REMARKETING AGREEMENT
February
8, 2008
Xxxxxx
Brothers Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
XX 00000
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
This
Agreement is dated as of February 8, 2008 (this “Agreement”)
among Southern Union Company, a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. (the “Remarketing
Agent”), and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as successor to
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., not individually but solely as Purchase Contract
Agent (the “Purchase Contract Agent”) and as attorney-in-fact
of the holders of Purchase Contracts (as defined in the Purchase Contract and
Pledge Agreement referred to below).
Section
1. Definitions.
(a) Capitalized
terms used and not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth
in the Purchase Contract and Pledge Agreement, dated as of February 11, 2005,
among the Company, the Purchase Contract Agent, and The Bank of New York Trust
Company, N.A., as successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, as Collateral Agent,
Custodial Agent and Securities Intermediary, as amended from time to time (the
“Purchase Contract and Pledge Agreement”) or the Indenture,
dated as of January 31, 1994, between the Company and The Bank of New York
Trust
Company, N.A., as successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as the Indenture
Trustee, as supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture No. 2 dated as of
February 11, 2005 and to be further supplemented by Supplemental Indenture
No.
4, dated as of February 19, 2008, pursuant to which the Senior Notes were
issued (as so supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 2 and Supplemental
Indenture No. 4, the “Indenture”).
(b) As
used in this Agreement, the following terms have the following
meanings:
“Base
Prospectus” means the prospectus included in the Registration
Statement, including all documents incorporated by reference therein as of
the
date of this Agreement.
“Final
Term Sheet” means the final term sheet, substantially in the form of
Schedule I.
“Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as
defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”),
relating to the Remarketing or the Remarketed Senior Notes that (i) is required
to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a
written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not
required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant
to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Remarketing or
the
Remarketed Senior Notes that does not reflect the final terms, in each case
in
the form filed or
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required
to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form
retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Preliminary
Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the
preliminary prospectus supplement dated February 8, 2008 used in connection
with
the Remarketing, including the documents incorporated by reference therein
as of
the date of such preliminary prospectus supplement; and any reference to any
amendment or supplement to such Preliminary Prospectus shall be deemed to refer
to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary
Prospectus, under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange Act”), and incorporated by reference in such
Preliminary Prospectus.
“Prospectus”
means the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the definitive prospectus
supplement specifically relating to the Remarketed Senior Notes, in the form
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), including the documents
incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such Prospectus; and any
reference to any amendment or supplement to such Prospectus shall be deemed
to
refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Prospectus,
under the Exchange Act, and incorporated by reference in such
Prospectus.
“Registration
Statement” means registration statement no. 333-137998 under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)
prepared by the Company pursuant to Section 5 hereunder covering,
interalia, the Remarketing of the Remarketed Senior Notes,
including all exhibits thereto and the documents incorporated by reference
in
the prospectus contained in such registration statement, and any post-effective
amendments thereto.
“Remarketed
Senior Notes” means the Pledged Senior Notes and the Separate Senior
Notes, if any, subject to Remarketing as identified to the Remarketing Agent
by
the Purchase Contract Agent and the Custodial Agent, respectively, promptly
after 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Business Day immediately preceding
the first Remarketing Date of the applicable Three-Day Remarketing Period,
and
shall include: (a) the Senior Notes of the Holders of Corporate Units who have
not notified the Purchase Contract Agent prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City
time,
on the seventh Business Day immediately preceding the Purchase Contract
Settlement Date of their intention to effect a Cash Settlement of the related
Purchase Contracts pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Contract and Pledge
Agreement or who have so notified the Purchase Contract Agent but failed to
make
the required cash payment prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the sixth
Business Day immediately preceding the Purchase Contract Settlement Date
pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Contract and Pledge Agreement, and (b)
the
Separate Senior Notes of the holders of Separate Senior Notes, if any, who
have
elected to have their Separate Senior Notes be remarketed in such Remarketing
pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Contract and Pledge
Agreement.
“Remarketing”
means the remarketing of the Remarketed Senior Notes pursuant to this
Remarketing Agreement.
“Senior
Notes” means the 4.375% Senior Notes due February 16, 2010 of the
Company issued under the Indenture.
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“Settlement
Date” means, following a Successful Remarketing, with respect to
a Remarketing during the Final Three-Day Remarketing Period, February
19, 2008.
“Time
of Sale” means 1:30 p.m. New York City time on February 8, 2008 or such
other time as the Company and the Remarketing Agent may agree to in
writing.
“Time
of Sale Information” means the Preliminary Prospectus and the
information included in Schedule I, at the Time of Sale, including all documents
incorporated therein by reference, whether any such incorporated document is
filed before or after the document into which it is incorporated, so long as
the
incorporated document is filed before the Time of Sale.
“Transaction
Documents” means this Agreement, the Purchase Contract and Pledge
Agreement and the Indenture, in each case as amended or supplemented from time
to time.
Section
2.Appointment and Obligations of the Remarketing
Agent.
(a) The
Company hereby appoints the Remarketing Agent as the exclusive Remarketing
Agent
with respect to the Remarketing for the purpose of (i) Remarketing the Senior
Notes on behalf of the holders thereof, (ii) determining, in consultation
with the Company, in the manner provided for herein and in the Purchase Contract
and Pledge Agreement and the Indenture, the Reset Rate for the Senior Notes,
and
(iii) performing such other duties as are assigned to the Remarketing Agent
in
the Transaction Documents.
