Replacement Assets"), provided, however, that if such
property or assets subject to such Asset Sale were directly owned by the Company
or a Guarantor, such Replacement Assets shall also be directly owned by the
Company or a Guarantor. The amount of any Indebtedness (other than any
Subordinated Indebtedness) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that is
actually assumed by the transferee in such Asset Sale and from which the Company
and the Restricted Subsidiaries are fully and unconditionally released shall be
deemed to be cash for purposes of determining the percentage of cash
consideration received by the Company or the Restricted Subsidiaries.
The Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be,
may (i) apply the Net Cash Proceeds of any Asset Sale within 180 days of receipt
thereof to repay Senior Indebtedness and permanently reduce any related
commitment, or (ii) make an Investment in Replacement Assets; provided, however,
that such Investment occurs or the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary enters
into contractual commitments to make such Investment, subject only to customary
conditions (other than the obtaining of financing), on or prior to the 180th day
following the receipt of such Net Cash Proceeds and Net Cash Proceeds
contractually committed are so applied within 270 days following the receipt of
such Net Cash Proceeds.
To the extent all or part of the Net Cash Proceeds of any
Asset Sale are not applied as described in clause (i) or (ii) of the immediately
preceding paragraph within the time periods set forth therein (the "Net Proceeds
Utilization Date") (such Net Cash Proceeds, the "Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds"),
the Company shall, within 20 days after such Net Proceeds Utilization Date, make
an Offer to Purchase all outstanding Securities up to a maximum principal amount
(expressed as a multiple of $1,000) of Securities equal to such Unutilized Net
Cash Proceeds, at a purchase price in cash equal to 100% of the principal amount
thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the Purchase Date;
provided, however, that the Offer to Purchase may be deferred until there are
aggregate Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds equal to or in excess of $5 million, at
which time the en-
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tire amount of such Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds, and not just the amount in
excess of $5 million, shall be applied as required pursuant to this paragraph.
With respect to any Offer to Purchase effected pursuant to
this Section 4.07, among the Securities, to the extent the aggregate principal
amount of Securities tendered pursuant to such Offer to Purchase exceeds the
Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds to be applied to the repurchase thereof, such
Securities shall be purchased pro rata based on the aggregate principal amount
of such Securities tendered by each Holder. To the extent the Unutilized Net
Cash Proceeds exceed the aggregate amount of Securities tendered by the Holders
of the Securities pursuant to such Offer to Purchase, the Company may retain and
utilize any portion of the Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds not applied to
repurchase the Securities for any purpose consistent with the other terms of
this Indenture and such Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds shall no longer be counted
in determining the available amount of Unutilized Net Cash Proceeds for purposes
of this Section 4.07.
The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1
under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder
to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the
repurchase of Securities pursuant to an Offer to Purchase. To the extent that
the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with this Section
4.07, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and
regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this
Section 4.07 by virtue hereof.
Each Holder shall be entitled to tender all or any portion of
the Securities owned by such Holder pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, subject
to the requirement that any portion of a Security tendered must be tendered in
an integral multiple of $1,000 principal amount and subject to any proration
among tendering Holders as described above.
SECTION 4.08. Limitation on Restricted Payments.
The Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly,
(i) declare or pay any dividend or any other distribution on
any Equity Interests of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or
make any payment or distribution to the direct or indirect holders (in
their capacities as such) of Equity Interests of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary (other than any dividends, distributions and
payments made to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (and, in the
case of SportRack, concurrent like dividends, distributions and
payments made to the holder of the 1% minority interest in SportRack)
and dividends or distributions payable to any Person solely in
Qualified Equity Interests of the Company or in options, warrants or
other rights to purchase Qualified Equity Interests of the Company);
(ii) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire for value
any Equity Interests of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other
than any such Equity Interests owned by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary);
(iii) make any Investment in any Person (other than Permitted
Investments); or
(iv) designate any Subsidiary of the Company as an
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" under this Indenture (a "Designation");
provided, however, that the Designation of a Subsidiary of the Company
as an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be deemed to include the
Designation of all of the Subsidiaries of such Subsidiary
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(any such payment or any other action (other than any exception thereto)
described in (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) each, a "Restricted Payment"), unless
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing at the time of or immediately after giving effect to such
Restricted Payment;
(b) immediately after giving effect to such Restricted
Payment, the Company would be able to Incur $1.00 of additional
Indebtedness (other than Permitted Indebtedness) under Section 4.04;
and
(c) immediately after giving effect to such Restricted
Payment, the aggregate amount of all Restricted Payments declared or
made on or after the Issue Date does not exceed an amount equal to the
sum of (1) 50% of cumulative Consolidated Net Income determined for the
period (taken as one period) from the beginning of the first fiscal
quarter commencing after the Issue Date and ending on the last day of
the most recent fiscal quarter immediately preceding the date of such
Restricted Payment for which consolidated financial information of the
Company is available (or if such cumulative Consolidated Net Income
shall be a loss, minus 100% of such loss), plus (2) 100% of the
aggregate net cash proceeds received by the Company either (x) as
capital contributions to the Company after the Issue Date or (y) from
the issue and sale (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary) of its
Qualified Equity Interests after the Issue Date (excluding the net
proceeds from any issuance and sale of Qualified Equity Interests
financed, directly or indirectly, using funds borrowed from the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary until and to the extent such borrowing is
repaid), plus (3) the principal amount (or accreted amount (determined
in accordance with GAAP), if less) of any Indebtedness of the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary Incurred after the Issue Date which has
been converted into or exchanged for Qualified Equity Interests of the
Company (minus the amount of any cash or property distributed by the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary upon such conversion or exchange),
plus (4) so long as the Designation thereof was treated as a Restricted
Payment made after the Issue Date, with respect to any Unrestricted
Subsidiary that has been redesignated as a Restricted Subsidiary after
the Issue Date in accordance with Section 4.15 below, the Company's
proportionate interest in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of
such Subsidiary, plus (5) in the case of the disposition or repayment
of any Investment constituting a Restricted Payment made after the
Issue Date (including the sale of an Unrestricted Subsidiary) or
dividends, distributions or interest payments received in cash, an
amount equal to 100% of the net cash proceeds received by the Company
or its Restricted Subsidiaries therefrom.
The foregoing provisions will not prevent (i) the payment of
any dividend or distribution on, or redemption of, Equity Interests within 60
days after the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution or the
giving of formal notice of such redemption, if at the date of such declaration
or giving of such formal notice such payment or redemption would comply with the
provisions of this Indenture; (ii) the purchase, redemption, retirement or other
acquisition of any Equity Interests of the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries that are not owned by the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries in
exchange for, or out of the net cash proceeds of the substantially concurrent
issue and sale (other than to a Restricted Subsidiary) of, Qualified Equity
Interests of the Company; provided, however, that any such net cash proceeds and
the value of any Qualified Equity Interests issued in exchange for such retired
Equity Interests are excluded from clause (c)(2) of the preceding paragraph (and
were not included therein at any time) and are not used to redeem the Securities
pursuant to paragraphs 5 or 6 of the Securities; (iii) the purchase, redemption
or other acquisition for value of Equity Interests of the Company (other than
Disqualified Capital Stock) or options on such Equity Interests held by officers
or employees or former officers or employees (or their estates or beneficiaries
under their estates) upon the death, disability, retirement or termination of
employment of such current or former officers or em-
47
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ployees pursuant to the terms of an employee benefit plan or any other agreement
pursuant to which such shares of capital stock or options were issued or
pursuant to a severance, buy-sell or right of first refusal agreement with such
current or former officer or employee; provided, however, that the aggregate
cash consideration paid, or distributions made, pursuant to this clause (iii)
does not exceed $5.0 million; (iv) Investments constituting Restricted Payments
made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from any Asset Sale
made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.07; (v) Tax Distributions;
(vi) the payment of dividends on the Company's Common Stock, following the first
Public Equity Offering of the Company's Common Stock after the Issue Date, of up
to 6% per annum of the net proceeds received by the Company in such public
offering; and (vii) the purchase, redemption, retirement or other acquisition
prior to June 30, 1999 of Equity Interests of the Company from unaffiliated
third parties; provided, however, that the aggregate cash consideration paid
pursuant to this clause (vii) does not exceed $7.5 million; provided, however,
that in the case of each of clauses (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi) and (vii) no Default
or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would arise
therefrom.
In determining the amount of Restricted Payments permissible
under this covenant, amounts expended pursuant to clauses (i), (iii), (iv), (vi)
and (vii) of the immediately preceding paragraph shall be included as Restricted
Payments. The amount of any non-cash Restricted Payment shall be deemed to be
equal to the Fair Market Value thereof at the date of the making of such
Restricted Payment. In determining the amount of any Restricted Payment made
under clause (iv) of the first paragraph of this Section 4.07, the amount of
such Restricted Payment (the "Designation Amount") shall be equal to the Fair
Market Value of the Company's proportionate interest in such Subsidiary on such
date. Any such Designation shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution.
SECTION 4.09. Limitation on the Sale or Issuance of Equity Interests of
Restricted Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not sell any Equity Interest of a Restricted
Subsidiary, and shall not cause or permit any Restricted Subsidiary, directly or
indirectly, to issue or sell or have outstanding any Equity Interests, except
(i) to the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary; or (ii) if,
immediately after giving effect to such issuance or sale, such Restricted
Subsidiary would not longer constitute a Restricted Subsidiary. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Company is permitted to sell all the Equity Interests of a
Restricted Subsidiary so long as the Company is in compliance with Section 4.07
and, if applicable, Article Five.
SECTION 4.10. Notice of Defaults.
(a) In the event that any Indebtedness of the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries is declared due and payable before its maturity because of
the occurrence of any default (or any event which, with notice or lapse of time,
or both, would constitute such a default) under such Indebtedness, the Company
shall promptly give written notice to the Trustee of such declaration, the
status of such default or event and what action the Company is taking or
proposes to take with respect thereto.
(b) Upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default,
the Company shall promptly deliver an Officers' Certificate to the Trustee
specifying the Default or Event of Default.
SECTION 4.11. Limitation on Liens.
The Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, Incur any Liens of any kind
against or upon any of their respective properties or assets now owned or
hereafter acquired, or any proceeds therefrom or any income or profits
therefrom, to secure any Indebtedness unless contemporaneously therewith
effective provision is made, in the case of the Company, to
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secure the Securities and all other amounts due under this Indenture, and in the
case of a Restricted Subsidiary which is a Guarantor, to secure such Restricted
Subsidiary's Guarantee of the Securities and all other amounts due under this
Indenture, equally and ratably with such Indebtedness (or, in the event that
such Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Securities or such
Restricted Subsidiary's Guarantee, prior to such Indebtedness) with a Lien on
the same properties and assets securing such Indebtedness for so long as such
Indebtedness is secured by such Lien, except for (i) Liens securing Senior
Indebtedness and Guarantor Senior Indebtedness and (ii) Permitted Liens.
SECTION 4.12. Provision of Financial Information.
Whether or not the Company is subject to Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Exchange Act, or any successor provision thereto, the Company shall
file with the SEC (if permitted by SEC practice and applicable law and
regulations) the annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents which the
Company would have been required to file with the SEC pursuant to such Section
13(a) or 15(d) or any successor provision thereto if the Company were so
subject, such documents to be filed with the SEC on or prior to the respective
dates (the "Required Filing Dates") by which the Company would have been
required so to file such documents if the Company were so subject. The Company
shall also in any event (a) within 15 days of each Required Filing Date (whether
or not permitted or required to be filed with the SEC) (i) transmit (or cause to
be transmitted) by mail to all Holders, as their names and addresses appear in
the Security Register, without cost to such Holders, and (ii) file with the
Trustee, copies of the annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents
which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to the preceding
sentence, or, if such filing is not so permitted, information and data of a
similar nature, and (b) if, notwithstanding the preceding sentence, filing such
documents by the Company with the SEC is not permitted by SEC practice or
applicable law or regulations, promptly upon written request supply copies of
such documents to any Holder. In addition, for so long as any Securities remain
outstanding and prior to the later of the consummation of the Exchange Offer and
the filing of the Initial Shelf Registration Statement, if required, the Company
will furnish to the Holders and to securities analysts and prospective
investors, upon their request, the information required to be delivered pursuant
to Rule 144A(d)(4) under the Securities Act, and, to any beneficial holder of
Securities, if not obtainable from the SEC, information of the type that would
be filed with the SEC pursuant to the foregoing provisions, upon the request of
any such Holder.
