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L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION,
As Issuer
$250,000,000
8 1/2% SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2008
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INDENTURE
Dated as of May 22, 1998
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The Bank of New York,
As Trustee
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE 1. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE.............................................................1
SECTION 1.01. DEFINITIONS.........................................................................................1
SECTION 1.02. OTHER DEFINITIONS..................................................................................17
SECTION 1.03. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT..................................................17
SECTION 1.04. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION..............................................................................18
ARTICLE 2. THE NOTES.............................................................................................18
SECTION 2.01. FORM AND DATING....................................................................................18
SECTION 2.02. EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.......................................................................19
SECTION 2.03. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT.........................................................................19
SECTION 2.04. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD MONEY IN TRUST................................................................20
SECTION 2.05. HOLDER LISTS.......................................................................................20
SECTION 2.06. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE..............................................................................20
SECTION 2.07. REPLACEMENT NOTES..................................................................................24
SECTION 2.08. OUTSTANDING NOTES..................................................................................25
SECTION 2.09. TREASURY NOTES.....................................................................................25
SECTION 2.10. TEMPORARY NOTES....................................................................................25
SECTION 2.11. CANCELLATION.......................................................................................26
SECTION 2.12. DEFAULTED INTEREST.................................................................................26
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP NUMBERS......................................................................................26
ARTICLE 3. REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT.............................................................................26
SECTION 3.01. NOTICES TO TRUSTEE.................................................................................26
SECTION 3.02. SELECTION OF NOTES TO BE REDEEMED..................................................................27
SECTION 3.03. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION...............................................................................27
SECTION 3.04. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.....................................................................28
SECTION 3.05. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE........................................................................28
SECTION 3.06. NOTES REDEEMED IN PART.............................................................................29
SECTION 3.07. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION................................................................................29
SECTION 3.08. MANDATORY REDEMPTION...............................................................................29
SECTION 3.09. OFFER TO PURCHASE BY APPLICATION OF EXCESS PROCEEDS................................................29
ARTICLE 4. COVENANTS.............................................................................................31
SECTION 4.01. PAYMENT OF NOTES...................................................................................31
SECTION 4.02. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY....................................................................32
SECTION 4.03. REPORTS............................................................................................32
SECTION 4.04. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE.............................................................................33
SECTION 4.05. TAXES..............................................................................................34
SECTION 4.06. [INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]............................................................................34
SECTION 4.07. RESTRICTED PAYMENTS................................................................................34
SECTION 4.08. DIVIDEND AND OTHER PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING SUBSIDIARIES.....................................36
SECTION 4.09. INCURRENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS AND ISSUANCE OF PREFERRED STOCK.........................................37
SECTION 4.10. ASSET SALES........................................................................................40
SECTION 4.11. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES.......................................................................41
SECTION 4.12. LIENS..............................................................................................42
SECTION 4.13. FUTURE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES.......................................................................42
SECTION 4.14. CORPORATE EXISTENCE................................................................................43
SECTION 4.15. OFFER TO REPURCHASE UPON CHANGE OF CONTROL.........................................................44
i
SECTION 4.16. NO SENIOR SUBORDINATED DEBT........................................................................45
SECTION 4.17. PAYMENTS FOR CONSENT...............................................................................45
ARTICLE 5. SUCCESSORS............................................................................................45
SECTION 5.01. MERGER, CONSOLIDATION, OR SALE OF ASSETS...........................................................45
SECTION 5.02. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED..................................................................46
ARTICLE 6. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES.................................................................................46
SECTION 6.01. EVENTS OF DEFAULT..................................................................................46
SECTION 6.02. ACCELERATION.......................................................................................48
SECTION 6.03. OTHER REMEDIES.....................................................................................49
SECTION 6.04. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS............................................................................49
SECTION 6.05. CONTROL BY MAJORITY................................................................................50
SECTION 6.06. LIMITATION ON SUITS................................................................................50
SECTION 6.07. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF NOTES TO RECEIVE PAYMENT......................................................50
SECTION 6.08. COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.........................................................................50
SECTION 6.09. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM...................................................................51
SECTION 6.10. PRIORITIES.........................................................................................51
SECTION 6.11. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS..............................................................................52
ARTICLE 7. TRUSTEE...............................................................................................52
SECTION 7.01. DUTIES OF TRUSTEE..................................................................................52
SECTION 7.02. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE..................................................................................53
SECTION 7.03. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.......................................................................54
SECTION 7.04. TRUSTEE'S DISCLAIMERS..............................................................................54
SECTION 7.05. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.................................................................................55
SECTION 7.06. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS OF THE NOTES.........................................................55
SECTION 7.07. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.........................................................................55
SECTION 7.08. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.............................................................................56
SECTION 7.09. SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER, ETC...................................................................57
SECTION 7.10. ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION......................................................................57
SECTION 7.11. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY..................................................57
ARTICLE 8. LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE..............................................................57
SECTION 8.01. OPTION TO EFFECT LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE...........................................57
SECTION 8.02. LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE.....................................................................58
SECTION 8.03. COVENANT DEFEASANCE................................................................................58
SECTION 8.04. CONDITIONS TO LEGAL OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.........................................................59
SECTION 8.05. DEPOSITED MONEY AND GOVERNMENT SECURITIES TO BE HELD IN TRUST;
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS...................................................................................60
SECTION 8.06. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY...............................................................................61
SECTION 8.07. REINSTATEMENT......................................................................................61
ARTICLE 9. AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER.....................................................................61
SECTION 9.01. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES................................................................61
SECTION 9.02. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES...................................................................62
SECTION 9.03. COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT................................................................64
SECTION 9.04. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS..................................................................64
SECTION 9.05. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF NOTES...................................................................64
SECTION 9.06. TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC....................................................................64
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ARTICLE 10. SUBORDINATION........................................................................................64
SECTION 10.01. AGREEMENT TO SUBORDINATE..........................................................................64
SECTION 10.02. LIQUIDATION; DISSOLUTION; BANKRUPTCY..............................................................65
SECTION 10.03. DEFAULT ON DESIGNATED SENIOR DEBT.................................................................65
SECTION 10.04. ACCELERATION OF SECURITIES........................................................................66
SECTION 10.05. WHEN DISTRIBUTION MUST BE PAID OVER...............................................................66
SECTION 10.06. NOTICE BY COMPANY.................................................................................66
SECTION 10.07. SUBROGATION.......................................................................................67
SECTION 10.08. RELATIVE RIGHTS...................................................................................67
SECTION 10.09. SUBORDINATION MAY NOT BE IMPAIRED BY COMPANY......................................................67
SECTION 10.10. DISTRIBUTION OR NOTICE TO REPRESENTATIVE..........................................................68
SECTION 10.11. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE AND PAYING AGENT................................................................68
SECTION 10.12. AUTHORIZATION TO EFFECT SUBORDINATION.............................................................68
SECTION 10.13. AMENDMENTS........................................................................................68
ARTICLE 11. MISCELLANEOUS........................................................................................68
SECTION 11.01. TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS......................................................................69
SECTION 11.02. NOTICES...........................................................................................69
SECTION 11.03. COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS OF NOTES WITH OTHER HOLDERS OF NOTES....................................70
SECTION 11.04. CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT................................................70
SECTION 11.05. STATEMENTS REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE OR OPINION.....................................................70
SECTION 11.06. RULE BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS........................................................................71
SECTION 11.07. NO PERSONAL LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND STOCKHOLDERS..........................71
SECTION 11.08. GOVERNING LAW.....................................................................................71
SECTION 11.09. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS.....................................................71
SECTION 11.10. SUCCESSORS........................................................................................71
SECTION 11.11. SEVERABILITY......................................................................................72
SECTION 11.12. COUNTERPART ORIGINALS.............................................................................72
SECTION 11.13. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC..................................................................72
iii
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT A FORM OF NOTE
EXHIBIT B FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE TO BE DELIVERED BY
GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY
EXHIBIT C FORM OF NOTATION ON SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTE RELATING TO
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEE
iv
CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE*
Trust Indenture Indenture
Act Section Section
- --------------- ----------
310 (a)(1)............................................. 7.10
(a)(2)............................................. 7.10
(a)(3)............................................. N.A.
(a)(4)............................................. N.A.
(a)(5)............................................. 7.10
(b)................................................ 7.10
(c)................................................ N.A.
311 (a)................................................ 7.11
(b)................................................ 7.11
(c)................................................ N.A.
312 (a)................................................ 2.05
(b)................................................ 11.03
(c)................................................ 11.03
313 (a)................................................ 7.06
(b)(1)............................................. 10.03
(b)(2)............................................. 7.07
(c)................................................ 7.06;11.02
(d)................................................ 7.06
314 (a)................................................ 4.03;11.02
(b)................................................ 10.02
(c)(1)............................................. 11.04
(c)(2)............................................. 11.04
(c)(3)............................................. N.A.
(d)................................................ 10.03, 10.04, 10.05
(e)................................................ 11.05
(f)................................................ N.A.
315 (a)................................................ 7.01
(b)................................................ 7.05, 11.02
(c)................................................ 7.01
(d)................................................ 7.01
(e)................................................ 6.11
316 (a)(last sentence)................................. 2.09
(a)(1)(A).......................................... 6.05
(a)(1)(B).......................................... 6.04
(a)(2)............................................. N.A.
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*This Cross-Reference Table is not part of the Indenture.
v
(b)................................................ 6.07
(c)................................................ 2.12
317 (a)(1)............................................. 6.08
(a)(2)............................................. 6.09
(b)................................................ 2.04
318 (a)................................................ 11.01
(b)................................................ N.A.
(c)................................................ 11.01
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N.A. means not applicable.
*This Cross-Reference Table is not part of the Indenture.
vi
This INDENTURE dated as of May 22, 1998, between L-3
Communications Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and The
Bank of New York, as trustee (the "Trustee").
The Company and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit
of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the
8 1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008:
ARTICLE 1.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. DEFINITIONS.
"1997 Indenture" means the indenture, dated as of April 30,
1997, among The Bank of New York, as trustee, and the Company, with respect to
the 1997 Notes.
"1997 Notes" means the $225,000,000 in aggregate principal
amount of the Company's 10 3/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007, issued
pursuant to the 1997 Indenture on April 30, 1997.
"Acquired Debt" means, with respect to any specified Person,
(i) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such other Person is
merged with or into or became a Subsidiary of such specified Person, including,
without limitation, Indebtedness incurred in connection with, or in
contemplation of, such other Person merging with or into or becoming a
Subsidiary of such specified Person, and (ii) Indebtedness secured by a Lien
encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.
"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person
directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect
common control with such specified Person. For purposes of this definition,
"control" (including, with correlative meanings, the terms "controlling",
"controlled by" and "under common control with"), as used with respect to any
Person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to
direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise;
provided that beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the voting securities of a
Person shall be deemed to be control.
"Agent" means any Registrar, Paying Agent or co-registrar.
"Applicable Procedures" means, with respect to any transfer
or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and
procedures of the Depositary that apply to such transfer or exchange.
"Asset Sale" means (i) the sale, lease, conveyance or other
disposition of any assets or rights (including, without limitation, by way of a
sale and leaseback) other than sales of inventory in the ordinary course of
business (provided that the sale, lease, conveyance or other
1
disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole shall be governed by the covenant
contained in Section 4.15 and/or the covenant contained in Section 5.01 and not
by the covenant contained in Section 4.10), and (ii) the issue or sale by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Equity Interests of any of the Company's
Restricted Subsidiaries, in the case of either clause (i) or (ii), whether in a
single transaction or a series of related transactions (A) that have a fair
market value in excess of $1.0 million or (B) for net proceeds in excess of
$1.0 million. Notwithstanding the foregoing: (i) a transfer of assets by the
Company to a Restricted Subsidiary or by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company
or to another Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) an issuance of Equity Interests by a
Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or to another Restricted Subsidiary, (iii)
a Restricted Payment that is permitted by the covenant contained in Section
4.07 and (iv) a disposition of Cash Equivalents in the ordinary course of
business shall not be deemed to be an Asset Sale.
"Attributable Debt" in respect of a sale and leaseback
transaction means, at the time of determination, the present value (discounted
at the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, determined in accordance
with GAAP) of the obligation of the lessee for net rental payments during the
remaining term of the lease included in such sale and leaseback transaction
(including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the
option of the lessor, be extended).
"Bankruptcy Law" means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar
federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the
Company, or any authorized committee of the Board of Directors.
"Business Day" means any day other than a Legal Holiday.
