If an Event of Default described in clause (a), (b), (c), (d) or (i) occurs and is continuing with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Securityholders), may declare the entire principal (or, if the Securities of such series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal as may be specified in the terms of such series) of all Securities of such series and the interest accrued thereon, if any, to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become immediately due and payable.
If any Event of Default described in clause (e), (f), (g) or (h) above occurs and is continuing, all unpaid principal of the Securities then Outstanding of that series and the interest accrued thereon, if any, shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without declaration, presentment, demand or notice of any kind by the Trustee or any Holder of Securities of that series.
The foregoing provisions, however, are subject to the condition that if, at any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Securities of any series has been made and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the Company shall pay or shall deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest, if any, and any Additional Amounts with respect to all the Securities of such series (or upon all the Securities, as the case may be) and the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any and all Securities of such series (or of all the Securities, as the case may be) which shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under applicable law, on overdue installments of interest or Additional Amounts, at the Overdue Rate applicable to such series to the date of such payment or deposit) and all amounts payable to the Trustee pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.6, and such amount as shall be sufficient to cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee, its agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee except as a result of negligence or bad faith, and if any and all Events of Default under the Indenture, other than the nonpayment of the principal of and accrued interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to Securities of such series which shall have become due by acceleration, shall have been cured, waived or otherwise remedied as provided herein — then and in every such case the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series (each series voting as a separate class), or of all the Securities (voting as a single class), as the case may be, then Outstanding, by written notice to the Company and to the Trustee, may waive all defaults with respect to that series (or with respect to all the Securities, as the case may be) and rescind and annul such acceleration and its consequences, but no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or shall impair any right consequent thereon.
For all purposes under this Indenture, if a portion of the principal of any Original Issue Discount Security shall have been accelerated and declared or become due and payable pursuant to the provisions hereof, then, from and after such acceleration, unless such
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acceleration has been rescinded and annulled, the principal amount of such Original Issue Discount Security shall be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, and payment of such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, together with interest, if any, thereon and all other amounts owing thereunder, shall constitute payment in full of such Original Issue Discount Security.
Section 6.2Collection of Indebtedness by Trustee; Trustee May Prove Debt.
The Company covenants that (a) in case default shall be made in the payment of any installment of interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any of the Securities of any series when such interest shall have become due and payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 30 days or (b) in case default shall be made in the payment of all or any part of the principal of or any premium, if any, on any Securities of any series or any Additional Amounts with respect thereto when the same shall have become due and payable, whether upon Stated Maturity of the Securities of such series or upon any redemption or by acceleration or otherwise, then upon demand of the Trustee for such series, the Company will pay to the Trustee for the benefit of the Holder of any such Security the whole amount that then shall have become due and payable on any such Security for the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with interest upon the overdue principal and premium, if any, and, so far as payment of the same is enforceable under applicable law, on overdue installments of interest and Additional Amounts, at the Overdue Rate applicable to any such Security; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, and any further amounts payable to the Trustee, its agents and counsel pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.6.
In case the Company shall fail forthwith to pay such amounts upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceedings at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceedings to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or other obligor upon such Securities and collect in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated, the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable.
The Trustee shall be entitled and empowered, either in its own name as trustee of an express trust, or as attorney-in-fact for the Holders of any of the Securities, or in both such capacities, to file such proof of debt, amendment of proof of debt, claim, petition or other document as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and of the Holders of Securities allowed in any equity receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation, readjustment, reorganization or other similar proceedings, or any judicial proceedings, relative to the Company or any other obligor on the Securities or its creditors or its property. The Trustee is hereby irrevocably appointed (and the successive respective Holders of the Securities, by taking and holding the same, shall be conclusively deemed to have so appointed the Trustee) the true and lawful attorney-in-fact of the respective Holders of the Securities, with authority to make or file in the respective names of the Holders of the Securities any proof of
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debt, amendment of proof of debt, claim, petition or other document in any such proceedings and to receive payment of any sums becoming distributable on account thereof, and to execute any other papers and documents and do and perform any and all acts and things for and on behalf of such Holders of the Securities as may be necessary or advisable in the opinion of the Trustee in order to have the respective claims of the Holders of the Securities against the Company or any other obligor on the Securities and/or its property allowed in any such proceedings, and to receive payment of or on account of such claims;provided,however, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize or empower the Trustee to consent to or accept or adopt, on behalf of any Holder of Securities, any plan of reorganization or readjustment of the Company or any other obligor on the Securities or, by other action of any character in any such proceeding, to waive or change in any way any right of any Holder of any Security, even though it may otherwise be entitled so to do under any present or future law, all such power or authorization being hereby expressly denied.
All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture or under any of the Securities may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any trial or other proceedings relative thereto, and any such action or proceedings instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment, subject to the payment of the expenses, disbursements and compensation of the Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their respective agents and attorneys, shall be for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities in respect of which such action was taken.
In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and also any proceedings involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the Trustee shall be a party), the Trustee shall be held to represent all the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such action was taken, and it shall not be necessary to make any Holders of such Securities parties to any such proceedings.
Section 6.3Application of Proceeds.
Any moneys collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article in respect of any series of the Securities, together with any other sums held by the Trustee (as such) hereunder (other than sums held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities), shall be applied in the following order at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such moneys on account of principal, or any premium, interest or Additional Amounts, upon presentation (except in respect of Subdivision First below) of the several Securities in respect of which moneys have been collected and stamping (or otherwise noting) thereon the payment, or issuing Securities of such series in reduced principal amounts in exchange for the presented Securities of like series if only partially paid, or upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of costs and expenses applicable to such series in respect of which moneys have been collected, including reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee and their respective agents and attorneys and of all expenses and liabilities properly incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each
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predecessor Trustee except as a result of negligence or bad faith, and all other amounts due to the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee pursuant to Section 7.6;
SECOND: In case the principal of the Securities of such series in respect of which moneys have been collected shall not have become and be then due and payable, to the payment of interest and any Additional Amounts on the Securities of such series in default in the order of the maturity of the installments of such interest, with interest (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee), so far as it may be enforceable under applicable law, upon the overdue installments of interest and any Additional Amounts at the Overdue Rate applicable to such series, such payments to be made ratably to the Persons entitled thereto, without discrimination or preference;
THIRD: In case the principal of the Securities of such series in respect of which moneys have been collected shall have become and shall be then due and payable, to the payment of the whole amount then owing and unpaid upon all the Securities of such series for principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, and any Additional Amounts, with interest upon the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that such interest has been collected by the Trustee), so far as payment of the same is enforceable under applicable law, upon overdue installments of interest and any Additional Amounts, if any, at the Overdue Rate applicable to such series; and in case such moneys shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amount so due and unpaid upon the Securities of such series, then to the payment of such principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, and any Additional Amounts, without preference or priority of principal and premium, if any, over interest or any Additional Amounts, or of interest or any Additional Amounts, if any, over principal and premium, if any, or of any installment of interest over any other installment of interest, or of any Security of such series over any other Security of such series, ratably to the aggregate of such principal, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any; and
FOURTH: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct in writing.
Section 6.4Suits for Enforcement.
In case an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series has occurred, has not been waived and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture or to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
Section 6.5Restoration of Rights on Abandonment of Proceedings.
In case the Trustee or any Holder shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or
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shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee or such Holder, then and in every such case (subject to the binding effect of any determination made in such proceedings) the Company and the Trustee and each of the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions and rights hereunder, and (subject as aforesaid) all rights, remedies and powers of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceedings had been instituted.
Section 6.6Limitations on Suits by Securityholders.
No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute an action or proceeding at law or in equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise upon or under or with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official or for any other remedy hereunder, unless such Holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof, as hereinbefore provided, and unless also the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder and shall have offered to the Trustee such sufficient indemnity as it may require against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein or thereby and the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have failed to institute any such action or proceeding and no direction inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.9; it being understood and intended, and being expressly covenanted by the taker and Holder of every Security with every other taker and Holder of any Security and with the Trustee, that no one or more Holders of Securities of any series shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other Holder of Securities, or to obtain or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such Holder or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all Holders of Securities of such series. For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and every Holder of Securities of any series and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.
Section 6.7Unconditional Right of Securityholders to Institute Certain Suits.
Nothing contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of any series shall affect or impair the obligation of the Company, which is unconditional and absolute, to pay the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts with respect to, the Securities of such series at the respective places, at the respective times, at the respective rates, in the respective amounts and in the coin or currency therein and herein prescribed, or affect or impair the right of action, which is also absolute and unconditional, of any Holder of any Security to institute suit to enforce such payment at the respective due dates expressed in such Security, or upon redemption, by declaration, repayment or otherwise as herein provided without reference to, or the consent of, the Trustee or the Holder of any other Security, unless such Holder consents thereto or unless and to the extent that the institution or prosecution.
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Section 6.8Powers and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver of Default.
Except as provided in Section 6.6, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holder of any Security is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security of any series to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to Section 6.6, every power and remedy given by this Indenture or by law to the Trustee or to the Holder of any Security may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holder of such Security, as the case may be.
Section 6.9Control by Holders of Securities.
The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series affected (with each series voting as a separate class) at the time Outstanding shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series by this Indenture;provided that such direction shall not be otherwise than in accordance with law and the provisions of this Indenture, andprovided,further, that (subject to the provisions of Section 7.1) the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, shall determine that the action or proceeding so directed may not lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the Trustee shall determine that the action or proceedings so directed would expose the Trustee to personal liability or if the Trustee in good faith shall so determine that the actions or forebearances specified in or pursuant to such direction would be unduly prejudicial to the interests of Holders of the Securities of all series so affected not joining in the giving of said direction, it being understood that (subject to Section 7.1) the Trustee shall have no duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forebearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders.
As between the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, nothing in this Indenture shall impair the right of the Trustee in its discretion to take any action deemed proper by the Trustee and which is not inconsistent with such direction or directions by Securityholders.
