Exhibit 4
[FORM OF REGISTERED GLOBAL SECURITY]
THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (THE “DEPOSITARY”) OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY. THIS SECURITY IS EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE ONLY IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY) MAY BE MADE EXCEPT IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES.
UNLESS THIS GLOBAL SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE COMPANY (AS DEFINED HEREIN) OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY (AND ANY PAYMENT THEREON IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL IN AS MUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
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REGISTERED | | | | REGISTERED |
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Number [—] | | | | U.S.$[—] |
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| | FORTUNE BRANDS, INC. 6.375% Notes due 2014 | | |
| | | | CUSIP 349631 AP6 |
FORTUNE BRANDS, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein referred to as the “Company”), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO. or registered assigns, the principal sum of [—] DOLLARS on June 15, 2014, and to pay interest, semiannually on June 15 and December 15 of each year commencing December 15, 2009, on said principal sum at the rate of 6.375% per annum, subject to the adjustment as provided below in this Security, from the June 15 or December 15, as the case may be, next preceding the date of this Security to which interest has been paid, unless the date
hereof is a date to which interest has been paid, in which case from the date of this Security, or unless no interest has been paid on the Securities, in which case from June 12, 2009, until payment of said principal sum has been made or duly provided for. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the date hereof is after a June 1 or December 1, as the case may be, and before the following June 15 or December 15, this Security shall bear interest from such June 15 or December 15; provided, however, that if the Company shall default in the payment of interest due on such June 15 or December 15 then this Security shall bear interest from the next preceding June 15 or December 15 to which interest has been paid, or, if no interest has been paid on the Securities, from June 12, 2009. The interest so payable on any June 15 or December 15 will, subject to certain exceptions provided in the Indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of April 15, 1999, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly The Chase Manhattan Bank), as Trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture with respect to the Securities of this series), be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the June 1 or December 1, as the case may be, next preceding such June 15 or December 15. The principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security are payable at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided that interest may be paid, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the Person entitled thereto at its address on the Security Register. Any interest not punctually paid or duly provided for shall be payable as provided in said Indenture.
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company designated as its 6.375% Notes due 2014 (Securities of such series being hereinafter called the “Securities”), initially issued in an aggregate principal amount of $500,000,000 (but subject to additional issuances from time to time), issued and to be issued under the Indenture, to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered.
Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, this Security will be issued in global form only registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee. This Security will not be issued in definitive form, except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, and ownership of this Security shall be maintained in book-entry form by the Depositary for the accounts of participating organizations of the Depositary.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin and currency, herein prescribed.
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Optional Redemption
The Securities will be redeemable in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at the Company’s option, at a redemption price equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities then outstanding to be redeemed or (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Securities to be redeemed (not including any portion of such payments of interest accrued to the date of redemption) discounted to the date of redemption on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the applicable Treasury Rate plus 50 basis points, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount being redeemed to the redemption date.
The Company will mail a notice of redemption to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed by first-class mail at least 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption. Unless the Company defaults on the payment of the redemption price, interest will cease to accrue on the Securities or portions thereof called for redemption on the redemption date. If fewer than all of the Securities are to be redeemed, the Trustee will select, not more than 60 days prior to the redemption date, the particular Securities or portions thereof for redemption from the Outstanding Securities not previously called by such method as the Trustee deems fair and appropriate.
“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the U.S. Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term (“remaining life”) of the Securities to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Securities.
“Comparable Treasury Price” means (1) the average of five Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (2) if the Independent Investment Banker obtains fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such quotations.
“Independent Investment Banker” means either Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. or RBS Securities Inc., as specified by the Company, or, if any of these firms are unwilling or unable to select the Comparable Treasury Issue, an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company.
“Reference Treasury Dealer” means (1) Barclays Capital Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and RBS Securities Inc. and their respective successors, provided, however, that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. government securities dealer in New York City (a “primary treasury dealer”), the Company will substitute therefor another primary treasury dealer and (2) any other primary treasury dealer selected by the Company after consultation with the Independent Investment Banker.
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“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Independent Investment Banker, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Independent Investment Banker at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third business day preceding such redemption date.
