(b) If at any time the Guarantee Trustee shall cease to be eligible to so act under Section 4.1(a), the Guarantee Trustee shall immediately resign in the manner and with the effect set out in Section 4.2(c) .
(c) If the Guarantee Trustee has or shall acquire any “conflicting interest” within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Guarantee Trustee and Guarantor shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Guarantee Trustee may be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the Guarantor.
(b) The Guarantee Trustee shall not be removed in accordance with Section 4.2(a) until a Successor Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by written instrument executed by such Successor Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor.
(c) The Guarantee Trustee appointed to office shall hold office until a Successor Guarantee Trustee shall have been appointed or until its removal or resignation. The Guarantee Trustee may resign from office (without need for prior or subsequent accounting) by an instrument in writing executed by the Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor, which resignation shall not take effect until a Successor Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by instrument in writing executed by such Successor Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor and the resigning Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Guarantee Trustee shall have been appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section 4.2 within 60 days after delivery to the Guarantor of an instrument of resignation, the resigning Guarantee Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor Guarantee Trustee. Such court may thereupon, after prescribing such notice, if any, as it may deem proper, appoint a Successor Guarantee Trustee.
ARTICLE 5
GUARANTEE
Section 5.1. Guarantee.The Guarantor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to each Holder the due and punctual payment of the principal of, any premium and interest (including any Additional Interest) on, any Additional Amounts, and, if applicable, any Additional Sums with respect to any Debenture held by such Holder, when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption, repayment or otherwise, in accordance with the terms of such Debenture and of the Indenture. The Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Guarantee Trustee, on the other hand, the maturity of the Debentures guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 5 of the Indenture for the purposes of this Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the Debentures guaranteed hereby.
Section 5.2. Waiver of Notice and Demand.The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Agreement and of any liability to which it applies or may apply, presentment, demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first against the Guarantee Trustee, the Issuer or any other Person before proceeding against the Guarantor, protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all other notices and demands.
Section 5.3. Obligations Not Affected.The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Guarantor under this Guarantee shall be as if it were a principal debtor, and not merely a surety, and shall in no way be affected or impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the following:
(a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or otherwise, of the performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or implied agreement, covenant, term or condition relating to the Debentures to be performed or observed by the Issuer;
(b) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Debentures, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or extension of any kind;
(c) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or readjustment of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the Issuer or any of the assets of the Issuer;
(d) any invalidity or unenforceability of, or defect or deficiency in, the Debentures; or
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(e) any other circumstance whatsoever that might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor, it being the intent of this Section 5.3 that the obligations of the Guarantor hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances.
There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to, or obtain the consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the foregoing.
Section 5.4. Rights of Holders.The Guarantor expressly acknowledges that: (a) this Agreement will be deposited with the Guarantee Trustee to be held for the benefit of the Holders; (b) the Guarantee Trustee has the right to enforce this Agreement on behalf of the Holders; (c) the holders of not less than a majority of the principal amount of the outstanding Debentures have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Guarantee Trustee in respect of this Agreement or to direct the exercise of any trust or power conferred upon the Guarantee Trustee under this Agreement; and (d) any Holder may, to the extent permitted by law, institute a legal proceeding directly against the Guarantor to enforce its rights under this Agreement, without first instituting a legal proceeding against the Guarantee Trustee, the Issuer or any other Person. The Guarantor waives any right or remedy to require that any action on this Agreement be brought first against the Issuer or any other Person or entity before proceeding directly against the Guarantor.
Section 5.5. Guarantee of Payment.This Guarantee creates a guarantee of payment and not of collection. This Agreement will not be discharged except by payment in full of all amounts (without duplication of amounts theretofore paid by the Issuer) owed under the Debentures.
Section 5.6. Subrogation.The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights, if any, of the Holders against the Issuer in respect of any amounts paid to such Holders by the Guarantor under this Agreement;provided,however, that the Guarantor shall not (except to the extent required by mandatory provisions of applicable law) be entitled to enforce or exercise any right that it may acquire by way of subrogation or any indemnity, reimbursement or other agreement, in all cases as a result of payment under this Agreement, if, at the time of any such payment, any amounts are due and unpaid under this Agreement. If any amount shall be paid to the Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence, the Guarantor agrees to hold such amount in trust for the Holders and to pay over such amount to the Holders.