SECTION 4.13. Limitations on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions
Affecting Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any
Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause or
suffer to exist or become effective any encumbrance or restriction on the
ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (a) pay dividends or make any other
distributions to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary on its Equity
Interests or with respect to any other interest or participation in, or measured
by, its profits, or pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any other
Restricted Subsidiary, (b) make loans or advances to, or guarantee any
Indebtedness or other obligations of, or make any Investment in, the Company or
any other Restricted Subsidiary or (c) transfer any of its properties or assets
to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiaries, except for such
encumbrances or restrictions existing under or by reason of (i) the Credit
Facilities, or any other agreement of the Company or the Restricted Subsidiaries
outstanding on the Issue Date, in each case as in effect on the Issue Date, and
any amendments, restatements, renewals, replacements or refinancings thereof;
provided, however, that any such amendment, restatement, renewal, replacement or
refinancing is no more restrictive in the aggregate with respect to such
encumbrances or restrictions than those contained in the agreement being
amended, restated, reviewed, replaced or refinanced; (ii) applicable law; (iii)
any instrument governing Indebtedness or Equity Interests of an Acquired Person
acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary as in effect at the time of
such acquisition
49
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(except to the extent such Indebtedness was Incurred by such Acquired Person in
connection with, as a result of or in anticipation or contemplation of such
acquisition); provided, however, that such encumbrances and restrictions are not
applicable to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, or the properties or
assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, other than the Acquired
Person; (iv) customary non-assignment provisions in contracts or leases entered
into in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practices; (v)
Purchase Money Indebtedness for property acquired in the ordinary course of
business that only imposes encumbrances and restrictions on the property so
acquired; (vi) any agreement for the sale or disposition of the Equity Interests
or assets of any Restricted Subsidiary; provided, however, that such
encumbrances and restrictions described in this clause (vi) are only applicable
to such Restricted Subsidiary or assets, as applicable, and any such sale or
disposition is made in compliance with Section 4.07 below to the extent
applicable thereto; (vii) secured Indebtedness otherwise permitted to be
incurred pursuant to Section 4.04 and Section 4.11 that limit the right of the
debtor to dispose of the assets securing such Indebtedness; (viii) customary
provisions in joint venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into
in the ordinary course of business; (ix) an agreement governing Indebtedness
incurred to refinance the Indebtedness issued, assumed or incurred pursuant to
an agreement referred to in clauses (i) through (viii) above; provided, however,
that the provisions relating to such encumbrance or restriction contained in any
such Indebtedness are no less restrictive in the aggregate than the provisions
relating to such encumbrance or restriction contained in agreements referred to
in such clauses; (x) an agreement governing Senior Indebtedness permitted to be
incurred pursuant to Section 4.04; provided, however, that the provisions
relating to such encumbrance or restriction contained in such Indebtedness are
no less favorable to the Company in any material respect as determined by the
Board of Managers of the Company in its reasonable and good faith judgment than
the provisions contained in the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement as in
effect on the Issue Date; or (xi) this Indenture.
SECTION 4.14. Guarantees by Restricted Subsidiaries.
The Company will not create or acquire, nor cause or permit
any of the Restricted Subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, to create or
acquire, any Subsidiary other than (A) an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance
with the other terms of this Indenture, (B) a Foreign Restricted Subsidiary or
(C) a Domestic Restricted Subsidiary that, simultaneously with such creation or
acquisition, executes and delivers a supplemental indenture to this Indenture
pursuant to which it will become a Guarantor under this Indenture in accordance
with Article Twelve.
SECTION 4.15. Designation of Unrestricted Subsidiaries.
The Company shall not and shall not cause or permit any
Restricted Subsidiary at any time to (x) provide credit support for, subject any
of its property or assets (other than the Equity Interests of any Unrestricted
Subsidiary) to the satisfaction of, or guarantee, any Indebtedness of any
Unrestricted Subsidiary (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument
evidencing such Indebtedness), (y) be directly or indirectly liable for any
Indebtedness of any Unrestricted Subsidiary or (z) be directly or indirectly
liable for any Indebtedness which provides that the holder thereof may (upon
notice, lapse of time or both) declare a default thereon or cause the payment
thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its final scheduled maturity upon
the occurrence of a default with respect to any Indebtedness of any Unrestricted
Subsidiary, except for any non-recourse guarantee given solely to support the
pledge by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the capital stock of any
Unrestricted Subsidiary.
The Company may revoke any Designation of a Subsidiary as an
Unrestricted Subsidiary (a "Revocation") only if:
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(i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing at the time of and after giving effect to such Revocation;
and
(ii) all Liens and Indebtedness of such Unrestricted
Subsidiary outstanding immediately following such Revocation would, if
Incurred at such time, be permitted to be Incurred for all purposes of
this Indenture.
All Designations and Revocations must be evidenced by
resolutions of the Board of Managers of the Company, delivered to the Trustee
certifying compliance with the foregoing provisions.
SECTION 4.16. Offer to Purchase upon Change of Control.
(a) Following the occurrence of a Change of Control (the date
of such occurrence being the "Change of Control Date"), the Company shall notify
the Holders of the Securities of such occurrence in the manner prescribed by
this Indenture and shall, within 20 days after the Change of Control Date, make
an Offer to Purchase all Securities then outstanding at a purchase price in cash
equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid
interest thereon, if any, to the Purchase Date (subject to the right of Holders
of record on the relevant Interest Record Date to receive interest due on the
relevant Interest Payment Date). Each Holder shall be entitled to tender all or
any portion of the Securities owned by such Holder pursuant to the Offer to
Purchase, subject to the requirement that any portion of a Security tendered
must be tendered in an integral multiple of $1,000 principal amount.
(b) On or prior to the Purchase Date specified in the Offer to
Purchase, the Company shall (i) accept for payment all Securities or portions
thereof validly tendered pursuant to the Offer, (ii) deposit with the Paying
Agent or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold
in trust as provided in Section 2.04, money sufficient to pay the Purchase Price
of all Securities or portions thereof so accepted and (iii) deliver or cause to
be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation all Securities so accepted together
with an Officers' Certificate stating the Securities or portions thereof
accepted for payment by the Company. The Paying Agent (or the Company, if so
acting) shall promptly mail or deliver to Holders of Securities so accepted,
payment in an amount equal to the Purchase Price for such Securities, and the
Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail or deliver to each Holder of
Securities a new Security or Securities equal in principal amount to any
unpurchased portion of the Security surrendered as requested by the Holder. Any
Security not accepted for payment shall be promptly mailed or delivered by the
Company to the Holder thereof. The Company shall publicly announce the results
of the Offer on or as soon as practicable after the Purchase Date.
(c) If the Company makes an Offer to Purchase, the Company
will comply with all applicable tender offer laws and regulations, including, to
the extent applicable, Section 14(e) and Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and
any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws and
regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of Securities
pursuant of a Change of Control Offer. To the extent that the provisions of any
securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Section
4.16, the Company shall comply with the applicable securities laws and
regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this
Section 4.16.
SECTION 4.17. Compliance Certificate.
The Issuers shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after
the close of each fiscal year a certificate signed by the principal executive
officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer stating
that a review of the activities of the Issuers has been made under the
supervision of the signing officers with a view to determining whether a Default
or Event of Default has occurred and whether or not the signers
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know of any Default or Event of Default by the Company that occurred during such
fiscal year. If they do know of such a Default or Event of Default, their status
and the action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
The first certificate to be delivered by the Issuers pursuant to this Section
4.17 shall be for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1998.
SECTION 4.18. Corporate Existence.
Subject to Article Five, each of the Issuers shall do or shall
cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and
effect its corporate existence and the corporate, partnership or other existence
of each Restricted Subsidiary in accordance with the respective organizational
documents of each such Restricted Subsidiary and the rights (charter and
statutory) and material franchises of Capital Corp., the Company and the
Restricted Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
required to preserve any such right or franchise, or the corporate existence of
any Restricted Subsidiary, if the Board of Directors of the Company shall
determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of
the business of the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
provided, further, however, that a determination of the Board of Directors of
the Company shall not be required in the event of a merger of one or more Wholly
Owned Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company with or into another Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or another Person, if the surviving Person
is a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company organized under the laws
of the United States or a State thereof or of the District of Columbia or, in
the case of a Foreign Restricted Subsidiary, the jurisdiction of incorporation
or organization of such Foreign Restricted Subsidiary. This Section 4.18 shall
not prohibit either of the Issuers from taking any other action otherwise
permitted by, and made in accordance with, the provisions of this Indenture.
ARTICLE FIVE
MERGERS; SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 5.01. Mergers, Sale of Assets, etc.
(a) Neither of the Issuers shall consolidate with or merge
with or into any other entity and the Company shall not, and shall not cause or
permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, sell, convey, assign, transfer, lease or
otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Company's and the
Restricted Subsidiaries' properties and assets (determined on a consolidated
basis for the Company and the Restricted Subsidiaries) to any entity in a single
transaction or series of related transactions, unless: (i) either (x) the
Company shall be the Surviving Person or (y) the Surviving Person (if other than
the Company) shall be a corporation or limited liability company organized and
validly existing under the laws of the United States of America or any State
thereof or the District of Columbia or, if any such Restricted Subsidiary was a
Foreign Restricted Subsidiary, under the laws of the United States of America or
any state thereof or the District of Columbia or the jurisdiction under which
such Foreign Restricted Subsidiary was organized, and shall, in any such case,
expressly assume by a supplemental indenture, the due and punctual payment of
the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on all the Securities and the
performance and observance of every covenant of this Indenture and the
Registration Rights Agreement to be performed or observed on the part of the
Company; (ii) immediately thereafter, no Default or Event of Default shall have
occurred and be continuing; and (iii) immediately after giving effect to any
such transaction involving the Incurrence by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, of additional Indebtedness (and treating any
Indebtedness not previously an obligation of
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the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with or as a result of
such transaction as having been Incurred at the time of such transaction), the
Surviving Person could Incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness (other
than Permitted Indebtedness) under the Consolidated Coverage Ratio of the first
paragraph of Section 4.04.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing clause (iii) of the
immediately preceding paragraph, any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with,
merge into or transfer all or part of its properties and assets to the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary that is a Guarantor.
(c) For purposes of the foregoing, the transfer (by lease,
assignment, sale or otherwise, in a single transaction or series of
transactions) of all or substantially all the properties and assets of one or
more Restricted Subsidiaries the Equity Interest of which constitutes all or
substantially all the properties and assets of the Company shall be deemed to be
the transfer of all or substantially all the properties and assets of the
Company.
(d) No Guarantor (other than a Guarantor whose Guarantee is to
be released in accordance with the terms of its Guarantee and this Indenture as
provided in the third paragraph under Article Eleven above) shall consolidate
with or merge with or into another Person, whether or not such Person is
affiliated with such Guarantor and whether or not such Guarantor is the
Surviving Person, unless (i) the Surviving Person (if other than such Guarantor)
is a corporation or limited liability company organized and validly existing
under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of
Columbia; (ii) the Surviving Person (if other than such Guarantor) expressly
assumes by a supplemental indenture all the obligations of such Guarantor under
its Guarantee of the Securities and the performance and observance of every
covenant of this Indenture and the Registration Right Agreement to be performed
or observed by such Guarantor; (iii) at the time of and immediately after such
Disposition, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing; and (iv) immediately after giving effect to any such transaction
involving the Incurrence by such Guarantor, directly or indirectly, of
additional Indebtedness (and treating any Indebtedness not previously an
obligation of such Guarantor in connection with or as a result of such
transaction as having been Incurred at the time of such transaction), the
Company could Incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness (other than
Permitted Indebtedness) under the Consolidated Coverage Ratio of the first
paragraph of Section 4.04; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not be a
condition to a merger or consolidation of a Guarantor if such merger or
consolidation only involves the Company and/or one or more other Guarantors.
SECTION 5.02. Successor Corporation Substituted.
In the event of any transaction (other than a lease) described
in and complying with the conditions listed in Section 5.01 in which the Company
or a Guarantor, as the case may be, is not the Surviving Person and the
Surviving Person is to assume all the Obligations of the Company under the
Securities, this Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement or of such
Guarantor under its Guarantee, this Indenture and the Registration Rights
Agreement, as the case may be, pursuant to a supplemental indenture, such
Surviving Person shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise
every right and power of, the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be, and
the Company, as the case may be, shall be discharged from its Obligations under
this Indenture and the Securities or such Guarantor shall be discharged from its
Obligations under this Indenture and its Guarantee, as the case may be.