(b) Pursuant
to this Agreement, the Remarketing Agent agrees, unless a Tax Event Redemption
has occurred prior to such date and subject to the terms and conditions set
forth herein, to use its reasonable efforts to remarket, (i) on each Remarketing
Date during the Three-Day Remarketing Period selected by the Company, if any,
during the Period for Early Remarketing and (ii) on each Remarketing Date during
the Final Three-Day Remarketing Period if no Successful Remarketing has occurred
prior to the Final Three-Day Remarketing Period, in each case, in
accordance with the provisions of the Senior Notes and the Indenture, until
the
Senior Notes have been successfully remarketed on a Remarketing Date, the
Collateral Agent or the Custodial Agent shall have notified the Remarketing
Agent that the Senior Notes have been tendered for, or otherwise are to be
included in, the Remarketing, at a price per $1,000 principal amount of Senior
Notes such that the aggregate price at which such Senior Notes are being
remarketed will equal approximately (i) if the related Reset Date is not the
Purchase Contract Settlement Date, the Remarketing Price, or (ii) if the related
Reset Date is the Purchase Contract Settlement Date, the Contract Settlement
Price. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Remarketing Agent
shall not remarket any Senior Notes for a price less than the price (the
“Minimum Price”) necessary for the aggregate principal amount
of the Senior Notes being remarketed to have an aggregate price (i) if the
proposed Reset Date is not the Purchase Contract Settlement Date, equal to
100%
of the sum of the Remarketing Treasury Portfolio Purchase Price and the Separate
Senior Notes Purchase Price, or (ii) if the proposed Reset Date is the Purchase
Contract Settlement Date, equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of
such Remarketed Senior Notes. The Remarketing Agent shall not be
obligated to remarket any Senior Notes if a condition precedent set forth herein
or in this Agreement to such Remarketing is not fulfilled or if the Remarketing
of such Senior Notes would violate applicable law.
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(c) In
connection with each Remarketing, the Remarketing Agent shall determine, in
its
sole discretion, the rate per annum, rounded to the nearest one-thousandth
(0.001) of one percent per annum, that the Senior Notes should bear (the
“Reset Rate”) in order for the Remarketed Senior Notes to have
an aggregate market value equal to the Final Remarketing Price or the Contract
Settlement Price, as the case may be, and that in the sole reasonable discretion
of the Remarketing Agent will enable it to remarket all of the Remarketed Senior
Notes at the Remarketing Price or Contract Settlement Price, as the case may
be,
in such Remarketing, provided that such rate shall not exceed the
maximum interest rate permitted by law.
(d) In
the event of a Failed Remarketing or if no Senior Notes are included in
Corporate Units, and none of the holders of the Separate Senior Notes elect
to
have Senior Notes be remarketed in such Remarketing, the applicable interest
rate on the Senior Notes will not be reset and will continue to be the Interest
Rate set forth in the Indenture, as supplemented from time to time.
(e) If,
by 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on the last Remarketing Date of any Three-Day
Remarketing Period, the Remarketing Agent is unable to remarket all of the
Remarketed Senior Notes at or greater than the Minimum Price, pursuant to the
terms and conditions hereof, a Failed Remarketing shall be deemed to have
occurred, and the Remarketing Agent shall so advise, by telephone, the
Depositary, the Purchase Contract Agent and the Company. Promptly
following any Failed Remarketing, the Remarketing Agent shall return, no later
than the Business Day immediately following the end of such Three-Day
Remarketing Period, the Separate Senior Notes submitted for Remarketing, if
any,
to the Custodial Agent for distribution to the appropriate holders.
(f) In
the event of a Successful Remarketing, by approximately 4:30 p.m., New York
City
time, on the applicable Successful Remarketing Date, the Remarketing Agent
shall
advise, by telephone:
(i) the
Collateral Agent, the Custodial Agent, the Trustee, the Clearing Agency, the
Depositary, the Purchase Contract Agent and the Company of the Reset Rate
determined by the Remarketing Agent in such Remarketing, the Subsequent Interest
Payment Dates and the related Regular Record Dates, any extension by the Company
of the Stated Maturity of the Remarketed Senior Notes and the aggregate
principal amount of Remarketed Senior Notes sold in such
Remarketing;
(ii) each
purchaser (or the Depositary Participant thereof) of Remarketed Senior Notes
of
the Reset Rate, the Subsequent Interest Payment Dates and the related Regular
Record Dates, the Stated Maturity of the Remarketed Senior Notes and the
aggregate principal amount of Remarketed Senior Notes such purchaser is to
purchase and the extended maturity date, if applicable; and
(iii) each
such purchaser to give instructions to its Depositary Participant to pay the
purchase price on the Reset Date in same day funds against delivery of the
Remarketed Senior Notes purchased through the Depositary’s normal
procedures.
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The
Remarketing Agent shall also, if required by the Securities Act or the rules
and
regulations promulgated thereunder, deliver to each purchaser a Prospectus
in
connection with the Remarketing.
(g) After
deducting the Remarketing Fee specified in Section
4 below, the Proceeds from a Successful Remarketing (i) with respect to
the
Senior Notes that are components of the Corporate Units, shall be paid to the
Collateral Agent in accordance with Section 5.02 of the Purchase Contract and
Pledge Agreement and (ii) with respect to the Separate Senior Notes, shall
be
paid to the Custodial Agent for payment to the holders of such Separate Senior
Notes in accordance with Section 5.02 of the Purchase Contract and Pledge
Agreement.
(h) The
right of each holder of Separate Senior Notes or Corporate Units to have Senior
Notes remarketed and sold on any Remarketing Date shall be subject to the
conditions that (i) the Remarketing Agent conducts a Remarketing pursuant to
the
terms of this Agreement, (ii) a Tax Event Redemption has not occurred prior
to
such Remarketing Date, (iii) the Remarketing Agent is able to find a
purchaser or purchasers for Remarketed Senior Notes at or greater than the
Minimum Price, and (iv) such purchaser or purchasers deliver the purchase price
therefor to the Remarketing Agent as and when required.