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Section 6.10Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series may waive any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default:
(1) in the payment of the principal of, any premium or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to, any Security of such series, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article 10 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.11Trustee to Give Notice of Default, But May Withhold in Certain Circumstances.
The Trustee shall transmit to the Securityholders of any series, as the names and addresses of such Holders appear on the Security Register, notice by mail of all defaults that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge of or with respect to which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has received written notice which have occurred with respect to such series, such notice to be transmitted within 120 days after the occurrence thereof, unless such defaults shall have been cured before the giving of such notice (the term “default” or “defaults” for the purposes of this Section being hereby defined to mean any event or condition which is, or with notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default);provided that, except in the case of default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to, any of the Securities of such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Securityholders of such series.
Section 6.12Right of Court to Require Filing of Undertaking to Pay Costs.
The parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, 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, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the
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Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder or group of Securityholders of any series holding in the aggregate more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series Outstanding, or, in the case of any suit relating to or arising under Section 6.1(c) or Section 6.1(i) (if the suit relates to Securities of more than one but fewer than all series), 10% in aggregate principal amount of Securities Outstanding affected thereby, or, in the case of any suit relating to or arising under Section 6.1(c) or Section 6.1(i) (if the suit under clause (d) or (g) relates to all the Securities then Outstanding), Section 6.1(f) or Section 6.1(g), 10% in aggregate principal amount of all Securities Outstanding, or to any suit instituted by any Holder of Securities for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on, any Security on or after the due date expressed in such Security.
Section 6.13Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.
The Company covenants that (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company expressly waives (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
ARTICLE 7
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
Section 7.1Duties and Responsibilities of the Trustee; During Default; Prior to Default.
With respect to the Holders of any series of Securities issued hereunder, the Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred with respect to such series, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. In case an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a series has occurred (which has not been cured or waived), 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.
No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(a) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series and after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default with respect to such series which may have occurred:
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(i) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(ii) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any statements, certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such statements, certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture;
(b) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(c) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of Securities pursuant to Section 6.9 relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture.
Every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 7.1
None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such liability is not reasonably assured to it.
Section 7.2Certain Rights of the Trustee.
Subject to Section 7.1:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, Officer’s Certificate or any other certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, coupon, security or other paper or document (whether in original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be evidenced
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to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by the secretary or any assistant secretary of the Company;
(c) the Trustee may consult with counsel and any advice or Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel;
(d) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the trusts or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Securityholders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred therein or thereby;
(e) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion, rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;
(f) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default hereunder and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default, 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, consent, order, approval, appraisal, bond, debenture, note, coupon, security or other paper or document unless requested in writing so to do by the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series affected then Outstanding;provided that, if the payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require reasonable indemnity against such expenses or liabilities as a condition to proceeding; the reasonable expenses of every such investigation shall be paid by the Company or, if paid by the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee, shall be repaid by the Company upon demand;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys not regularly in its employ, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(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 during reasonable hours and upon reasonable notice the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney, unless such examination is not permitted by applicable law;
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(i) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture; and
(j) the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person authorized to act hereunder.
Section 7.3Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals, Disposition of Securities or Application of Proceeds Thereof.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the same, except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture, authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder and that the statements made by it in a Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 supplied to the Company are true and accurate, subject to the qualifications set forth therein. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any of the Securities or of the proceeds thereof.
Section 7.4Trustee and Agents May Hold Securities; Collections, etc.
The Trustee, any Paying Agent, Securities Registrar, Authenticating Agent or any agent of the Company or the Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee or such agent, and, subject to Section 7.8 and Section 7.13, if operative, may otherwise deal with the Company and receive, collect, hold and retain collections from the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee, Paying Agent, Securities Registrar, Authenticating Agent or such agent.
Section 7.5Moneys Held by Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 12.3, all moneys received by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by mandatory provisions of law. The Trustee shall have no liability for interest on money it receives and holds in trust except as specifically provided herein.
Section 7.6Compensation and Indemnification of Trustee and Its Prior Claim.
The Company covenants and agrees to pay the Trustee from time to time, and the Trustee shall be entitled to such compensation as the Company and the Trustee may from time
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to time agree in writing for all services rendered by the Trustee hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust) and the Company covenants and agrees to pay or reimburse the Trustee and each predecessor trustee upon its request for all reasonable and properly incurred expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by or on behalf of it in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel and of all agents and other Persons not regularly in its employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as shall be attributable to its negligence or bad faith. The Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee and each predecessor trustee for, and hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, claims or expense, including taxes (other than taxes measured by the income of the Trustee or otherwise applicable to the Trustee for operations outside the scope of this Indenture) incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this Indenture or the trusts hereunder and the performance of its duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against or investigating any claim of liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder except to the extent that any such loss, liability, damage, claims or expense shall be attributable to the Trustee’s negligence or bad faith. The obligations of the Company under this Section to compensate and indemnify the Trustee and each predecessor trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee and each predecessor trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall constitute additional indebtedness hereunder and shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and resignation or removal of the Trustee. Such additional indebtedness shall be a Lien prior to that of the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities.
Section 7.7Right of Trustee to Rely on Officer’s Certificate, etc.
Subject to Section 7.1 and Section 7.2, whenever in the administration of the trusts of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or suffering or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the good faith thereof.
Section 7.8Qualification of Trustee; Conflicting Interests.
The Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act during the period of time provided for therein. In determining whether the Trustee has a conflicting interest as defined in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to the Securities of any series, there shall be excluded this Indenture with respect to Securities of any particular series of Securities other than that series. Nothing herein shall prevent the Trustee from filing with the Commission the
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application referred to in the penultimate paragraph of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.9Persons Eligible for Appointment as Trustee.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder for each series of Securities, which shall be at all times either:
(a) a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any State or territory or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State, territory or District of Columbia authority; or
(b) a corporation or other Person organized and doing business under the laws of a foreign government that is permitted to act as sole Trustee pursuant to a rule, regulation or order of the Commission, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, and subject to supervision or examination by authority of such foreign government or a political subdivision thereof substantially equivalent to supervision or examination applicable to United States institutional trustees,
in either case having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section 7.9, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee for the Securities of any series shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.9, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article. Neither the Company nor any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company shall serve as Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder.
Section 7.10Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor Trustee.
(a) The Trustee, or any trustee or trustees hereafter appointed, may at any time resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Company and by mailing notice thereof by first-class mail to Holders of the Securities at their last addresses as they shall appear on the Security Register. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor trustee or trustees by written instrument in duplicate, executed by authority of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the successor trustee or trustees. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition at the expense of the Company any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee, or any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may, subject to the provisions of Section 6.12, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition
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any such court for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.
(b) In case at any time any of the following shall occur:
(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act after written request therefor by the Company or by any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months unless the Trustee’s duty to resign is stayed in accordance with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act; or
(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.9 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any Securityholder; or the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent; or a receiver or liquidator of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation; then, in any case, the Company may remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors of the Company, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or, subject to the provisions of Section 6.12, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.
(c) The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee and appoint a successor trustee by delivering to the Trustee so removed, to the successor trustee so appointed and to the Company the evidence provided for in Section 8.1 of the action in that regard taken by the Securityholders.
(d) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section 7.10 shall become effective until acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.11.
Section 7.11Acceptance of Appointment by Successor Trustee.
Any successor trustee appointed as provided in Section 7.10 shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to its predecessor trustee an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the predecessor trustee shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as trustee hereunder; but nevertheless, on the written
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request of the Company or of the successor trustee, upon payment of all amounts due to the Trustee under Section 7.6, the Trustee ceasing to act shall, subject to Section 4.4, pay over to the successor trustee all moneys at the time held by it hereunder and shall execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all such rights, powers, duties and obligations. Upon request of any successor trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments in writing for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights and powers. Any Trustee ceasing to act, shall, nevertheless, retain a prior Lien upon all property or funds held or collected by such trustee to secure any amounts then due it pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.6.
No successor trustee shall accept appointment as provided in this Section 7.11 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 7.8 and eligible under the provisions of Section 7.9.
Upon acceptance of appointment by any successor trustee as provided in this Section 7.11, the Company shall mail notice thereof by first-class mail to the Holders of Securities at their last addresses as they shall appear on the Security Register. If the acceptance of appointment is substantially contemporaneous with the resignation, then the notice called for by the preceding sentence may be combined with the notice called for by Section 7.10. If the Company fails to mail such notice within 10 days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be mailed at the expense of the Company.
Section 7.12Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business of Trustee.
Any corporation in which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the trustee hereunder,provided that such corporation shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 7.8 and eligible under the provisions of Section 7.9, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act (including the giving of any notice to Securityholders) on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding.
In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture any of the Securities shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee and deliver such Securities so authenticated; and, in case at that time any of the Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor trustee; and in all such cases such certificate shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided for the certificate of authentication of the Trustee.
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Section 7.13Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company.
(a) Subject to the provisions of this Section, if the Trustee shall be or shall become a creditor, directly or indirectly, secured or unsecured, of the Company or any other obligor of the Securities within three months prior to a default, as defined in Section 7.13(c), or subsequent to such a default, then, unless and until such default shall be cured, the Trustee shall set apart and hold in a special account for the benefit of the Trustee individually, the Holders of the Securities and the holders of other indenture securities (as defined in this Section):
(i) an amount equal to any and all reductions in the amount due and owing upon any claim as such creditor in respect of principal or interest, effected after the beginning of such three months’ period and valid as against the Company and its other creditors, except any such reduction resulting from the receipt or disposition of any property described in Section 7.13(a)(ii), or from the exercise of any right of set-off which the Trustee could have exercised if a petition in bankruptcy had been filed by or against the Company upon the date of such default; and
(ii) all property received by the Trustee in respect of any claim as such creditor, either as security therefor, or in satisfaction or composition thereof, or otherwise, after the beginning of such three months’ period, or an amount equal to the proceeds of any such property, if disposed of, subject, however, to the rights, if any, of the Company and its other creditors in such property or such proceeds.