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ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. Events of Default.
Each of the following shall be an "Event of Default" for
purposes of this Indenture:
(a) failure to pay principal of (or premium, if any, on) any
Security when due (whether or not prohibited by the provisions of
Article Eight);
(b) failure to pay any interest on any Security when due,
which failure continues for 30 days or more (whether or not prohibited
by the provisions of Article Eight);
(c) default in the payment of principal of or interest on any
Security required to be purchased pursuant to any Offer to Purchase
required by this Indenture when due and payable or failure to pay on
the Purchase Date the Purchase Price for any Security validly tendered
pursuant to any Offer to Purchase (whether or not prohibited by the
provisions of Article Eight);
(d) failure to perform any other covenant or agreement of the
Company under this Indenture or in the Securities or of the Guarantors
under this Indenture or in the Guarantees which failure continues for
30 days or more after written notice to the Company by the Trustee or
the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the
outstanding Securities;
(e) default or defaults under the terms of one or more
instruments evidencing or securing Indebtedness of the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries having an outstanding principal amount
of $5.0 million or more individually or in the aggregate that has
resulted in the acceleration of the payment of such Indebtedness or
failure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay
principal when due at the stated maturity of any such Indebtedness and
such default or defaults shall have continued after any applicable
grace period and shall not have been cured or waived;
(f) the rendering of a final judgment or judgments (not
subject to appeal) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in an
amount of $5.0 million or more (net of any amounts covered by
insurance) which remains undischarged or unstayed for a period of 60
days after the date on which the right to appeal has expired;
(g) the Company or any of its Significant Restricted
Subsidiaries pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(i) admits in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they
become due; (ii) commences a voluntary case or proceeding; (iii)
consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an
involuntary case or proceeding; (iv) consents or acquiesces in the
institution of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding against it; (v)
consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or
substantially all of its property; or (vi) makes a general assignment
for the benefit of its creditors, or any of them takes any action to
authorize or effect any of the foregoing;
(h) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or
decree under any Bankruptcy Law that: (i) is for relief against the
Company or any Significant Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in an
involuntary case or proceeding; (ii) appoints a Custodian of the
Company or any Significant Sub-
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sidiary of the Company for all or substantially all of its property;
or (iii) orders the liquidation of the Company or any Significant
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; and in each case the order or
decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; provided, however,
that if the entry of such order or decree is appealed and dismissed on
appeal, then the Event of Default hereunder by reason of the entry of
such order or decree shall be deemed to have been cured;
(i) other than as provided in or pursuant to any Guarantee or
this Indenture, any Guarantee of a Significant Restricted Subsidiary
ceases to be in full force and effect or is declared null and void and
unenforceable or found to be invalid or any Guarantor denies in writing
its liability under its Guarantee (other than by reason of a release of
such Guarantor from its Guarantee in accordance with the terms of this
Indenture and such Guarantee).
The term "Bankruptcy Law" means Title 11, U.S. Code or any
similar Federal, state or foreign law for the relief of debtors. The term
"Custodian" means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, sequestrator or
similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
SECTION 6.02. Acceleration.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities (other
than an Event of Default specified in clauses (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 with
respect to the Company) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of
at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities, by
notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by the Holders)
may declare the unpaid principal of (and premium, if any) and accrued interest
to the date of acceleration on all outstanding Securities to be due and payable
immediately and, upon any such declaration, such principal amount (and premium,
if any) and accrued interest, notwithstanding anything contained in this
Indenture or the Securities to the contrary, shall become immediately due and
payable.
If an Event of Default specified in clauses (g) or (h) of
Section 6.01 with respect to the Company occurs, all unpaid principal of and
accrued interest on all outstanding Securities shall ipso facto become
immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of
the Trustee or any Holder.
Any such declaration with respect to the Securities may be
rescinded and annulled by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding Securities by written notice to the Trustee if all
existing Events of Default (other than the nonpayment of principal of and
interest on the Securities which has become due solely by virtue of such
acceleration) have been cured or waived and if the rescission would not conflict
with any judgment or decree. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent
Default or impair any right consequent thereto.
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 or interest on the Securities or to enforce the
performance of any provision of the Securities or this Indenture.
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not
possess any of the Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding.
A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder in exercising any right or
remedy maturing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or
consti-
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tute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. No remedy is exclusive
of any other remedy. All available remedies are cumulative to the extent
permitted by law.
SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Past Default.
Subject to Sections 2.09, 6.07 and 10.02, prior to the
declaration of acceleration of the Securities, the Holders of not less than a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities by written
notice to the Trustee may waive an existing Default or Event of Default and its
consequences, except a Default in the payment of principal of or interest on any
Security as specified in clauses (a), (b) and (c) of Section 6.01 or a Default
in respect of any term or provision of this Indenture that may not be amended or
modified without the consent of each Holder affected as provided in Section
10.02. The Issuers shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating
that the requisite percentage of Holders have consented to such waiver and
attaching copies of such consents. In case of any such waiver, the Issuers, the
Trustee and the Holders shall be restored to their former positions and rights
hereunder and under the Securities, respectively. This paragraph of this Section
6.04 shall be in lieu of Section 316(a)(1)(B) of the TIA and such Section.
316(a)(1)(B) of the TIA is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and
the Securities, as permitted by the TIA.
Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist and be
deemed to have been cured and not to have occurred, and any Event of Default
arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured and not to have occurred
for every purpose of this Indenture and the Securities, but no such waiver shall
extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any
right consequent thereon.
SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority.
Subject to Section 2.09, the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the outstanding Securities 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 it. However, the Trustee may refuse
to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that the
Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of another Holder, it
being understood that the Trustee shall have no duty (subject to Section 7.01)
to ascertain whether or not such actions or forebearances are unduly prejudicial
to such holders, or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability;
provided, however, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by
the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction. In the event the
Trustee takes any action or follows any direction pursuant to this Indenture,
the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnification satisfactory to it in its sole
discretion against any loss or expense caused by taking such action or following
such direction. This Section 6.05 shall be in lieu of Section 316(a)(1)(A) of
the TIA, and such Section 316(a)(1)(A) of the TIA is hereby expressly excluded
from this Indenture and the Securities, as permitted by the TIA.
SECTION 6.06. Limitation on Suits.
A Holder may not pursue any remedy with respect to this
Indenture or the Securities unless:
(i) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a
continuing Event of Default;
(ii) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount
of the outstanding Securities make a written request to the Trustee to
pursue a remedy;
(iii) such Holder or Holders offer and, if requested, provide
to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss,
liability or expense;
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(iv) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60
days after receipt of the request and the offer and, if requested, the
provision of indemnity; and
(v) during such 60-day period the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the outstanding Securities do not give the Trustee
a direction which, in the opinion of the Trustee, is inconsistent with
the request.
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.
SECTION 6.07. Rights of Holders To Receive Payment.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, but
subject in any event to the provisions of Article Eight, the right of any Holder
to receive payment of principal of or interest on a Security, on or after the
respective due dates expressed in the Security, 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 the Holder.
SECTION 6.08. Collection Suit by Trustee.
If an Event of Default in payment of principal or interest
specified in Section 6.01(a), (b) or (c) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee
may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against
the Issuers or any other obligor on the Securities for the whole amount of
principal and accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest overdue
on principal and to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest
on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate per annum borne by
the Securities 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 the
Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Issuers (or any
other obligor upon the Securities), its creditors or its property and shall be
entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies or other property
payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any
Custodian in any such judicial proceedings 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 authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on
behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or
composition affecting the Securities 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; provided, however, that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders,
vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and may be
a member of the creditors' committee.
SECTION 6.10. Priorities.
If the Trustee collects any money or property pursuant to this
Article Six, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:
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First: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07;
Second: to Holders for amounts due and unpaid on the
Securities for principal and interest, ratably, without
preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due
and payable on the Securities for principal and interest,
respectively; and
Third: to the Issuers.
The Trustee, upon prior written notice to the Issuers, may fix
a record date and payment date for any payment to the 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 and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit,
having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by
the party litigant. This Section 6.11 shall not apply to a suit by the Trustee,
a suit by a Holder or group of Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal
amount of the outstanding Securities, or to any suit instituted by any Holder
for the enforcement or the payment of the principal or interest on any
Securities on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Security.
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. Duties of Trustee.
(a) If a Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee
shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and
use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent man would
exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of a Default:
(1) The Trustee shall not be liable except for the
performance of such duties as are specifically set forth herein; and
(2) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may
conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the
correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or
opinions conforming to the requirements of this Indenture, however, in
the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision
hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the
Trustee shall examine such certificates and opinions to determine
whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.
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(c) The Trustee shall not be relieved from liability for its
own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful
misconduct, except that:
(1) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b)
of this Section 7.01;
(2) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment
made in good faith by a Trust Officer, unless it is proved that the
Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(3) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action
it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction
received by it pursuant to Section 6.05.
(d) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee
to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in
the performance of any of its duties hereunder or to take or omit to take any
action under this Indenture or take any action at the request or direction of
Holders if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such
funds is not assured to it or it does not receive from such Holders an indemnity
satisfactory to it in its sole discretion against such risk, liability, loss,
fee or expense which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or
direction.
(e) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates
to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section
7.01.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money
received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Issuers.
Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds
except to the extent required by law.
SECTION 7.02. Rights of Trustee.
Subject to Section 7.01:
(a) The Trustee may rely on any 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.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may
require an Officers' Certificate and/or an Opinion of Counsel, which
shall conform to the provisions of Section 13.05. 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.
(c) The Trustee may act through attorneys and agents of its
selection and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence
of any agent or attorney (other than an agent who is an employee of the
Trustee) appointed with due care.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or
omits to take in good faith which it reasonably believes to be
authorized or within its rights or powers.
(e) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may
consult with counsel and the advice or opinion of such counsel as to
matters of law shall be full and complete authorization and pro-
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tection from liability in respect of any action taken, omitted or
suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the
advice or opinion of such counsel.
(f) Any request or direction of the Issuers mentioned herein
shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Issuer Request or Issuer Order
and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently
evidenced by a Board Resolution.
(g) 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 pursuant to this Indenture, unless
such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or
indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be
incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(h) 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 Issuers, personally or by agent or
attorney.
(i) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any
Event of Default unless a Trust Officer of the Trustee has actual
knowledge thereof or unless the Trustee shall have received written
notice thereof at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such
notice references the Securities and this Indenture. As used herein,
the term "actual knowledge" means the actual fact or statement of
knowing, without any duty to make any investigation with regard
thereto.
(j) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or
surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties
hereunder.
(k) The permissive rights of the Trustee to do things
enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty and the
Trustee shall not be answerable for other than its gross negligence or
willful misconduct.
SECTION 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become
the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Issuers or
their Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee,
subject to Section 7.10 hereof. Any Agent may do the same with like rights.
However, the Trustee is subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
SECTION 7.04. Trustee's Disclaimer.
The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no
representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the
Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Issuers' use of the proceeds
from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement of the
Issuers in this Indenture or any document issued in connection with the sale of
Securities or any statement in the Securities other than the Trustee's
certificate of authentication.
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SECTION 7.05. Notice of Defaults.
If a Default or an Event of Default occurs and is continuing
and the Trustee has actual knowledge of such Defaults or Events of Default, the
Trustee shall mail to each Holder notice of the Default or Event of Default
within 30 days after the occurrence thereof. Except in the case of a Default or
an Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security or a
Default or Event of Default in complying with Section 5.01, the Trustee may
withhold the notice if and so long as a committee of its Trust Officers in good
faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interest of Holders. This
Section 7.05 shall be in lieu of the proviso to Section 315(b) of the TIA and
such proviso to Section 315(b) of the TIA is hereby expressly excluded from this
Indenture and the Securities, as permitted by the TIA.
SECTION 7.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders.
If required by TIA Section 313(a), as amended, within 60 days
after each October 1 beginning with October 1, 1998, the Trustee shall mail to
each Holder a report dated as of such October 1 that complies with TIA Section
313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Section 313(b), (c) and (d).
A copy of each such report at the time of its mailing to
Holders shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange, if any, on which
the Securities are listed.
The Issuers shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing if
the Securities become listed on any stock exchange or of any delisting thereof.
SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity.