"Capital Lease Obligation" means, at the time any
determination thereof is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of
a capital lease that would at such time be required to be capitalized on a
balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.
"Capital Stock" means (i) in the case of a corporation,
corporate stock, (ii) in the case of an association or business entity, any and
all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however
designated) of corporate stock, (iii) in the case of a partnership or limited
liability company, partnership or membership interests (whether general or
limited) and (iv) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person
the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of
assets of, the issuing Person.
"Cash Equivalents" means (i) United States dollars, (ii)
securities issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United
States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof having maturities of
not more than one year from the date of acquisition, (iii) certificates of
deposit and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of six months or less from
the date of acquisition, bankers' acceptances with maturities not exceeding six
months and overnight bank deposits, in each case with any domestic financial
institution to the Senior Credit Facilities or with
2
any domestic commercial bank having capital and surplus in excess of $500.0
million and a Thompson Bank Watch Rating of "B" or better, (iv) repurchase
obligations with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities
of the types described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above entered into with any
financial institution meeting the qualifications specified in clause (iii)
above, (v) commercial paper having the highest rating obtainable from Moody's
or S&P and in each case maturing within six months after the date of
acquisition, (vi) investment funds investing 95% of their assets in securities
of the types described in clauses (i)-(v) above, and (vii) readily marketable
direct obligations issued by any State of the United States of America or any
political subdivision thereof having maturities of not more than one year from
the date of acquisition and having one of the two highest rating categories
obtainable from either Moody's or S&P.
"Change of Control" means the occurrence of any of the
following: (i) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition
(other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related
transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any "person" (as such term is used
in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than the Principals or their
Related Parties (as defined below), (ii) the adoption of a plan relating to the
liquidation or dissolution of the Company, (iii) the consummation of any
transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the
result of which is that any "person" (as defined above), other than the
Principals and their Related Parties, becomes the "beneficial owner" (as such
term is defined in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly
or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of the Company (measured by
voting power rather than number of shares) or (iv) the first day on which a
majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company are not
Continuing Directors.
"Consolidated Cash Flow" means, with respect to any Person
for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus
(i) an amount equal to any extraordinary loss plus any net loss realized in
connection with an Asset Sale (to the extent such losses were deducted in
computing such Consolidated Net Income), plus (ii) provision for taxes based on
income or profits of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such
period, to the extent that such provision for taxes was included in computing
such Consolidated Net Income, plus (iii) consolidated interest expense of such
Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or accrued
and whether or not capitalized (including, without limitation, original issue
discount, non-cash interest payments, the interest component of any deferred
payment obligations, the interest component of all payments associated with
Capital Lease Obligations, imputed interest with respect to Attributable Debt,
commissions, discounts and other fees and charges incurred in respect of letter
of credit or bankers' acceptance financings, and net payments (if any) pursuant
to Hedging Obligations), to the extent that any such expense was deducted in
computing such Consolidated Net Income, plus (iv) depreciation, amortization
(including amortization of goodwill, debt issuance costs and other intangibles
but excluding amortization of other prepaid cash expenses that were paid in a
prior period) and other non-cash expenses (excluding any such non-cash expense
to the extent that it represents an accrual of or reserve for cash expenses in
any future period or amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a
prior period) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period to
the extent that such depreciation, amortization and other
3
non-cash expenses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income,
minus (v) non-cash items (excluding any items that were accrued in the ordinary
course of business) increasing such Consolidated Net Income for such period, in
each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP.
"Consolidated Net Income" means, with respect to any Person
for any period, the aggregate of the Net Income of such Person and its
Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis, determined in
accordance with GAAP; provided that (i) the Net Income of any Person that is
not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of
accounting shall be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or
distributions paid in cash to the referent Person or a Restricted Subsidiary
thereof that is a Guarantor, (ii) the Net Income of any Restricted Subsidiary
shall be excluded to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or
similar distributions by that Restricted Subsidiary of that Net Income is not
at the date of determination permitted without any prior governmental approval
(that has not been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, by operation of the
terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order,
statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted
Subsidiary or its stockholders, (iii) the Net Income of any Person acquired in
a pooling of interests transaction for any period prior to the date of such
acquisition shall be excluded, (iv) the cumulative effect of a change in
accounting principles shall be excluded, (v) the Net Income of any Unrestricted
Subsidiary shall be excluded, whether or not distributed to the Company or one
of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and (vi) the Net Income of any Restricted
Subsidiary shall be calculated after deducting preferred stock dividends
payable by such Restricted Subsidiary to Persons other than the Company and its
other Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Consolidated Tangible Assets" means, with respect to the
Company, the total consolidated assets of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries, less the total intangible assets of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries, as shown on the most recent internal consolidated
balance sheet of the Company and such Restricted Subsidiaries calculated on a
consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
"Continuing Directors" means, as of any date of
determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who (i) was
a member of such Board of Directors on the Issue Date or (ii) was nominated for
election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority
of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board at the time of such
nomination or election.
"Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee" shall be at the
address of the Trustee specified in Section 11.02 hereof or such other address
as to which the Trustee may give notice to the Company.
"Credit Facilities" means, with respect to the Company, one
or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Senior Credit
Facilities) or commercial paper facilities with banks or other institutional
lenders providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financing
(including through the sale of receivables to such lenders or to special
purpose entities
4
formed to borrow from such lenders against such receivables) or letters of
credit, in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded,
replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time.
"Default" means any event that is, or with the passage of
time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.
"Definitive Note" means a certificated Note registered in the
name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Article 2 hereof,
substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, except that such Note shall not
bear the Global Note Legend and shall not have the "Schedule of Exchanges of
Interests in the Global Note" attached thereto.
"Depositary" means, with respect to the Notes issuable or
issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in Section 2.03
hereof as the Depositary with respect to the Notes, until a successor shall
have been appointed and become such pursuant to the applicable provision of
this Indenture, and, thereafter, "Depositary" shall mean or include such
successor.
"Designated Senior Debt" means (i) any Indebtedness
outstanding under the Senior Credit Facilities and (ii) any other Senior Debt
permitted under the Indenture the principal amount of which is $25.0 million or
more and that has been designated by the Company as "Designated Senior Debt".
"Disqualified Stock" means any Capital Stock that, by its
terms (or by the terms of any security into which it is convertible, or for
which it is exchangeable, at the option of the holder thereof), or upon the
happening of any event, matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a
sinking fund obligation or otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the Holder
thereof, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the
date on which the Notes mature; provided, however, that any Capital Stock that
would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the holders thereof have the
right to require the Company to repurchase such Capital Stock upon the
occurrence of a Change of Control or an Asset Sale shall not constitute
Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital Stock provide that the Company
may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock pursuant to such provisions
unless such repurchase or redemption complies with Section 4.07 hereof; and
provided further, that if such Capital Stock is issued to any plan for the
benefit of employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries or by any such plan to
such employees, such Capital Stock shall not constitute Disqualified Stock
solely because it may be required to be repurchased by the Company in order to
satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations.
"Equity Interests" means Capital Stock and all warrants,
options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt
security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).
"Equity Offering" means any public or private sale of equity
securities (excluding Disqualified Stock) of the Company or Holdings, other
than any private sales to an Affiliate of the Company or Holdings.
5
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
"Existing Indebtedness" means any Indebtedness of the Company
(other than Indebtedness under the Senior Credit Facilities and the Notes) in
existence on the date of the Indenture, until such amounts are repaid.
"Fixed Charges" means, with respect to any Person for any
period, the sum, without duplication, of (i) the consolidated interest expense
of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, whether paid or
accrued (including, without limitation, original issue discount, non-cash
interest payments, the interest component of any deferred payment obligations,
the interest component of all payments associated with Capital Lease
Obligations, imputed interest with respect to Attributable Debt, commissions,
discounts and other fees and charges incurred in respect of letter of credit or
bankers' acceptance financings, and net payments (if any) pursuant to Hedging
Obligations, but excluding amortization of debt issuance costs) and (ii) the
consolidated interest of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was
capitalized during such period, and (iii) any interest expense on Indebtedness
of another Person that is guaranteed by such Person or one of its Restricted
Subsidiaries or secured by a Lien on assets of such Person or one of its
Restricted Subsidiaries (whether or not such Guarantee or Lien is called upon)
and (iv) the product of (A) all dividend payments, whether or not in cash, on
any series of preferred stock of such Person or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries, other than dividend payments on Equity Interests payable solely
in Equity Interests of the Company, times (B) a fraction, the numerator of
which is one and the denominator of which is one minus the then current
combined federal, state and local statutory tax rate of such Person, expressed
as a decimal, in each case, on a consolidated basis and in accordance with
GAAP.
"Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio" means with respect to any
Person for any period, the ratio of the Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person
for such period to the Fixed Charges of such Person and its Restricted
Subsidiaries for such period. In the event that the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries incurs, assumes, Guarantees or redeems any Indebtedness
(other than revolving credit borrowings) or issues preferred stock subsequent
to the commencement of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is
being calculated but on or prior to the date on which the event for which the
calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is made (the "Calculation
Date"), then the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio shall be calculated giving pro
forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, Guarantee or redemption of
Indebtedness, or such issuance or redemption of preferred stock, as if the same
had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter reference period.
In addition, for purposes of making the computation referred to above, (i)
acquisitions that have been made by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries, including through mergers or consolidations and including any
related financing transactions, during the four-quarter reference period or
subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to the Calculation Date
shall be deemed to have occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference
period and Consolidated Cash Flow for such reference period shall be calculated
without giving effect to clause (iii) of the proviso set forth in the
definition of Consolidated Net Income, and (ii) the Consolidated Cash Flow
attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP,
and operations or businesses disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, shall
be
6
excluded, and (iii) the Fixed Charges attributable to discontinued operations,
as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses disposed of
prior to the Calculation Date, shall be excluded, but only to the extent that
the obligations giving rise to such Fixed Charges will not be obligations of
the referent Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries following the
Calculation Date.
"Foreign Subsidiary" means a Restricted Subsidiary of the
Company that was not organized or existing under the laws of the United States,
any state thereof, the District of Columbia or any territory thereof.
"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles set
forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and
pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other
statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment
of the accounting profession, which were in effect April 30, 1997.
"Global Notes" means, individually and collectively, each of
the Global Notes substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto issued in
accordance with Article 2 hereof.
"Government Securities" means direct obligations of, or
obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of
which guarantee or obligations the full faith and credit of the United States
is pledged.
"Guarantee" means a guarantee (other than by endorsement of
negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business),
direct or indirect, in any manner (including, without limitation, letters of
credit and reimbursement agreements in respect thereof), of all or any part of
any Indebtedness.
"Guarantors" means each Subsidiary of the Company that
executes a Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of the
Indenture, and their respective successors and assigns.
"Hedging Obligations" means, with respect to any Person, the
obligations of such Person under (i) currency exchange or interest rate swap
agreements, interest rate cap agreements and currency exchange or interest rate
collar agreements and (ii) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect
such Person against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or interest rates.
"Holder" means a Person in whose name a Note is registered.
"Holdings" means L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
"Indebtedness" means, with respect to any Person, any
indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent, in respect of borrowed
money or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or
letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof) or banker's
acceptances or representing Capital Lease Obligations or the balance deferred
and unpaid
7
of the purchase price of any property or representing any Hedging Obligations,
except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable,
if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness (other than letters of
credit and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance
sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP, as well as all
indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person (whether
or not such indebtedness is assumed by such Person) and, to the extent not
otherwise included, the Guarantee by such Person of any indebtedness of any
other Person. The amount of any Indebtedness outstanding as of any date shall
be (i) the accreted value thereof, in the case of any Indebtedness that does
not require current payments of interest, and (ii) the principal amount
thereof, together with any interest thereon that is more than 30 days past due,
in the case of any other Indebtedness.
"Indenture" means this Indenture, as amended or supplemented
from time to time.
"Indirect Participant" means a Person who holds a beneficial
interest in a Global Note through a Participant.
"Investments" means, with respect to any Person, all
investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the forms
of direct or indirect loans (including guarantees of Indebtedness or other
obligations), advances or capital contributions (excluding commission, travel,
moving and similar loans or advances to officers and employees made in the
ordinary course of business), purchases or other acquisitions for consideration
of Indebtedness, Equity Interests or other securities, together with all items
that are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet prepared in
accordance with GAAP. If the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company sells or
otherwise disposes of any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Subsidiary
of the Company such that, after giving effect to any such sale or disposition,
such Person is no longer a Subsidiary of the Company, the Company shall be
deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition
equal to the fair market value of the Equity Interests of such Subsidiary not
sold or disposed of in an amount determined as provided in the last paragraph
of the covenant contained in Section 4.07.