“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any redemption date: (i) the yield, under the heading which represents the average for the immediately preceding week, appearing in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15(519)” or any successor publication which is published weekly by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and which establishes yields on actively traded U.S. Treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities,” for the maturity corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue (if no maturity is within three months before or after the remaining life (as defined below), yields for the two published maturities most closely corresponding to the Comparable Treasury Issue will be determined and the Treasury Rate will be interpolated or extrapolated from such yields on a straight line basis, rounding to the nearest month) or (ii) if such release (or any successor release) is not published during the week preceding the calculation date or does not contain such yields, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.
The Treasury Rate will be calculated by the Independent Investment Banker on the third business day preceding the date fixed for redemption.
Change of Control Triggering Event
If a Change of Control Triggering Event occurs with respect to the Securities, unless the Company has exercised its option to redeem the Securities as described above, the Company will be required to make an offer (a “Change of Control Offer”) to each holder of the Securities with respect to which a Change of Control Triggering Event has occurred to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 or any multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof) of that holder’s Securities on the terms set forth herein. In a Change of Control Offer, the Company will be required to offer payment in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Securities repurchased to the date of repurchase (a “Change of Control Payment”).
Within 30 days following any Change of Control Triggering Event or, at the Company’s option, prior to any Change of Control, but after public announcement of the transaction that constitutes or may constitute the Change of Control, a notice will be mailed to holders of the Securities describing the transaction that constitutes or may constitute the Change of Control Triggering Event and offering to repurchase the Securities on the date specified in the applicable notice, which date will be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed (a “Change of Control Payment Date”). The notice will, if mailed
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prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, state that the Change of Control Offer is conditioned on the Change of Control Triggering Event occurring on or prior to the applicable Change of Control Payment Date.
Upon the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful:
| | • | | accept for payment all Securities or portions of Securities properly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the applicable Change of Control Offer; |
| | • | | deposit with the paying agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Securities or portions of Securities properly tendered; and |
| | • | | deliver or cause to be delivered to the trustee the Securities properly accepted together with an officers’ certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Securities or portions of Securities being repurchased. |
The Company will not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company and the third party repurchases all Securities properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer. In addition, the Company will not repurchase any Securities if there has occurred and is continuing on the Change of Control Payment Date an Event of Default under the Indenture, other than a default in the payment of the Change of Control Payment upon a Change of Control Triggering Event.
The Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Securities as a result of a Change of Control Triggering Event. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Change of Control Offer provisions of the Securities, the Company will comply with those securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the Change of Control Offer provisions of the Securities by virtue of any such conflict.
“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following: (1) the direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or more series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets and the assets of its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any person, other than the Company or one of its subsidiaries; (2) the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any person becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or
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indirectly, of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding Voting Stock or other Voting Stock into which the Company’s Voting Stock is reclassified, consolidated, exchanged or changed measured by voting power rather than number of shares; (3) the Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, any person, or any person consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of the Company’s outstanding Voting Stock or the Voting Stock of such other person is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the shares of the Company’s Voting Stock outstanding immediately prior to such transaction constitute, or are converted into or exchanged for, a majority of the Voting Stock of the surviving person or any direct or indirect parent company of the surviving person, immediately after giving effect to such transaction; (4) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors are not Continuing Directors; or (5) the adoption of a plan relating to the Company’s liquidation or dissolution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction will not be deemed to involve a Change of Control if (i) the Company becomes a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company and (ii)(A) the direct or indirect holders of the Voting Stock of such holding company immediately following that transaction are substantially the same as the holders of the Company’s Voting Stock immediately prior to that transaction or (B) immediately following that transaction no person (other than a holding company satisfying the requirements of this sentence) is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such holding company. The term “person,” as used in this definition, has the meaning given thereto in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act.
“Change of Control Triggering Event” with respect to the Securities means the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Rating Event with respect to the Securities.
“Continuing Directors” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Company’s Board of Directors who (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date the Securities were issued or (2) was nominated for election, elected or appointed to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination, election or appointment (either by a specific vote or by approval of the Company’s proxy statement in which such member was named as a nominee for election as a director, without objection to such nomination).
“Fitch” means Fitch Inc., and its successors.
“Index Debt” means senior, unsecured, long-term indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company that is not guaranteed by any other person or subject to any other credit enhancement.
“Investment Grade Rating” means a rating on the Index Debt equal to or higher than BBB- (or the equivalent) by Fitch, a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s and a rating equal to or higher than BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, and a rating equal to or higher than the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any replacement rating agency or Rating Agencies selected by the Company.
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“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., and its successors.