Section 5.7. Independent Obligations.The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are independent of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Debentures, and that the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor hereunder to make all payments with respect to the Debentures pursuant to the terms of this Agreement notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to in subsections (a) through (e), inclusive, of Section 5.3 hereof.
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Section 5.8. Net Payments.All payments required to be made hereunder shall be made by the Guarantor without withholding or deduction at source for, or on account of, any present or future taxes, fees, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature imposed or levied by or on behalf of the Islands of Bermuda or such other jurisdiction in which the Guarantor (or any of its successors under the Agreement) may be organized (each, a “taxing jurisdiction”) or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, unless such taxes, fees, duties, assessments or governmental charges are required to be withheld or deducted by (i) the laws (or any regulations or ruling promulgated thereunder) of a taxing jurisdiction or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein or (ii) an official position regarding the application, administration, interpretation or enforcement of any such laws, regulations or rulings (including, without limitation, a holding by a court of competent jurisdiction or by a taxing authority in a taxing jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof). If a withholding or deduction at source is required, the Guarantor shall, subject to certain limitations and exceptions set forth below, pay to the Holder of any Debenture such Additional Amounts as may be necessary so that every guarantee payment made to such Holder, after such withholding or deduction, shall not be less than the amount provided for in the Indenture and this Agreement to be then due and payable;provided,however, that the Guarantor shall not be required to make payment of such Additional Amounts for or on account of:
(1) any tax, fee, duty, assessment or governmental charge of whatever nature which would not have been imposed but for the fact that such Holder: (A) was a resident, domiciliary or national of, or engaged in business or maintained a permanent establishment or was physically present in, the relevant taxing jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof or otherwise had some connection with the relevant taxing jurisdiction other than by reason of the mere ownership of, or receipt of payment under, such Debenture; (B) presented such Debenture for payment in the relevant taxing jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof, unless such Debenture could not have been presented for payment elsewhere; or (C) presented such Debenture more than thirty (30) days after the date on which the payment in respect of such Debenture first became due and payable or provided for, whichever is later, except to the extent that the Holder would have been entitled to such Additional Amounts if it had presented such Debenture for payment on any day within such period of thirty (30) days;
(2) any estate, inheritance, gift, sale, transfer, personal property or similar tax, assessment or other governmental charge;
(3) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld by reason of the failure by the Holder or the beneficial owner of such Debenture to comply with any reasonable request by the Issuer addressed to the Holder within 90 days of such request (A) to provide information concerning the nationality, residence or identity of the Holder or such beneficial owner or (B) to make any declaration or other similar claim or satisfy any
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information or reporting requirement, which, in the case of (A) or (B), is required or imposed by statute, treaty, regulation or administrative practice of the relevant taxing jurisdiction or any political subdivision thereof as a precondition to exemption from all or part of such tax, assessment or other governmental charge; or
(4) any combination of items (1), (2) and (3);
nor shall Additional Amounts be paid with respect to any Guarantee Payment to any Holder who is a fiduciary or partnership or other than the sole beneficial owner of the related Debenture, but only to the extent such payment would be required by the laws of the relevant taxing jurisdiction (or any political subdivision or relevant taxing authority thereof or therein) to be included in the income for tax purposes of a beneficiary or partner or settlor with respect to such fiduciary or a member of such partnership or a beneficial owner who would not have been entitled to such Additional Amounts had it been the Holder of such Debenture.