"Issue Date" means the closing date for the sale and original
issuance of the Notes under the Indenture.
"Legal Holiday" means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which
banking institutions in The City of New York or at a place of payment are
authorized by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed. If a payment
date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that
place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest
shall accrue for the intervening period.
"Lehman Investor" means Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and any
of its Affiliates.
"Lien" means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien,
pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such
asset, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable
law (including any conditional sale or other title retention
8
agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to
sell or give a security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any
financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code (or equivalent statutes)
of any jurisdiction).
"Marketable Securities" means, with respect to any Asset
Sale, any readily marketable equity securities that are (i) traded on the New
York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market;
and (ii) issued by a corporation having a total equity market capitalization of
not less than $250.0 million; provided that the excess of (A) the aggregate
amount of securities of any one such corporation held by the Company and any
Restricted Subsidiary over (B) ten times the average daily trading volume of
such securities during the 20 immediately preceding trading days shall be
deemed not to be Marketable Securities; as determined on the date of the
contract relating to such Asset Sale.
"Moody's" means Moody's Investors Services, Inc.
"Net Income" means, with respect to any Person, the net
income (loss) of such Person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any
reduction in respect of preferred stock dividends, excluding, however, (i) any
gain or loss, together with any related provision for taxes thereon, realized
in connection with (A) any Asset Sale (including, without limitation,
dispositions pursuant to sale and leaseback transactions) or (B) the
disposition of any securities by such Person or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries or the extinguishment of any Indebtedness of such Person or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries and (ii) any extraordinary gain or loss, together
with any related provision for taxes on such extraordinary gain or loss and
(iii) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles.
"Net Proceeds" means the aggregate cash proceeds received by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale (including,
without limitation, any cash received upon the sale or other disposition of any
non-cash consideration received in any Asset Sale), net of the direct costs
relating to such Asset Sale (including, without limitation, legal, accounting
and investment banking fees, and sales commissions) and any relocation expenses
incurred as a result thereof, taxes paid or payable as a result thereof (after
taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing
arrangements), amounts required to be applied to the repayment of Indebtedness
secured by a Lien on the asset or assets that were the subject of such Asset
Sale and any reserve for adjustment in respect of the sale price of such asset
or assets established in accordance with GAAP.
"Non-Recourse Debt" means Indebtedness (i) as to which
neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (A) provides credit
support of any kind (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument that
would constitute Indebtedness), (B) is directly or indirectly liable (as a
guarantor or otherwise), or (C) constitutes the lender; and (ii) no default
with respect to which (including any rights that the holders thereof may have
to take enforcement action against an Unrestricted Subsidiary) would permit
(upon notice, lapse of time or both) any holder of any other Indebtedness
(other than Indebtedness incurred under Credit Facilities) of the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to declare a default on such other
Indebtedness or cause the
9
payment thereof to be accelerated or payable prior to its stated maturity; and
(iii) as to which the lenders have been notified in writing that they will not
have any recourse to the stock or assets of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Note Custodian" means the Trustee, as custodian with respect
to the Notes in global form, or any successor entity thereto.
"Obligations" means any principal, premium (if any), interest
(including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in
bankruptcy or for reorganization, whether or not a claim for post-filing
interest is allowed in such proceeding), penalties, fees, charges, expenses,
indemnifications, reimbursement obligations, damages, guarantees and other
liabilities or amounts payable under the documentation governing any
Indebtedness or in respect thereto.
"Offering" means the Offering of the Notes by the Company.
"Officer" means, with respect to any Person, the Chairman of
the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Operating
Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer,
the Controller, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary or any Vice-President of
such Person.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed on behalf
of the Company by two Officers of the Company, one of whom must be the
principal executive officer, the principal financial officer, the treasurer or
the principal accounting officer of the Company, that meets the requirements of
Section 11.05 hereof.
"Opinion of Counsel" means an opinion from legal counsel who
is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that meets the requirements of Section
11.05 hereof. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company or the Trustee.
"Participant" means, with respect to DTC, a Person who has an
account with DTC.
"Permitted Investments" means (i) any Investment in the
Company or in a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is a Guarantor; (ii)
any Investment in cash or Cash Equivalents; (iii) any Investment by the Company
or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in a Person, if as a result of such
Investment (A) such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company and a
Guarantor or (B) such Person is merged, consolidated or amalgamated with or
into, or transfers or conveys substantially all of its assets to, or is
liquidated into, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is
a Guarantor; (iv) any Restricted Investment made as a result of the receipt of
non-cash consideration from an Asset Sale that was made pursuant to and in
compliance with Section 4.07 or any disposition of assets not constituting an
Asset sale; (v) any acquisition of assets solely in exchange for the issuance
of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company; (vi)
advances to employees not to exceed $2.5 million at any one time outstanding;
(vii) any Investment acquired in connection with or as a result of a workout or
bankruptcy of a customer or supplier; (viii) Hedging Obligations permitted to
be incurred under
10
Section 4.09; (ix) any Investment in a Similar Business that is not a
Restricted Subsidiary; provided that the aggregate fair market value of all
Investments outstanding pursuant to this clause (ix) (valued on the date each
such Investment was made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in
value) may not at any one time exceed 10% of the Consolidated Tangible Assets
of the Company; and (x) other Investments in any Person having an aggregate
fair market value (measured on the date each such Investment was made and
without giving effect to subsequent changes in value), when taken together with
all other Investments made pursuant to this clause (x) that are at the time
outstanding, not to exceed $15.0 million.
"Permitted Joint Venture" means any joint venture,
partnership or other Person designated by the Board of Directors (until
designation by the Board of Directors to the contrary); provided that (i) at
least 25% of the Capital Stock thereof with voting power under ordinary
circumstances to elect directors (or Persons having similar or corresponding
powers and responsibilities) is at the time owned (beneficially or directly) by
the Company and/or by one or more Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company and
(ii) such joint venture, partnership or other Person is engaged in a Similar
Business. Any such designation or designation to the contrary shall be
evidenced to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a copy of the
resolution giving effect to such designation and an Officers' Certificate
certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions.
"Permitted Junior Securities" means Equity Interests in the
Company or debt securities that are subordinated to all Senior Debt (and any
debt securities issued in exchange for Senior Debt) to substantially the same
extent as, or to a greater extent than, the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees
are subordinated to Senior Debt pursuant to Article 10 of this Indenture.
"Permitted Liens" means (i) Liens securing Senior Debt of the
Company or any Guarantor that was permitted by the terms of this Indenture to
be incurred; (ii) Liens in favor of the Company or any Guarantor; (iii) Liens
on property of a Person existing at the time such Person is merged into or
consolidated with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;
provided that such Liens were in existence prior to the contemplation of such
merger or consolidation and do not extend to any assets other than those of the
Person merged into or consolidated with the Company; (iv) Liens on property
existing at the time of acquisition thereof by the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company, provided that such Liens were in existence prior to the
contemplation of such acquisition and do not extend to any other assets of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; (v) Liens to secure the
performance of statutory obligations, surety or appeal bonds, performance bonds
or other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of
business; (vi) Liens to secure Indebtedness (including Capital Lease
Obligations) permitted by clause (iv) of the second paragraph of Section 4.09
covering only the assets acquired with such Indebtedness; (vii) Liens existing
on the Issue Date; (viii) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges
or claims that are not yet delinquent or that are being contested in good faith
by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently concluded,
provided that any reserve or other appropriate provision as shall be required
in conformity with GAAP shall have been made therefor; (ix) Liens incurred in
the ordinary course of business of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of
the Company with respect to obligations that do not exceed $5.0 million at any
one
11
time outstanding; (x) Liens on assets of Guarantors to secure Senior Debt of
such Guarantors that was permitted by this Indenture to be incurred; (xi) Liens
securing Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness, provided that any such Lien does
not extend to or cover any property, shares or debt other than the property,
shares or debt securing the Indebtedness so refunded, refinanced or extended;
(xii) Liens incurred or deposits made to secure the performance of tenders,
bids, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, government
contracts, performance and return of money bonds and other obligations of a
like nature, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business
(exclusive of obligations for the payment of borrowed money); (xiii) Liens upon
specific items of inventory or other goods and proceeds of any Person securing
such Person's obligations in respect of bankers' acceptances issued or created
for the account of such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage
of such inventory or other goods in the ordinary course of business; (xiv)
Liens encumbering customary initial deposits and margin deposits, and other
Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business that are within the general
parameters customary in the industry, in each case securing Indebtedness under
Hedging Obligations; and (xv) Liens encumbering deposits made in the ordinary
course of business to secure nondelinquent obligations arising from statutory
or regulatory, contractual or warranty requirements of the Company or its
Subsidiaries for which a reserve or other appropriate provision, if any, as
shall be required by GAAP shall have been made.
"Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness" means any Indebtedness
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries issued in exchange for, or the net
proceeds of which are used to extend, refinance, renew, replace, defease or
refund other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
provided that: (i) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of
such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount of
(or accreted value, if applicable), plus accrued interest on, the Indebtedness
so extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded (plus the
amount of reasonable expenses and prepayment premiums incurred in connection
therewith); (ii) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has a final maturity
date no earlier than the final maturity date of, and has a Weighted Average
Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity
of, the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or
refunded; (iii) if the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed,
replaced, defeased or refunded is subordinated in right of payment to the
Notes, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of
payment to the Notes on terms at least as favorable to the Holders of Notes as
those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being extended,
refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded; and (iv) such Indebtedness
is incurred either by the Company or by the Restricted Subsidiary who is the
obligor on the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced,
defeased or refunded.
"Permitted Securities" means, with respect to any Asset Sale,
Voting Stock of a Person primarily engaged in one or more Similar Businesses;
provided that after giving effect to the Asset Sale such Person shall become a
Restricted Subsidiary and a Guarantor.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership,
joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated
organization or government or agency or political subdivision thereof
(including any subdivision or ongoing business of any such entity or
substantially all of the assets of any such entity, subdivision or business).
12
"Principals" means any Lehman Investor, Lockheed Martin
Corporation, Frank C. Lanza and Robert V. LaPenta.
"Related Party" with respect to any Principal means (i) any
controlling stockholder, 50% (or more) owned Subsidiary, or spouse or immediate
family member (in the case of an individual) of such Principal or (ii) any
trust, corporation, partnership or other entity, the beneficiaries,
stockholders, partners, owners or Persons beneficially holding a more than 50%
controlling interest of which consist of such Principal and/or such other
Persons referred to in the immediately preceding clause (i).
"Representative" means the indenture trustee or other
trustee, agent or representative for any Senior Debt.
"Responsible Officer" when used with respect to the Trustee,
means any officer within the Corporate Trust Administration of the Trustee (or
any successor group of the Trustee) or any other officer of the Trustee
customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above
designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate
trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his
knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
"Restricted Investment" means an Investment other than a
Permitted Investment.
"Restricted Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person,
each Subsidiary of such Person that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
"SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"Senior Credit Facilities" means the credit agreement, as in
effect on the Issue Date among the Company and a syndicate of banks and other
financial institutions led by Lehman Commercial Paper Inc., as syndication
agent, and any related notes, collateral documents, letters of credit and
guarantees, including any appendices, exhibits or schedules to any of the
foregoing (as the same may be in effect from time to time), in each case, as
such agreements may be amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to
time, or refunded, refinanced, restructured, replaced, renewed, repaid or
extended from time to time (whether with the original agents and lenders or
other agents and lenders or otherwise, and whether provided under the original
credit agreement or other credit agreements or otherwise).
"Senior Debt" means (i) all Indebtedness of the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding under Credit Facilities and all
Hedging Obligations with respect thereto, (ii) any other Indebtedness permitted
to be incurred by the Company or any of its Restricted
13
Subsidiaries under the terms of the Indenture, unless the instrument under
which such Indebtedness is incurred expressly provides that it is on a parity
with or subordinated in right of payment to the Notes and (iii) all Obligations
with respect to the foregoing. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the
foregoing, Senior Debt will not include (i) any liability for federal, state,
local or other taxes owed or owing by the Company, (ii) any Indebtedness of the
Company to any of its Subsidiaries or other Affiliates, (iii) any trade
payables or (iv) any Indebtedness that is incurred in violation of the
Indenture.