Nothing herein contained, however, shall affect the right of the Trustee:
(A) to retain for its own account (i) payments made on account of any such claim by any Person (other than the Company) who is liable thereon, (ii) the proceeds of a bona fide sale of any such claim by the Trustee to a third Person, and (iii) distributions made in cash, securities or other property in respect of claims filed against the Company in bankruptcy or receivership or in the proceedings for reorganization pursuant to the Federal Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law;
(B) to realize, for its own account, upon any property held by it as security for any such claim, if such property was so held prior to the beginning of such three months’ period;
(C) to realize, for its own account, but only to the extent of the claim hereinafter mentioned, upon any property held by it as security for any such claim, if such claim was created after the beginning of such three months’ period and such property was received as security therefor simultaneously with the creation thereof, and if the Trustee shall sustain the burden of proving that at the time such property was so received the Trustee has no reasonable cause to believe that a default as defined by Section 7.13(c) would occur within three months; or
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(D) to receive payment on any claim referred to in paragraph (B) or (C) above, against the release of any property held as security for such claim as provided in such paragraph (B) or (C), as the case may be, to the extent of the fair value of such property.
For the purposes of paragraphs (B), (C) and (D), property substituted after the beginning of such three months’ period for property held as security at the time of such substitution shall, to the extent of the fair value of the property released, have the same status as the property released, and, to the extent that any claim referred to in any of such paragraphs is created in renewal of or in substitution for or for the purpose of repaying or refunding any pre-existing claim of the Trustee as such creditor, such claim shall have the same status as such pre-existing claim.
If the Trustee shall be required to account, the funds and property held in such special account and the proceeds thereof shall be apportioned between the Trustee, the Holders of the Securities and the holders of other indenture securities in such manner that the Trustee, such Holders and the holders of other indenture securities realize, as a result of payments from such special account and payments of dividends on claims filed against the Company in bankruptcy or receivership or in proceedings for reorganization pursuant to the Federal Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law, the same percentage of their respective claims, figured before crediting to the claim of the Trustee anything on account of the receipt by it from the Company of the funds and property in such special account and before crediting to the respective claims of the Trustee, Holders of the Securities and the holders of other indenture securities dividends on claims filed against the Company in bankruptcy or receivership or in proceedings for reorganization pursuant to the Federal Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law, but after crediting thereon receipts on account of the indebtedness represented by their respective claims from all sources other than from such dividends and from the funds and property so held in such special account. As used in this paragraph, with respect to any claim, the term “dividends” shall include any distribution with respect to such claim, in bankruptcy or receivership or in proceedings for reorganization pursuant to the Federal Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law, whether such distribution is made in cash, securities or other property, but shall not include any such distribution with respect to the secured portion, if any, of such claim. The court in which such bankruptcy, receivership or proceeding for reorganization is pending shall have jurisdiction (i) to apportion between the Trustee, the Holders of Securities and the holders of other indenture securities, in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph, the funds and property held in such special account and the proceeds thereof; or (ii) in lieu of such apportionment, in whole or in part, to give to the provisions of this paragraph due consideration in determining the fairness of the distributions to be made to the Trustee, the Holders of Securities and the holders of other indenture securities with respect to their respective claims, in which event it shall not be necessary to liquidate or to appraise the value of any securities or other property held in such special account or as security for any such claim, or to make a specific allocation of such distribution as between the secured and unsecured portions of such claims, or otherwise to apply the provisions of this paragraph as a mathematical formula.
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Any Trustee who has resigned or been removed after the beginning of such three months’ period shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 7.13(a) as though such resignation or removal had not occurred. If any Trustee has resigned or been removed prior to the beginning of such three months’ period, it shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 7.13(a) if and only if the following conditions exist:
(i) the receipt of property or reduction of claim which would have given rise to the obligation to account, if such Trustee had continued as trustee, occurred after the beginning of such three months’ period; and
(ii) such receipt of property or reduction of claim occurred within three months after such resignation or removal.
(b) There shall be excluded from the operation of this Section a creditor relationship arising from:
(i) the ownership or acquisition of securities issued under any indenture, or any security or securities having a maturity of one year or more at the time of acquisition by the Trustee;
(ii) advances authorized by a receivership or bankruptcy court of competent jurisdiction or by this Indenture for the purpose of preserving any property which shall at any time be subject to the lien of this Indenture or of discharging tax liens or other prior liens or encumbrances thereon, if notice of such advance and of the circumstances surrounding the making thereof is given to the Holders of the applicable series of Securities at the time and in the manner provided in this Indenture;
(iii) disbursements made in the ordinary course of business in the capacity of trustee under an indenture, transfer agent, registrar, custodian, paying agent, fiscal agent or depositary, or other similar capacity;
(iv) an indebtedness created as a result of services rendered or premises rented or an indebtedness created as a result of goods or securities sold in a cash transaction as defined in Section 7.13(c)(iii);
(v) the ownership of stock or of some other securities of a corporation organized under the provisions of Section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act, as amended, which is directly or indirectly a creditor of the Company; or
(vi) the acquisition, ownership, acceptance or negotiation of any drafts, bills of exchange, acceptances or obligations which fall within the classification of self-liquidating paper as defined in Section 7.13(c)(iv).
(c) As used in this Section 7.13:
(i) the term “default” shall mean any failure to make payment in full of the principal of or interest upon any of the Securities of the applicable series or upon the
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other indenture securities when and as such principal or interest becomes due and payable;
(ii) the term “other indenture securities” shall mean securities upon which the Company is an obligor (as defined in the Trust Indenture Act) outstanding under any other indenture (i) under which the Trustee is also trustee, (ii) which contains provisions substantially similar to the provisions of Section 7.13(a), and (iii) under which a default exists at the time of the apportionment of the funds and property held in said special account;
(iii) the term “cash transaction” shall mean any transaction in which full payment for goods or securities sold is made within seven days after delivery of the goods or securities in currency or in checks or other orders drawn upon banks or bankers and payable upon demand;
(iv) the term “self-liquidating paper” shall mean any draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation which is made, drawn, negotiated or incurred by the Company for the purpose of financing the purchase, processing, manufacture, shipment, storage or sale of goods, wares or merchandise and which is secured by documents evidencing title to, possession of, or a lien upon the goods, wares or merchandise or the receivables or proceeds arising from the sale of goods, wares or merchandise previously constituting the security,provided that the security is received by the Trustee simultaneously with the creation of the creditor relationship with the Company arising from the making, drawing, negotiating or incurring of the draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation; and
(v) the term “Company” shall mean any obligor upon the Securities.
Section 7.14Authenticating Agent.
So long as any Securities remain Outstanding, if the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is not located in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, or otherwise upon a Company Request, there shall be an authenticating agent (the “Authenticating Agent”) appointed, for such period as the Company shall elect, by the Trustee to act as its agent on its behalf and subject to its direction in connection with the authentication and delivery of Securities. Securities authenticated by such Authenticating Agent shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by such Trustee. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or to the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a Certificate of Authentication executed on behalf of such Trustee by such Authenticating Agent. Such Authenticating Agent shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any State or of the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State or District of Columbia authority. If the Corporate Trust Office
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of the Trustee is not located in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, the Authenticating Agent shall have its principal office and place of business in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York.
Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted, or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which any Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency business of any Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be the Authenticating Agent without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or such Authenticating Agent.
Any Authenticating Agent may at any time, and if it shall cease to be eligible shall, resign by giving written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.14, the Trustee shall upon Company Request appoint a successor Authenticating Agent, and the Company shall provide notice of such appointment to all Holders of Securities in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 13.4. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all rights, powers, duties and responsibilities of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Authenticating Agent herein. The Company agrees to pay or to cause to be paid to the Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services. The Authenticating Agent shall have no responsibility or liability for any action taken by it as such in good faith at the direction of the Trustee.
ARTICLE 8
CONCERNING THE HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Section 8.1Action by Holders.
Whenever in this Indenture it isprovided that the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any series may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action) the fact that at the time of taking any such action the Holders of such specified percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (a) by any instrument or any number of instruments of similar intention executed by Holders in Person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (b) by the record of Holders voting in favor thereof at any meeting of such Holders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article 9, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of Holders. The Company may (but shall not be required to) set a record date for purposes of determining the identity of Securityholders entitled to vote or consent to any action by vote or consent authorized or permitted under this Indenture, which record date shall be the later of 10 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent or the date of the most recent list of Holders furnished to the Trustee pursuant to Section 5.1 of this Indenture prior to such solicitation. If a
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record date is fixed, those Persons who were Securityholders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to take such action by vote or consent or to revoke any vote or consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date.
Section 8.2Proof of Execution of Instruments by Holders of Securities.
Subject to Section 7.1, Section 7.2 and Section 9.5, the execution of any instrument by a Holder of a Security or his agent or proxy may be proved in any reasonable manner that the Trustee deems sufficient, including, without limitation, in the following manner:
The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of any instrument may be proved by the certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized to take acknowledgments of deeds, that the Person executing such instrument acknowledged to him the execution thereof, or by an affidavit or written statement of a witness to such execution. Where such execution is by an officer of a corporation or association or a member of a partnership on behalf of such corporation, association or partnership, as the case may be, or by any other Person acting in a representative capacity, such certificate, affidavit or written statement shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.
The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Securities Register or by a certificate of the Securities Registrar.
The record of any Holders’ meeting shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 9.6.
Section 8.3Holders to be Treated as Owners.
The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Security shall be registered upon the Security Register as the absolute owner of such Security (notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon) for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of, and premium, if any, and (subject to Section 3.6 and Section 3.8) interest, if any, on, such Security, and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary. All such payments so made to any Holder for the time being, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums so paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon such Security.
None of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interest of a Global Security, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interest. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Global Security, nothing herein shall prevent the Company or the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by any Depository (or
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its nominee), as a Holder, with respect to such Global Security or impair, as between such Depository and owners of beneficial interests in such Global Security, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the right of such Depository (or its nominee) as Holder of such Global Security.