“Rating Agencies” means (1) each of Fitch, Moody’s and S&P and (2) if any of Fitch, Moody’s or S&P ceases to rate the Securities or fails to make a rating of the Securities publicly available for reasons outside of the Company’s control, a Substitute Rating Agency as a replacement agency for any of Fitch, Moody’s or S&P, or all of them, as the case may be.
“Rating Event” means the rating on the Securities is lowered by each of the Rating Agencies then rating the Securities and the Securities are rated below an investment grade rating by each of the Rating Agencies then rating the Securities on any day within the 60-day period (which 60-day period will be extended so long as the rating of the Securities is under publicly announced consideration for a possible downgrade by any of the Rating Agencies then rating the Securities) after the earlier of (a) the occurrence of a Change of Control and (b) public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or our intention to effect a Change of Control; provided that a rating event will not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus will not be deemed a rating event for purposes of the definition of Change of Control triggering event) if each rating agency making the reduction in rating does not publicly announce or confirm or inform the trustee in writing at our request that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control has occurred at the time of the rating event).
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and its successors.
“Substitute Rating Agency” means a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” within the meaning of Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) selected by the Company (as certified by a resolution of the Company’s Board of Directors) as a replacement agency for any one or more of the Rating Agencies.
“Voting Stock” means, with respect to any specified “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) as of any date, the capital stock of such person that is at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such person.
Interest Rate Adjustment
The interest rate payable on the Securities will be subject to adjustment from time to time if either Moody’s or S&P or, in either case, any Substitute Rating Agency downgrades (or downgrades and subsequently upgrades) the debt rating assigned to the Company’s Index Debt, in the manner described below.
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If the rating of the Index Debt from Moody’s (or any Substitute Rating Agency) of the Index Debt is decreased to a rating set forth in the immediately following table, the interest rate on the Securities will increase from the interest rate payable on the Securities on the date of their initial issuance by the percentage points set forth below opposite that rating:
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Moody’s Rating * | | Percentage
Points |
Ba1 | | 0.25 |
Ba2 | | 0.50 |
Ba3 | | 0.75 |
B1 or below | | 1.00 |
| * | Including the equivalent rating of any Substitute Rating Agency. |
If the rating from S&P (or any Substitute Rating Agency) of the Index Debt is decreased to a rating set forth in the immediately following table, the interest rate on the Securities will increase from the interest rate payable on the Securities on the date of their initial issuance by the percentage points set forth below opposite that rating:
| | |
S&P Rating * | | Percentage
Points |
BB+ | | 0.25 |
BB | | 0.50 |
BB- | | 0.75 |
B+ or below | | 1.00 |
| * | Including the equivalent rating of any Substitute Rating Agency. |
If at any time the interest rate on the Securities has been adjusted upward as a result of a decrease in a rating of the Company’s Index Debt by either Moody’s or S&P (or, in either case, a Substitute Rating Agency), as the case may be, and subsequently such rating agency increases its rating of the Index Debt to any of the threshold ratings set forth above, the interest rate on the Securities will be decreased such that the interest rate for the Securities equals the interest rate payable on the Securities on the date of their initial issuance plus the applicable percentage points set forth opposite the ratings in the tables above in effect immediately following the increase. If Moody’s (or any Substitute Rating Agency) decreases and subsequently increases its rating of the Index Debt to Baa3 (or its equivalent, in the case of a Substitute Rating Agency) or higher, and S&P (or any Substitute Rating Agency thereof) decreases and subsequently increases its rating of the Index Debt to BBB- (or its equivalent, in the case of a Substitute Rating Agency) or higher, the interest rate on the Securities will be decreased to the interest rate payable on the Securities
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on the date of their issuance. In addition, the interest rates on the Securities will permanently cease to be subject to any adjustment described above (notwithstanding any subsequent decrease in the ratings by either or both Rating Agencies) if the Index Debt become A3 and A- (or the equivalent of either such rating, in the case of a Substitute Rating Agency) or higher by Moody’s and S&P (or, in either case, a Substitute Rating Agency thereof), respectively (or one of these ratings if the Index Debt are only rated by one rating agency).
Each adjustment required by any decrease or increase in a rating set forth above, whether occasioned by the action of Moody’s or S&P (or, in either case, a Substitute Rating Agency), shall be made independent of (and in addition to) any and all other adjustments. In no event shall (1) the interest rate for the Securities be reduced to below the interest rate payable on the Securities on the date of their issuance or (2) the total increase in the interest rate on the Securities exceed 2.00% above the interest rate payable on the Securities on the date of their issuance.