"Significant Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that would be a
"significant subsidiary" as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X,
promulgated pursuant to the Act, as such Regulation is in effect on the date
hereof.
"Similar Business" means a business, a majority of whose
revenues in the most recently ended calendar year were derived from (i) the
sale of defense products, electronics, communications systems, aerospace
products, avionics products and/or communications products, (ii) any services
related thereto, (iii) any business or activity that is reasonably similar
thereto or a reasonable extension, development or expansion thereof or
ancillary thereto, and (iv) any combination of any of the foregoing.
"Stated Maturity" means, with respect to any installment of
interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which such
payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the original
documentation governing such Indebtedness, and shall not include any contingent
obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior
to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, (i) any
corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the
total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the
occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers
or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly,
by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a
combination thereof) and (ii) any partnership (A) the sole general partner or
the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such
Person or (B) the only general partners of which are such Person or of one or
more Subsidiaries of such Person (or any combination thereof).
"S&P" means Standard and Poor's Corporation.
"TIA" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15
U.S.C.ss.ss.77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date on which this Indenture is
qualified under TIA.
"Transaction Documents" means the Indenture, the Notes and
the Underwriting Agreement.
14
"Trustee" means the party named as such above until a
successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this
Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.
"Underwriting Agreement" means the Underwriting Agreement,
dated May 18, 1998, by and among the Company and Lehman Brothers Inc. and Bank
of America Robertson Stephens.
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary that is
designated by the Board of Directors as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to
a Board Resolution, but only to the extent that such Subsidiary: (i) has no
Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt; (ii) is not party to any agreement,
contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company unless the terms of any such agreement, contract,
arrangement or understanding are no less favorable to the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at the time from
Persons who are not Affiliates of the Company; (iii) is a Person with respect
to which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries has any
direct or indirect obligation (A) to subscribe for additional Equity Interests
or (B) to maintain or preserve such Person's financial condition or to cause
such Person to achieve any specified levels of operating results; (iv) has not
guaranteed or otherwise directly or indirectly provided credit support for any
Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; and (v) has
at least one director on its board of directors that is not a director or
executive officer of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and has
at least one executive officer that is not a director or executive officer of
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries. Any such designation by the
Board of Directors shall be evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee
a certified copy of the Board Resolution giving effect to such designation and
an Officers' Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the
foregoing conditions and was permitted by Section 4.07. If, at any time, any
Unrestricted Subsidiary would fail to meet the foregoing requirements as an
Unrestricted Subsidiary, it shall thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted
Subsidiary for purposes of this Indenture and any Indebtedness of such
Subsidiary shall be deemed to be incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary of the
Company as of such date (and, if such Indebtedness is not permitted to be
incurred as of such date under Section 4.09, the Company shall be in default of
such covenant). The Board of Directors of the Company may at any time designate
any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such
designation shall be deemed to be an incurrence of Indebtedness by a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company of any outstanding Indebtedness of such Unrestricted
Subsidiary and such designation shall only be permitted if (i) such
Indebtedness is permitted under Section 4.09, calculated on a pro forma basis
as if such designation had occurred at the beginning of the four-quarter
reference period, and (ii) no Default or Event of Default would be in existence
following such designation.
"Weighted Average Life to Maturity" means, when applied to
any Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing (i) the
sum of the products obtained by multiplying (A) the amount of each then
remaining installment, sinking fund, serial maturity or other required payments
of principal, including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by (B)
15
the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth) that will elapse
between such date and the making of such payment, by (ii) the then outstanding
principal amount of such Indebtedness.
"Voting Stock" of any Person as of any date means the Capital
Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled to vote in the election of
the Board of Directors of such Person.
"Wholly Owned" means, when used with respect to any
Subsidiary or Restricted Subsidiary of a Person, a Subsidiary (or Restricted
Subsidiary, as appropriate) of such Person all of the outstanding Capital Stock
or other ownership interests of which (other than directors' qualifying shares)
shall at the time be owned by such Person or by one or more Wholly Owned
Subsidiaries (or Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries, as appropriate) of such
Person and one or more Wholly Owned Subsidiaries (or Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiaries, as appropriate) of such Person.
16
SECTION 1.02. OTHER DEFINITIONS.
Defined in
Term Section
---- ----------
"Affiliate Transaction"......................................4.11
"Asset Sale Offer"...........................................3.09
"Bankruptcy Law".............................................4.01
"Change of Control Offer"....................................4.15
"Change of Control Payment"..................................4.15
"Change of Control Payment Date".............................4.15
"Covenant Defeasance"........................................8.03
"Event of Default"...........................................6.01
"Global Note Legend".........................................2.06
"Excess Proceeds"............................................4.10
"incur"......................................................4.09
"Legal Defeasance"...........................................8.02
"Offer Amount"...............................................3.09
"Offer Period"...............................................3.09
"Paying Agent"...............................................2.03
"Purchase Date"..............................................3.09
"Registrar"..................................................2.03
"Remaining Excess Proceeds"..................................4.10
"Restricted Payments"........................................4.07
"Secondary Asset Sale Offer".................................4.10
SECTION 1.03. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the
provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the
following meanings:
"indenture securities" means the Notes;
"indenture security Holder" means a Holder of a Note;
"indenture to be qualified" means this Indenture;
"indenture trustee" or "institutional trustee" means the
Trustee;
"obligor" on the Notes means the Company and any successor
obligor upon the Notes.
17
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by
the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule
under the TIA have the meanings so assigned to them.
SECTION 1.04. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning
assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(3) "or" is not exclusive;
(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the
plural include the singular;
(5) provisions apply to successive events and
transactions; and
(6) references to sections of or rules under the Securities
Act shall be deemed to include substitute, replacement of successor
sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.
ARTICLE 2.
THE NOTES
SECTION 2.01. FORM AND DATING.
The Notes and the Trustee's certificate of authentication
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Notes may be issued
in the form of Definitive Notes or Global Notes, as specified by the Company.
The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock
exchange rule or usage. Each Note shall be dated the date of its
authentication. The Notes shall be in denominations of $1,000 and integral
multiples thereof.
The terms and provisions contained in the Notes shall
constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the
Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Indenture,
expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. However,
to the extent any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions
of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be
controlling.
Notes issued in global form shall be substantially in the
form of Exhibit A attached hereto (including the Global Note Legend and the
"Schedule of Exchanges in the Global Note" attached thereto). Notes issued in
definitive form shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto
(but without the Global Note Legend and without the "Schedule of Exchanges of
18
Interests in the Global Note" attached thereto). Each Global Note shall
represent such of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified therein and each
shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate principal amount of
outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate
principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time
be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions.
Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or
decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented
thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Note Custodian, at the direction of
the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder thereof as
required by Section 2.06 hereof.
SECTION 2.02. EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION
Two Officers shall sign the Notes for the Company by manual
or facsimile signature. The Company's seal shall be reproduced on the Notes and
may be in facsimile form.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds
that office at the time a Note is authenticated, the Note shall nevertheless be
valid.
A Note shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual
signature of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the
Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall, upon a written order of the Company signed
by two Officers, authenticate Notes for original issue up to the aggregate
principal amount stated in paragraph 4 of the Notes. The aggregate principal
amount of Notes outstanding at any time may not exceed such amount except as
provided in Section 2.07 hereof.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to
the Company to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate
Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to
authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An
authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an
Affiliate of the Company.
SECTION 2.03. REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT.
The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Notes
may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange ("Registrar") and
an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment ("Paying Agent").
The Registrar shall keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and
exchange. The Company may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more
additional paying agents. The term "Registrar" includes any co-registrar and
the term "Paying Agent" includes any additional paying agent. The Company may
change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company
shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a
party to this Indenture. If the Company fails to appoint or
19
maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as
such. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or
Registrar.
The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company
("DTC") to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as the
Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as Note Custodian with respect to the
Global Notes.
SECTION 2.04. PAYING AGENT TO HOLD MONEY IN TRUST.
The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the
Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the
benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the
payment of principal, premium, or interest on the Notes, and will notify the
Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any
such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money
held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent
to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee,
the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) shall have no
further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying
Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of
the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or
reorganization proceedings relating to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as
Paying Agent for the Notes.
SECTION 2.05. HOLDER LISTS.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is
reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and
addresses of all Holders and shall otherwise comply with TIA ss. 312(a). If the
Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least
five Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as
the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as
the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of the Holders of
Notes and the Company shall otherwise comply with TIA ss. 312(a).
SECTION 2.06. TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.
(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes. A Global Note may
not be transferred as a whole except by the Depositary to a nominee of the
Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another
nominee of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a
successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. All Global
Notes will be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes if (i) the Company
delivers to the Trustee notice from the Depositary that it is unwilling or
unable to continue to act as Depositary or that it is no longer a clearing
agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor
Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 120 days after the date of
such notice from the Depositary or (ii) the Company in its sole discretion
determines that
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the Global Notes (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged for Definitive
Notes and delivers a written notice to such effect to the Trustee. Upon the
occurrence of either of the preceding events in (i) or (ii) above, Definitive
Notes shall be issued in such names as the Depositary shall instruct the
Trustee. Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part,
as provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.11 hereof. Every Note authenticated and made
available for delivery in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any
portion thereof, pursuant to Section 2.07 or 2.11 hereof, shall be
authenticated and made available for delivery in the form of, and shall be, a
Global Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as
provided in this Section 2.06(a), however beneficial interests in a Global Note
may be transferred and exchanged as provided in Section 2.06(b), (c) or (f)
hereof.
(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the
Global Notes. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global
Notes shall be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the
provisions of this Indenture and the procedures of the Depositary therefor. The
Trustee shall have no obligation to ascertain the Depositary's compliance with
any such restrictions on transfer. Transfers of beneficial interests in the
Global Notes also shall require compliance with either subparagraph (i) or (ii)
below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following
subparagraphs as applicable:
(i) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in the Same Global Note.
Beneficial interests in any Unrestricted Global Note may be
transferred only to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a
beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders
or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to
effect the transfers described in this Section 2.06(b)(i).
(ii) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial
Interests in Global Notes. In connection with all transfers and
exchanges of beneficial interests (other than transfers of beneficial
interests in a Global Note to Persons who take delivery thereof in the
form of a beneficial interest in the same Global Note), the transferor
of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either (A)
(1) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant
given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures
directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a
beneficial interest in the specified Global Note in an amount equal to
the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and (2)
instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures
containing information regarding the Participant account to be
credited with such increase or (B) (1) a written order from a
Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in
accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to
cause to be issued a Definitive Note in an amount equal to the
beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and (2)
instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing
information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note
shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in
(1) above. Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer
or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this
Indenture, the Notes and otherwise
21
applicable under the Securities Act, the Trustee shall adjust
the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant
to Section 2.06(h) hereof.
(c) Transfer or Exchange of Beneficial Interests for
Definitive Notes.
(iii) If any holder of a beneficial interest in an
Unrestricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest
for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a
Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note,
then, upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section
2.06(b)(ii), the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of
the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to
Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee
shall authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the
instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount.
Definitive Notes issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant
to this Section 2.06(c)(iii) shall be registered in such names and in
such authorized denominations as the holder shall instruct the
Registrar through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant
or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive
Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered.
(d) Transfer or Exchange of Definitive Notes for
Beneficial Interests.
(iv) A Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may exchange
such Notes for a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note
or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery
thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted
Global Note. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or
transfer, the Trustee shall cancel the Unrestricted Definitive Notes
and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount
of the Unrestricted Global Note.
If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a
beneficial interest is effected pursuant to subparagraphs (i) above at a time
when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company shall
issue and, upon receipt of an authentication order in accordance with Section
2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global
Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of
beneficial interests transferred pursuant to subparagraphs (ii)(B), (ii)(D) or
(iii) above.
(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes. Upon request
by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder's compliance with the
provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar shall register the transfer
or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or
exchange, the requesting Holder shall present or surrender to the Registrar the
Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of
transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or
by his attorney, duly authorized in writing. In addition, the requesting Holder
shall provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as
applicable, pursuant to the provisions of this Section 2.06(e).
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(v) A Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may transfer
such Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an
Unrestricted Definitive Note. Upon receipt of a request for such a
transfer, the Registrar shall register the Unrestricted Definitive
Notes pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof.
(f) Legends. The following Global Note Legend shall appear on
the face of all Global Notes issued under this Indenture:
"THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE
INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE
BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO
ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY
MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.07
OF THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT
NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (III) THIS
GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT
TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE
TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT
OF THE COMPANY."