(i) It
is understood and agreed that the Remarketing Agent shall not have any
obligation whatsoever to purchase any Remarketed Senior Notes, whether in the
Remarketing or otherwise, and shall in no way be obligated to provide funds
to
make payment upon tender of Senior Notes for Remarketing or to otherwise expend
or risk its own funds or incur or to be exposed to financial liability in the
performance of its duties under this Agreement, and without limitation of the
foregoing, the Remarketing Agent shall not be deemed an underwriter of the
Remarketed Senior Notes. The Company shall similarly not be obligated
in any case to provide funds to make payment upon tender of the Senior Notes
for
Remarketing.
(a) Each
of the representations and warranties of the Company as set forth in Section
3
(except for paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (i), (j), (k), (m), (n),
(p), (r), (s), (t), (v), (pp) and (qq) of such section) of the Underwriting
Agreement dated as of February 7, 2005 relating to the issuance of Equity Units
by the Company (the “Underwriting Agreement”) among the Company
and the Underwriters identified in Schedule 1 thereto, is true and correct
as if
made on each of the dates specified above; provided that for purposes
of this Section 3(a), (i) any reference in such sections of the Underwriting
Agreement to the “Underwriter” or “Underwriters” or the “Representative” or
“Representatives” shall be deemed to refer to the Remarketing
Agent, (ii) the “Securities” shall be deemed to refer to the
Remarketed Senior Notes, (iii) the “Registration Statement”, the “Prospectus” or
the “Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to such terms as defined
herein and references to the “Prospectus” shall be deemed to include the Time of
Sale Information as defined herein, (iv) the “Closing Date” shall be deemed
to refer to the Settlement Date, (v) “this Agreement”, the “Underwriting
Agreement”, “hereof”, “herein” and all references of similar import, shall be
deemed to mean and refer to this Remarketing Agreement and (vi) “the date
hereof”, “the date of this Agreement” and all similar references shall be deemed
to refer to the date of this Remarketing Agreement.
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(b) The
Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission or became
effective upon filing; and no stop order preventing or suspending the use of
the
Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Information has been issued and
no
proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act
has
been initiated or threatened by the Commission.
(c) The
documents incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus, if any, when they were filed with the Commission conformed in all
material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939,
as
amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the
“Trust Indenture Act”), as applicable, as modified by the
letter from the Commission dated December 21, 2004 and none of such documents
contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Time of
Sale
Information or the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto,
when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material
respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
of the Commission thereunder or the Trust Indenture Act, as applicable, and
will
not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall
not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information relating to the Remarketing Agent furnished in writing to
the
Company by the Remarketing Agent expressly for use in the Time of Sale
Information or the Prospectus.
(d) On
the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement
complied (and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, when they become effective or are
filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will comply in all material
respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder and the Trust Indenture Act, and on the date hereof did not contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading; and as of the date hereof, the Remarketing Date, the
Time of Sale and the Settlement Date, the Registration Statement, the Time
of
Sale Information and the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
when
considered together with the Time of Sale Information will comply in all
material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act, and such documents
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; provided that no representation and warranty is
made as to any statement of eligibility on Form T-1 filed or incorporated by
reference as part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information,
the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or as to information
relating to the Remarketing Agent contained in or omitted from the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectusor any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by the Remarketing Agent.
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(e) The
financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes, of the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, and the financial statements,
together with the related schedules and notes, of Citrus Corp (“Citrus”) and its
consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information present
fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries,
and Citrus and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the
statements of operations, statement of stockholders’ equity and comprehensive
income, statement of cash flows of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries, and Citrus and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods
specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”)
applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The
supporting schedules, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information
present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated
therein.
(f) Any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent
times
through the completion of the Remarketing or until any earlier date that the
Company notified or notifies the Remarketing Agent as described in Section
5(f),
did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted,
conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference
therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof
that
has not been superseded or modified.
(g) This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company.
(h) Except
as disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of
Sale
Information and the Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change
in, or any adverse development which materially affects, the business,
properties, management, financial condition, stockholders’ equity, results of
operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole
from the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement,
the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(i) The
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries maintain adequate internal control
over financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements
for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, which includes those policies and procedures that: (1) pertain
to
the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (2)
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors
of
the Company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding the prevention
or
timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the
Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial
statements; provided, however, that this representation and warranty
shall not apply to entities acquired after the end of the Company’s most
recently completed fiscal year. Except as described in the Time of
Sale Information or the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent
audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material
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weakness
identified by management, or by the Company’s auditors and communicated to
management, in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether
or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;
provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not
apply to entities acquired after the end of the Company’s most recently
completed fiscal year.
(j) The
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and
procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed
by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified
in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the
Company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial
officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding
disclosure.
(k) Authorization
of the Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the
Company and qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, when
the Supplemental Indenture No. 4 is executed and delivered by the Company
and the Trustee (and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of
the
Indenture by the Trustee), the Indenture will constitute a legally valid and
binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance
with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or
affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable
principles. The Indenture conforms in all material respects to the
description thereof contained in the Prospectus.
(l) No
Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company
of the Indenture and this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
herein and therein contemplated will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach
or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default
under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or
encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or Citrus or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or Citrus or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
or
Citrus or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property
or
assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or Citrus or any of its
subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of
the
charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any
of
its subsidiaries or Citrus or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the
violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or
regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory
authority.
(m) No
Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization,
order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or
governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery
and
performance by the Company of the Indenture and this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated, except for
the
Orders described in paragraph (t) below, the registration of the Remarketed
Senior Notes under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals,
authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required
under applicable state securities laws in
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connection
with the purchase and distribution of the Remarketed Senior Notes by the
Underwriters or which have already been obtained or made.