Section 8.4Securities Owned by Company Deemed Not Outstanding.
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite aggregate principal amount of Securities of any or all series have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under this Indenture, Securities which are owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities with respect to which such determination is being made or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities with respect to which such determination is being made shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, consent or waiver only Securities which the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any other obligor on the Securities. In case of a dispute as to such right, the advice of counsel shall be full protection in respect of any decision made by the Trustee in accordance with such advice. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officer’s Certificate listing and identifying all Securities, if any, known by the Company to be owned or held by or for the account of any of the above-described Persons; and, subject to Section 7.1 and Section 7.2, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such Officer’s Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Securities not listed therein are Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.
Section 8.5Right of Revocation of Action Taken.
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.1, of the taking of any action by the Holders of the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any or all series, as the case may be, specified in this Indenture in connection with such action, any Holder of a Security, the number, letter or other distinguishing symbol of which is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities the Holders of which have consented to such action, may, by filing written notice at the Corporate Trust Office and upon proof of holding as provided in this Article, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security. Except as aforesaid, any such action taken by the Holder of any Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders and owners of such Security and of any Securities issued in exchange or substitution therefor, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon any such Security or such other Security. Any action taken by the Holders of the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any or all series, as the case may be, specified in this Indenture in connection
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with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of all the Securities affected by such action.
ARTICLE 9
HOLDERS’ MEETINGS
Section 9.1Purposes of Meetings.
A meeting of Holders of Securities of any or all series may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article for any of the following purposes:
(a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee for the Securities of such series, or to give any directions to the Trustee, or to consent to the waiving of any default hereunder and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be taken by Holders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article 6;
(b) to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor Trustee pursuant to the provisions of Article 7;
(c) to consent to the execution of an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.2; or
(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the Holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any one or more or all series, as the case may be, under any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.
Section 9.2Call of Meetings by Trustee.
The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders of Securities to take any action specified in Section 9.1, to be held at such time and at such place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, or such other Place of Payment, as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of the Holders of Securities, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting, and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given to Holders of Securities of the particular series in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 13.4. Such notice shall be given not less than 20 nor more than 90 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
Section 9.3Call of Meetings by Company or Holders.
In case at any time the Company, pursuant to a resolution of its Board of Directors, or the Holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any or all series, as the case may be, shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of Holders of Securities of any or all series, as the case may be, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee for such series shall not have given the notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such request, then the Company or such Holders may determine the time and the place in the Borough of Manhattan
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or other Place of Payment for such meeting and may call such meeting to take any action authorized in Section 9.1, by giving notice thereof as provided in Section 9.2.
Section 9.4Qualifications for Voting.
To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders a Person shall be (a) a Holder of one or more outstanding Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held or (b) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy by such Holder. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.
Section 9.5Regulations.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders of the Securities in regard to proof of the holding of Securities and of the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall think fit.
The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders of Securities as provided in Section 9.3, in which case the Company or the Holders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by majority vote of the meeting.
Subject to Section 8.4, at any meeting each Holder of Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held or proxy therefor shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount (in the case of Original Issue Discount Securities, such principal amount to be determined as provided in the definition of “Outstanding”) of Securities held or represented by him;provided,however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any such Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Securities held by him or instruments in writing aforesaid duly designating him as the Person to vote on behalf of other Holders. At any meeting of Holders, the presence of Persons holding or representing Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held in an aggregate principal amount sufficient to take action on the business for the transaction of which such meeting was called shall constitute a quorum, but, if less than a quorum is present, the Persons holding or representing a majority in aggregate principal amount of such Securities represented at the meeting may adjourn such meeting with the same effect, for all intents and purposes, as though a quorum had been present. Any meeting of Holders of Securities with respect to which a meeting was duly called pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.2 or Section 9.3 may be adjourned from time to time by Persons holding or representing a majority in aggregate
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principal amount of such Securities represented at the meeting, present, whether or not constituting a quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.
Section 9.6Voting.
The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders of Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of such Holders or of their representatives by proxy and the serial number or numbers of the Securities held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in duplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of each meeting of holders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was mailed as provided in Section 9.2. The record shall show the serial numbers of the Securities voting in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee.
Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.
Section 9.7No Delay of Rights by Reason of Meeting.
Nothing in this Article contained shall be deemed or construed to authorize or permit, by reason of any call of a meeting of Holders or any rights expressly or impliedly conferred hereunder to make such call, any hindrance or delay in the exercise of any right or rights conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders under any of the provisions of this Indenture or of the Securities of any series.
ARTICLE 10
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 10.1Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Securityholders.
Without the consent of any Holders of Securities, the Company, when authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as in force at the date of the execution thereof) for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge to the Trustee as security for the Securities any property or assets;
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(b) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company, or successive successions, and the assumption by the successor Person of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company under this Indenture and the Securities, in each case in compliance with the Indenture;
(c) to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as its Board of Directors shall consider to be for the protection of the Holders of any series of Securities or Tranche thereof, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company and to make the occurrence and continuance of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth;provided that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction, condition or provision such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon such an Event of Default or may limit the remedies available to the Trustee upon such an Event of Default or may limit the right of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series to waive such an Event of Default;
(d) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture; or to make such other provisions in regard to matters or questions arising under this Indenture or under any supplemental indenture as the Board of Directors may deem necessary or desirable and which shall not materially adversely affect the interests of the Holders of any Securities;
(e) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Section 3.1;
(f) to provide for the issuance under this Indenture of Securities in coupon form (including Securities registrable as to principal only), to provide for interchangeability thereof with Securities in registered form of the same series and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities of any series in uncertificated form provided any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series in any material respect;
(g) to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth;
(h) to add any additional Events of Default with respect to all or any series of Securities (as shall be specified in such supplemental indenture);
(i) to supplement any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the defeasance and discharge of any series of Securities pursuant to Article 12,provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of
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any Holder of an Outstanding Security of such series or any other Outstanding Security in any material respect;
(j) to make provisions with respect to conversion or exchange rights of Holders of Securities of any series;
(k) to provide for the issuance under this Indenture of Securities denominated or payable in currency other than Dollars and to make all appropriate changes for such purpose;
(l) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor trustee with respect to the Securities, pursuant to Section 7.11, or to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee;
(m) to modify any restrictions on and procedures for resales of Securities of any series that is not registered pursuant to the Securities Act to reflect any change in applicable law or regulation (or the interpretation thereof) or in practices relating to the resale or transfer of restricted securities generally and to modify any legends placed on such Securities to reflect such restrictions and procedures;
(n) to add to or change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture as shall be necessary or desirable to conform to provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as at the time in effect,provided that such action shall not materially adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Securities of any series; and
(o) otherwise to amend or supplement any of the provisions of this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture;provided,however, that no such amendment or supplement shall materially adversely affect the interests of the Holders of any Securities then Outstanding.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations, which may be therein contained and to accept the conveyance, transfer, assignment, mortgage or pledge of any property thereunder, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section may be executed without the consent of the Holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 10.2.
Section 10.2Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Article 8) of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of all series affected by such supplemental indenture (voting as one class), the Company, when authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors, and the Trustee may, from time to time and at any
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time, enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as in force at the date of execution thereof) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each such series;provided that no such supplemental indenture shall (a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any premium or installment of interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to, any Security of such series, or reduce the principal amount thereof (or modify the calculation of such principal amount) or rate of interest thereon or any Additional Amounts with respect thereto (or modify the calculation of such rate), or any premium payable on redemption thereof or otherwise, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon an acceleration with respect thereto pursuant to Section 6.1 or the amount thereof provable in bankruptcy pursuant to Section 6.2, or change the obligation of the Company to pay Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 4.4 (except as contemplated by Section 11.1 and permitted by Section 10.1), or change the redemption provisions or, following the occurrence of any event that would entitle a holder to require the Company to redeem or repurchase the Securities at the option of the Holder, adversely affect the right of redemption on repurchase at the option of such Holder, or change the Place of Payment, currency in which the principal of, any premium or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to any security is payable, or impair or adversely affect the right of any Securityholder to institute suit for the payment thereof or, if the Securities provide therefor, any right of repayment at the option of the Securityholder, without the consent of the Holder of each Security of such series so affected; or (b) reduce the aforesaid percentage of the principal amount of Securities Outstanding of such series, the consent of the Holders of which is required for any such supplemental indenture or any waiver of any obligations of the Company under this Indenture, without the consent of the Holders of each Security of such series so affected, or reduce the requirements for quorum on voting; or (c) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 6.10 or Section 4.9, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security thereby.
Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders as aforesaid and other documents, if any, required by Section 8.1, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such supplemental indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.
A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such
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series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
Section 10.3Notice of Supplemental Indenture.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.2, the Company shall mail a notice thereof by first-class mail to the Holders of Securities of each series affected thereby at their addresses as they shall appear on the Security Register, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture. Any failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
Section 10.4Effect of Supplemental Indenture.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article, this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance therewith, but only with regard to the Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture, and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the Holders of any Securities of such series affected thereby shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes with regard to the Securities of such series.
Section 10.5Documents To Be Given to Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1 and Section 7.2, shall be provided with an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article complies with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and is authorized or permitted by this Indenture.
Section 10.6Notation on Securities in Respect of Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series affected by any supplemental indenture which are authenticated and delivered after the execution of such supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article may bear a notation in form approved by the Company and the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Company, to any modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Securities of such series then Outstanding.