(g) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes. At such
time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been
exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed,
repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note shall
be returned to or retained and canceled by the Trustee in accordance with
Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial
interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will
take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global
Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such
Global Note shall be reduced accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on
such Global Note, by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the
Trustee, to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being
exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the
form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note
shall be increased accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global
Note, by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee, to
reflect such increase.
(h) General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges.
(i) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the
Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes
and Definitive Notes upon the Company's order or at the Registrar's
request.
(ii) No service charge shall be made to a holder of a
beneficial interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive
Note for any registration of transfer or
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exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental
charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such
transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon
exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 2.10, 3.06, 4.10,
4.15 and 9.05 hereof).
(iii) The Registrar shall not be required to register the
transfer of or exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or
in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in
part.
(iv) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any
registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive
Notes shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the
same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as
the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such
registration of transfer or exchange.
(v) The Company shall not be required (A) to issue, to
register the transfer of or to exchange Notes during a period
beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of any
selection of Notes for redemption under Section 3.02 hereof and ending
at the close of business on the day of selection, (B) to register the
transfer of or to exchange any Note so selected for redemption in
whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being
redeemed in part or (C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a
Note between a record date and the next succeeding Interest Payment
Date.
(vi) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a
transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Company may deem
and treat the Person in whose name any Note is registered as the
absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of
principal of and interest on such Notes and for all other purposes,
and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Company shall be affected by
notice to the contrary.
(vii) The Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes and
Definitive Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.02
hereof.
SECTION 2.07. REPLACEMENT NOTES.
If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee, or the
Company and the Trustee receives evidence to its satisfaction of the
destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Company shall issue and the
Trustee, upon the written order of the Company signed by two Officers of the
Company, shall authenticate a replacement Note if the Trustee's requirements
are met. If required by the Trustee or the Company, an indemnity bond must be
supplied by the Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and
the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee, any Agent and any
authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is
replaced. The Company may charge for its expenses in replacing a Note.
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Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the
Company and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally
and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued hereunder.
SECTION 2.08. OUTSTANDING NOTES.
The Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes
authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered
to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Note
effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof, and those
described in this Section as not outstanding. Except as set forth in Section
2.09 hereof, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an
Affiliate of the Company holds the Note.
If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it
ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it
that the replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under
Section 4.01 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding and interest on it ceases to
accrue.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or
an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, on a redemption date or maturity date,
money sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date
such Notes shall be deemed to be no longer outstanding and shall cease to
accrue interest.
SECTION 2.09. TREASURY NOTES.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal
amount of Notes have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned
by the Company, or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or
controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company,
shall be considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes of
determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such
direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that a Trustee knows are so owned
shall be so disregarded.
SECTION 2.10. TEMPORARY NOTES.
Until Definitive Notes are ready for delivery, the Company
may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Notes upon a written
order of the Company signed by two Officers of the Company. Temporary Notes
shall be substantially in the form of Definitive Notes but may have variations
that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Notes and as shall be
reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without unreasonable delay, the Company
shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate Definitive Notes in exchange
for temporary Notes.
Holders of temporary Notes shall be entitled to all of the
benefits of this Indenture.
25
SECTION 2.11. CANCELLATION.
The Company at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for
cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any
Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment.
The Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Notes surrendered for registration
of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy
canceled Notes (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange
Act). Certification of the destruction of all canceled Notes shall be delivered
to the Company. The Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it
has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
SECTION 2.12. DEFAULTED INTEREST.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the
Notes, it shall pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the
extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who
are Holders on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate
provided in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof. The Company shall notify the
Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on
each Note and the date of the proposed payment. The Company shall fix or cause
to be fixed each such special record date and payment date, provided that no
such special record date shall be less than 10 days prior to the related
payment date for such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the special
record date, the Company (or, upon the written request of the Company, the
Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company) shall mail or cause to
be mailed to Holders a notice that states the special record date, the related
payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP NUMBERS.
The Company in issuing the Notes may use CUSIP numbers (if
then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use CUSIP numbers in
notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such
notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such
numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of a
redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification
numbers printed on the Notes, and any such redemption shall not be affected by
any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the
Trustee of any change in the CUSIP numbers.
ARTICLE 3.
REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT
SECTION 3.01. NOTICES TO TRUSTEE.
If the Company elects to redeem Notes pursuant to the
optional redemption provisions of Section 3.07 hereof, it shall furnish to the
Trustee, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date,
an Officers' Certificate setting forth (i) the clause of this
26
Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur, (ii) the redemption
date, (iii) the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed and (iv) the
redemption price.
SECTION 3.02. SELECTION OF NOTES TO BE REDEEMED.
If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed at any time,
selection of Notes for redemption shall be made by the Trustee in compliance
with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on
which the Notes are listed, or, if the Notes are not so listed, on a pro rata
basis, by lot or by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate;
provided that no Notes of $1,000 or less shall be redeemed in part. Notices of
redemption shall be mailed by first class mail at least 30 but not more than 60
days before the redemption date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed at its
registered address. Notices of redemption may not be conditional. If any Note
is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to such
Note shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. A
new Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof shall be
issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original
Note. Notes called for redemption become due on the date fixed for redemption.
On and after the redemption date, interest ceases to accrue on Notes or
portions of them called for redemption.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of
the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Note selected for
partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. Notes and
portions of Notes selected shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of
$1,000; except that if all of the Notes of a Holder are to be redeemed, the
entire outstanding amount of Notes held by such Holder, even if not a multiple
of $1,000, shall be redeemed. Except as provided in the preceding sentence,
provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption also
apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.
SECTION 3.03. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.
Subject to the provisions of Section 3.09 hereof, at least 30
days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail
or cause to be mailed, by first class mail, a notice of redemption to each
Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address.
The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed (including
CUSIP Numbers, if any) and shall state:
(a) the redemption date;
(b) the redemption price;
(c) if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the
principal amount of such Note to be redeemed and that, after the redemption
date upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal
to the unredeemed portion shall be issued upon cancellation of the original
Note;
27
(d) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(e) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to
the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(f) that, unless the Company defaults in making such
redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on
and after the redemption date;
(g) the paragraph of the Notes and/or Section of this
Indenture pursuant to which the Notes called for redemption are being redeemed;
and
(h) that no representation is made as to the correctness or
accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the
Notes.
At the Company's request, the Trustee shall give the notice
of redemption in the Company's name and at its expense; provided, however, that
the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least 45 days prior to the
redemption date, an Officers' Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such
notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as
provided in the preceding paragraph.
SECTION 3.04. EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.
Once notice of redemption is mailed in accordance with
Section 3.03 hereof, Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and
payable on the redemption date at the redemption price. A notice of redemption
may not be conditional.
SECTION 3.05. DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.
Prior to 11:00 a.m. on the Business Day prior to the
redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying
Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on
all Notes to be redeemed on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall
promptly return to the Company any money deposited with the Trustee or the
Paying Agent by the Company in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the
redemption price of, and accrued interest on, all Notes to be redeemed.
If the Company complies with the provisions of the preceding
paragraph, on and after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on
the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption. If a Note is redeemed
on or after an interest record date but on or prior to the related interest
payment date, then any accrued and unpaid interest shall be paid to the Person
in whose name such Note was registered at the close of business on such record
date. If any Note called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender for
redemption because of the failure of the Company to comply with the preceding
paragraph, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal, from the redemption
date until such principal is paid, and to the extent lawful on any interest not
paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes
and in Section 4.01 hereof.
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SECTION 3.06. NOTES REDEEMED IN PART.
Upon surrender of a Note that is redeemed in part, the
Company shall issue and, upon the Company's written request, the Trustee shall
authenticate for the Holder at the expense of the Company a new Note equal in
principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Note surrendered.
SECTION 3.07. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.
(a) Except as set forth in clause (b) of this Section 3.7,
the Notes shall not be redeemable at the Company's option prior to May 15,
2003. Thereafter, the Notes shall be subject to redemption at any time at the
option of the Company, in whole or in part, upon not less than 30 nor more than
60 days' notice, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of
principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest to the
applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period
beginning on May 15 of the years indicated below:
YEAR PERCENTAGE
---- ----------
2003...........................................104.250%
2004...........................................102.833%
2005...........................................101.417%
2006 and thereafter............................100.000%
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing clause (a), during the
first 36 months after the Issue Date, the Company may on any one or more
occasions redeem up to an aggregate of 35% of the Notes originally issued at a
redemption price of 108.500% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and
unpaid interest to the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or
more Equity Offerings by the Company or the net cash proceeds of one or more
Equity Offerings by Holdings that are contributed to the Company as common
equity capital; provided that at least 65% of the Notes originally issued
remain outstanding immediately after the occurrence of each such redemption;
and provided, further, that any such redemption must occur within 120 days of
the date of the closing of such Equity Offering.
SECTION 3.08. MANDATORY REDEMPTION.
Except as set forth under Sections 4.10 and 4.15, the Company
is not required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with
respect to the Notes.
SECTION 3.09. OFFER TO PURCHASE BY APPLICATION OF EXCESS PROCEEDS.
In the event that, pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof, the
Company shall be required to commence an offer to all Holders to purchase Notes
(an "Asset Sale Offer"), it shall follow the procedures specified below.
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The Asset Sale Offer shall remain open for a period of 20
Business Days following its commencement and no longer, except to the extent
that a longer period is required by applicable law (the "Offer Period"). No
later than five Business Days after the termination of the Offer Period (the
"Purchase Date"), the Company shall purchase the principal amount of Notes
required to be purchased pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof (the "Offer Amount")
or, if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes tendered in
response to the Asset Sale Offer. Payment for any Notes so purchased shall be
made in the same manner as interest payments are made.
If the Purchase Date is on or after an interest record date
and on or before the related interest payment date, any accrued and unpaid
interest shall be paid to the Person in whose name a Note is registered at the
close of business on such record date, and no additional interest shall be
payable to Holders who tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer.
Upon the commencement of an Asset Sale Offer, the Company
shall send, by first class mail, a notice to the Trustee and each of the
Holders, with a copy to the Trustee. The notice shall contain all instructions
and materials necessary to enable such Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the
Asset Sale Offer. The Asset Sale Offer shall be made to all Holders. The
notice, which shall govern the terms of the Asset Sale Offer, shall state:
(a) that the Asset Sale Offer is being made pursuant to this
Section 3.09 and Section 4.10 hereof and the length of time the Asset Sale
Offer shall remain open;
(b) the Offer Amount, the purchase price and the Purchase
Date;
(c) that any Note not tendered or accepted for payment shall
continue to accrete or accrue interest;
(d) that, unless the Company defaults in making such payment,
any Note accepted for payment pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer shall cease to
accrete or accrue interest after the Purchase Date;
(e) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant
to an Asset Sale Offer may only elect to have all of such Note purchased and
may not elect to have only a portion of such Note purchased;
(f) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant
to any Asset Sale Offer shall be required to surrender the Note, with the form
entitled "Option of Holder to Elect Purchase" on the reverse of the Note
completed, or transfer by book-entry transfer, to the Company, a depositary, if
appointed by the Company, or a Paying Agent at the address specified in the
notice at least three days before the Purchase Date;
(g) that Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their election
if the Company, the depositary or the Paying Agent, as the case may be,
receives, not later than the expiration of the Offer Period, a facsimile
transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the
30
principal amount of the Note the Holder delivered for purchase and a statement
that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Note purchased;
(h) that, if the aggregate principal amount of Notes
surrendered by Holders exceeds the Offer Amount, the Company shall select the
Notes to be purchased on a pro rata basis (with such adjustments as may be
deemed appropriate by the Company so that only Notes in denominations of
$1,000, or integral multiples thereof, shall be purchased); and
(i) that Holders whose Notes were purchased only in part
shall be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion
of the Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry transfer).
On or before the Purchase Date, the Company shall, to the
extent lawful, accept for payment, on a pro rata basis to the extent necessary,
the Offer Amount of Notes or portions thereof tendered pursuant to the Asset
Sale Offer, or if less than the Offer Amount has been tendered, all Notes
tendered, and shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating
that such Notes or portions thereof were accepted for payment by the Company in
accordance with the terms of this Section 3.09. The Company, the Depositary or
the Paying Agent, as the case may be, shall promptly (but in any case not later
than five days after the Purchase Date) mail or deliver to each tendering
Holder an amount equal to the purchase price of the Notes tendered by such
Holder and accepted by the Company for purchase, and the Company shall promptly
issue a new Note, and the Trustee, upon written request from the Company shall
authenticate and mail or deliver such new Note to such Holder, in a principal
amount equal to any unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered. Any Note not
so accepted shall be promptly mailed or delivered by the Company to the Holder
thereof. The Company shall publicly announce the results of the Asset Sale
Offer on the Purchase Date.