(n) Appropriate
Orders Entered. An
appropriate order or orders (each, an “Order”) of each governmental authority or
agency the consent of which was necessary for the Company duly and validly
to issue and sell the Remarketed Senior Notes pursuant to this Agreement,
including without limitation the Massachusetts Department of
Telecommunications and Energy, has been entered, and each such Order is in
full
force and effect and has not been modified or repealed in any respect; no filing
with, or approval, authorization, consent, license, registration, qualification,
order or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic
or
foreign, is necessary or required for the due authorization, execution and
delivery by the Company of the Indenture and this Agreement and the consummation
or for the performance by the Company of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated, except (i) such as have been obtained under the Securities Act,
(ii) as may be required to be obtained under state securities laws and (iii)
as
have been obtained pursuant to the Orders or any post closing notices as may
be
required by such Order.
(o) Independent
Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have
certified certain financial statements of the Company and its
subsidiaries, and Citrus and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered
public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its
subsidiaries, and Citrus and its subsidiaries, within the meaning of the
Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted
by
the SEC and the Public Accounting Oversight Board (United States)
(PCAOB).
(p) Significant
Subsidiaries. All of the Company’s significant subsidiaries (as
defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) as of the date of this Agreement
are
included on Attachment I to Annex A hereto.
(q) Material
Agreements. The agreements and other documents filed as exhibits
to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2006 or as filed as an exhibit to any subsequent filing under the Exchange
Act,
constitute all of the outstanding material contracts of the Company and its
subsidiaries taken as a whole required to be filed as exhibits under Item 601
of
Regulation S-K.
Section
4. Fees. Upon a Successful
Remarketing of the Senior Notes, the Remarketing Agent is entitled to a
remarketing fee (the “Remarketing Fee”) equal to 25 basis points (0.25%) of the
aggregate principal amount of the Remarketed Senior Notes. The Remarketing
Agent
may deduct for itself, the Remarketing Fee from the Proceeds of the Successful
Remarketing to be remitted to the Collateral Agent and the Custodial Agent;
provided, however, that under no circumstances may the Remarketing
Agent deduct an amount greater than the excess of such Proceeds over the Minimum
Price.
Section
5. Covenants of the
Company. If and to the extent the Remarketed Senior Notes are
required (in the view of counsel, which need not be in the form of a written
opinion, for either the Remarketing Agent or the Company) to be registered
under
the Securities Act as in effect at the time of the Remarketing, the Company
covenants and agrees as follows:
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(a) The
Company shall prepare the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, in a form
approved by the Remarketing Agent, and shall file any such Preliminary
Prospectus and Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods required
by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
(b) The
Company shall prepare a Final Term Sheet and shall file such Final Term Sheet
with the Commission in compliance with Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act
prior to the close of business two business days after the Final Remarketing
Date; provided that the Company shall furnish the Remarketing Agent
with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior
to
such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the
Remarketing Agent or counsel to theRemarketing Agent shall reasonably
object.
(c) The
Company shall file promptly with the Commission any amendment to the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Term Sheet or
the
Prospectus or any supplement to the Prospectus that may, in the reasonable
judgment of the Company or the Remarketing Agent, be required by the Securities
Act or requested by the Commission.
(d) The
Company shall file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information
statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant
to
Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date
of
the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required
in
connection with the offering or sale of the Remarketed Senior
Notes.
(e) The
Company shall advise the Remarketing Agent promptly, and confirm such advice
in
writing, (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed
or
becomes effective, (ii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any amendment
to the Prospectus has been filed, (iii) of any request by the Commission for
any
amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the
Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from
the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request
by
the Commission for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the
Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or preventing or suspending the use of the Time of Sale Information
or
the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such
purpose; and the Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance
of
any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or
preventing or suspending the use of the Time of Sale Information or the
Prospectus and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible
the
withdrawal thereof.
(f) The
Company shall furnish promptly to the Remarketing Agent such copies of the
following documents as the Remarketing Agent shall reasonably
request: (A) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as
originally filed with the Commission and each amendment thereto (in each case
excluding exhibits); (B) the Preliminary Prospectus and any amended or
supplemented Preliminary Prospectus, (C) the Prospectus and any amended or
supplemented Prospectus; (D) the Final Term Sheet; (E) any issuer free writing
prospectus referred to in Section 7; and (F) any document incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus (excluding exhibits thereto); and, if at any time
when delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the
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Remarketing,
any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Time of Sale Information
or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made when such Time of Sale Information or Prospectus is
delivered, not misleading, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary
during such same period to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information
or
the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated
by
reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act or the
Exchange Act, to notify the Remarketing Agent and, upon its request, to file
such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to the Remarketing
Agent
and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the Remarketing Agent may
from
time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Time of Sale
Information or Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect
such compliance. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of
which
such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the
information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any
preliminary prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of
a
material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly
notify the Remarketing Agent and will promptly amend or supplement, at its
own
expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such
conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(g) Prior
to filing with the Commission (A) any amendment to the Registration Statement
or
supplement to the Prospectus or (B) any Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424 under
the Securities Act, the Company shall furnish a copy thereof to the Remarketing
Agent and counsel to the Remarketing Agent; and shall not file any such
amendment or supplement that shall be reasonably disapproved by the Remarketing
Agent promptly after reasonable notice.
(h) As
soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months, after
the
effective date of the Registration Statement, the Company shall make “generally
available to its security holders” an “earnings statement” of the Company and
its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section
11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including,
at the option of the Company, Rule 158 under the Securities Act). The
terms “generally available to its security holders” and “earnings statement”
shall have the meanings set forth in Rule 158 under the Securities
Act.
(i) The
Company shall take such action as the Remarketing Agent may reasonably request
in order to qualify the Remarketed Senior Notes for offer and sale under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Remarketing Agent
may
reasonably request; provided that the Company shall not be required to
(i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in
securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required
to
so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such
jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if
it
is not otherwise so subject.