No adjustments in the interest rate of the Securities shall be made solely as a result of a rating agency ceasing to provide a rating of the Index Debt. If at any time Moody’s or S&P ceases to provide a rating of the Index Debt for a reason beyond the Company’s control, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a rating of the Index Debt from a Substitute Rating Agency, to the extent one exists, and if a Substitute Rating Agency exists, for purposes of determining any increase or decrease in the interest rate on the Securities pursuant to the tables above:
| | • | | such Substitute Rating Agency will be substituted for the last rating agency to provide a rating of the Index Debt but which has since ceased to provide such rating; |
| | • | | the relative rating scale used by such Substitute Rating Agency to assign ratings to senior unsecured debt will be determined in good faith by an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company and, for purposes of determining the applicable ratings included in the applicable table above with respect to such Substitute Rating Agency, such ratings will be deemed to be the equivalent ratings used by Moody’s or S&P, as applicable, in such table; and |
| | • | | the interest rate on the Securities will increase or decrease, as the case may be, such that the interest rate equals the interest rate payable on the Securities on the date of their initial issuance plus the appropriate percentage points, if any, set forth opposite the rating from such Substitute Rating Agency in the applicable table above (taking into account the provisions of the second bullet point above) (plus any applicable percentage resulting from a decreased rating by the other rating agency). |
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For so long as only one of Moody’s or S&P provides a rating of the Index Debt and no Substitute Rating Agency is offered to replace the other rating agency, any subsequent increase or decrease in the interest rate of the Securities necessitated by a reduction or increase in the rating by the agency providing the rating shall be twice the percentage set forth in the applicable table above. For so long as none of Moody’s, S&P or a Substitute Rating Agency provides a rating of the Index Debt, the interest rate on the Securities will increase to, or remain at, as the case may be, 2.00% above the interest rate payable on the Securities on the date of their issuance. If Moody’s or S&P either ceases to rate the Index Debt for reasons within the Company’s control or ceases to make a rating of the Index Debt publicly available for reasons within the Company’s control, the Company will not be entitled to obtain a rating from a Substitute Rating Agency and the increase or decrease in the interest rate of the Securities shall be determined in the manner described above as if either only one or no rating agency provides a rating of the Index Debt, as the case may be.
Any interest rate increase or decrease described above will take effect on the next business day after the rating change has occurred.
If the interest rate payable on the Securities is increased as described above, the term “interest,” as used with respect to the Securities, will be deemed to include any such additional interest unless the context otherwise requires.
Other Indenture Provisions
Section 4.03 (including subparagraph (4) thereof and clause (B), but not clause (A), of such subparagraph) and Section 10.10 (including subparagraph (5) thereof) of the Indenture contain provisions applicable to this Security that provide for defeasance at any time of (a) the entire indebtedness on this Security and (b) certain restrictive covenants and certain Events of Default upon compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth therein.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Security may be registered for transfer on the Security Register of the Company, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the registered Holder hereof or its attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
The Company may, from time to time, without notice to or the consent of the Holders of the Securities, increase the aggregate principal amount of the Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture and issue such increased principal amount (or any portion thereof), in which case any additional Securities so issued will have the same form and terms (other than the date of issuance and, under certain circumstances, the date from which interest thereon will begin to accrue), and will carry the same right to receive principal and accrued and unpaid interest, as the Securities previously issued, and such additional Securities will form a single series with the Securities.
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The Securities are issuable only as Registered Securities in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture, and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Registered Securities of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
No service charge will be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company or the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, with respect to the Securities shall occur, the principal of all the Securities may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities under the Indenture at any time by the Company with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then Outstanding Securities of this series and of each other series issued under the Indenture and affected by such amendment or modification. The Indenture also permits the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities, to waive certain past defaults under the Indenture with respect to the Securities and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver shall be conclusive and binding upon the Holder of this Security and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not a notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or the interest on this Security, or for any claim based hereon, or otherwise in respect hereof, or based on or in respect of the Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto, against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or any successor Person, either directly or through the Company, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise, all such liability being, by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof, expressly waived and released.
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Except as otherwise defined herein, all terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
This Security shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of New York and for all purposes shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of said State.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under said Indenture, or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal.
Dated: , 2009
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FORTUNE BRANDS, INC. |
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| By: | | |
| Name: | | |
| Title: | | |
[FORM OF TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION]
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
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| The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee |
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| By: | | |
| | Authorized Officer |