Other than as specifically provided in this Section 3.09, any
purchase pursuant to this Section 3.09 shall be made pursuant to the provisions
of Sections 3.01 through 3.06 hereof.
ARTICLE 4.
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. PAYMENT OF NOTES.
The Company shall pay or cause to be paid the principal of,
premium, if any, and interest on the Notes on the dates and in the manner
provided in the Notes. Principal, premium, if any, and interest shall be
considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company
or a Subsidiary thereof, holds as of 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the due date
money deposited by the Company in immediately available funds and designated
for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest then
due.
The Company shall pay interest (including post-petition
interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal at
the rate equal to 1% per annum in excess of the
31
then applicable interest rate on the Notes to the extent lawful; it shall pay
interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any
Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest (without regard to any
applicable grace period) at the same rate to the extent lawful.
SECTION 4.02. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.
The Company shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The
City of New York, an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee or
an affiliate of the Trustee, Registrar or co-registrar) where Notes may be
surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and
demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may
be served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the
location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any
time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or
shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations,
surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust
Office of the Trustee.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more
other offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for
any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations;
provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner
relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the
Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York for such purposes. The Company shall
give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission
and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
The Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of
the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Company in accordance with
Section 2.03.
SECTION 4.03. REPORTS.
Notwithstanding that the Company may not be subject to the
reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or otherwise
report on an annual and quarterly basis on forms provided for such annual and
quarterly reporting pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC,
the Company shall file with the SEC (and provide the Trustee and Holders with
copies thereof), without cost to each Holder, within 15 days after it files
them with the SEC:
(a) within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, annual
reports on Form 10-K (or any successor or comparable form) containing the
information required to be contained therein (or required in such successor or
comparable form);
(b) within 45 days after the end of each of the first three
fiscal quarters of each fiscal year, reports on Form 10-Q (or any successor or
comparable form);
(c) promptly from time to time after the occurrence of an
event required to be therein reported, such other reports on Form 8-K (or any
successor or comparable form); and
32
(d) any other information, documents and other reports which
the Company would be required to file with the SEC if it were subject to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, the Company shall
not be so obligated to file such reports with the SEC if the SEC does not
permit such filing, in which event the Company will make available such
information to prospective purchasers of Notes, in addition to providing such
information to the Trustee and the Holders, in each case within 15 days after
the time the Company would be required to file such information with the SEC,
if it were subject to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
Subject to the provisions of Article 7, delivery of such
reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes
only and the Trustee's receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice
of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained
therein, including the Company's compliance with any of its covenants hereunder
(as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers'
Certificates).
SECTION 4.04. COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE.
(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days
after the end of each fiscal year, an Officers' Certificate stating that a
review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the
preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing
Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed,
performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further
stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of
his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled
each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in
the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of
this Indenture (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred,
describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have
knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with
respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has
occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments on account of the
principal of or interest, if any, on the Notes is prohibited or if such event
has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking
or proposes to take with respect thereto.
(b) So long as not contrary to the then current
recommendations of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the
year-end financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 4.03(a) above shall
be accompanied by a written statement of the Company's independent public
accountants (who shall be a firm of established national reputation) that in
making the examination necessary for certification of such financial
statements, nothing has come to their attention that would lead them to believe
that the Company has violated any provisions of Article 4 or Article 5 hereof
or, if any such violation has occurred, specifying the nature and period of
existence thereof, it being understood that such accountants shall not be
liable directly or indirectly to any Person for any failure to obtain knowledge
of any such violation.
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(c) The Company shall, so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, as soon as possible and in any event
within five Business Days after any Officer becoming aware of any Default or
Event of Default, an Officers' Certificate specifying such Default or Event of
Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect
thereto.
SECTION 4.05. TAXES.
The Company shall pay, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries to pay, prior to delinquency, all material taxes, assessments, and
governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by
appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not
adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.
SECTION 4.06. [INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]
SECTION 4.07. RESTRICTED PAYMENTS.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly: (i) declare or pay any
dividend or make any other payment or distribution on account of the Company's
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries' Equity Interests (including, without
limitation, any payment in connection with any merger or consolidation
involving the Company) or to the direct or indirect holders of the Company's or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries' Equity Interests in their capacity as such
(other than (A) dividends or distributions payable in Equity Interests (other
than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or (B) dividends or distributions by a
Restricted Subsidiary so long as, in the case of any dividend or distribution
payable on or in respect of any class or series of securities issued by a
Restricted Subsidiary other than a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary, the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary receives at least its pro rata share of such
dividend or distribution in accordance with its Equity Interests in such class
or series of securities); (ii) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or retire
for value (including without limitation, in connection with any merger or
consolidation involving the Company) any Equity Interests of the Company or any
direct or indirect parent of the Company; (iii) make any payment on or with
respect to, or purchase, redeem, defease or otherwise acquire or retire for
value any Indebtedness that is subordinated to the Notes except a payment of
interest or principal at Stated Maturity; or (iv) make any Restricted
Investment (all such payments and other actions set forth in clauses (i)
through (iv) above being collectively referred to as "Restricted Payments"),
unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such Restricted Payment:
(a) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and
be continuing or would occur as a consequence thereof; and
(b) the Company would, at the time of such Restricted Payment
and after giving pro forma effect thereto as if such Restricted
Payment had been made at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter
period, have been permitted to incur at least
34
$1.00 of additional Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of Section 4.09; and
(c) such Restricted Payment, together with the aggregate
amount of all other Restricted Payments made by the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries since April 30, 1997 (excluding Restricted
Payments permitted by clauses (ii) through (vii) of the next
succeeding paragraph or of the kind contemplated by such clauses that
were made prior to the date of the Indenture), is less than the sum of
(i) 50% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Company for the period
(taken as one accounting period) from July 1, 1997 to the end of the
Company's most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal
financial statements are available at the time of such Restricted
Payment (or, if such Consolidated Net Income for such period is a
deficit, less 100% of such deficit), plus (ii) 100% of the aggregate
net cash proceeds received by the Company since April 30, 1997 from a
contribution to its common equity capital or the issue or sale of
Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) or of
Disqualified Stock or debt securities of the Company that have been
converted into such Equity Interests (other than Equity Interests (or
Disqualified Stock or convertible debt securities) sold to a
Subsidiary of the Company and other than Disqualified Stock or
convertible debt securities that have been converted into Disqualified
Stock), plus (iii) to the extent that any Restricted Investment that
was made after April 30, 1997 is sold for cash or otherwise liquidated
or repaid for cash, the amount of cash received in connection
therewith (or from the sale of Marketable Securities received in
connection therewith), plus (iv) to the extent not already included in
such Consolidated Net Income of the Company for such period and
without duplication, (A) 100% of the aggregate amount of cash received
as a dividend from an Unrestricted Subsidiary, (B) 100% of the cash
received upon the sale of Marketable Securities received as a dividend
from an Unrestricted Subsidiary, and (C) 100% of the net assets of any
Unrestricted Subsidiary on the date that it becomes a Restricted
Subsidiary.
The foregoing provisions shall not prohibit: (i) the payment
of any dividend within 60 days after the date of declaration thereof, if at
said date of declaration such payment would have complied with the provisions
of this Indenture; (ii) the redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or
other acquisition of any subordinated Indebtedness or Equity Interests of the
Company in exchange for, or out of the net cash proceeds of the substantially
concurrent sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company) of, other Equity
Interests of the Company (other than any Disqualified Stock); provided that the
amount of any such net cash proceeds that are utilized for any such redemption,
repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition shall be excluded from
clause (c) (ii) of the preceding paragraph; (iii) the defeasance, redemption,
repurchase or other acquisition of subordinated Indebtedness (other than
intercompany Indebtedness) in exchange for, or with the net cash proceeds from
an incurrence of, Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness; (iv) the repurchase,
retirement or other acquisition or retirement for value of common Equity
Interests of the Company or Holdings held by any future, present or former
employee, director or consultant of the Company or any Subsidiary or Holdings
issued pursuant to any management equity plan or
35
stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or
agreement; provided, however, that the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments
made under this clause (iv) does not exceed $1.5 million in any calendar year
and provided further that cancellation of Indebtedness owing to the Company
from members of management of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
in connection with a repurchase of Equity Interests of the Company shall not be
deemed to constitute a Restricted Payment for purposes of this covenant or any
other provision of this Indenture; (v) repurchases of Equity Interests deemed
to occur upon exercise of stock options upon surrender of Equity Interests to
pay the exercise price of such options; (vi) payments to Holdings (A) in
amounts equal to the amounts required for Holdings to pay franchise taxes and
other fees required to maintain its legal existence and provide for other
operating costs of up to $500,000 per fiscal year and (B) in amounts equal to
amounts required for Holdings to pay federal, state and local income taxes to
the extent such income taxes are actually due and owing; provided that the
aggregate amount paid under this clause (B) does not exceed the amount that the
Company would be required to pay in respect of the income of the Company and
its Subsidiaries if the Company were a stand alone entity that was not owned by
Holdings; and (vii) other Restricted Payments in an aggregate amount since the
Issue Date not to exceed $20.0 million.
The Board of Directors of the Company may designate any
Restricted Subsidiary to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary if such designation
would not cause a Default. For purposes of making such determination, all
outstanding Investments by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (except
to the extent repaid in cash) in the Subsidiary so designated shall be deemed
to be Restricted Payments at the time of such designation and shall reduce the
amount available for Restricted Payments under the first paragraph of this
covenant. All such outstanding Investments shall be deemed to constitute
Investments in an amount equal to the fair market value of such Investments at
the time of such designation. Such designation shall only be permitted if such
Restricted Payment would be permitted at such time and if such Restricted
Subsidiary otherwise meets the definition of an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
The amount of all Restricted Payments (other than cash) shall
be the fair market value on the date of the Restricted Payment of the asset(s)
or securities proposed to be transferred or issued by the Company or such
Subsidiary, as the case may be, pursuant to the Restricted Payment. The fair
market value of any non-cash Restricted Payment shall be determined by the
Board of Directors whose resolution with respect thereto shall be delivered to
the Trustee. Not later than the date of making any Restricted Payment, the
Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that such
Restricted Payment is permitted and setting forth the basis upon which the
calculations required by Section 4.07 were computed.
SECTION 4.08. DIVIDEND AND OTHER PAYMENT RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING SUBSIDIARIES.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create or otherwise cause
or suffer to exist or become effective any encumbrance or restriction on the
ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (i)(A) pay dividends or make any other
distributions to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (1) on its
Capital Stock or (2) with respect to any other interest or participation in, or
measured by, its profits, or (B)
36
pay any indebtedness owed to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries,
(ii) make loans or advances to the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries, or (iii) transfer any of its properties or assets to the Company
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, except for such encumbrances or
restrictions existing under or by reason of (A) the provisions of security
agreements that restrict the transfer of assets that are subject to a Lien
created by such security agreements, (B) the provisions of agreements governing
Indebtedness incurred pursuant to clause (v) of the second paragraph of Section
4.09, (C) this Indenture, the Notes, and the 1997 Indenture and the 1997 Notes,
(D) applicable law, (E) any instrument governing Indebtedness or Capital Stock
of a Person acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries as in
effect at the time of such acquisition (except to the extent such Indebtedness
was incurred in connection with or in contemplation of such acquisition), which
encumbrance or restriction is not applicable to any Person, or the properties
or assets of any Person, other than the Person, or the property or assets of
the Person, so acquired, provided that, in the case of Indebtedness, such
Indebtedness was permitted by the terms of this Indenture to be incurred, (F)
by reason of customary non-assignment provisions in leases entered into in the
ordinary course of business and consistent with past practices, (G) purchase
money obligations for property acquired in the ordinary course of business that
impose restrictions of the nature described in this clause (iii) on the
property so acquired, (H) Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness, provided that the
restrictions contained in the agreements governing such Permitted Refinancing
Indebtedness are no more restrictive than those contained in the agreements
governing the Indebtedness being refinanced, (I) contracts for the sale of
assets, including, without limitation, customary restrictions with respect to a
Subsidiary pursuant to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or
disposition of all or substantially all of the Capital Stock or assets of such
Subsidiary, (J) agreements relating to secured Indebtedness otherwise permitted
to be incurred pursuant to 4.09 and 4.12 that limit the right of the debtor to
dispose of the assets securing such Indebtedness, (K) restrictions on cash or
other deposits or net worth imposed by customers under contracts entered into
in the ordinary course of business, or (L) customary provisions in joint
venture agreements and other similar agreements entered into in the ordinary
course of business.