(j) The
Company shall furnish the Remarketing Agent with such information and documents
as the Remarketing Agent may reasonably request in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby, and to make reasonably available to the
Remarketing Agent and any
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accountant,
attorney or other advisor retained by the Remarketing Agent such information
that parties would customarily require in connection with a due diligence
investigation conducted in accordance with applicable securities laws and to
cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees and accountants to
participate in all such discussions and to supply all such information
reasonably requested by any such Person in connection with such
investigation.
Section
6. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees
to pay (a) all costs incident to the preparation and printing of
the Registration Statement, any Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus and
any
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto,
(b)
all costs of distributing the Registration Statement, any Time of Sale
Information, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto, (c) any fees and expenses of qualifying
the
Remarketed Senior Notes under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions
as provided in Section 5(i) and of preparing, printing and distributing a Blue
Sky Memorandum, if any (including any related fees and expenses of counsel
to
the Remarketing Agent), (d) all other costs and expenses incident to the
performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder and the Remarketing
Agent hereunder, (e) the costs and expenses (including without limitation any
damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual
liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for the offer relating
to the Remarketing or the Remarketed Senior Notes made by the Remarketing Agent
caused by a breach of the representation contained Section 5(e), and (f) the
reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the Remarketing Agent in connection
with their duties hereunder.
Section
7. Free Writing Prospectuses.
(a) Subject
to Section 5(b), the Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains
the
prior consent of the Remarketing Agent and the Remarketing Agent
represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company,
it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Remarketing or
the
Remarketed Senior Notes that would constitute an “issuer free writing
prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, or that would
otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under
the Securities Act, required to be filed with the Commission; provided
however, that prior to the preparation of the Final Term Sheet in
accordance with Section 5(b) of this Agreement, the Remarketing Agent is
authorized to use preliminary terms of the Remarketed Senior Notes in
communications conveying information relating to the Remarketing to
investors. Each of the Final Term Sheet and any such free writing
prospectus consented to by the Company and the Remarketing Agent is referred
to
as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”.
(b) The
Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus” as
defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, and has complied and will comply
with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required,
legending and record keeping.
Section
8. Conditions to the Remarketing
Agent’s Obligation. The obligations of the
Remarketing Agent hereunder shall be subject to the following
conditions:
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(a) The
representations and warranties of the Company contained or incorporated by
reference herein shall be true and correct in all material respects on and
as of
the dates and times such representations and warranties are made as set forth
in
Section 3 hereof, and the statements of the Company and its officers made in
any
certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct
on
and as of the Settlement Date.
(b) (i)
Trading generally shall not have been suspended or materially limited on the
New
York Stock Exchange, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall not
have been materially suspended or limited on the New York Stock Exchange, (iii)
a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York shall not
have
been declared by either Federal or New York State authorities, (iv) no material
disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or
clearance services in the United States or (v) there shall not have occurred
a
material adverse change in the financial markets, any outbreak or escalation
of
hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States
of a national emergency or war or other calamity or crisis, if the effect of
any
such event specified in this clause (b) in the judgment of the Remarketing
Agent
makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Remarketing or the
delivery of the Remarketed Senior Notes on the terms and in the manner
contemplated in the Transaction Documents.
(c) Subsequent
to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, no event or condition of a
type
described in Section 3(h) above shall have occurred or shall exist, which event
or condition is not described in the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or
supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Remarketing
Agent makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale
or delivery of the Remarketing Senior Notes on the terms and in the manner
contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus.
(d) The
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Final Term Sheet and any Issuer
Free
Riding Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission; no stop
order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement or of
any
part thereof or any Time of Sale Information shall have been issued and no
proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act
shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and any request
of
the Commission for inclusion of additional information in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus or otherwise shall
have been complied with.
(e) The
Company shall have furnished to the Remarketing Agent a certificate, dated
the
Settlement Date, of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer
of
the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who
is
satisfactory to the Remarketing Agent stating that: (1) to the knowledge of
such
officers, no order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration
Statement or any Time of Sale Information or prohibiting the sale of the
Remarketed Senior Notes is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose or
pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act are pending before or threatened
by
the Commission; (2) the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 are true and correct on and as of the
Settlement Date and the Company has performed in all material respects all
covenants and agreements contained herein to be performed on its part at or
prior to the Settlement Date; and (3) the Registration Statement, as of its
effective date, and the Time of Sale Information, as of the Time of Sale, did
not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to
state
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any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading and the Prospectus, as of the date of the prospectus
supplement comprising part of such Prospectus and as of the Settlement Date,
did
not or does not contain any untrue statement of material fact or omit to state
a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
(f) On
the first successful Remarketing Date and the Settlement Date, the Remarketing
Agent shall have received letters addressed to the Remarketing Agent and dated
such respective dates, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the
Remarketing Agent, of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered
public accounting firm of the Company, containing statements and information
of
the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” with respect to
the financial statements and certain financial information contained or
incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus;
provided that the letters delivered on the Settlement Date shall use a
“cut-off” date no earlier than February 12, 2008.
(g) (i)
Xxxxx Lord Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, outside counsel for the Company, shall
have furnished to the Remarketing Agent, at the request of the Company, their
written opinion, dated the Settlement Date and addressed to the Remarketing
Agent, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Remarketing Agent,
to the effect set forth in Annex A and (ii) Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, III, Vice
President, Assistant General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, shall have
furnished to the Remarketing Agent, at the request of the Company, his written
opinion, dated the Settlement Date, and addressed to the Remarketing Agent,
in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Remarketing Agent, to the
effect set forth in Annex B.
(h) Xxxxx
Lord Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, special tax counsel for the Company, shall have
furnished to the Remarketing Agent, at the request of the Company, their written
opinion, dated the Settlement Date and addressed to the Remarketing Agent,
in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Remarketing Agent, to the
effect set forth in Annex C.