ARTICLE 6
LIMITATION OFTRANSACTIONS; RANKING
Section 6.1. Limitation of Transactions.The Guarantor hereby covenants and agrees that, so long as any Debentures remain outstanding, it will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, (a) declare or pay any dividends or distributions on, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of the outstanding capital shares of the Guarantor or (b) make any payment of principal of, interest or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt security of the Guarantor that ranks equal to or junior in interest to the Debentures or the guarantee in respect thereof, as the case may be, or make any guarantee payments with respect to any guarantee by the Guarantor of the debt securities of any Subsidiary of the Guarantor if such guarantee ranks equal to or junior in interest to the Debentures or the guarantee in respect thereof, as the case may be (other than (i) dividends or distributions in shares of, or options, warrants, rights to subscribe for or purchase shares of, common shares of the Guarantor, (ii) any declaration of a dividend in connection with the implementation of a stockholder’s rights plan, or the issuance of stock under any such plan in the future, or the redemption or repurchase of any such rights pursuant thereto, (iii) the purchase of fractional shares resulting from a reclassification of the Guarantor’s capital stock, (iv) the exchange or conversion of any class or series of the Guarantor’s (or any Subsidiary’s) capital stock for another class or series of the Guarantor’s (or any Subsidiary’s) capital stock or of any class or series of the Guarantor’s (or any Subsidiary’s) indebtedness, (v) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of the Guarantor’s capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital stock or the security being converted or exchanged; and (vi) repurchases, redemptions or other
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acquisitions of shares of capital stock of the Guarantor or any subsidiary under any employment agreement or benefit plan for the benefit of the Guarantor’s directors, officers, or employees, or any dividend reinvestment or director, officer or employee stock purchase plan of the Guarantor) if at such time (1) there shall have occurred any event of which the Guarantor has actual knowledge that (A) with the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default under the Indenture and (B) in respect of which the Guarantor shall not have taken reasonable steps to cure, (2) the Guarantor shall be in default with respect to its payment of any obligations under this Agreement or (3) the Issuer shall have given notice of election to begin an Extension Period with respect to the Debentures as provided in the Indenture and shall not have rescinded such notice, or such Extension Period, or any extension thereof, shall be continuing.
Section 6.2. Ranking.This Agreement will constitute an unsecured obligation of the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior in right of payment to Guarantor Senior Indebtedness, it being understood that the terms of Article 16 of the Indenture shall apply to the obligations of the Guarantor under this Agreement as if (w) such Article 16 were set forth herein in full, (x) such guarantee obligations provided were substituted for the term “Securities” appearing in such Article 16, (y) Guarantor Senior Indebtedness were substituted for the term “Senior Indebtedness” appearing in such Article 16 and (z) the Guarantor were substituted for the term “Company” appearing in such Article 16, (ii)pari passu in right of payments made pursuant to the “Guarantee” (as defined in the Trust Agreement) and (iii) senior to the Guarantor’s common shares.
Section 6.3. Pari Passu Guarantees.This Agreement shall rankpari passu with any similar guarantee agreements issued by the Guarantor on behalf of holders of junior subordinated debentures issued by any entity affiliated with the Guarantor which is a financing vehicle of the Guarantor to any other entity affiliated with the Guarantor which is a financing vehicle of the Guarantor in connection with the issuance by such other entity of preferred securities or other securities which are similar to preferred securities, which junior subordinated debentures are guaranteed by the Guarantor pursuant to an instrument that rankspari passu in right of payment to this Agreement.
ARTICLE 7
TERMINATION
Section 7.1. Termination.This Guarantee shall terminate and be of no further force and effect upon (i) full payment of the Redemption Price of all Debentures and all other amounts then due and payable under the Indenture, or (ii) the full payment of the amounts payable in accordance with the Trust Agreement upon liquidation of the Trust. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement will continue to be effective or will be reinstated, as the case may be,
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if at any time any Holder must restore payment of any sums paid with respect to the Debentures or under this Agreement.
ARTICLE 8
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 8.1. Successors and Assigns.All guarantees and agreements contained in this Agreement shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Holders of the Debentures then outstanding. Except in connection with a consolidation, merger, or sale involving the Guarantor that is permitted under Article 8 of the Indenture and pursuant to which the assignee agrees in writing to perform the Guarantor’s obligations hereunder, the Guarantor shall not assign its obligations hereunder.
Section 8.2. Amendments.Except with respect to any changes that do not adversely affect the rights of Holders in any material respect (in which case no consent of Holders will be required) and any changes to Sections 5.1 and 6.1 hereof, which may only be amended in writing with the prior approval of each holder of the Preferred Securities then outstanding, this Agreement may only be amended in writing by the parties hereto with the prior approval of the holders of a Majority in liquidation preference of the Preferred Securities. The provisions of Article 15 of the Indenture concerning meetings of Holders apply to the giving of such approval.
Section 8.3. Notices.Any notice, request or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and shall be delivered, telecopied or mailed by first class mail, as follows:
(a) If given to the Guarantee Trustee, at the Guarantee Trustee’s mailing address set forth below (or such other address as the Guarantee Trustee may give notice of to the Guarantor and the Holders):
The Bank of New York
4 New York Plaza, 15thFloor
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
(b) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor’s mailing address set forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice of to the Holders):
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PartnerRe Ltd.