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ARTICLE 11
CONSOLIDATION, AMALGAMATION, MERGER OR SALE
Section 11.1Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
Unless otherwise provided in the Board Resolution or supplemental indenture pursuant to Section 3.1 establishing the terms of a particular series of Securities, so long as any Security remains Outstanding, the Company shall not consolidate or amalgamate with or merge into any other corporation or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person unless:
(1) the corporation formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged, or the Person which acquires, leases or is the transferee of or recipient of the conveyance or transfer, of substantially all of the properties and assets of the Company as an entirety shall
(a) be a corporation or other Person organized and validity existing under the laws of the United States, the United Kingdom or any other country that is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (as the same may be constituted from time to time); and
(b) expressly assume, unless the foregoing occurs by operation of law, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee for each series of Securities, in form reasonably satisfactory to each such Trustee, with any amendments or revisions necessary to take account of the jurisdiction in which any such corporation or Person is organized (if other than England and Wales),
(i) the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest, if any, on, and any sinking fund payment in respect of, all of the Securities,
(ii) the performance of every covenant of this Indenture (other than a covenant included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of Securities of a series other than the Securities of such series) and of all the Securities on the part of the Company to be performed,
(iii) such assumption shall provide that such corporation or Person shall pay to the Holder of any Securities such Additional Amounts as may be necessary in order that every net payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest, if any, on such Securities will not be less than the amounts provided for in the Securities to be then due and payable, and
(iv) with respect to (iii) above such obligation shall extend to any deduction or withholding for or on account of any present or future tax, assessment or governmental charge imposed upon such payment by the United Kingdom or the country in which any such corporation or Person is organized or resident for tax purposes or any district, municipality or other political subdivision or taxing authority thereof (subject to the limitations set forth in Section 4.4 in respect of the payment of Additional Amounts as applied to such country);
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(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default with respect to any series of Securities, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default with respect to any series of Securities, shall have occurred and be continuing.
Section 11.2Opinion of Counsel.
Either the Company or the successor Person shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the proposed transaction(s) covered by Section 11.1 an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the transaction(s) and such supplemental indenture are authorized and permitted by this Indenture and that all conditions precedent to the consummation of the transaction(s) under this Indenture have been met.
Section 11.3Successor Person Substituted.
Upon any consolidation, amalgamation by the Company with or merger of the Company into any other Person or any conveyance, lease or transfer of all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company in accordance with Section 11.1, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or amalgamation or into which the Company is merged or the successor Person or affiliated group of Persons to which such conveyance, assignment, or transfer or with which such lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person or Persons had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor Person or Persons shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities and in the event of such conveyance or transfer, except in the case of a lease, any such predecessor Person may be dissolved and liquidated.
ARTICLE 12
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE,
UNCLAIMED MONEYS
Section 12.1Satisfaction and Discharge of Securities of Any Series.
The Company shall be deemed to have satisfied and discharged this Indenture with respect to the entire indebtedness on all the Outstanding Securities of any particular series, and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company and upon Company Request, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging such satisfaction and discharge, when
(a) either:
(i) all Outstanding Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) any Securities of such series which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.7 and (ii) Outstanding Securities of such series for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid
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to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 12.3) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) all Outstanding Securities of such series described in sub-clause (i) above (other than the Securities referred to in the parenthetical phrase thereof) not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:
| | (x) | | have become due and payable; |
| |
| | (y) | | will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year; or |
| |
| | (z) | | if redeemable at the option of the Company or pursuant to the operation of a sinking fund, 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; and |
(A) the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.1 for the Securities of such series) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on all such Outstanding Securities of such series, not therefore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including the principal of, any premium and interest on, and any Additional Amounts with respect to such Securities (based upon applicable law as in effect on the date of such deposit), to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Maturity thereof, as the case may be;
(B) the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as obligations in trust such amount of Government Obligations as will, in a written opinion of independent public accountants delivered to the Trustee, together with the predetermined and certain income to accrue thereon (without consideration of any reinvestment thereof), be sufficient to pay and discharge when due the entire indebtedness on all such Outstanding Securities of such series for unpaid principal (and premium, if any), interest on, and any Additional Amounts to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or Maturity thereof, as the case may be;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series including all fees due to the Trustee under Section 7.6;
(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the due satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to the entire indebtedness on all Outstanding Securities of any such series have been complied with; and
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(d) if the Securities of such series are not to become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year of the date of such deposit or are not to be called for redemption within one year of the date of such deposit under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee as of the date of such deposit, then the Company shall have given, not later than the date of such deposit, notice of such deposit to the Holders of the Securities of such series.
Upon the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in this Section 12.1 with respect to all the Outstanding Securities of any series, the terms and conditions with respect thereto set forth in this Indenture shall no longer be binding upon, or applicable to, the Company;provided,however, that the Company shall not be discharged from (a) any obligations under Section 7.6 and Section 7.10 and (b) any obligations under Section 3.6, Section 3.7, Section 5.1 and Section 12.3 and (c) any obligations under Section 4.4, with respect to the payment of any Additional Amounts, if any, (but only to the extent that the Additional Amounts payable with respect to any Outstanding Securities of such series exceed the amount deposited in respect of such Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 12.1(a)(ii)); andprovided,further, that in the event a petition for relief under the Federal Bankruptcy Code or a successor statute is filed with respect to the Company within 91 days after the deposit, this Indenture with respect to the entire indebtedness on all Securities of such series shall not be discharged, and in such event the Trustee shall return such deposited funds or obligations as it is then holding to the Company upon Company Request.
Section 12.2Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance.
(a) Unless pursuant to Section 3.1, either or both of (i) defeasance of the Securities of or within a series under clause (b) of this Section 12.2 shall not be applicable with respect to the Securities of such series or (ii) covenant defeasance of the Securities of or within a series under clause (c) of this Section 12.2 shall not be applicable with respect to the Securities of such series, then such provisions, together with the other provisions of this Section 12.2 (with such modifications thereto as may be specified pursuant to Section 3.1 with respect to any Securities), shall be applicable to such Securities and the Company may at its option by Board Resolution, at any time, with respect to such Securities, elect to have Section 12.2(b) or Section 12.2(c) be applied to such Outstanding Securities upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Section 12.2.
(b) Upon the Company’s exercise of the above option applicable to this Section 12.2(b) with respect to any Securities of or within a series, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to such Outstanding Securities on the date the conditions set forth in clause (d) of this Section 12.2 are satisfied (hereinafter, “defeasance”). For this purpose, such defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by such Outstanding Securities which shall thereafter be deemed to be “Outstanding” only for the purposes of clause (c) of this Section 12.2 and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) below, and to have satisfied all of its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (i) the rights of Holders of such Outstanding
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Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in clause (d) of this Section 12.2 and as more fully set forth in such clause, payments in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on, and Additional Amounts, if any, with respect to, such Securities when such payments are due, and any rights of such Holder to convert such Securities into Common Stock of the Company or exchange such Securities for other securities; (ii) the obligations of the Company and the Trustee with respect to such Securities under Sections 3.6, 3.7, 4.2, 4.3 and 12.3 and with respect to the payment of Additional Amounts, if any, on such Securities as contemplated by Section 4.4 (but only to the extent that the Additional Amounts payable with respect to such Securities exceed the amount deposited in respect of such Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 12.2(d)(i) below), and with respect to any rights to convert such Securities into Common Stock of the Company or exchange such Securities for other securities; (iii) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder including, without limitation, the compensation, reimbursement and indemnities provided in Section 7.6 herein; and (iv) this Section 12.2. The Company may exercise its option under this Section 12.2(b) notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under clause (c) of this Section 12.2 with respect to such Securities.
(c) Upon the Company’s exercise of the option to have this Section 12.2(c) apply with respect to any Securities of or within a series, the Company shall be released from its obligations in respect of any other covenant applicable to such Securities, with respect to such Outstanding Securities on and after the date the conditions set forth in clause (d) of this Section 12.2 are satisfied (hereinafter, “covenant defeasance”), and such Securities shall thereafter be deemed to be not “Outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with any such covenant or obligation, but shall continue to be deemed “Outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder. For this purpose, such covenant defeasance means that, with respect to such Outstanding Securities, the Company may omit to comply with, and shall have no liability in respect of, any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such Section or such other covenant or obligation, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or such other covenant or obligation or by reason of reference in any such Section or such other covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a default or an Event of Default under Section 6.1 but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby.
(d) The following shall be the conditions to application of clause (b) or (c) of this Section 12.2 to any Outstanding Securities of or within a series:
(i) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 7.8 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Section 12.2 applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, (1) an amount in Dollars or in such Foreign Currency in which such Securities are then specified as payable at Stated Maturity, or (2) Government Obligations applicable to
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such Securities (determined on the basis of the Currency in which such Securities are then specified as payable at Stated Maturity) which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment with respect to such Securities, money in an amount, or (3) a combination thereof, in any case, in an amount, sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of such principal and interest, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, (y) the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts with respect to such Securities (based upon applicable law as in effect on the date of such deposit), such Outstanding Securities at the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date of such principal or installment of principal or premium or interest and (z) any mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments applicable to such Outstanding Securities on the days on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of such Securities and, if applicable, shall have made irrevocable arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of any Securities to be redeemed at the option of the Company in connection with such deposit.
(ii) No Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default with respect to such Securities shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (after giving effect thereto) and, with respect to defeasance only, no event described in Section 6.1(e), (f) (g) or (h) at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).
(iii) Such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.
(iv) In the case of an election under clause (b) of this Section 12.2 for which the Place of Payment is within the United States, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the Company has received from the Internal Revenue Service a letter ruling, or there has been published by the Internal Revenue Service a Revenue Ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution 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 shall confirm that, the Holders of such Outstanding Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such 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 defeasance had not occurred.
(v) In the case of an election under clause (c) of this Section 12.2 with respect to Requested Securities and for which the Place of Payment is within the United States, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the
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effect that the Holders of such Outstanding 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.
(vi) With respect to defeasance only, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate as to solvency and the absence of any intent of preferring the Holders over any other creditors of the Company.
(vii) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to the defeasance or covenant defeasance under clause (b) or (c) of this Section 12.2 (as the case may be) have been complied with.
(viii) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section 12.2(d), such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall be effected in compliance with any additional or substitute terms, conditions or limitations which may be imposed on the Company in connection therewith pursuant to Section 3.1.