The Issuers shall pay to the Trustee from time to time, and
the Trustee shall be entitled to, such compensation as the Issuers and the
Trustee shall from time to time agree in writing for its services. The Trustee's
compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an
express trust. The Issuers shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all
reasonable disbursements, expenses and advances, including all costs and
expenses of collection (including reasonable fees, disbursements and expenses of
its agents and outside counsel) incurred or made by it in addition to the
compensation for its services except any such disbursements, expenses and
advances as may be attributable to the Trustee's negligence or willful
misconduct. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation,
disbursements and expenses of the Trustee's agents, accountants, experts and
outside counsel and any taxes or other expenses incurred by a trust created
pursuant to Section 9.01 hereof.
The Issuers shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it
harmless against any and all loss, damage, claims, liability or expense,
including taxes (other than franchise taxes imposed on the Trustee and taxes
based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee), arising out
of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts
hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against or
investigating any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or
performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent that
such loss, damage, claim, liability or expense is due to its own negligence or
willful misconduct. The Trustee shall notify the Issuers promptly of any claim
asserted against the Trustee for which it may seek indemnity. However, the
failure by the Trustee to so notify the Issuers shall not relieve the Issuers of
their obligations hereunder. The Issuers shall defend the claim and the Trustee
shall cooperate in the defense (and may employ its own counsel) at the Issuers'
expense; provided, however, that the Issuers' reimbursement obligation with
respect to counsel employed by the Trustee will be limited to the reasonable
fees and expenses of such counsel.
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The Issuers need not pay for any settlement made without their
written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Issuers
need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability
incurred by the Trustee as a result of its own gross negligence or willful
misconduct.
To secure the Issuers' payment obligations in this Section
7.07, the Trustee shall have a Lien prior to the Securities against all money or
property held or collected by the Trustee, in its capacity as Trustee, except
money or property held in trust to pay principal of or interest on particular
Securities or the Purchase Price or redemption price of any Securities to be
purchased pursuant to an Offer to Purchase or redeemed.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an
Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(g) or (h) occurs, the expenses
(including the reasonable fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) and the
compensation for the services shall be preferred over the status of the Holders
in a proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law and are intended to constitute expenses
of administration under any Bankruptcy Law. The Issuers' obligations under this
Section 7.07 and any claim arising hereunder shall survive the resignation or
removal of any Trustee, the discharge of the Issuers' obligations pursuant to
Article Nine and any rejection or termination under any Bankruptcy Law.
SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee.
The Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Issuers
in writing. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
Securities may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Issuers in
writing and may appoint a successor Trustee with the Issuers' consent. The
Issuers may remove the Trustee if:
(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
(b) the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent or an order
for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy
Law;
(c) a custodian or other public officer takes charge of the
Trustee or its property; or
(d) 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 Trustee in such event being referred
to herein as the retiring Trustee), the Issuers 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 Securities may appoint a
successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Issuers.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its
appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Issuers. As promptly as
practicable after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer, after payment of
all sums then owing to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.07, all property held
by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the Lien provided in
Section 7.07, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become
effective, and the successor Trustee shall have the rights, powers and duties of
the Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail notice of its
succession to each Holder.
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If a successor Trustee does not take office within 60 days
after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the
Issuers or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding
Securities may petition, at the expense of the Issuers, any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Holder
may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee
and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this
Section 7.08, the Issuers' obligations 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 banking corporation, the resulting, surviving or transferee
corporation or banking corporation without any further act shall be the
successor Trustee; provided, however, that such corporation shall be otherwise
qualified and eligible under this Article Seven.
SECTION 7.10. Eligibility; Disqualification.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee which shall be
eligible to act as Trustee under TIA xx.xx. 310(a)(1) and 310(a)(2). The Trustee
shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth
in its most recent published annual report of condition. If the Trustee has or
shall acquire any "conflicting interest" within the meaning of TIA ss. 310(b),
the Trustee and the Issuers shall comply with the provisions of TIA ss. 310(b);
provided, however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA ss.
310(b)(1) any indenture or indentures under which other securities or
certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Issuers are
outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in TIA ss.
310(b)(1) are met. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.10, the Trustee shall resign
immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinbefore specified in this
Article Seven. The provisions of TIA ss. 310 shall apply to the Company and any
other obligor of the Securities.
SECTION 7.11. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Issuers.
The Trustee shall comply with TIA ss. 311(a), excluding any
creditor relationship listed in TIA ss. 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or
been removed shall be subject to TIA ss. 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.
ARTICLE EIGHT
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 8.01. Securities Subordinated to Senior Indebtedness.
The Issuers covenant and agree, and the Trustee and each
Holder of the Securities by his acceptance thereof likewise covenant and agree,
that all Securities shall be issued subject to the provisions of this
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Article Eight; and each person holding any Security, whether upon original issue
or upon transfer, assignment or exchange thereof, accepts and agrees that all
payments of the principal of and interest on the Securities by the Issuers
shall, to the extent and in the manner set forth in this Article Eight, be
subordinated and junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full in cash
of all amounts payable under Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 8.02. Payment Over of Proceeds upon Dissolution, etc.
(a) Upon any payment or distribution of assets or securities
of the Issuers of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities
(excluding any payment or distribution of Permitted Junior Securities and
excluding any payment from funds held in trust for the benefit of Holders
pursuant to Article Nine (a "Defeasance Trust Payment"), upon any dissolution or
winding up or total liquidation or reorganization of the Issuers, whether
voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other
proceedings, all Senior Indebtedness then due shall first be paid in full in
cash before the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on behalf of such
Holders shall be entitled to receive any payment by the Issuers of the principal
of, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities, or any payment by the
Issuers to acquire any of the Securities for cash, property or securities, or
any distribution by the Issuers with respect to the Securities of any cash,
property or securities (excluding any payment or distribution of Permitted
Junior Securities and excluding any Defeasance Trust Payment). Before any
payment may be made by, or on behalf of, the Issuers of the principal of,
premium, if any, or interest on the Securities upon any such dissolution or
winding up or total liquidation or reorganization, whether voluntary or
involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings, any
payment or distribution of assets or securities of the Issuers of any kind or
character, whether in cash, property or securities (excluding any payment or
distribution of Permitted Junior Securities and excluding any Defeasance Trust
Payment), to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on their behalf
would be entitled, but for the subordination provisions of this Indenture, shall
be made by the Issuers or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidation
trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, directly to
the holders of the Senior Indebtedness (pro rata to such holders on the basis of
the respective amounts of Senior Indebtedness held by such holders) or their
representatives or to the trustee or trustees or agent or agents under any
agreement or indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior Indebtedness may
have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, to the extent
necessary to pay all such Senior Indebtedness in full in cash after giving
effect to any prior or concurrent payment, distribution or provision therefor to
or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
(b) In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provision
prohibiting such payment or distribution, any payment or distribution of assets
or securities of the Issuers of any kind or character, whether in cash, property
or securities (excluding any payment or distribution of Permitted Junior
Securities and excluding any Defeasance Trust Payment), shall be paid by the
Issuers to the Trustee or any Holder of Securities at a time when such payment
or distribution is prohibited by Section 8.02(a) and before all obligations then
due in respect of Senior Indebtedness are paid in full in cash, such payment or
distribution shall be received and held in trust for the benefit of, and shall
be paid over or delivered by the Trustee (if the Notice required by Section 8.06
has been received by the Trustee) or the Holder to, the holders of Senior
Indebtedness (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amounts of
Senior Indebtedness held by such holders) or their respective representatives,
or to the trustee or trustees or agent or agents under any indenture pursuant to
which any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective
interests may appear, for application to the payment of Senior Indebtedness
remaining unpaid until all such Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in
cash after giving effect to any prior or concurrent payment, distribution or
provision therefor to or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
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The consolidation of the Issuers with, or the merger of the
Issuers with or into, another corporation or the liquidation or dissolution of
the Issuers following the conveyance or transfer of its property as an entirety,
or substantially as an entirety, to another corporation upon the terms and
conditions provided in Article Five shall not be deemed a dissolution,
winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this Section 8.02
if such other corporation shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger,
conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions stated in Article Five.
SECTION 8.03. No Payment on Securities in Certain Circumstances.
(a) No direct or indirect payment (excluding any payment or
distribution of Permitted Junior Securities and excluding any Defeasance Trust
Payment) by or on behalf of the Issuers of principal of, premium, if any, or
interest on the Securities, whether pursuant to the terms of the Securities,
upon acceleration, pursuant to an Offer to Purchase or otherwise, shall be made
if, at the time of such payment, there exists a default in the payment of all or
any portion of the obligations on any Senior Indebtedness, whether at maturity,
on account of mandatory redemption or prepayment, acceleration or otherwise, and
such default shall not have been cured or waived or the benefits of this
sentence waived by or on behalf of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness. In
addition, during the continuance of any non-payment event of default with
respect to any Designated Senior Indebtedness pursuant to which the maturity
thereof may be immediately accelerated, and upon receipt by the Trustee of
written notice (a "Payment Blockage Notice" ) from the holder or holders of such
Designated Senior Indebtedness or the trustee or agent acting on behalf of such
Designated Senior Indebtedness, then, unless and until such non-payment event of
default has been cured or waived or has ceased to exist or such Designated
Senior Indebtedness has been discharged or repaid in full in cash or the
benefits of these provisions have been waived by the holders of such Designated
Senior Indebtedness, no direct or indirect payment (excluding any payment or
distribution of Permitted Junior Securities and excluding any Defeasance Trust
Payment) shall be made by or on behalf of the Issuers of principal of, premium,
if any, or interest on the Securities, to such Holders, during a period (a
"Payment Blockage Period") commencing on the date of receipt of such notice by
the Trustee and ending 179 days thereafter.
Notwithstanding anything in this Article Eight or in the
Securities to the contrary, (x) in no event shall a Payment Blockage Period
extend beyond 179 days from the date the Payment Blockage Notice in respect
thereof was given, (y) there shall be a period of at least 181 consecutive days
in each 360-day period when no Payment Blockage Period is in effect and (z) not
more than one Payment Blockage Period may be commenced with respect to the
Securities during any period of 360 consecutive days. No event of default that
existed or was continuing on the date of commencement of any Payment Blockage
Period with respect to the Designated Senior Indebtedness initiating such
Payment Blockage Period (to the extent the holder of Designated Senior
Indebtedness, or trustee or agent, giving notice commencing such Payment
Blockage Period had knowledge of such existing or continuing event of default)
may be, or be made, the basis for the commencement of any other Payment Blockage
Period by the holder or holders of such Designated Senior Indebtedness or the
trustee or agent acting on behalf of such Designated Senior Indebtedness,
whether or not within a period of 360 consecutive days, unless such event of
default has been cured or waived for a period of not less than 90 consecutive
days.
(b) In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Issuers shall have made payment to the Trustee or any Holder when such payment
is prohibited by Section 8.03(a), such payment shall be held in trust for the
benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered by the Trustee (if the Notice
required by Section 8.06 has been received by the Trustee) or the Holder to, the
holders of Designated Senior Indebtedness or their respective representatives,
or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any of such
Designated Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective
interests may appear, but only to the
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extent that, upon notice from the Trustee to the holders of Designated Senior
Indebtedness that such prohibited payment has been made, the holders of the
Designated Senior Indebtedness (or their representative or representatives or a
trustee or trustees) notify the Trustee in writing of the amounts then due and
owing on the Designated Senior Indebtedness, if any, and only the amounts
specified in such notice to the Trustee shall be paid to the holders of
Designated Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 8.04. Subrogation.
Upon the payment in full in cash of all Senior Indebtedness,
or provision for payment, the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated to
the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or
distributions of cash, property or securities of the Issuers made on such Senior
Indebtedness until the principal of and interest on the Securities shall be paid
in full in cash; and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no payments or
distributions to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or
securities to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on their behalf
would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article Eight, and no
payment over pursuant to the provisions of this Article Eight to the holders of
Senior Indebtedness by Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on their behalf
shall, as between the Issuers, their creditors other than holders of Senior
Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, be deemed to be a payment by
the Issuers to or on account of the Senior Indebtedness. It is understood that
the provisions of this Article Eight are and are intended solely for the purpose
of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities, on the one
hand, and the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand.