90 Pitts Bay Road
Pembroke HM 08
Bermuda
Attention: Director Group Legal
with a copy to:
Davis Polk & Wardwell
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Attention: Ethan T. James, Esq.
(c) If given to the Issuer, in care of the Guarantee Trustee, at the Issuer’s (and the Guarantee Trustee’s) address set forth below or such other address as the Guarantee Trustee on behalf of the Issuer may give notice to the Holders:
PartnerRe Finance II Inc.
c/o PartnerRe Ltd.
90 Pitts Bay Road
Pembroke HM 08
Bermuda
Attention: Director Group Legal
with a copy to:
The Bank of New York
4 New York Plaza, 15th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
(d) If given to any Holder, at the address set forth on the books and records of the Issuer.
All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when received in person, telecopied with receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid except that if a notice or other document is refused delivery or cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice was given, such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date of such refusal or inability to deliver.
Section 8.4. Holders of Preferred Securities as Third Party Beneficiaries.The Guarantor hereby acknowledges that, to the extent specifically set forth herein, the holders of the Preferred Securities of a PartnerRe Trust shall expressly be third party beneficiaries of this Agreement. The Guarantor further acknowledges that, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and is
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attributable to the failure of the Guarantor to pay the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on or Additional Amounts with respect to the Debentures, any holder of the Preferred Securities of such PartnerRe Trust may institute a Direct Action against the Guarantor.
Section 8.5. Benefit.This Guarantee is solely for the benefit of the Holders and is not separately transferable from the Debentures.
Section 8.6. Governing Law.THIS GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND PERFORMED IN THAT STATE.
Section 8.7. Interpretation.In this Guarantee, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) capitalized terms used in this Agreement, but not defined in the preamble hereto have the respective meanings assigned to them in Section 1.1 or in the Indenture, as the case may be;
(b) a term defined anywhere in this Agreement has the same meaning throughout;
(c) all references to “the Agreement” or “this Agreement” are to this Agreement as modified, supplemented or amended from time to time;
(d) all references in this Agreement to Articles and Sections are to Articles and Sections of this Agreement, unless otherwise specified;
(e) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the same meaning when used in this Agreement, unless otherwise defined in this Agreement or unless the context otherwise requires;
(f) a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice versa; and
(g) the masculine, feminine, or neuter genders used herein shall include the masculine, feminine and neuter genders.
Section 8.8. Submission to Jurisdiction.The Guarantor agrees that any judicial proceedings instituted in relation to any matter arising under this Agreement 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 Agreement, the Guarantor 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 Guarantor also irrevocably and
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unconditionally waives for the benefit of the Guarantee Trustee and the Holders 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 Agreement. The Guarantor hereby irrevocably designates and appoints, for the benefit of the Guarantee Trustee and the Holders for the term of this Agreement, PartnerRe U.S. Corporation, One Greenwich Plaza, Greenwich, CT 06830-6352, 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 Davis Polk & Wardwell, 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017, Attention: Ethan T. James, Esq.) 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 Guarantor to be effective and binding service on it in every respect whether or not the Guarantor 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 Guarantor hereunder remain outstanding, or until the appointment of a successor located in New York or Connecticut by the Guarantor and such successor’s acceptance of such appointment. Upon such acceptance, the Guarantor shall notify the Guarantee Trustee in writing of the name and address of such successor. The Guarantor further agrees for the benefit of the Guarantee Trustee and the Holders to take any and all action, including the execution and filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment of said PartnerRe U.S. Corporation in full force and effect so long as any of the Debentures or the obligations of the Guarantor hereunder shall be outstanding. The Guarantee Trustee shall not be obligated and shall have no responsibility with respect to any failure by the Guarantor 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 Guarantee Trustee or any Holder to institute proceedings against the Guarantor in the courts of any other jurisdiction or jurisdictions.
Section 8.9. Judgment Currency.The Guarantor 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 any guarantee payment (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 Guarantee 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 Agreement to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not 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
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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 Agreement. 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.
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THIS GUARANTEE AGREEMENT is executed as of the day and year first above written.
PARTNERRE LTD., |
as Guarantor |
| | |
By: | /s/ Patrick A. Thiele |
|
|
| Name: | Patrick A. Thiele |
| Title: | President & CEO |
|
|
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, |
as Guarantee Trustee |
| | |
By: | /s/ Van K. Brown |
|
|
| Name: | Van K. Brown |
| Title: | Vice President |
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