(e) Unless otherwise specified in or pursuant to this Indenture, if, after a deposit referred to in Section 12.2(d)(i) has been made, (i) the Holder of a Security in respect of which such deposit was made is entitled to, and does, elect pursuant to Section 3.1 or the terms of such Security to receive payment in a Currency other than that in which the deposit pursuant to Section 12.2(d)(i) has been made in respect of such Security, or (ii) a Conversion Event occurs in respect of the Foreign Currency in which the deposit pursuant to Section 12.2(d)(i) has been made, the indebtedness represented by such Security shall be deemed to have been, and will be, fully discharged and satisfied through the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any), and interest, if any, on, and Additional Amounts, if any, with respect to, such Security as the same becomes due out of the proceeds yielded by converting (from time to time as specified below in the case of any such election) the amount or other property deposited in respect of such Security into the Currency in which such Security becomes payable as a result of such election or Conversion Event based on (x) in the case of payments made pursuant to clause (i) above, the applicable market exchange rate for such Currency in effect on the second Business Day prior to each payment date, or (y) with respect to a Conversion Event, the applicable market exchange rate for such Foreign Currency in effect (as nearly as feasible) at the time of the Conversion Event.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 12.2(d) and Section 12.3, the “Trustee”) against any tax, fee or other charge, imposed on or assessed against the Government Obligations deposited pursuant to this Section 12.2 or the principal or 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 such Outstanding Securities.
Anything in this Section 12.2 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or
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Government Obligations (or other property and any proceeds therefrom) held by it as provided in clause (d) of this Section 12.2 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect a defeasance or covenant defeasance, as applicable, in accordance with this Section 12.2.
Section 12.3Application of Trust Money.
All money and obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 12.1 or 12.2 shall be held irrevocably in trust and shall be made under the terms of an escrow trust agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee. Such money and obligations shall be applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities, this Indenture and such escrow trust agreement, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities for the payment of which such money and obligations have been deposited with the Trustee. If Securities of any series are to be redeemed prior to their Stated Maturity, whether pursuant to any optional redemption provisions or in accordance with any mandatory or optional sinking fund requirement, the Company shall give the required notice of redemption or shall make such arrangements as are 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 12.4Repayment of Moneys Held by Paying Agent.
In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to Securities of any series, all moneys with respect to such series then held by any Paying Agent (and not required for such satisfaction and discharge) shall, upon receipt of a Company Request for the same, be repaid to it or paid to the Trustee and thereupon such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys.
Section 12.5Return of Unclaimed Moneys Held by Trustee and Paying Agent.
Any moneys deposited with or paid to the Trustee or any Paying Agent for the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on, Securities of any series and which shall not be applied but shall remain unclaimed by the Holders of Securities of such series for two years after the date upon which such payment shall have become due and payable, shall be repaid to the Company by the Trustee on demand; and the Holder of any of such Securities entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter look only to the Company for the payment thereof;provided,however, that the Company or the Trustee, before making any such repayment, shall at the expense of the Company cause to be published once a week for two successive weeks (in each case on any day of the week) in an Authorized Newspaper, or mail to each Holder, or both, a notice that said moneys have not been so applied and that after a date named therein any unclaimed balance of said moneys then remaining will be returned to the Company.
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If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with Section 12.3 by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 12.1 or Section 12.2 until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 12.3;provided,however, that if the Company makes any payment of interest on or principal of, or any Additional Amounts, with respect to any Security following 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 held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE 13
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 13.1Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers and Directors of Company Exempt from Individual Liability.
No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture, or in any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, or because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, as such, or against any past, present or future stockholder, officer or director, as such, of the Company or of any successor, either directly or through the Company or any successor, under any rule of law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, shareholders, officers or directors, as such, of the Company, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any Security or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any Security or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Security.
Section 13.2Provisions of Indenture for the Sole Benefit of Parties and Securityholders.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, expressed or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors and the Holders of the Securities, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture or under any covenant or provision herein contained, all such covenants and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and the Holders of the Securities.
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Section 13.3Successors and Assigns of Company Bound by Indenture.
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture contained by or on behalf of the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 13.4Notices to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to such Holders as their names and addresses appear on the Securities Register within the time prescribed.
Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance on such waiver. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed to any particular Holder, shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders, and any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given. In the case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder. In case by reason of the suspension of publication of any Authorized Newspapers or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to publish any notice to Holders otherwise required or permitted under this Indenture, then such notification as shall be given with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute sufficient notice to such Holders for every purpose hereunder.
Section 13.5Addresses for Notices.
Any notice or demand which by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the Holders of Securities of any series on the Company may be given or served by registered mail addressed (until another address is filed by the Company with the Trustee) as follows: National Grid plc, 1-3 Strand, London, WC2N 5EH, England; Attention: Treasurer. Any notice, direction, request or demand by the Company or any Holders of Securities of any series to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, if received at the Corporate Trust Office of such Trustee.
Section 13.6Officer’s Certificates and Opinions of Counsel; Statements to Be Contained Therein.
Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent (including any covenants compliance
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with which constitutes a condition precedent), if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent (including any covenants compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent), if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture (other than annual certificates provided pursuant to Section 4.10) and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include (a) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition, (b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based, (c) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with and (d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by counsel, unless such officer knows that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate, statement or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know that the same are erroneous. Any certificate, statement or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, information with respect to which is in the possession of the Company, upon the certificate, statement or opinion of or representations by an officer or officers of the Company, unless such counsel knows that the certificate, statement or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate, statement or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know that the same are erroneous.
Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Company or of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by an accountant or firm of accountants in the employ of the Company, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which his certificate, statement or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know that the same are erroneous.
Any certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants filed with the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.
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Section 13.7Separability Clause.
In case any provision of this Indenture or of the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 13.8Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day in any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities, other than a provision in Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or in the indenture supplemental hereto, Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate that establishes the terms of the Securities of such series or Tranche, which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section) payment of interest or principal and premium, if any, need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, and, if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day.
Section 13.9Conflict of Any Provision of Indenture with Trust Indenture Act.
If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the former provision shall control.
Section 13.10Governing Law.
This Indenture and each Security shall be deemed to be a contract governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made or instruments entered into and, in each case, performed in said state.
Section 13.11Judgment Currency.
The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of, or premium or interest, if any, or Additional Amounts on the Securities of any series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in the City of New York the requisite amount of the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which a final unappealable judgment is given and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not
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be discharged or satisfied by any tender, or any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with clause (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to be closed.
Section 13.12No Security Interest Created.
Subject to the provisions of Section 4.6, nothing in this Indenture or in any Securities, express or implied, shall be construed to constitute a security interest under the Uniform Commercial Code or similar legislation, as now or hereafter enacted and in effect in any jurisdiction where property of the Company or its Subsidiaries is or may be located.
Section 13.13Submission to Jurisdiction.
The Company agrees that any judicial proceedings instituted in relation to any matter arising under this Indenture, the Securities appertaining thereto may be brought in any United States Federal or New York State court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York to the extent that such court has subject matter jurisdiction over the controversy, and, by execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company hereby irrevocably accepts, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts, acknowledges their competence and irrevocably agrees to be bound by any judgment rendered in such proceeding. The Company also irrevocably and unconditionally waives for the benefit of the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities any immunity from jurisdiction and any immunity from legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in the aid of execution, execution or otherwise) in respect of this Indenture. The Company hereby irrevocably designates and appoints for the benefit of the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities for the term of this Indenture CT Corporation System, located at 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011, as its agent to receive on its behalf service of all process (with a copy of all such service of process to be delivered to National Grid plc., 1-3 Strand, London, WC2N 5EH, England; Attention: Treasurer) brought against it with respect to any such proceeding in any such court in The City of New York, such service being hereby acknowledged by the Company to be effective and binding service on it in every respect whether or not the Company shall then be doing or shall have at any time done business in New York. Such appointment shall be irrevocable so long as any of the Securities or the obligations of the Company hereunder remain outstanding until the appointment of a successor by the Company and such successor’s acceptance of such appointment. Upon such acceptance, the Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of such successor. The Company further agrees for the benefit of the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities to take any and all action, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and
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instruments, as its agent in full force and effect so long as any of the Securities or the obligations of the Company hereunder shall be outstanding. The Trustee shall not be obligated and shall have no responsibility with respect to any failure by the Company to take any such action. Nothing herein shall affect the right to serve process in any other manner permitted by any law or limit the right of the Trustee or any Holder to institute proceedings against the Company in the courts of any other jurisdiction or jurisdictions.
Section 13.14Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, and on separate counterparts, each of which shall be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 13.15Effect of Headings.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation hereof.
ARTICLE 14
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 14.1Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to the Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of such series.
Section 14.2Notice of Redemption; Selection of Securities.
In case the Company shall desire to exercise the right to redeem all or, as the case may be, any part of the Securities of any series in accordance with their terms, it shall fix a Redemption Date and shall provide notice of such redemption at least 45 days prior to such Redemption Date to the Trustee and at least 30 days but no more than 60 days prior to such Redemption Date to the Holders of Securities of such series so to be redeemed as a whole or in part in the manner provided in Section 13.4, unless a different period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed. The notice provided in the manner herein specified shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such notice or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Security of a series designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Security of such series.
Each such notice of redemption shall specify the Redemption Date, the record date, Redemption Price, the CUSIP, Common Code, ISIN or other comparable number, the Place or Places of Payment, that the Securities of such series are being redeemed at the option of the Company pursuant to provisions contained in the terms of the Securities of such series or in a supplemental indenture establishing such series, if such be the case, together with a brief
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statement of the facts permitting such redemption, that payment will be made upon presentation and surrender of the applicable Securities at the Place or Places of Payment, that the Redemption Price together with any interest accrued and Additional Amounts to the Redemption Date will be paid as specified in said notice, and that on and after said Redemption Date any interest thereon or on the portions thereof to be redeemed will cease to accrue, and any information that is required to be included therein by the Depository.