If any payment or distribution to which the Holders of the
Securities would otherwise have been entitled but for the provisions of this
Article Eight shall have been applied, pursuant to the provisions of this
Article Eight, to the payment of all amounts payable under Senior Indebtedness,
then and in such case, the Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to
receive from the holders of such Senior Indebtedness any payments or
distributions received by such holders of Senior Indebtedness in excess of the
amount required to make payment in full in cash of such Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 8.05. Obligations of Issuers Unconditional.
Nothing contained in this Article Eight or elsewhere in this
Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair, as among the
Issuers and the Holders of the Securities, the obligation of the Issuers, which
is absolute and unconditional, to pay to the Holders of the Securities the
principal of and interest on the Securities as and when the same shall become
due and payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall
affect the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of the
Issuers other than the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, nor shall anything
herein or therein prevent the Holder of any Security or the Trustee on their
behalf from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon
default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article
Eight of the holders of the Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or
securities of the Issuers received upon the exercise of any such remedy.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing
contained in this Article Eight shall restrict the right of the Trustee or the
Holders of Securities to take any action to declare the Securities to be due and
payable prior to their stated maturity pursuant to Section 6.01 or to pursue any
rights or remedies hereunder; provided, however, that all Senior Indebtedness
then due and payable shall first be paid in full in cash before the Holders of
the Securities or the Trustee are entitled to receive any direct or indirect
payment from the Issuers of principal of or interest on the Securities.
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SECTION 8.06. Notice to Trustee.
The Issuers shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of
any fact known to the Issuers which would prohibit the making of any payment to
or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of
this Article Eight. The Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the
existence of any event of default with respect to any Senior Indebtedness or of
any other facts which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the
Trustee unless and until the Trustee shall have received notice in writing at
its Corporate Trust Office to that effect signed by an Officer of each of the
Issuers, or by a holder of Senior Indebtedness or trustee or agent therefor; and
prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee shall, subject to
Article Seven, be entitled to assume that no such facts exist; provided,
however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in
this Section 8.06 at least two Business Days prior to the date upon which by the
terms of this Indenture any moneys shall become payable for any purpose
(including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of or interest on
any Security), then, regardless of anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee
shall have full power and authority to receive any moneys from the Issuers and
to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be
affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it on or after
such prior date. Nothing contained in this Section 8.06 shall limit the right of
the holders of Senior Indebtedness to recover payments as contemplated by
Section 8.03. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a
written notice by a Person representing himself or itself to be a holder of any
Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of, or other representative of, such
holder) to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of such Senior
Indebtedness or a trustee or representative on behalf of any such holder.
In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that
any evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of
Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to
this Article Eight, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to
the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior
Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to
participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the
rights of such Person under this Article Eight, and if such evidence is not
furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial
determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment.
SECTION 8.07. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating
Agent.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets or securities
referred to in this Article Eight, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities
shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree made by any court of
competent jurisdiction in which bankruptcy, dissolution, winding-up, liquidation
or reorganization proceedings are pending, or upon a certificate of the
receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other person
making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders
of the Securities for the purpose of ascertaining the persons entitled to
participate in such distribution, the holders of the Senior Indebtedness and
other indebtedness of the Issuers, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the
amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent
thereto or to this Article Eight.
SECTION 8.08. Trustee's Relation to Senior Indebtedness.
The Trustee and any Paying Agent shall be entitled to all the
rights set forth in this Article Eight with respect to any Senior Indebtedness
which may at any time be held by it in its individual or any other capacity to
the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness, and nothing in this
Indenture shall deprive the Trustee or any Paying Agent of any of its rights as
such holder.
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With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the
Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and
obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article Eight, and no implied
covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness
shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be
deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness (except
as provided in Section 8.03(b)). The Trustee shall not be liable to any such
holders if the Trustee shall in good faith mistakenly pay over or distribute to
Holders of Securities or to the Issuers or to any other person cash, property or
securities to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by
virtue of this Article Eight or otherwise.
SECTION 8.09. Subordination Rights Not Impaired by Acts or Omissions of
the Issuers or Holders of Senior Indebtedness.
No right of any present or future holders of any Senior
Indebtedness to enforce subordination as provided herein shall at any time in
any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of
the Issuers or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder,
or by any noncompliance by the Issuers with the terms of this Indenture,
regardless of any knowledge thereof which any such holder may have or otherwise
be charged with. The provisions of this Article Eight are intended to be for the
benefit of, and shall be enforceable directly by, the holders of Senior
Indebtedness.
SECTION 8.10. Holders Authorize Trustee To Effectuate Subordination of
Securities.
Each Holder of Securities by his acceptance of such Securities
authorizes and expressly directs the Trustee on his behalf to take such action
as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided in
this Article Eight, and appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for such
purposes, including, in the event of any dissolution, winding-up, total
liquidation or reorganization of either of the Issuers (whether in bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership, reorganization or similar proceedings or upon an
assignment for the benefit of creditors or otherwise) tending towards
liquidation of the business and assets of either of the Issuers, the filing of a
claim for the unpaid balance of its or his Securities in the form required in
those proceedings.
SECTION 8.11. This Article Not To Prevent Events of Default.
The failure to make a payment or distribution for or on
account of the Securities by reason of any provision of this Article Eight shall
not be construed as preventing the occurrence of an Event of Default in respect
of the Securities.
SECTION 8.12. Trustee's Compensation Not Prejudiced.
Nothing in this Article Eight shall apply to amounts due to
the Trustee pursuant to other sections in this Indenture.
SECTION 8.13. No Waiver of Subordination Provisions.
Without in any way limiting the generality of Section 8.09,
the holders of Senior Indebtedness may, at any time and from time to time,
without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the Holders of the
Securities, without incurring responsibility to the Holders of the Securities
and without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in this Article
Eight or the obligations hereunder of the Holders of the Securities to the
holders of Senior Indebtedness, do any one or more of the following: (a) change
the manner,
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place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter,
Senior Indebtedness or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under
which Senior Indebtedness is outstanding or secured; (b) sell, exchange, release
or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing
Senior Indebtedness; (c) release any Person liable in any manner for the
collection of Senior Indebtedness; and (d) exercise or refrain from exercising
any rights against either of the Issuers and any other Person.
SECTION 8.14. Subordination Provisions Not Applicable to Money Held in
Trust for Holders; Payments May Be Paid Prior to
Dissolution.
All money and United States Government Obligations deposited
in trust with the Trustee pursuant to and in accordance with Article Nine shall
be for the sole benefit of the Holders and shall not be subject to this Article
Eight.
Nothing contained in this Article Eight or elsewhere in this
Indenture shall prevent (i) the Issuers, except under the conditions described
in Section 8.02, from making payments of principal of and interest on the
Securities or from depositing with the Trustee any moneys for such payments or
from effecting a termination of the Issuers' and the Guarantors' obligations
under the Securities and this Indenture as provided in Article Nine, or (ii) the
application by the Trustee of any moneys deposited with it for the purpose of
making such payments of principal of and interest on the Securities, to the
holders entitled thereto unless at least two Business Days prior to the date
upon which such payment becomes due and payable, the Trustee shall have received
the written notice provided for in Section 8.02(b) or in Section 8.06. The
Issuers shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any dissolution,
winding-up, liquidation or reorganization of either of the Issuers.
SECTION 8.15. Acceleration of Securities.
If payment of the Securities is accelerated because of an
Event of Default, the Issuers shall promptly notify holders of the Senior
Indebtedness of the acceleration.
ARTICLE NINE
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE
SECTION 9.01. Termination of the Issuers' Obligations.
The Issuers may terminate their obligations under the
Securities and this Indenture as well as the obligations of the Guarantors under
their respective Guarantees, except those obligations referred to in the
penultimate paragraph of this Section 9.01, if:
(i) either (a) all the Securities theretofore authenticated
and delivered (except lost, stolen or destroyed Securities which have
been replaced or paid and Securities for whose payment money has
theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by
the Issuers and thereafter repaid to the Issuers or discharged from
such trust) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation or (b)
all Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation have become due and payable and the Issuers have
irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee funds
in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire Indebtedness on
the Securities not
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theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal
of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities to the date of
deposit together with irrevocable instructions from the Issuers
directing the Trustee to apply such funds to the payment thereof at
maturity or redemption, as the case may be;
(ii) the Issuers have paid all other sums payable under this
Indenture by the Issuers; and
(iii) the Issuers have delivered to the Trustee an officers'
certificate and an opinion of counsel stating that all conditions
precedent under this Indenture relating to the satisfaction and
discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the first paragraph of this Section 9.01, the
Issuers' obligations in Sections 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 4.01, 4.02, 4.18, 7.07,
9.05 and 9.06 shall survive until the Securities are no longer outstanding
pursuant to the last paragraph of Section 2.08. After the Securities are no
longer outstanding, the Issuers' obligations in Sections 7.07, 9.05 and 9.06
shall survive.
After such delivery or irrevocable deposit, the Trustee upon
request shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Issuers' and
Guarantors' obligations under the Securities and this Indenture except for those
surviving obligations specified above.
SECTION 9.02. Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
(a) Subject to the provisions of Article Eight, the Company
may terminate its obligations in respect of the Securities by delivering all
outstanding Securities to the Trustee for cancellation and paying all sums
payable by it on account of principal of and interest on all Securities or
otherwise. In addition to the foregoing, the Company may, at its option, at any
time elect to have either paragraph (b) or (c) below be applied to all
outstanding Securities, subject in either case to compliance with the conditions
set forth in Section 9.03.
(b) Upon the Company's exercise under paragraph (a) hereof of
the option applicable to this paragraph (b), the Company shall, subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 9.03, be deemed to have paid
and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding
Securities, except for (i) the rights of Holders to receive payments in respect
of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities when such
payments are due, (ii) the Company's obligations with respect to the Securities
under Sections 2.02 through 2.07, inclusive, 2.10, 2.13, 4.02 and 4.18, (iii)
the rights, powers, trust, duties and immunities of the Trustee under this
Indenture and the Company's obligations in connection therewith and (iv) Article
Nine of this Indenture (hereinafter, "Legal Defeasance"). Subject to compliance
with this Article Nine, the Company may exercise its option under this paragraph
(b) notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under paragraph (c) hereof.
(c) Upon the Company's exercise under paragraph (a) hereof of
the option applicable to this paragraph (c), the Company shall, subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 9.03, be released from its
obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.03 through 4.17,
inclusive, and Article Five with respect to the outstanding Securities
(hereinafter, "Covenant Defeasance") and thereafter any omission to comply with
such obligations shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with
respect to the Securities. In addition, upon the Company's exercise under
paragraph (a) hereof of the option applicable to this paragraph (c), subject to
the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 9.02, any failure or
omission to comply with such obligations shall not constitute a Default or Event
of Default with respect to the Securities.
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SECTION 9.03. Conditions to Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance pursuant to
Section 9.02(b) or Covenant Defeasance pursuant to Section 9.02(c):
(a) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in
trust, for the benefit of the Holders, cash in U.S. dollars or United
States Government Obligations, or a combination thereof, in such
amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally
recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal
of premium, if any, and interest on the Securities on the stated date
for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case
may be;
(b) in the case of an election under Section 9.02(b), the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in
the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that
(A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the
Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the date of this
Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax
law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion
of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities will not
recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a
result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income
tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as
would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(c) in the case of an election under Section 9.02(c), the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in
the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that
the Holders of the Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss
for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance
and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the
same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such
Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(d) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing on the date of such deposit or insofar as Sections 6.01(g)
and 6.01(h) are concerned, at any time in the period ending on the 91st
day after the date of such deposit;
(e) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not
result in a breach or violation of or constitute a Default under this
Indenture or any other material 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;
(f) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the
Company with the intent of preferring the Holders over any other
creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering,
delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company or others;
(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all
conditions precedent provided for or relating to the Legal Defeasance
or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with; and
(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion
of Counsel to the effect that (i) the trust funds will not be subject
to any rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness, including, with-
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out limitation, those arising under this Indenture, and (ii) assuming
no intervening bankruptcy or insolvency of the Company between the
date of deposit and the 91st day following the deposit and that no
Holder is an insider of the Company, after the 91st day following the
deposit, the trust funds will not be subject to the effect of any
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar law
affecting creditors' rights generally.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the opinion of counsel required
by clause (b) above need not be delivered if all Securities not theretofore
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (x) have become due and payable, (y)
will become due and payable on the maturity date within one year or (z) are to
be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the
Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and
at the expense, of the Company.
SECTION 9.04. Application of Trust Money; Trustee Acknowledgment and
Indemnity.