(i) Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, Massachusetts counsel for the Company, shall have
furnished to the Remarketing Agent, at the request of the Company, their written
opinion, dated the Settlement Date and addressed to the Remarketing Agent,
in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Remarketing Agent, to the
effect set forth in Annex D.
(j) Xxxxx
Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx, counsel for the Remarketing Agent, shall have furnished to
the Remarketing Agent its opinion, addressed to the Remarketing Agent and dated
the Settlement Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Remarketing
Agent.
(k) Subsequent
to the earlier of the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Time
of
Sale, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any
securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its
subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as
such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under
the
Securities Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced
that
it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect
to,
its rating of any securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company
or any
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of
its
subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive implications of a
possible upgrading).
(l) No
action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall
have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign
governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Settlement Date
prevent the offer or sale of the Remarketed Senior Notes; and no injunction
or
order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would,
as of the Settlement Date prevent the offer or sale of the Remarketed Senior
Notes.
(m) The
Senior Notes shall not have been called for redemption following the occurrence
of a Tax Event.
(n) The
Remarketing Agent shall have received on and as of the Settlement Date
satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and the Subsidiaries
(as defined in the opinion of counsel for the Company set forth on Annex A-1
attached to this Agreement) in their respective jurisdictions of organization
and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as
the
Remarketing Agent may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any
standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities
of such jurisdictions.
(o) On
or prior to the Settlement Date, the Company shall have furnished to the
Remarketing Agent such further certificates and documents as the Remarketing
Agent may reasonably request.
All
opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in
this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof
only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for
the Remarketing Agent.
If
any
condition specified in this Section 8 is not
satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated
by the Remarketing Agent by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to
the
Remarketing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part
of
any party to any other party, except that Section 6,
Section 9 and Section
10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such
termination.
Section
9.
Indemnification.
(a) The
Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Remarketing Agent, the
officers and employees of the Remarketing Agent, and each person, if any, who
controls such Remarketing Agent within the meaning of either Section 15 of
the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any loss, claim,
damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Remarketing Agent or
any
of its respective officers, employees or controlling persons may become subject,
under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory
law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of
any
litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the
Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions
in respect thereof as contemplated below) is related to, arises out of or is
based on (i) the failure to have an effective Registration Statement under
the
Securities Act relating to the Remarketing of Remarketed Senior Notes, if
required, or the failure
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to
satisfy the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Actbut only
if
the Company failed to provide the Remarketing Agent with a Prospectus for
delivery; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment or supplement
thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof under the
Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material
fact, in each case, required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading; or (iii) any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Time of Sale Information,
the Prospectus and any other preliminary prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or the omission
or
alleged omission therefrom of a material fact, in each case, necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading; or (iv) in whole or in part, any inaccuracy
in
the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein; or (v)
in
whole or in part, any failure of the Company to perform its obligations
hereunder or under law; or (vi) any act or failure to act or any alleged act
or
failure to act by any Remarketing Agent in connection with, or relating in
any
manner to, the Remarketed Senior Notes or the Remarketing contemplated hereby,
and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage,
liability or action arising out of or based on any matter covered by clause
(ii)
or (iii) above, and to reimburse the Remarketing Agent and its respective
officers, employees and controlling persons for any and all expenses (including
the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Remarketing Agent
or its respective officers, employees and controlling persons) as such
expenses are reasonably incurred by such Remarketing Agent or
such officers, employees or controlling persons in connection with
investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim,
damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that
the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage,
liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of
or
based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by the Remarketing Agent expressly for
use
in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus
or
any other preliminary prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or
any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set forth in
this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any
liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
The
Company agrees that no indemnified party shall have any liability (whether
direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company or its
respective security holders or creditors relating to or arising out of the
engagement of the Remarketing Agent pursuant to, or the performance by the
Remarketing Agent of services contemplated by this Agreement, except to the
extent that any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense resulted from the
willful misconduct, gross negligence or bad faith of the Remarketing
Agent.
(b) The
Remarketing Agent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each
of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement
and
each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability
or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer
or
controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange
Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law
or
otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is
effected with the written
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consent
of the Remarketing Agent), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or
expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of
or
is based on any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained
in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus
or
any other preliminary prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or
any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arises out of or is based on the omission
or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to
the
extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus or any other preliminary
prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by the Remarketing Agent expressly for use therein;
and
to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person
for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any
such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating,
defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage,
liability, expense or action. The indemnity agreement set forth in
this Section 9(b) shall be in addition to any
liabilities that the Remarketing Agent may otherwise have.
(c) Promptly
after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action,
such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against
an indemnifying party under this Section 9, notify
the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission
so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability
which
it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under
the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 9
or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such
failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified
party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an
indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate
in,
and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying
parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified
party
promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party,
to
assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such
indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any
such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and
the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise
between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in
conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses
available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or
additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party
or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal
defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf
of
such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the
indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s
election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified
party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified
party under this Section 9 for any legal or other
expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
the
defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate
counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being
understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the
expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel),
approved by the indemnifying party (the Remarketing Agent in the case of Section
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9(b)),
representing the indemnified parties who are
parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed
counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified
party
within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each
of
which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the
indemnifying party.
(d) The
indemnifying party under this Section 9 shall not
be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
consent, but if settled with such consent or if there is a final judgment for
the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party
against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such
settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at
any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to
reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated
by Section 9(c) hereof, the indemnifying party
agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected
without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than
30
days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and
(ii)
such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in
accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No
indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified
party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment
in
any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any
indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could
have
been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement,
compromise or consent (x) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified
party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action,
suit or proceeding and (y) does not include a statement as to or an admission
of
fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified
party.