If fewer than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed the notice of redemption shall specify the numbers of the Securities of such series to be redeemed. In case any Security of any series is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed and shall state that on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities of such series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued, or, in the case of Securities providing appropriate space for such notation, at the option of the Holders the Trustee, in lieu of delivering a new Security or Securities as aforesaid, may make a notation on such Security of the payment of the redeemed portion thereof.
On or before the Redemption Date with respect to the Securities of any series stated in the notice of redemption given as provided in this Section 14.2, the Company will deposit with the Trustee or with one or more Paying Agents an amount of money (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for the Securities of such series or if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 4.3) sufficient to redeem on such Redemption Date all the Securities or portions thereof so called for redemption at the applicable Redemption Price, together with accrued interest on and Additional Amounts with respect thereto, to such Redemption Date.
If fewer than all the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be redeemed, the Company shall give notice of redemption to the Trustee not less than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date as to the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be redeemed.
If a Holders’ Redemption Agreement, as hereinafter defined, is not on file with the Trustee and in effect, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche not previously called for redemption, substantially pro rata, by lot or by any other method the Trustee considers fair and appropriate and that complies with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on which such Securities are listed, and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or Tranche or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such series or Tranche of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or Tranche;provided that in the event that the Securities of such series or Tranche have different terms and maturities, the Securities to be redeemed shall be selected by the Company and the Company shall give notice thereof to the Trustee;provided,however, that if, as indicated in an Officer’s Certificate, the Company shall have offered to purchase all or any principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding of any series, or any Tranche thereof, and fewer than all of such Securities as to which such offer was made shall have been tendered to the Company for such purchase, the Trustee, if so directed by Company Order, shall
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select for redemption all or any principal amount of such Securities which have not been so tendered.
If the Trustee shall use “CUSIP”, “Common Code” or “ISIN” numbers in notices as a convenience to Holders, then any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the “CUSIP”, “Common Code” or “ISIN” numbers.
If at the time the Company shall have given notice of redemption to the Trustee in accordance with Section 14.2, there shall be on file with the Trustee and in effect a Holders’ Redemption Agreement, as hereinafter defined, then the Trustee shall select, in accordance with the provisions of said Holders’ Redemption Agreement, the Securities or parts thereof to be redeemed.
For the purposes of this Indenture, the term “Holders’ Redemption Agreement” shall mean an agreement, reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, executed as provided in this Section, which provides for the method to be followed by the Trustee in selecting Securities or parts of Securities for redemption out of any funds held by the Trustee to be applied to such redemption. A Holders’ Redemption Agreement may be made with respect to a single series of Securities, or Tranche thereof, in which case it shall be executed by or on behalf of the Holders of all Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche, or it may be made with respect to all Outstanding Securities in which case it shall be executed by or on behalf of the Holders of all Securities Outstanding hereunder.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
Section 14.3Payment of Securities Called for Redemption.
If notice of redemption has been given as above provided and the Company has deposited, on or before the Redemption Date, with the Trustee (and/or having irrevocably directed the Trustee to apply, from money held by it available to be used for the redemption of Securities) an amount in cash sufficient to redeem all of the Securities to be redeemed, the Securities or portions of Securities of the series specified in such notice shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date, and at the place or places stated in such notice at the applicable Redemption Price, together with any interest accrued to such Redemption Date, and on and after said Redemption Date any interest on the Securities or portion of Securities of any series so called for redemption shall cease to accrue. On presentation and surrender of such Securities at a Place of Payment in such notice specified, such Securities or the specified portions thereof shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the applicable Redemption Price, together with any interest accrued and Additional Amounts to the Redemption Date,
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except that if such Redemption Date is an Interest Payment Date, interest shall be paid as provided in Section 3.8.
Upon presentation of any Security redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery to or on the order of the Holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security or Securities of such series, of authorized denominations, in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.
If a Security in global form is so surrendered, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the U.S. Depository or other Depository for such Security in global form as shall be specified in the Company Order with respect thereto to the Trustee, without service charge, a new Security in global form in a denomination equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security in global form so surrendered.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium, until paid, shall bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
ARTICLE 15
REDEMPTION AT THE OPTION OF HOLDERS FOLLOWING A RESTRUCTURING EVENT
Section 15.1Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to the Securities of any series if specified by Section 3.1 for Securities of such series.
Section 15.2Redemption of Securities issued by the Company at the Option of Holders.
If the provisions of this Article shall be applicable to the Securities of a series pursuant to Section 3.1, then if at any time while any of the Securities of such series issued by the Company remains outstanding, there occurs a Restructuring Event, a Public Announcement shall be made and if, within the Restructuring Period, either:
| | (a) | | (if at the time that the Restructuring Event occurs there are Rated Securities) a Rating Downgrade in respect of the Restructuring Event occurs; or |
| |
| | (b) | | (if at the time that the Restructuring Event occurs there are no Rated Securities) a Negative Rating Event in respect of the Restructuring Event occurs, |
then the Holders of each Security of such series issued by the Company will have the option upon the giving of a Put Notice (as defined in Section 15.5) to require the Company to redeem or, at the option of the Company, purchase (or procure the purchase of) such Security on the Put
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Date (as defined in Section 15.5) at its principal amount together with accrued interest to the Put Date. The Restructuring Event and Rating Downgrade or the Restructuring Event and Negative Rating Event, as the case may be, occurring within the Restructuring Period, are together referred to as a “Put Event.”
If the provisions of this Article shall be applicable to the Securities of a series pursuant to Section 3.1, then promptly upon the Company becoming aware that a Put Event has occurred, the Company shall, or at any time upon the Trustee having actual knowledge of such Put Event or having received written notice thereof the Trustee may, and if so requested in writing by the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the applicable series then Outstanding, the Trustee shall, give notice (a “Put Event Notice”) to the Holders of the relevant series of Securities in accordance with Section 13.4 specifying the nature of the Put Event and the procedure (as set out in Section 15.5) for exercising the option contained in this Section 15.2.
The Company shall, forthwith upon becoming aware of the occurrence of the Restructuring Event (a) provide the Trustee with the relevant Directors’ Report and (b) provide or procure that the Reporting Accountants provide the Trustee with the Accountants’ Report. The Directors’ Report and the Accountants’ Report shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive and binding on all concerned, including the Trustee and the Holders. The Trustee shall be entitled to act, or not act, and rely on without being expected to verify the accuracy of the same (and shall have no liability to Holders for doing so) any Directors’ Report and/or any Accountants’ Report (whether or not addressed to it).
Section 15.3Definitions related to Redemption of Securities issued by the Company at the Option of Holders.
For the purposes of this Article 15:
“Accountants’ Report” means a report of the Reporting Accountants stating whether the amounts included in the calculation of the Operating Profit and the amount for Consolidated Operating Profit as included in the Directors’ Report have been accurately extracted from the accounting records of the Company and its Subsidiaries and whether the Disposal Percentage included in the Directors’ Report has been correctly calculated which will be prepared pursuant to an engagement letter to be entered into by the Reporting Accountants and the Company.
The Company shall use reasonable efforts to procure that there shall at the relevant time be Reporting Accountants who have (a) entered into an engagement letter with the Company which shall (i) not limit the liability of the Reporting Accountants by reference to a monetary cap and (ii) be available for inspection by Holders at the principal office of the Trustee or (b) agreed to provide Accountants’ Reports on such other terms as the Company shall approve. If the Company, having used reasonable efforts, is unable to procure that there shall at the relevant time be Reporting Accountants who have entered into an engagement letter complying with (i) above, the Trustee may rely on an Accountants’ Report which contains a limit on the liability of the Reporting Accountants by reference to a monetary cap or otherwise.
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Investors should be aware that the engagement letter may contain a limit on the liability of the Reporting Accountants which may impact on the interests of Holders.