The Trustee shall hold in trust money or United States
Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to Section 9.03, and shall
apply the deposited money and the money from United States Government
Obligations in accordance with this Indenture solely to the payment of principal
of and interest on the Securities.
After such delivery or irrevocable deposit and delivery of an
Officers' Certificate and Opinion of Counsel, the Trustee upon request shall
acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Company's obligations under the
Securities and this Indenture except for those surviving obligations specified
above.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any
tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the United States
Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 9.03 or the principal and
interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other
charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of outstanding Securities.
SECTION 9.05. Repayment to Company.
Subject to Sections 7.07 and 9.04, the Trustee shall promptly
pay to the Company upon written request any excess money held by it at any time.
The Trustee shall pay to the Company upon written request any money held by it
for the payment of principal or interest that remains unclaimed for two years;
provided, however, that the Trustee before being required to make any payment
may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once in a newspaper of
general circulation in The City of New York or mail to each Holder entitled to
such money 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 shall
be repaid to the Company. After payment to the Company, Holders entitled to
money must look solely to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an
applicable abandoned property law designates another person and all liability of
the Trustee or Paying Agent with respect to such money shall thereupon cease.
SECTION 9.06. Reinstatement.
If the Trustee is unable to apply any money or United States
Government Obligations in accordance with Section 9.02 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 Securities shall be revived
and reinstated as though no deposit
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had occurred pursuant to Section 9.02 until such time as the Trustee is
permitted to apply all such money or United States Government Obligations in
accordance with Section 9.02; provided, however, that if the Company has made
any payment of interest on or principal of any Securities because of the
reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights
of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or
United States Government Obligations held by the Trustee.
ARTICLE TEN
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 10.01. Without Consent of Holders.
The Issuers and the Guarantors, when authorized by a
resolution of the Board of Directors, and the Trustee may amend or supplement
this Indenture or the Securities without notice to or consent of any Holder:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency; provided,
however, that such amendment or supplement does not adversely affect
the rights of any Holder;
(b) to effect the assumption by a successor Person of all
obligations of the Company under the Securities and this Indenture in
connection with any transaction complying with Article Five of this
Indenture;
(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or
in place of certificated Securities;
(d) to comply with any requirements of the SEC in order to
effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(e) to make any change that would provide any additional
benefit or rights to the Holders;
(f) to make any other change that does not adversely affect
the rights of any Holder under this Indenture;
(g) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of
the Holders, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon
the Company;
(h) to add a Guarantor in accordance with Section 4.14 or
otherwise; or
(i) to secure the Securities pursuant to the requirements of
Section 4.11 or otherwise;
provided, however, that the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of
Counsel stating that such amendment or supplement complies with the provisions
of this Section 10.01.
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SECTION 10.02. With Consent of Holders.
Subject to Section 6.07, the Issuers and the Guarantors, when
authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors, and the Trustee may
modify, amend or supplement, or waive compliance by the Issuers with any
provision of, this Indenture or the Securities with the written consent of the
Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
Securities. However, without the consent of each Holder affected, no such
modification, amendment, supplement or waiver, including a waiver pursuant to
Section 6.04, may:
(a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of or any
installment of interest on such Security or alter the optional
redemption or repurchase provisions of any such Security or this
Indenture in a manner adverse to the Holders of the Securities;
(b) reduce the principal amount (or the premium) of any such
Security;
(c) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of
interest on any such Security;
(d) change the place or currency of payment of principal of
(or premium) or interest on any such Security;
(e) modify any provisions of Section 6.04 (other than to add
sections of this Indenture or the Securities subject thereto) or 6.07
or this Section 10.02 (other than to add sections of this Indenture or
the Securities which may not be modified, amended, supplemented or
waived without the consent of each Holder affected);
(f) reduce the percentage of the principal amount of
outstanding Securities necessary for amendment to or waiver of
compliance with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities or
for waiver of any Default in respect thereof;
(g) waive a Default in the payment of principal of, interest
on, or redemption payment with respect to, the Securities (except a
rescission of acceleration of the Securities by the Holders thereof as
provided in Section 6.02 and a waiver of the payment default that
resulted from such acceleration);
(h) modify the ranking or priority of any Security or the
Guarantee in respect thereof of any Guarantor or modify the definition
of Senior Indebtedness or Guarantor Senior Indebtedness or amend or
modify any of the provisions of Article Eight in any manner adverse to
the Holders of the Securities;
(i) modify the provisions of Section 4.07 or Section 4.16 (or
the related definitions) in a manner materially adverse to the Holders
of Securities affected thereby otherwise than in accordance with this
Indenture; or
(j) release any Guarantor from any of its obligations under
its Guarantee or this Indenture otherwise than in accordance with this
Indenture.
An amendment under this Section 10.02 may not make any change
under Article Eight hereof that adversely affects in any material respect the
rights of any holder of Senior Indebtedness then out-
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standing unless the holders of such Senior Indebtedness (or any representative
thereof authorized to give a consent) shall have consented to such change.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under
this Section 10.02 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
10.02 becomes effective, the Issuers shall mail to the Holders affected thereby
a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of
the Issuers to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in
any way impair or affect the validity of any such amendment, supplement or
waiver.
SECTION 10.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.
Every amendment to or supplement of this Indenture or the
Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.
SECTION 10.04. Record Date for Consents and Effect of Consents.
The Issuers may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record
date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Securities entitled to
consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver. If a record date is fixed, then
those persons who were Holders of Securities 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 of such Securities after such
record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 90 days
after such record date. The Trustee is entitled to rely upon any electronic
instruction from beneficial owners to the Holders of any Global Security.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, it
shall bind every Holder, unless it makes a change described in any of clauses
(a) through (i) of Section 10.02. In that case the amendment, supplement or
waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every
subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same
debt as the consenting Holder's Security.
SECTION 10.05. Notation on or Exchange of Securities.
If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a
Security, the Trustee may require the Holder of the Security to deliver it to
the Trustee. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security about
the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, if the Issuers or
the Trustee so determine, the Issuers in exchange for the Security shall issue
and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Security that reflects the changed
terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Security shall
not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.
SECTION 10.06. 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 Ten is
authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such amendment, supplement or
waiver constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Issuers,
enforceable in accordance with its terms
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(subject to customary exceptions). The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated
to, execute any such amendment, supplement or waiver which affects the Trustee's
own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise. In signing
any amendment, supplement or waiver, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive an
indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it.
ARTICLE ELEVEN
GUARANTEE
SECTION 11.01. Unconditional Guarantee.
Each Guarantor hereby unconditionally, jointly and severally,
guarantees (each, a "Guarantee") to each Holder of a Security authenticated by
the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns that: the
principal of and interest on the Securities will be promptly paid in full when
due, subject to any applicable grace period, whether at maturity, by
acceleration or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal and interest on
any overdue interest on the Securities, to the extent lawful, and all other
obligations of the Issuers to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or under the
Securities will be promptly paid in full or performed, all in accordance with
the terms hereof and thereof; subject, however, to the limitations set forth in
Section 12.04. Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its obligations hereunder shall
be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of
the Securities or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same,
any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Securities with respect to any
provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Issuers,
any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise
constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a Guarantor. Each
Guarantor hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of
claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Issuers, any
right to require a proceeding first against the Issuers, protest, notice and all
demands whatsoever and covenants that the Guarantee will not be discharged
except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Securities,
this Indenture and this Guarantee. If any Holder or the Trustee is required by
any court or otherwise to return to the Issuers, any Guarantor, or any
custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to
the Issuers or any Guarantor, any amount paid by the Issuers or any Guarantor to
the Trustee or such Holder, this Guarantee, to the extent theretofore
discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect. Each Guarantor further
agrees that, as between each Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Holders and the
Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed
hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article Six for the purpose of this
Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing
such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in
the event of any acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article Six,
such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forth become due and
payable by each Guarantor for the purpose of this Guarantee.
SECTION 11.02. Severability.
In case any provision of this Guarantee 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.
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SECTION 11.03. Release of a Guarantor.
If the Securities are defeased in accordance with the terms of
this Indenture, or if Section 5.01(b) is complied with, or if, subject to the
requirements of Section 5.01(a), all or substantially all of the assets of any
Guarantor or all of the Equity Interests of any Guarantor are sold (including by
issuance or otherwise) by the Company in a transaction constituting an Asset
Sale and (x) the Net Cash Proceeds from such Asset Sale are used in accordance
with Section 4.07 or (y) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate to the effect that the Net Cash Proceeds from such Asset Sale shall
be used in accordance with Section 4.07 and within the time limits specified by
Section 4.07, then each Guarantor (in the case of defeasance) or such Guarantor
(in the case of compliance with Section 5.01(b) or in the event of a sale or
other disposition of all of the Equity Interests of such Guarantor) or the
corporation acquiring such assets (in the event of a sale or other disposition
of all or substantially all of the assets of such Guarantor) shall be released
and discharged from all obligations under this Article Eleven without any
further action required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder. Upon the
designation of a Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to and in
accordance with Section 4.15, such Guarantor shall be released and discharged
from all obligations under this Article Eleven without any further action
required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder. In addition, if no Default or
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, upon release of the guarantees
of any Guarantor of amounts outstanding under the Credit Facilities, the
Guarantee of such Guarantor shall be released.
The Trustee shall, at the sole cost and expense of the Issuers
and upon receipt at the reasonable request of the Trustee of an Opinion of
Counsel that the provisions of this Section 11.03 have been complied with,
deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing such release upon receipt of a
request by the Issuers accompanied by an Officers' Certificate certifying as to
the compliance with this Section 11.03. Any Guarantor not so released remains
liable for the full amount of principal of and interest on the Securities and
the other obligations of the Issuers hereunder as provided in this Article
Eleven.
SECTION 11.04. Limitation of Guarantor's Liability.
Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance hereof each Holder and
the Trustee, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that
the guarantee by such Guarantor pursuant to its Guarantee not constitute a
fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of title 11 of the United States
Code, as amended, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent
Transfer Act or any similar U.S. Federal or state or other applicable law. To
effectuate the foregoing intention, the Holders and each Guarantor hereby
irrevocably agree that the obligations of each Guarantor under its Guarantee
shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other
contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor (including any Guarantor
Senior Indebtedness Incurred after the Issue Date) and after giving effect to
any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Guarantor in
respect of the obligations of such other Guarantor under its Guarantee or
pursuant to Section 11.05, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its
Guarantee not constituting such a fraudulent transfer or conveyance under
Federal or State law.
SECTION 11.05. Contribution.
In order to provide for just and equitable contribution among
the Guarantors, the Guarantors agree, inter se, that in the event any payment or
distribution is made by any Guarantor (a "Funding Guarantor") under the
Guarantee, such Funding Guarantor shall be entitled to a contribution from all
other Guarantors in a pro rata amount, based on the net assets of each Guarantor
(including the Funding Guarantor), determined in accordance with GAAP, subject
to Section 11.04, for all payments, damages and expenses incurred by such
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Funding Guarantor in discharging the Issuers' obligations with respect to the
Securities or any other Guarantor's obligations with respect to the Guarantee.
SECTION 11.06. Execution of Security Guarantee.
To further evidence their Guarantee to the Holders, each of
the Guarantors hereby agrees to execute a Security Guarantee to be endorsed on
each Security ordered to be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee. Each
Security Guarantee shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibits A
and B hereto. Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Guarantee set forth in
Section 11.01 shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding any failure
to endorse on each Security a Security Guarantee. Each such Security Guarantee
shall be signed on behalf of each Guarantor by two Officers prior to the
authentication of the Security on which it is endorsed, and the delivery of such
Security by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, shall
constitute due delivery of such Security Guarantee on behalf of such Guarantor.
Such signature upon the Security Guarantee may be manual or facsimile signature
of such officer and may be imprinted or otherwise reproduced on the Security
Guarantee, and in case such officer who shall have signed the Security Guarantee
shall cease to be such officer before the Security on which such Security
Guarantee is endorsed shall have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee
or disposed of by the Issuers, such Security nevertheless may be authenticated
and delivered or disposed of as though the Person who signed the Security
Guarantee had not ceased to be such officer of such Guarantor.
SECTION 11.07. Subordination of Subrogation and Other Rights.
Each Guarantor hereby agrees that any claim against the
Issuers that arises from the payment, performance or enforcement of such
Guarantor's obligations under its Guarantee or this Indenture, including,
without limitation, any right of subrogation, shall be subject and subordinate
to, and no payment with respect to any such claim of such Guarantor shall be
made before, the payment in full in cash of all outstanding Securities in
accordance with the provisions provided therefor in this Indenture.