Section
10. Contribution.
If
the
indemnification provided for in Section 9 is for
any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless
an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities
or
expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute
to
the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred,
as
a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to
therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Remarketing Agent,
on
the other hand, from the Remarketing of the Remarketed Senior Notes pursuant
to
this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not
permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
not
only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative
fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Remarketing Agent, on the other
hand, in connection with the statements or omissions or inaccuracies in the
representations and warranties herein which resulted in such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the
one hand, and the Remarketing Agent, on the other hand, in connection with
the
Remarketing of the Remarketed Senior Notes pursuant to this Agreement shall
be
deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total aggregate principal
amount of the Remarketed Senior Notes, and the total Remarketing Fee actually
received by the Remarketing Agent pursuant to Section
4 hereof. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and
the Remarketing Agent, on the other hand, shall be determined
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by
reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material
fact or any such inaccurate or alleged inaccurate representation or warranty
relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the
Remarketing Agent, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent,
knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
statement or omission.
The
amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages,
liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject
to the limitations set forth in Section 9(c), any
legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection
with investigating or defending any action or claim.
The
provisions set forth in Section 9(c) with respect to
notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution
is
to be made under this Section 10; provided,
however, that no additional notice
shall be required with respect to
any action for which notice has been given under Section
9(c) for purposes of indemnification.
The
Company and the Remarketing Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable
if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were
determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which
does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 10.
Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section 10, the Remarketing
Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount
by
which the Remarketing Fee received by such Remarketing Agent exceeds the amount
of any damages which the Remarketing Agent has otherwise been required to pay
by
reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within
the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 10, each officer and employee of the
Remarketing Agent and each person, if any, who controls the Remarketing Agent
within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the
same rights to contribution as the Remarketing Agent, and each director of
the
Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement,
and
each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution
as the Company.
Anything
herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the provisions of this Section 10, and the rights of the indemnified parties
shall be in addition to, and not in limitation of, any rights or benefits
(including, without limitation, rights to indemnification or contribution)
which
such parties may have under any other instrument or agreement.
Section
11. Dealing in Securities. The
Remarketing Agent, when acting as a Remarketing Agent or in its individual
or
any other capacity, may, to the extent permitted by law, buy, sell, hold and
deal in any of the Remarketed Senior Notes, Corporate Units, Treasury Units
or
any of the securities of the Company (together, the
“Securities”). The Remarketing Agent may exercise
any vote or join in any action which any beneficial owner of such Securities
may
be entitled to exercise or take pursuant to the Indenture with like effect
as if
it did not act in
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any
capacity hereunder. The Remarketing Agent, in its individual
capacity, either as principal or agent, may also engage in or have an interest
in any financial or other transaction with the Company as freely as if it did
not act in any capacity hereunder.
Section
12. Remarketing Agent’s Performance; Duty of Care.
(a) The
duties and obligations of the Remarketing Agent shall be determined solely
by
the express provisions of this Agreement and the Transaction
Documents. No implied covenants or obligations of or against the
Remarketing Agent shall be read into this Agreement or any of the Transaction
Documents. In the absence of bad faith on the part of the Remarketing
Agent, the Remarketing Agent may conclusively rely upon any document furnished
to it, as to the truth of the statements expressed in any of such
documents. The Remarketing Agent shall be protected in acting upon
any document or communication reasonably believed by it to have been signed,
presented or made by the proper party or parties except as otherwise set forth
herein. The Remarketing Agent, acting under this Agreement, shall
incur no liability to the Company or to any holder of Remarketed Senior Notes
in
its individual capacity or as Remarketing Agent for any action or failure to
act, on its part in connection with a Remarketing or otherwise, except if such
liability is judicially determined to have resulted from its failure to comply
with the material terms of this Agreement or the gross negligence or willful
misconduct on its part. The provisions of this Section 12 shall survive the termination of this
Agreement.
(b) The
Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the Remarketing, including the
determination of the Remarketing Price and the Remarketing Fee, is an
arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and
the Remarketing Agent, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the
Remarketing contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction,
the
Remarketing Agent is and has been acting solely as Remarketing Agent hereunder
and is not a fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees
or any other party, (iii) the Remarketing Agent has not assumed or will not
assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with
respect to the Remarketing contemplated hereby and the process leading thereto
(irrespective of whether the Remarketing Agent has advised or is currently
advising the Company on other matters) and the Remarketing Agent has no
obligation to the Company with respect to the Initial Remarketing, except the
obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Remarketing Agent
and its affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve
interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Remarketing Agent
has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect
to
the Remarketing contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal,
accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed
appropriate.
Section
13. Termination. This Agreement
shall automatically terminate on the earlier of (x) any Tax Event Redemption
Date and (y) the Purchase Contract Settlement Date. If this Agreement
is terminated pursuant to any of the other provisions hereof, except as
otherwise provided herein, the Company shall not be under any liability to
the
Remarketing Agent and the Remarketing Agent shall not be under any liability
to
the Company, except that if this Agreement is terminated by the Remarketing
Agent because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply
with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, the
Company will reimburse the Remarketing Agent for all of its out-of-pocket
expenses
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(including
the fees and disbursements of its counsel) reasonably incurred by
it. Section 9, Section 10 and Section
12
hereof shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
Section
14. Notices. All statements, requests,
notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:
(a) if
to the Remarketing Agent, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to: Xxxxxx Brothers Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000,
Fax: (000) 000-0000, Attention: Debt Capital Markets, Natural Resource Group
(with a copy to the General Counsel at the same address);
(b) if
to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to Southern Union Company, 0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxx, XX
00000-0000, Telecopier No.: 000-000-0000; Attention: General Counsel;
and
(c) if
to the Purchase Contract Agent, shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile
transmission to The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., 0 Xxxxx XxXxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000; Telecopier No.: 000-000-0000;
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxx, Institutional Global Corporate Trust
Services.
Any
such
statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of
receipt thereof.