The Company shall give notice to the Trustee of the identity of the Reporting Accountants;
“Consolidated Operating Profit” means the consolidated operating profit on ordinary activities before tax and interest and before taking account of depreciation and amortisation of goodwill and regulatory assets (for the avoidance of doubt, exceptional items, as reflected in the Relevant Accounts shall not be included) of the Company and its subsidiaries (including any share of operating profit of associates and joint ventures) determined in accordance with IFRS by reference to the Relevant Accounts;
“Directors’ Report” means a report prepared and signed by two directors of the Company addressed to the Trustee setting out the Operating Profit, the Consolidated Operating Profit and the Disposal Percentage and stating any assumptions which the Directors of the Company have employed in determining the Operating Profit;
“Disposal Percentage” means, in relation to a sale, transfer, lease or other disposal or dispossession of any Disposed Assets, the ratio of (a) the aggregate Operating Profit to (b) the Consolidated Operating Profit, expressed as a percentage;
“Disposed Assets” means, where the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries sells, transfers, leases or otherwise disposes of or is dispossessed by any means (but excluding sales, transfers, leases, disposals or dispossessions which, when taken together with any related lease back or similar arrangements entered into in the ordinary course of business, have the result that the Operating Profit directly attributable to any such undertaking, property or assets continues to accrue to the Company or, as the case may be, such Subsidiary), otherwise than to a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company or to the Company, of the whole or any part (whether by a single transaction or by a number of transactions whether related or not) of its undertaking or (except in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any such Subsidiary) property or assets, the undertaking, property or assets sold, transferred, leased or otherwise disposed of or of which it is so dispossessed;
“Negative Rating Event” shall be deemed to have occurred if either (a) the Company does not, either prior to or not later than 21 days after the relevant Restructuring Event, seek, and thereupon use all reasonable efforts to obtain, a rating of the relevant series of Securities or any other unsecured and unsubordinated debt of the Company having an initial maturity of five years or more (“Rateable Debt”) from a Rating Agency or (b) if the Company does so seek and use such efforts, it is unable, as a result of such Restructuring Event, to obtain such a rating of at least investment grade (BBB- or Baa3 or their respective equivalents for the time being), provided that a Negative Rating Event shall not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Restructuring Event if the Rating Agency declining to assign a rating of at least investment grade (as described above) does not announce or publicly confirm that its declining to assign a rating of at least investment grade was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised in or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable
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Restructuring Event (whether or not the Restructuring Event shall have occurred at the time such investment grade rating is declined);
“Operating Profit”, in relation to any Disposed Assets, means the operating profits on ordinary activities before tax and interest and before taking account of depreciation and amortisation of goodwill and regulatory assets (for the avoidance of doubt, exceptional items, as reflected in the Relevant Accounts, shall not be included) of the Company and its Subsidiaries directly attributable to such Disposed Assets as determined in accordance with IFRS by reference to the Relevant Accounts and, if Relevant Accounts do not yet exist, determined in a manner consistent with the assumptions upon which the Directors’ Report is to be based. Where the Directors of the Company have employed assumptions in determining the Operating Profit, those assumptions should be clearly stated in the Directors’ Report;
“Public Announcement” means an announcement by the Company or the Trustee, of the occurrence of the Restructuring Event published in a leading national newspaper having general circulation in the United States (which is expected to be the Wall Street Journal);
“Rated Securities” means for each series of Securities, the Securities of such series, if and for so long as they shall have an effective rating from a Rating Agency and otherwise any Rateable Debt which is rated by a Rating Agency; provided that if there shall be no such Rateable Debt outstanding prior to the maturity of the Securities, the Holders of not less than one-quarter in principal amount of outstanding Securities of the series may require the Company to obtain and thereafter update on an annual basis a rating of such Securities from a Rating Agency. In addition, the Company may at any time obtain and thereafter update on an annual basis a rating of the relevant series of Securities from a Rating Agency, provided that, except as provided above, the Company shall not have any obligation to obtain such a rating of such Securities;
“Rating Agency” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and its successors or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and its successors or any rating agency substituted for either of them (or any permitted substitute of them) by the Company from time to time with the prior written approval of the Trustee;
“Rating Downgrade” shall be deemed to have occurred in respect of the Restructuring Event if the then current rating whether provided by a Rating Agency at the invitation of the Company or by its own volition assigned to the Rated Securities by any Rating Agency is withdrawn or reduced from an investment grade rating (BBB- or Baa3 or their respective equivalents for the time being or better) to a non-investment grade rating (BB+ or Ba1 or their respective equivalents for the time being or worse) or, if a Rating Agency shall already have rated the Rated Securities below investment grade (as described above), the rating is lowered one full rating category; provided that a Rating Downgrade otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating shall not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Restructuring Event if the Rating Agency making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply does not announce or publicly confirm that the reduction was the result, in whole or part, of any event or circumstance comprised in or arising as a result of,
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or in respect of, the applicable Restructuring Event (whether or not the applicable Restructuring Event shall have occurred at the time of the Rating Downgrade);
“Relevant Accounts” means the most recent annual audited consolidated financial accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries prepared in accordance with IFRS (or such other accounting standards as may be applicable to the Company at the relevant time) preceding the relevant sale, transfer, lease or other disposal or dispossession of any Disposed Asset;
“Reporting Accountants” means the auditors of the Company (but not acting in their capacity as auditors) or such other firm of accountants as may be nominated by the Company and approved in writing by the Trustee for the purpose or, failing which, as may be selected by the Trustee for the purpose; provided that the Company shall pay the costs and expenses of any auditors or accountants nominated by the Company and approved in writing by the Trustee; provided further that the Company shall pay the reasonable and properly incurred costs and expenses of any auditors or accountants selected solely by the Trustee;
“Restructuring Event” shall be deemed to have occurred at any time (whether or not approved by the Board of Directors) that the sum of Disposal Percentages for the Company within any period of consecutive 36 months commencing on or after the initial issue date of the first series of the Securities is greater than 50 percent; and
“Restructuring Period” means the period ending 90 days after a Public Announcement (or such longer period in which the Rated Securities or Rateable Debt, as the case may be, is or are under consideration (announced publicly within the first mentioned period) for rating review or, as the case may be, rating by a Rating Agency).
Section 15.4Responsibilities of Trustee.
The Trustee shall not be responsible for ascertaining or monitoring whether or not the Restructuring Event, a Negative Rating Event or a Rating Downgrade in relation to the Company has occurred and, unless and until it has actual knowledge to the contrary, shall be entitled to assume that no such event has occurred.
Section 15.5Procedures for Exercise of Put Option by Holders
To exercise the option of redemption of a Security under Section 15.2 the Holders must deliver (or cause to be delivered) each Security to be redeemed accompanied by a duly signed and completed notice of exercise in the form (for the time being current) obtainable from the specified office of any Paying Agent (a “Put Notice”), in which the Holders may specify an account to which payment is to be made under this Article 15 to the specified office of any Paying Agent on any Business Day falling within the period (the “Put Period”) of 45 days after a Put Event Notice is given. The Security should be delivered after the date (the “Put Date”) falling seven days after the expiry of the Put Period. The Paying Agent to which such Security and Put Notice are delivered will issue to the Holders concerned a non-transferable receipt in respect of the Security so delivered. Payment in respect of any Security so delivered
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will be made, if the Holder duly specified a bank account in the Put Notice to which payment is to be made, on the Put Date by transfer to that bank account and, in every other case, on or after the Put Date in the same manner as payment for the principal of any premium and interest on the Securities. A Put Notice, once given, shall be irrevocable and no Security so deposited may be withdrawn without the prior consent of the Company. The Company shall redeem the relevant Securities on the Put Date unless previously redeemed or purchased.
ARTICLE 16
SINKING FUNDS
Section 16.1Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment”, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”.
Section 16.2Satisfaction of Mandatory Sinking Fund Payment with Securities.
In lieu of making all or any part of any mandatory sinking fund payment with respect to any Securities of a series in cash, the Company may at its option, at any time but not less than 45 days prior to the date on which such sinking fund payment is due, deliver to the Trustee Securities of such series theretofore purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company, except Securities of such series which have been redeemed through the application of mandatory sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of the Securities of such series, accompanied by a Company Order instructing the Trustee to credit such obligations and stating that the Securities of such series were originally issued by the Company by way of bona fide sale or other negotiation for value;provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the mandatory sinking fund and the amount of such mandatory sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 16.3Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee a certificate signed by any director, the treasurer or any duly authorized assistant treasurer of the Company specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for such series pursuant to the terms of such series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of such series pursuant to Section 15.2 and whether the Company intends to exercise its rights to make a permitted optional sinking fund payment with respect to such series. Such certificate shall be irrevocable
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and upon its delivery the Company shall be obligated to make the cash payment or payments therein referred to, if any, on or before the next succeeding sinking fund payment date. In the case of the failure of the Company to deliver such certificate (or to deliver the Securities, if any, specified in such certificate within the time period specified in Section 15.2), unless otherwise agreed by the Trustee, the sinking fund payment due on the next succeeding sinking fund payment date for such series shall be paid entirely in cash and shall be sufficient to redeem the principal amount of the Securities of such series subject to a mandatory sinking fund payment without the right to deliver or credit Securities as provided in Section 15.2 and without the right to make any optional sinking fund payment, if any, with respect to such series.
Any sinking fund payment or payments (mandatory or optional) made in cash plus any unused balance of any preceding sinking fund payments made with respect to the Securities of any particular series shall be applied by the Trustee (or by the Company if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent) on the sinking fund payment date on which such payment is made (or, if such payment is made before a sinking fund payment date, on the sinking fund payment date following the date of such payment) to the redemption of Securities of such series at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities with respect to the sinking fund together with accrued interest, if any, to the applicable Redemption Date. Any sinking fund moneys not so applied or allocated by the Trustee (or by the Company if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent) to the redemption of Securities shall be added to the next sinking fund payment received by the Trustee (or if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregated and held in trust as provided in Section 4.3) for such series and, together with such payment (or such amount so segregated) shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of this Section 15.3. Any and all sinking fund moneys with respect to the Securities of any particular series held by the Trustee (or if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregated and held in trust as provided in Section 4.3) on the last sinking fund payment date with respect to Securities of such series and not held for the payment or redemption of particular Securities of such series shall be applied by the Trustee (or by the Company if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent), together with other moneys, if necessary, to be deposited (or segregated) sufficient for the purpose, to the payment of the principal of the Securities of such series at Maturity.
The Trustee shall select or cause to be selected the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 14.2 and the Company shall cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the manner provided in Section 14.2 except that the notice of redemption shall also state that the Securities are being redeemed by operation of the sinking fund and whether the sinking fund payment is mandatory or optional, or both, as the case may be. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of the Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Section 14.3.
On or before each sinking fund payment date, the Company shall pay to the Trustee (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, will segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 4.3) in cash a sum equal to the principal and any interest accrued to the Redemption Date for Securities or portions thereof to be redeemed on such sinking fund payment date pursuant to this Section.
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Neither the Trustee nor the Company shall redeem any Securities of a series with sinking fund moneys or mail any notice of redemption of Securities of such series by operation of the sinking fund for such series during the continuance of a default in payment of interest, if any, on any Securities of such series or of any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default occurring as a consequence of this paragraph) with respect to the Securities of such series, except that if the notice of redemption shall have been provided in accordance with the provisions hereof, the Trustee (or the Company if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent) shall redeem such Securities if cash sufficient for that purpose shall be deposited with the Trustee (or segregated by the Company) for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Article. Except as aforesaid, any moneys in the sinking fund for such series at the time when any such default or Event of Default shall occur and any moneys thereafter paid into such sinking fund shall, during the continuance of such default or Event of Default, be held as security for the payment of the Securities of such series;provided,however, that in case such Event of Default or default shall have been cured or waived as provided herein, such moneys shall thereafter be applied on the next sinking fund payment date for the Securities of such series on which such moneys may be applied pursuant to the provisions of this Section.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, National Grid plc has caused this Indenture to be duly executed as a deed as of the date above written.
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| | National Grid plc
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| | By: | | |
| | | Name: | | |
| | | Title: | | |
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized, has executed this Indenture as of the date first above written.
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| | The Bank of New York, as Trustee
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| | By: | | |
| | | Name: | | |
| | | Title: | | |
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