ARTICLE TWELVE
SUBORDINATION OF GUARANTEE
SECTION 12.01. Guarantee Obligations Subordinated to Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness.
Each Guarantor covenants and agrees, and the Trustee and each
Holder of the Securities by his acceptance thereof likewise covenant and agree,
that the Guarantee of such Guarantor shall be issued subject to the provisions
of this Article Twelve; and each person holding any Security, whether upon
original issue or upon transfer, assignment or exchange thereof, accepts and
agrees that all payments of the principal of and interest on the Securities
pursuant to the Guarantee made by or on behalf of any Guarantor shall, to the
extent and in the manner set forth in this Article Twelve, be subordinated and
junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full in cash of all amounts
payable under Guarantor Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor.
SECTION 12.02. No Payment on Guarantees in Certain Circumstances.
(a) No direct or indirect payment (excluding any payment or
distribution of Permitted Junior Securities) by or on behalf of any Guarantor of
principal of or interest on the Securities pursuant to such Guar-
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antor's Guarantee, whether pursuant to the terms of the Securities, upon
acceleration or otherwise, shall be made if, at the time of such payment, there
exists a default in the payment of all or any portion of the obligations on any
Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor, whether at maturity,
on account of mandatory redemption or prepayment, acceleration or otherwise, and
such default shall not have been cured or waived or the benefits of this
sentence waived by or on behalf of the holders of such Designated Guarantor
Senior Indebtedness. In addition, during the continuance of any non-payment
event of default with respect to any Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness
pursuant to which the maturity thereof may be immediately accelerated, and upon
receipt by the Trustee of written notice (the "Guarantor Payment Blockage
Notice") from the holder or holders of such Designated Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness or the trustee or agent acting on behalf of such Designated
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness, then, unless and until such non-payment event of
default has been cured or waived or has ceased to exist or such Designated
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness has been discharged or paid in full in cash or the
benefits of these provisions have been waived by the holders of such Designated
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness, no direct or indirect payment (excluding any
payment or distribution of Permitted Junior Securities) shall be made by or on
behalf of such Guarantor of principal or interest on the Securities during a
period (a "Guarantor Blockage Period") commencing on the date of receipt of such
notice by the Trustee and ending 179 days thereafter.
Notwithstanding anything herein or in the Securities to the
contrary, (x) in no event shall a Guarantor Blockage Period extend beyond 179
days from the date the Guarantor Payment Blockage Notice in respect thereof was
given, (y) there shall be a period of at least 181 consecutive days in each
360-day period when no Guarantor Blockage Period is in effect and (z) not more
than one Guarantor Blockage Period may be commenced with respect to any
Guarantor during any period of 360 consecutive days. No non-payment event of
default that existed or was continuing on the date of commencement of any
Guarantor Blockage Period with respect to the Designated Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness initiating such Guarantor Blockage Period (to the extent the holder
of Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness, or trustee or agent, giving notice
commencing such Guarantor Blockage Period had knowledge of such existing or
continuing event of default) may be, or be made, the basis for the commencement
of any other Guarantor Blockage Period by the holder or holders of such
Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness or the trustee or agent acting on
behalf of such Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness, whether or not within a
period of 360 consecutive days, unless such non-payment event of default has
been cured or waived for a period of not less than 90 consecutive days.
(b) In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any
payment shall be made directly to the Trustee or any Holder when such payment is
prohibited by Section 12.02(a), such payment shall be held in trust for the
benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered by the Trustee (if the Notice
required by Section 12.06 has been received by the Trustee) or the Holder to,
the holders of such Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness or their respective
representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to
which any of such Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness may have been issued,
as their respective interests may appear, but only to the extent that, upon
notice from the Trustee to the holders of such Designated Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness that such prohibited payment has been made, the holders of such
Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness (or their representative or
representatives or a trustee or trustees) notify the Trustee in writing of the
amounts then due and owing on such Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness, if
any, and only the amounts specified in such notice to the Trustee shall be paid
to the holders of such Designated Guarantor Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 12.03. Payment Over of Proceeds upon Dissolution, Etc.
(a) Upon any payment or distribution of assets or securities
of any Guarantor of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or
securities (excluding any payment or distribution of Permitted Junior
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Securities), upon any dissolution or winding-up or total liquidation or
reorganization of such Guarantor, whether voluntary or involuntary or in
bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings, all Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness of such Guarantor shall first be paid in full in cash before the
Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on behalf of such Holders shall be
entitled to receive any payment by such Guarantor of the principal of or
interest on the Securities pursuant to such Guarantor's Guarantee, or any
payment to acquire any of the Securities for cash, property or securities, or
any distribution with respect to the Securities of any cash, property or
securities (excluding any payment or distribution of Permitted Junior
Securities). Before any payment may be made by, or on behalf of, any Guarantor
of the principal of or interest on the Securities upon any such dissolution or
winding-up or total liquidation or reorganization, any payment or distribution
of assets or securities of such Guarantor of any kind or character, whether in
cash, property or securities (excluding any payment or distribution of Permitted
Junior Securities), to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on
their behalf would be entitled, but for the subordination provisions of this
Indenture, shall be made by such Guarantor or by any receiver, trustee in
bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or
distribution, directly to the holders of the Guarantor Senior Indebtedness of
such Guarantor (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amounts
of such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness held by such holders) or their
representatives or to the trustee or trustees or agent or agents under any
agreement or indenture pursuant to which any of such Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, to
the extent necessary to pay all such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness in full in
cash after giving effect to any prior or concurrent payment, distribution or
provision therefor to or for the holders of such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness.
(b) In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provision
prohibiting such payment or distribution, any payment or distribution of assets
or securities of any Guarantor of any kind or character, whether in cash,
property or securities (excluding any payment or distribution of Permitted
Junior Securities), shall be made directly to the Trustee or any Holder of
Securities at a time when such payment or distribution is prohibited by Section
12.03(a) and before all obligations in respect of the Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness of such Guarantor are paid in full in cash, such payment or
distribution shall be received and held in trust for the benefit of, and shall
be paid over or delivered by the Trustee (if the Notice required by Section
12.06 has been received by the Trustee) or the Holder to, the holders of such
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the
respective amounts of such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness held by such holders)
or their respective representatives, or to the trustee or trustees or agent or
agents under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, for
application to the payment of such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness remaining
unpaid until all such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in
cash after giving effect to any prior or concurrent payment, distribution or
provision therefor to or for the holders of such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness.
The consolidation of any Guarantor with, or the merger of any
Guarantor with or into, another corporation or the liquidation or dissolution of
any Guarantor following the conveyance or transfer of its property as an
entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to another corporation upon the terms
and conditions provided in Article Five shall not be deemed a dissolution,
winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this Section 12.03
if such other corporation shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger,
conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions stated in Article Five.
SECTION 12.04. Subrogation.
Upon the payment in full in cash of all Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness of a Guarantor, or provision for payment, the Holders of the
Securities shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of such Guarantor
Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of cash, property or
securities of such
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Guarantor made on such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness until the principal of and
interest on the Securities shall be paid in full in cash; and, for the purposes
of such subrogation, no payments or distributions to the holders of such
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or securities to which the
Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on their behalf would be entitled
except for the provisions of this Article Twelve, and no payment over pursuant
to the provisions of this Article Twelve to the holders of such Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness by Holders of the Securities or the Trustee on their behalf shall,
as between such Guarantor, its creditors other than holders of such Guarantor
Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, be deemed to be a
payment by such Guarantor to or on account of such Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness. It is understood that the provisions of this Article Twelve are
and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the
Holders of the Securities, on the one hand, and the holders of Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness of each Guarantor, on the other hand.
If any payment or distribution to which the Holders of the
Securities would otherwise have been entitled but for the provisions of this
Article Twelve shall have been applied, pursuant to the provisions of this
Article Twelve, to the payment of all amounts payable under Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness, then and in such case, the Holders of the Securities shall be
entitled to receive from the holders of such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness any
payments or distributions received by such holders of Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness in excess of the amount required to make payment in full in cash of
such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 12.05. Obligations of Guarantors Unconditional.
Nothing contained in this Article Twelve or elsewhere in this
Indenture or in the Securities or the Guarantees is intended to or shall impair,
as among each of the Guarantors and the Holders of the Securities, the
obligation of each Guarantor, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay to the
Holders of the Securities the principal of and interest on the Securities as and
when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with the terms of the
Guarantee of such Guarantor, or is intended to or shall affect the relative
rights of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of any Guarantor other
than the holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness of such Guarantor, nor shall
anything herein or therein prevent the Holder of any Security or the Trustee on
their behalf from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law
upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this
Article Twelve of the holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness in respect of
cash, property or securities of any Guarantor received upon the exercise of any
such remedy.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing
contained in this Article Twelve shall restrict the right of the Trustee or the
Holders of Securities to take any action to declare the Securities to be due and
payable prior to their stated maturity pursuant to Section 6.01 or to pursue any
rights or remedies hereunder; provided, however, that all Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness of any Guarantor then due and payable shall first be paid in full
before the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee are entitled to receive any
direct or indirect payment from such Guarantor of principal of or interest on
the Securities pursuant to such Guarantor's Guarantee.
SECTION 12.06. Notice to Trustee.
The Issuers and each Guarantor shall give prompt written
notice to the Trustee of any fact known to the Issuers or such Guarantor which
would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the
Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article Twelve. The Trustee shall
not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any event of default with
respect to any Guarantor Senior Indebtedness or of any other facts which would
prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee unless and until the
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Trustee shall have received notice in writing at its Corporate Trust Office to
that effect signed by an Officer of either of the Issuers or such Guarantor, or
by a holder of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness or trustee or agent therefor; and
prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee shall, subject to
Article Seven, be entitled to assume that no such facts exist; provided,
however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in
this Section 12.06 at least two Business Days prior to the date upon which by
the terms of this Indenture any moneys shall become payable for any purpose
(including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of or interest on
any Security), then, regardless of anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee
shall have full power and authority to receive any moneys from any Guarantor and
to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be
affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it on or after
such prior date. Nothing contained in this Section 12.06 shall limit the right
of the holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness to recover payments as
contemplated by Section 12.03. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the
delivery to it of a written notice by a Person representing himself or itself to
be a holder of any Guarantor Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of, or
other representative of, such holder) to establish that such notice has been
given by a holder of such Guarantor Senior Indebtedness or a trustee or
representative on behalf of any such holder.
In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that
any evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution
pursuant to this Article Twelve, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish
evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such
Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other
facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article Twelve, and if
such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person
pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such
payment.
SECTION 12.07. Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating
Agent.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets or securities of a
Guarantor referred to in this Article Twelve, the Trustee and the Holders of the
Securities shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree made by any court
of competent jurisdiction in which bankruptcy, dissolution, winding-up,
liquidation or reorganization proceedings are pending, or upon a certificate of
the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other person
making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders
of the Securities for the purpose of ascertaining the persons entitled to
participate in such distribution, the holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness
of such Guarantor and other indebtedness of such Guarantor, the amount thereof
or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all
other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article Twelve.
SECTION 12.08. Trustee's Relation to Guarantor Senior Indebtedness.
The Trustee and any Paying Agent shall be entitled to all the
rights set forth in this Article Twelve with respect to any Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness which may at any time be held by it in its individual or any other
capacity to the same extent as any other holder of Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness, and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee or any
Paying Agent of any of its rights as such holder.
With respect to the holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness,
the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and
obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article Twelve, and no implied
covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee
shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary
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duty to the holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness (except as provided in
Section 12.03(b)). The Trustee shall not be liable to any such holders if the
Trustee shall in good faith mistakenly pay over or distribute to Holders of
Securities or to the Issuers or to any other person cash, property or securities
to which any holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by
virtue of this Article Twelve or otherwise.
SECTION 12.09. Subordination Rights Not Impaired by Acts or Omissions of
the Guarantors or Holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness.
No right of any present or future holders of any Guarantor
Senior Indebtedness to enforce subordination as provided herein shall at any
time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the
part of any Guarantor or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any
such holder, or by any noncompliance by any Guarantor with the terms of this
Indenture, regardless of any knowledge thereof which any such holder may have or
otherwise be charged with. The provisions of this Article Twelve are intended to
be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable directly by, the holders of
Guarantor Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 12.10. Holders Authorize Trustee To Effectuate Subordination of
Guarantee.