Section
15. Persons Entitled to Benefit of
Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
binding upon each party hereto and its respective successors. This
Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof are for the sole benefit of only
those persons, except that (x) the representations, warranties, indemnities
and
agreements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be deemed
to be
for the benefit of the Remarketing Agent and the person or persons, if any,
who
control the Remarketing Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities
Act and (y) the indemnity agreement of the Remarketing Agent contained in
Section 8 of this Agreement shall be deemed to be for the benefit of the
Company’s directors and officers who sign the Registration Statement, if any,
and any person controlling the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of
the
Securities Act. Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended or
shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons referred to
herein, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of
this Agreement or any provision contained herein.
Section
16. Survival. The respective
indemnities, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and
the
Remarketing Agent contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall survive any Remarketing and
shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made
by
or on behalf of any of them or any person controlling any of them.
Section
17. Governing Law. This Agreement
shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of New York,
without regard to conflicts of laws principles.
Section
18. Judicial Proceedings.
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(a) Each
party hereto expressly accepts and irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive
jurisdiction of the United States Federal or New York State court sitting in
the
Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York, over any suit, action
or
proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Remarketed Senior
Notes. To the fullest extent it may effectively do so under
applicable law, each party hereto irrevocably waives and agrees not to assert,
by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, any claim that it is not subject
to
the jurisdiction of any such court, any objection that it may now or hereafter
have to the laying of the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought
in any such court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought
in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
(b) Each
party hereto agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under
applicable law, that a judgment in any suit, action or proceeding of the nature
referred to in Section 18(a) brought in any such
court shall be conclusive and binding upon such party, subject to rights of
appeal and may be enforced in the courts of the United States of America or
the
State of New York (or any other court the jurisdiction to which the Company
is
or may be subject) by a suit upon such judgment.
Section
19. Counterparts. This Agreement
may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one
counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original
but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same
instrument.
Section
20. Headings. The headings herein are
inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part
of,
or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
Section
21. Severability. If any provision of
this Agreement shall be held or deemed to be or shall, in fact, be invalid,
inoperative or unenforceable as applied in any particular case in any or all
jurisdictions because it conflicts with any provisions of any constitution,
statute, rule or public policy or for any other reason, then, to the extent
permitted by law, such circumstances shall not have the effect of rendering
the
provision in question invalid, inoperative or unenforceable in any other case,
circumstance or jurisdiction, or of rendering any other provision or provisions
of this Agreement invalid, inoperative or unenforceable to any extent
whatsoever.
Section
22. Amendments. This Agreement may be
amended by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto. The
Company agrees that it will not enter into, cause or permit any amendment or
modification of the Transaction Documents or any other instruments or agreements
relating to the Senior Notes or the Corporate Units that would in any way
adversely affect the rights, duties or obligations of the Remarketing Agent,
without the prior written consent of the Remarketing Agent.
Section
23. Successors and Assigns. The rights
and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated to
any
other Person without the prior written consent of Xxxxxx Brothers
Inc. The rights and obligations of the Remarketing Agent hereunder
may not be assigned or delegated to any other Person (other than an affiliate
of
the Remarketing Agent) without the prior written consent of the
Company.
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If
the
foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement by and between the Company, the
Remarketing Agent and the Purchase Contract Agent, please indicate your
acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.
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Very
truly yours,
SOUTHERN
UNION COMPANY
By: /s/
XXXXXXX X.
XXXXXXXX
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
CONFIRMED
AND ACCEPTED:
XXXXXX
BROTHERS INC.
By:
/s/ XXXXXXX X. XXXX
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Title:
Managing Director
THE
BANK
OF NEW YORK TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
not
individually but solely as Purchase Contract Agent
and
as
attorney-in-fact for the Holders of the Purchase Contracts
By: /s/
XXXXXXXX X.
XXXXX
Name:
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:
Assistant Vice President
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SCHEDULE
I
Final
Term Sheet
Filed
Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration
No. 333-137998
Free
Writing Prospectus Dated February 8, 2008
Term
Sheet
Southern
Union Company
$100,000,000
6.089% Senior Notes due 2010
Trade
Date: February
8, 2008
Settlement
Date: February
19, 2008 (T+6)
Remarketed
Amount: $100,000,000
Legal
Format:
|
SEC
Registered
|
Ratings:
Baa3 / BBB- / BBB (Xxxxx’x / S&P / Fitch) (negative / negative
/stable)
Security
Type:
|
Senior unsecured notes
|
Maturity:
February 16, 2010
Interest
Rate:
|
6.089% per annum
|
Interest
Payment Dates:
|
February 16 and August 16 of each
year
|
First
Interest Payment Date
|
|
After
the Remarketing:
|
August 16, 2008
|
Spread
to Benchmark
|
|
Treasury:
|
4.00%
|
Benchmark
Treasury and Yield:
|
2.125% TSY due Jan
2010: 1.954%
|
Yield
to Maturity:
|
5.954%
|
Remarketing
Price:
|
100.25%
|
Denomination:
|
$1,000
|
Change
of Control Put:
|
If
Southern Union Company undergoes a “change of control triggering event,”
as defined in the indenture, holders of the Senior Notes will have
the
option to require Southern Union Company to purchase all or
any
|
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|
portion
of such holders’ Senior Notes at 101% of the aggregate principal amount of
Senior Notes to be purchased.
|
CUSIP: 844030
AJ5
Remarketing
Agent: Xxxxxx
Brothers Inc.
The
issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the
SEC
for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you
invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other
documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about
the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by
visiting XXXXX on the SEC Web site at xxx.xxx.xxx. Alternatively, the
issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange
to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Xxxxxx Brothers Inc.
toll-free at 0-000-000-0000. You may also obtain these documents by
accessing the “Investors” section of Southern Union Company’s website at
xxx.xxx.xxx.
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