SECTION 4.09. INCURRENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS AND ISSUANCE OF PREFERRED STOCK.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, issue, assume,
guarantee or otherwise become directly or indirectly liable, contingently or
otherwise, with respect to (collectively, "incur") any Indebtedness (including
Acquired Debt) and that the Company shall not issue any Disqualified Stock and
shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to issue any shares of preferred
stock; provided, however, that the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary may
incur Indebtedness (including Acquired Debt) or issue shares of preferred stock
if the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the Company's most recently ended four
full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available
immediately preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is
incurred or such preferred stock is issued would have been at least 2.0 to 1.0,
determined on a pro forma basis (including a pro forma application of the net
proceeds therefrom), as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred, or
the preferred stock had been issued, as the case may be, at the beginning of
such four-quarter period.
37
The provisions of the first paragraph of this Section 4.09
shall not apply to the incurrence of any of the following items of Indebtedness
(collectively, "Permitted Debt"):
(i) the incurrence by the Company of additional Indebtedness
under Credit Facilities (and the guarantee thereof by the Guarantors)
in an aggregate principal amount outstanding pursuant to this clause
(i) at any one time (with letters of credit being deemed to have a
principal amount equal to the maximum potential liability of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries thereunder), including all
Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness then outstanding incurred to
refund, refinance or replace any other Indebtedness incurred pursuant
to this clause (i), not to exceed $375.0 million less the aggregate
amount of all Net Proceeds of Asset Sales applied to repay any such
Indebtedness pursuant to Section 4.10;
(ii) the incurrence by the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries of the Existing Indebtedness;
(iii) the incurrence by the Company and the Guarantors of
$180.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Notes and the
Subsidiary Guarantees thereof;
(iv) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of Indebtedness represented by Capital Lease Obligations,
mortgage financings or purchase money obligations, in each case
incurred for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase
price or cost of construction or improvement of property, plant or
equipment used in the business of the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary, in an aggregate principal amount, including all Permitted
Refinancing Indebtedness then outstanding incurred to refund,
refinance or replace any other Indebtedness incurred pursuant to this
clause (iv), not to exceed $30.0 million at any time outstanding;
(v) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of Indebtedness in connection with the acquisition of
assets or a new Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such Indebtedness
was incurred by the prior owner of such assets or such Restricted
Subsidiary prior to such acquisition by the Company or one of its
Restricted Subsidiaries and was not incurred in connection with, or in
contemplation of, such acquisition by the Company or one of its
Restricted Subsidiaries; and provided further that the principal
amount (or accreted value, as applicable) of such Indebtedness,
together with any other outstanding Indebtedness incurred pursuant to
this clause (v), does not exceed $10.0 million;
(vi) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in exchange for, or
the net proceeds of which are used to refund, refinance or replace,
Indebtedness that was permitted by this Indenture to be incurred
(other than intercompany Indebtedness or Indebtedness incurred
pursuant to clause (i) above);
38
(vii) Indebtedness incurred by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries constituting reimbursement obligations with
respect to letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of business
in respect of workers' compensation claims or self-insurance, or other
Indebtedness with respect to reimbursement type obligations regarding
workers' compensation claims; provided, however, that upon the drawing
of such letters of credit or the incurrence of such Indebtedness, such
obligations are reimbursed within 30 days following such drawing or
incurrence;
(viii) Indebtedness arising from agreements of the Company or
a Restricted Subsidiary providing for indemnification, adjustment of
purchase price or similar obligations, in each case, incurred or
assumed in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or
a Subsidiary, other than guarantees of Indebtedness incurred by any
Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or a
Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition; provided,
however, that (A) such Indebtedness is not reflected on the balance
sheet of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (contingent
obligations referred to in a footnote to financial statements and not
otherwise reflected on the balance sheet shall not be deemed to be
reflected on such balance sheet for purposes of this clause (A)) and
(B) the maximum assumable liability in respect of all such
Indebtedness shall at no time exceed the gross proceeds including
noncash proceeds (the fair market value of such noncash proceeds being
measured at the time received and without giving effect to any
subsequent changes in value) actually received by the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with such disposition;
(ix) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of intercompany Indebtedness between or among the Company
and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided, however, that (A) if
the Company is the obligor on such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness is
expressly subordinated to the prior payment in full in cash of all
Obligations with respect to the Notes and (B)(1) any subsequent
issuance or transfer of Equity Interests that results in any such
Indebtedness being held by a Person other than the Company or one of
its Restricted Subsidiaries and (2) any sale or other transfer of any
such Indebtedness to a Person that is not either the Company or one of
its Restricted Subsidiaries shall be deemed, in each case, to
constitute an incurrence of such Indebtedness by the Company or such
Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be;
(x) the incurrence by the Company or any of the Guarantors of
Hedging Obligations that are incurred for the purpose of (A) fixing,
hedging or capping interest rate risk with respect to any floating
rate Indebtedness that is permitted by the terms of this Indenture to
be outstanding or (B) protecting the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries against changes in currency exchange rates;
(xi) the guarantee by the Company or any of the Guarantors of
Indebtedness of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company
that was permitted to be incurred by another provision of this Section
4.09;
39
(xii) the incurrence by the Company's Unrestricted
Subsidiaries of Non-Recourse Debt, provided, however, that if any such
Indebtedness ceases to be Non-Recourse Debt of an Unrestricted
Subsidiary, such event shall be deemed to constitute an incurrence of
Indebtedness by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that was not
permitted by this clause (xii), and the issuance of preferred stock by
Unrestricted Subsidiaries;
(xiii) obligations in respect of performance and surety bonds
and completion guarantees provided by the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business; and
(xiv) the incurrence by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of additional Indebtedness in an aggregate principal
amount (or accreted value, as applicable) at any time outstanding,
including all Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness then outstanding
incurred to refund, refinance or replace any other Indebtedness
incurred pursuant to this clause (xiv), not to exceed $50.0 million.
For purposes of determining compliance with this Section
4.09, in the event that an item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than
one of the categories of Permitted Debt described in clauses (i) through (xiv)
above or is entitled to be incurred pursuant to the first paragraph of this
Section 4.09, the Company shall, in its sole discretion, classify, or later
reclassify, such item of Indebtedness in any manner that complies with this
covenant. Accrual of interest, the accretion of accreted value and the payment
of interest in the form of additional Indebtedness shall not be deemed to be an
incurrence of Indebtedness for purposes of this Section 4.09.
SECTION 4.10. ASSET SALES.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, consummate an Asset Sale unless (i) the Company (or
the Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be) receives consideration at the
time of such Asset Sale at least equal to the fair market value (evidenced by
an Officers' Certificate delivered to the Trustee which will include a
resolution of the Board of Directors with respect to such fair market value in
the event such Asset Sale involves aggregate consideration in excess of $5.0
million) of the assets or Equity Interests issued or sold or otherwise disposed
of and (ii) at least 80% of the consideration therefor received by the Company
or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, consists of cash, Cash
Equivalents and/or Marketable Securities; provided, however, that (A) the
amount of any Senior Debt of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary that is
assumed by the transferee in any such transaction and (B) any consideration
received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, that
consists of (1) all or substantially all of the assets of one or more Similar
Businesses, (2) other long-term assets that are used or useful in one or more
Similar Businesses and (3) Permitted Securities shall be deemed to be cash for
purposes of this provision.
Within 365 days after the receipt of any Net Proceeds from an
Asset Sale, the Company may apply such Net Proceeds, at its option, (i) to
repay Indebtedness under a Credit
40
Facility, or (ii) to the acquisition of Permitted Securities, all or
substantially all of the assets of one or more Similar Businesses, or the
making of a capital expenditure or the acquisition of other long-term assets in
a Similar Business. Pending the final application of any such Net Proceeds, the
Company may temporarily reduce Indebtedness under a Credit Facility or
otherwise invest such Net Proceeds in any manner that is not prohibited by this
Indenture. Any Net Proceeds from Asset Sales that are not applied or invested
as provided in the first sentence of this paragraph shall be deemed to
constitute "Excess Proceeds". When the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds
exceeds $10.0 million, the Company shall make an offer to all holders of 1997
Notes (an "Asset Sale Offer") to purchase the maximum principal amount of 1997
Notes that may be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds, at an offer price in
cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued
and unpaid interest to the date of purchase, in accordance with the procedures
set forth in the 1997 Indenture. To the extent that the aggregate amount of
1997 Notes tendered pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer is less than the remaining
Excess Proceeds ("Remaining Excess Proceeds") and the sum of (A) such amount of
Remaining Excess Proceeds and (B) the Remaining Excess Proceeds from any
subsequent Asset Sale Offers exceeds $3.0 million, the Company will be required
to make an offer to all Holders of Notes and any other Indebtedness that ranks
pari passu with the Notes that, by its terms, requires the Company to offer to
repurchase such Indebtedness with such Remaining Excess Proceeds (a "Secondary
Asset Sale Offer") to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes and pari
passu Indebtedness that may be purchased out of such Remaining Excess Proceeds,
at an offer price in cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount
thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the date of
purchase, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Indenture. To the
extent that the aggregate amount of Notes or pari passu Indebtedness tendered
pursuant to a Secondary Asset Sale Offer is less than the Remaining Excess
Proceeds, the Company may use any Remaining Excess Proceeds for general
corporate purposes. If the aggregate principal amount of Notes or pari passu
Indebtedness surrendered by Holders thereof exceeds the amount of Remaining
Excess Proceeds in a Secondary Asset Sale Offer, the Company shall repurchase
such Indebtedness on a pro rata basis and the Trustee shall select the Notes to
be purchased on a pro rata basis. Upon completion of such offer to purchase,
the amount of Excess Proceeds shall be reset at zero.
SECTION 4.11. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, make any payment to, or sell, lease, transfer or
otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets to, or purchase any
property or assets from, or enter into or make or amend any transaction,
contract, agreement, understanding, loan, advance or guarantee with, or for the
benefit of, any Affiliate (each of the foregoing, an "Affiliate Transaction"),
unless (i) such Affiliate Transaction is on terms that are no less favorable to
the Company or the relevant Restricted Subsidiary than those that would have
been obtained in a comparable transaction by the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary with an unrelated Person and (ii) the Company delivers to the
Trustee (A) with respect to any Affiliate Transaction or series of related
Affiliate Transactions involving aggregate consideration in excess of $5.0
million, a resolution of the Board of Directors set forth in an Officers'
Certificate certifying that such Affiliate Transaction complies with clause (i)
above and
41
that such Affiliate Transaction has been approved by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board of Directors and (B) with respect to any
Affiliate Transaction or series of related Affiliate Transactions involving
aggregate consideration in excess of $15.0 million, an opinion as to the
fairness to the Holders of such Affiliate Transaction from a financial point of
view issued by an accounting, appraisal or investment banking firm of national
standing.
The foregoing provisions shall not prohibit: (i) any
employment agreement entered into by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business; (ii) any transaction with a
Lehman Investor; (iii) any transaction between or among the Company and/or its
Restricted Subsidiaries; (iv) transactions between the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Lockheed Martin or any of its
Subsidiaries or a Permitted Joint Venture, on the other hand, on terms that are
not materially less favorable to the Company or the applicable Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company than those that could have been obtained from an
unaffiliated third party; provided that (A) in the case of any such transaction
or series of related transactions pursuant to this clause (iv) involving
aggregate consideration in excess of $5.0 million but less than $25.0 million,
such transaction or series of transactions (or the agreement pursuant to which
the transactions were executed) was approved by the Company's Chief Executive
Officer or Chief Financial Officer and (B) in the case of any such transaction
or series of related transactions pursuant to this clause (iv) involving
aggregate consideration equal to or in excess of $25.0 million, such
transaction or series of related transactions (or the agreement pursuant to
which the transactions were executed) was approved by a majority of the
disinterested members of the Board of Directors; (v) any transaction pursuant
to and in accordance with the provisions of the Transaction Documents as the
same are in effect on the Issue Date; and (vi) any Restricted Payment that is
permitted by the provisions of Section 4.07.
SECTION 4.12. LIENS.