Each Holder of Securities by his acceptance of such Securities
authorizes and expressly directs the Trustee on his behalf to take such action
as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided in
this Article Twelve, and appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for such
purposes, including, in the event of any dissolution, winding-up, total
liquidation or reorganization of any Guarantor (whether in bankruptcy,
insolvency, receivership, reorganization or similar proceedings or upon an
assignment for the benefit of creditors or otherwise) tending towards
liquidation of the business and assets of such Guarantor, the filing of a claim
for the unpaid balance of its or his Securities in the form required in those
proceedings.
SECTION 12.11. This Article Not To Prevent Events of Default.
The failure to make a payment on account of principal of or
interest on the Securities by reason of any provision of this Article Twelve
shall not be construed as preventing the occurrence of an Event of Default
specified in clause (a), (b) or (c) of Section 6.01.
SECTION 12.12. Trustee's Compensation Not Prejudiced.
Nothing in this Article Twelve shall apply to amounts due to
the Trustee pursuant to other sections in this Indenture.
SECTION 12.13. No Waiver of Guarantee Subordination Provisions.
Without in any way limiting the generality of Section 12.09,
the holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness may, at any time and from time to
time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the Holders of the
Securities, without incurring responsibility to the Holders of the Securities
and without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in this Article
Twelve or the obligations hereunder of the Holders of the Securities to the
holders of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness, do any one or more of the following:
(a) change the manner, place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment
of, or renew or alter, Guarantor Senior Indebtedness or any instrument
evidencing the same or any agreement under which Guarantor Senior Indebtedness
is outstanding or secured; (b) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal with
any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing Guarantor Senior
Indebtedness; (c) release any Person liable in any
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manner for the collection of Guarantor Senior Indebtedness; and (d) exercise or
refrain from exercising any rights against any Guarantor and any other Person.
SECTION 12.14. Payments May Be Paid Prior to Dissolution.
Nothing contained in this Article Twelve or elsewhere in this
Indenture shall prevent (i) a Guarantor, except under the conditions described
in Section 12.02, from making payments of principal of and interest on the
Securities, or from depositing with the Trustee any moneys for such payments, or
(ii) the application by the Trustee of any moneys deposited with it for the
purpose of making such payments of principal of and interest on the Securities,
to the holders entitled thereto unless at least two Business Days prior to the
date upon which such payment becomes due and payable, the Trustee shall have
received the written notice provided for in Section 12.02(b) or in Section
12.06. The Guarantors shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any
dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization of such Guarantor.
ARTICLE THIRTEEN
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 13.01. Trust Indenture Act Controls.
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. If any provision of this Indenture
modifies any TIA provision that may be so modified, such TIA provision shall be
deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified. If any provision of this
Indenture excludes any TIA provision that may be so excluded, such TIA provision
shall be excluded from this Indenture.
The provisions of TIA xx.xx. 310 through 317 that impose
duties on any Person (including the provisions automatically deemed included
unless expressly excluded by this Indenture) are a part of and govern this
Indenture, whether or not physically contained herein.
SECTION 13.02. Notices.
Any notice or communication shall be sufficiently given if in
writing and delivered in person, by facsimile and confirmed by overnight
courier, or mailed by first-class mail addressed as follows:
if to the Issuers:
c/o Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC
00000 Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
84
[FORM OF SECURITY GUARANTEE]
SENIOR SUBORDINATED GUARANTEE
For value received, the undersigned Guarantor (as defined in
the Indenture referred to in the Security upon which this notation is endorsed)
hereby unconditionally guarantees on a senior subordinated basis (such Guarantee
by the Guarantor being referred to herein as the "Guarantee") the due and
punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the
Securities, whether at maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, the due and
punctual payment of interest on the overdue principal, premium and interest on
the Securities, and the due and punctual performance of all other obligations of
the Issuers to the Holders or the Trustee, all in accordance with the terms set
forth in Article Eleven of the Indenture (as defined below). This Guarantee will
become effective in accordance with Article Eleven of the Indenture and its
terms shall be evidenced therein. The validity and enforceability of any
Guarantee shall not be affected by the fact that it is not affixed to any
particular Security.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the
meanings ascribed to them in the Indenture dated as of October 1, 1997, among
Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC, AAS Capital Corporation, each of the Guarantors
named therein and First Union National Bank, as trustee, as amended or
supplemented (the "Indenture").
The obligations of the undersigned to the Holders of
Securities and to the Trustee pursuant to this Guarantee and the Indenture are
expressly set forth in Article Eleven of the Indenture and reference is hereby
made to the Indenture for the precise terms of the Guarantee and all of the
other provisions of the Indenture to which this Guarantee relates.
The obligations of the Guarantor to the Holders of Securities
and to the Trustee pursuant to the Guarantee and the Indenture are expressly set
forth, and are expressly subordinated and subject in right of payment to the
prior payment in full of all Guarantor Senior Indebtedness (as defined in the
Indenture) of such Guarantor, to the extent and in the manner provided in
Article Eleven and Article Twelve of the Indenture, and reference is hereby made
to such Indenture for the precise terms of the Guarantee therein made.
This Security Guarantee shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until the certificate of authentication on the Securities upon which
this Security Guarantee is noted shall have been executed by the Trustee under
the Indenture by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers.
This Security Guarantee shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles
of conflicts of laws to the extent that the application of the laws of another
jurisdiction would be required thereby.
This Security Guarantee is subject to release upon the terms
set forth in the Indenture.
[LIST GUARANTORS]
By: ___________________________
Name:
Title:
B-8
85
ASSIGNMENT FORM
I or we assign and transfer this Security to
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Print or type name, address and zip code of assignee or transferee)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee or transferee)
and irrevocably appoint________________________________________________________
agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Issuers. The agent may
substitute another to act for him.
Dated:___________________ Signed: ______________________________
(Signed exactly as name appears
on the other side of this Security)
Signature Guarantee: ______________________________________________________
Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee
Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor program
reasonably acceptable to the Trustee)
86
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you want to elect to have this Security purchased by the
Company pursuant to Section 4.06 or Section 4.07 of the Indenture, check the
appropriate box:
Section 4.06 [ ]
Section 4.07 [ ]
If you want to elect to have only part of this Security
purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.06 or Section 4.07 of the
Indenture, state the amount: $_____________
Dated:___________________ Your Signature:__________________________
(Signed exactly as name appears
on the other side of this Security)
Signature Guarantee: ______________________________________________________
Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee
Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor program
reasonably acceptable to the Trustee)
87
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF LEGEND FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES
Any Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder
shall bear a legend (which would be in addition to any other legends required in
the case of a Restricted Security) in substantially the following form:
THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE
INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITORY
OR A NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITORY OR A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY. THIS SECURITY IS NOT
EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE
DEPOSITORY OR ITS NOMINEE EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE
INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS
SECURITY AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITORY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY OR BY A
NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY TO THE DEPOSITORY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE
DEPOSITORY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN
THE INDENTURE.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"),
TO THE ISSUERS OR THEIR AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR
PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR
IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND
ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR
VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED
OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY 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
SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS
SET FORTH IN SECTION 2.16 OF THE INDENTURE.
C-1
88
EXHIBIT D
CERTIFICATE TO BE DELIVERED UPON EXCHANGE
OR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER OF SECURITIES
Re: 9 3/4% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007
(the "Securities") of Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC
and AAS Capital Corporation
This Certificate relates to $_______ principal amount of
Securities held in the form of* ___ a beneficial interest in a Global Security
or* _______ Physical Securities by ______ (the "Transferor").
The Transferor:*
[ ] has requested by written order that the Registrar deliver in
exchange for its beneficial interest in the Global Security held by the
Depositary a Physical Security or Physical Securities in definitive, registered
form of authorized denominations and an aggregate number equal to its beneficial
interest in such Global Security (or the portion thereof indicated above); or
[ ] has requested that the Registrar by written order exchange or
register the transfer of a Physical Security or Physical Securities.
In connection with such request and in respect of each such
Security, the Transferor does hereby certify that the Transferor is familiar
with the Indenture relating to the above captioned Securities and the
restrictions on transfers thereof as provided in Section 2.16 of such Indenture,
and that the transfer of the Securities does not require registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), because*:
[ ] Such Security is being acquired for the Transferor's own
account, without transfer (in satisfaction of Section 2.16 of the Indenture).
[ ] Such Security is being transferred to a "qualified
institutional buyer" (as defined in Rule 144A under the Act), in reliance on
Rule 144A.
[ ] Such Security is being transferred to an institutional
"accredited investor" (within the meaning of subparagraph (a)(1), (2), (3) or
(7) of Rule 501 under the Act) which delivers a certificate to the Trustee in
the form of Exhibit E to the Indenture.
[ ] Such Security is being transferred in reliance on Rule 144
under the Act.
[ ] Such Security is being transferred in reliance on and in
compliance with an exemption from the registration requirements of the Act other
than Rule 144A or Rule 144 under the Act to a person other than an institutional
"accredited investor." [An Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such transfer
does not require Registration under the Securities Act accompanies this
certification.]
_____________________________________
[INSERT NAME OF TRANSFEROR]
By: _________________________________
[Authorized Signatory]
Date: ______________________
*Check applicable box.
D-1
89
EXHIBIT E
Form of Transferee Letter of Representation
Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC
AAS Capital Corporation
c/o
[Address of Trustee]
Dear Sirs:
This certificate is delivered to request a transfer of
$________ principal amount of the 9 3/4% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007 (the
"Notes") of Advanced Accessory Systems, LLC and AAS Capital Corp. (the
"Issuers"). Upon transfer, the Notes would be registered in the name of the new
beneficial owner as follows:
Name: __________________________________________
Address:________________________________________
Taxpayer ID Number:_____________________________
The undersigned represents and warrants to you that:
1. We are an institutional "accredited investor" (as defined
in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the
"Securities Act")) purchasing for our own account or for the account of such an
institutional "accredited investor" at least $250,000 principal amount of the
Notes, and we are acquiring the Notes not with a view to, or for offer or sale
in connection with, any distribution in violation of the Securities Act. We have
such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable
of evaluating the merits and risk of our investment in the Notes and we invest
in or purchase securities similar to the Notes in the normal course of our
business. We and any accounts for which we are acting are each able to bear the
economic risk of our or its investment.
2. We understand that the Notes have not been registered under
the Securities Act and, unless so registered, may not be sold except as
permitted in the following sentence. We agree on our own behalf and on behalf of
any investor account for which we are purchasing Notes to offer, sell or
otherwise transfer such Notes prior to the date which is two years after the
later of the date of original issue and the last date on which the Issuers or
any affiliate of the Issuers was the owner of such Notes (or any predecessor
thereto) (the "Resale Restriction Termination Date") only (a) to the Issuers ,
(b) pursuant to a registration statement which has been declared effective under
the Securities Act, (c) in a transaction complying with the requirements of Rule
144A under the Securities Act, to a person we reasonably believe is a qualified
institutional buyer under Rule 144A (a "QIB") that purchases for its own account
or for the account of a QIB and to whom notice is given that the transfer is
being made in reliance on Rule 144A, (d) to an institutional "accredited
investor" within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the
Securities Act that is purchasing for its own account or for the account of such
an institutional "accredited investor," in each case in a minimum principal
amount of Notes of $250,000 or (e) pursuant to any other available exemption
from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, subject in each of the
foregoing cases to any requirement of
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law that the disposition of our property or the property of such investor
account or accounts be at all times within our or their control and in
compliance with any applicable state securities laws. The foregoing restrictions
on resale will not apply subsequent to the Resale Restriction Termination Date.
If any resale or other transfer of the Notes is proposed to be made pursuant to
clause (d) above prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date, the
transferor shall deliver a letter from the transferee substantially in the form
of this letter to the Issuers and the Trustee, which shall provide, among other
things, that the transferee is an institutional "accredited investor" within the
meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act and that it
is acquiring such Notes for investment purposes and not for distribution in
violation of the Securities Act. Each purchaser acknowledges that the Issuers
and the Trustee reserve the right prior to any offer, sale or other transfer
prior to the Resale Restriction Termination Date of the Notes pursuant to clause
(d) or (e) above to require the delivery of an opinion of counsel, certificates
and/or other information satisfactory to the Issuers and the Trustee.
Dated: ______________________ TRANSFEREE:______________________________
By:______________________________________
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