The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume or
suffer to exist any Lien securing Indebtedness on any asset now owned or
hereafter acquired, or any income or profits therefrom or assign or convey any
right to receive income therefrom, except Permitted Liens.
SECTION 4.13. FUTURE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES.
If the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall acquire or
create a Subsidiary (other than a Foreign Subsidiary or an Unrestricted
Subsidiary) after the Issue Date, then such Subsidiary shall execute a
Subsidiary Guarantee, in the form of the Supplemental Indenture attached hereto
as Exhibit B, and the Form of Notation on Senior Subordinated Note, attached
hereto as Exhibit C, and deliver an opinion of counsel as to the validity of
such Subsidiary Guarantee, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture. The
Subsidiary Guarantee of each Guarantor will be subordinated to the prior
payment in full of all Senior Debt of such Guarantor, which would include the
guarantees of amounts borrowed under the Senior Credit Facilities. The
obligations of each Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee will be limited so
as not to constitute a fraudulent conveyance under applicable law.
42
No Guarantor may consolidate with or merge with or into
(whether or not such Guarantor is the surviving Person) another Person (except
the Company or another Guarantor) unless (i) subject to the provisions of the
following paragraph, the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation
or merger (if other than such Guarantor) or to which such sale, assignment,
transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition shall have been made assumes
all the obligations of such Guarantor pursuant to a supplemental indenture in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, under the Notes and
this Indenture; (ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no
Default or Event of Default exists; (iii) the Company (A) would be permitted by
virtue of the Company's pro forma Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, immediately
after giving effect to such transaction, to incur at least $1.00 of additional
Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in
Section 4.09 or (B) would have a pro forma Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio that is
greater than the actual Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for the same four-quarter
period without giving pro forma effect to such transaction.
Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, (i) any Guarantor
may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties and
assets to the Company and (ii) any Guarantor may merge with an Affiliate that
has no significant assets or liabilities and was incorporated solely for the
purpose of reincorporating such Guarantor in another State of the United States
so long as the amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries is not increased thereby.
In the event of a sale or other disposition of all of the
assets of any Guarantor, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise, or a
sale or other disposition of all of the capital stock of any Guarantor, then
such Guarantor (in the event of a sale or other disposition, by way of such a
merger, consolidation or otherwise, of all of the capital stock of such
Guarantor) or the corporation acquiring the property (in the event of a sale or
other disposition of all of the assets of such Guarantor) will be released and
relieved of any obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee; provided that the
Net Proceeds of such sale or other disposition are applied in accordance with
the applicable provisions of Section 4.10.
SECTION 4.14. CORPORATE EXISTENCE.
Subject to Article 5 hereof, the Company shall do or cause to
be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect (i)
its corporate existence, and the corporate, partnership or other existence of
each of its Restricted Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective
organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the
Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) the rights (charter and
statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to
preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or
other existence of any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, if the Board of
Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable
in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material
respect to the Holders of the Notes.
43
SECTION 4.15. OFFER TO REPURCHASE UPON CHANGE OF CONTROL.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each Holder
of Notes shall have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any
part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of such Holder's Notes
pursuant to the offer described below (the "Change of Control Offer") at an
offer price in cash equal to 101 % of the aggregate principal amount thereof
plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of purchase (the "Change of
Control Payment"). Within ten days following any Change of Control, the Company
shall mail a notice to each Holder describing the transaction or transactions
that constitute the Change of Control and offering to repurchase Notes on the
date specified in such notice, which date shall be no earlier than 30 days and
no later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed (the "Change of
Control Payment Date"). Such notice, which shall govern the terms of the Change
of Control offer, shall state: (i) that the Change of Control Offer is being
made pursuant to this Section 4.15 and that all Notes tendered will be accepted
for payment; (ii) the purchase price and the purchase date; (iii) that any Note
not tendered will continue to accrue interest; (iv) that, unless the Company
defaults in the payment of the Change of Control Payment, all Notes accepted
for payment pursuant to the Change of Control Offer shall cease to accrue
interest after the Change of Control Payment Date; (v) that Holders electing to
have any Notes purchased pursuant to a Change of Control Offer will be required
to surrender the Notes, with the form entitled "Option of Holder to Elect
Purchase" on the reverse of the Notes completed, to the Paying Agent at the
address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third
Business Day preceding the Change of Control Payment Date; (vi) that Holders
will be entitled to withdraw their election if the Paying Agent receives, not
later than the close of business on the second Business Day preceding the
Change of Control Payment Date, a telegram, telex, facsimile transmission or
letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the principal amount of Notes
delivered for purchase, and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his
election to have the Notes purchased; and (vii) that Holders whose Notes are
being purchased only in part will be issued new Notes equal in principal amount
to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, which unpurchased portion
must be equal to $1,000 in principal amount or an integral multiple thereof.
The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange
Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such
laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of Notes
in connection with a Change of Control.
(b) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company shall,
to the extent lawful, (i) accept for payment all Notes or portions thereof
properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer, (ii) deposit with
the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of
all Notes or portions thereof so tendered and (iii) deliver or cause to be
delivered to the Trustee the Notes so accepted together with an Officers'
Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions thereof
being purchased by the Company. The Paying Agent shall promptly mail to each
Holder of Notes so tendered the Change of Control Payment for such Notes, and
the Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by
book entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any
unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, if any; provided that each such
new Note shall be
44
in a principal amount of $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof. Prior to
mailing a Change of Control Offer, but in any event within 90 days following a
Change of Control, the Company shall either repay all outstanding Senior Debt
or offer to repay all Senior Debt and terminate all commitments thereunder of
each lender who has accepted such offer or obtain the requisite consents, if
any, under all agreements governing outstanding Senior Debt to permit the
repurchase of Notes required by this Section 4.15. The Company shall publicly
announce the results of the Change of Control Offer on or as soon as
practicable after the Change of Control Payment Date.
SECTION 4.16. NO SENIOR SUBORDINATED DEBT.
The Company shall not incur, create, issue, assume, guarantee
or otherwise become liable for any Indebtedness that is subordinate or junior
in right of payment to any Senior Debt and senior in any respect in right of
payment to the Notes. No Guarantor shall incur, create, issue, assume,
guarantee or otherwise become liable for any Indebtedness that is subordinate
or junior in right of payment to any Senior Debt of a Guarantor and senior in
any respect in right of payment to any of the Subsidiary Guarantees.
SECTION 4.17. PAYMENTS FOR CONSENT.
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall,
directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by
way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Holder of any Notes for or as an
inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or
provisions of this Indenture or the Notes unless such consideration is offered
to be paid or is paid to all Holders of the Notes that consent, waive or agree
to amend in the time frame set forth in the solicitation documents relating to
such consent, waiver or agreement.
ARTICLE 5.
SUCCESSORS
SECTION 5.01. MERGER, CONSOLIDATION, OR SALE OF ASSETS.
The Company may not consolidate or merge with or into
(whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation), or sell, assign,
transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its
properties or assets in one or more related transactions, to another
corporation, Person or entity unless (i) the Company is the surviving
corporation or the entity or the Person formed by or surviving any such
consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or to which such sale,
assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition shall have been
made is a corporation organized or existing under the laws of the United
States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; (ii) the entity or
Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than
the Company) or the entity or Person to which such sale, assignment, transfer,
lease, conveyance or other disposition shall have been made assumes all the
obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Indenture pursuant to a
supplemental indenture in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee; (iii)
immediately after such transaction no Default or Event
45
of Default exists; and (iv) except in the case of a merger of the Company with
or into a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, the Company or the
entity or Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if
other than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease,
conveyance or other disposition shall have been made, after giving pro forma
effect to such transaction as if such transaction had occurred at the beginning
of the most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal
financial statements are available immediately preceding such transaction
either (A) would be permitted to incur at least $1.00 of additional
Indebtedness pursuant to the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in the
first paragraph of Section 4.09 or (B) would have a pro forma Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio that is greater than the actual Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio for
the same four-quarter period without giving pro forma effect to such
transaction.
Notwithstanding clause (iv) in the immediately foregoing
paragraph, (i) any Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with, merge into or
transfer all or part of its properties and assets to the Company and (ii) the
Company may merge with an Affiliate that has no significant assets or
liabilities and was incorporated solely for the purpose of reincorporating the
Company in another State of the United States so long as the amount of
Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries is not increased
thereby.
SECTION 5.02. SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment,
transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of
the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.01 hereof, the successor
corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is
merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other
disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and
after the date of such consolidation, merger, sale, lease, conveyance or other
disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the "Company" shall
refer instead to the successor corporation and not to the Company), and may
exercise every right and power of the Company under this Indenture with the
same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein;
provided, however, that the predecessor Company shall not be relieved from the
obligation to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes except in the case
of a sale of all of the Company's assets that meets the requirements of Section
5.01 hereof.
ARTICLE 6.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
An "Event of Default" occurs if:
(a) the Company defaults in the payment when due of interest
on the Notes and such default continues for a period of 30 days (whether or not
prohibited by the subordination provisions of this Indenture);
46
(b) the Company defaults in the payment when due of the
principal of or premium, if any, on the Notes (whether or not prohibited by the
subordination provisions of this Indenture);
(c) the Company fails to comply with any of the provisions of
Section 4.10, 4.15, or 5.01 hereof;
(d) the Company fails to observe or perform any other
covenant, representation, warranty or other agreement in this Indenture or the
Notes for 60 days after notice to the Company by the Trustee or the Holders of
at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding;
(e) a default occurs under any mortgage, indenture or
instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or
evidenced any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries), whether such Indebtedness or guarantee
now exists, or is created after the date of this Indenture, which default
results in the acceleration of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity
and, in each case, the principal amount of such Indebtedness, together with the
principal amount of any other such Indebtedness, together with the principal
amount of any other such Indebtedness, the maturity of which has been so
accelerated, aggregates $10.0 million or more;
(f) the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries is
subject to a final judgments aggregating in excess of $10.0 million, which
judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days;
(g) the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any
group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a whole, would constitute a Significant
Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of Bankruptcy Law:
(i) commences a voluntary case,
(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it
in an involuntary case,
(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for
all or substantially all of its property,
(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its
creditors, or
(v) generally is not paying its debts as they become due;
(h) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or
decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
47
(i) is for relief against the Company or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a
whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary
case;
(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a
whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary or for all or
substantially all of the property of the Company or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a
whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary; or
(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries or any group of Subsidiaries that, taken as a
whole, would constitute a Significant Subsidiary;
and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60
consecutive days; or
(iv) Except as permitted herein, any Subsidiary Guarantee
shall be held in any judicial proceeding to be unenforceable or
invalid.
The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of
the Notes then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the
Holders of all of the Notes waive any existing Default or Event of Default and
its consequences under the Indenture except a continuing Default or Event of
Default in the payment of interest on, or the principal of, the Notes.
SECTION 6.02. ACCELERATION.
If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee
or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding
Notes may declare all the Notes to be due and payable immediately; provided,
however, that so long as any Designated Senior Debt is outstanding, such
declaration shall not become effective until the earlier of (i) the day which
is five Business Days after receipt by the Representatives of Designated Senior
Debt of such notice of acceleration or (ii) the date of acceleration of any
Designated Senior Debt. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event
of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, with
respect to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, all outstanding Notes will
become due and payable without further action or notice. Holders of the Notes
may not enforce this Indenture or the Notes except as provided in this
Indenture. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal
amount of the then outstanding Notes may direct the Trustee in its exercise of
any trust or power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders of the Notes notice
of any continuing Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of
Default relating to the payment of principal or interest) if it determines that
withholding notice is in their interest.
In the case of any Event of Default occurring by reason of
any willful action (or inaction) taken (or not taken) by or on behalf of the
Company with the intention of avoiding payment of the premium that the Company
would have had to pay if the Company then had elected
48
to redeem the Notes pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of this
Indenture, an equivalent premium shall also become and be immediately due and
payable to the extent permitted by law upon the acceleration of the Notes. If
an Event of Default occurs prior to May 15, 2003 by reason of any willful
action (or inaction) taken (or not taken) by or on behalf of the Company with
the intention of avoiding the prohibition on redemption of the Notes prior to
May 15, 2003, then the premium specified below shall also become immediately
due and payable to the extent permitted by law upon the acceleration of the
Notes during the twelve-month period ending on May 1 of the years indicated
below:
YEAR PERCENTAGE
---- ----------
1998............................................112.752%
1999............................................111.335%
2000............................................109.918%
2001............................................108.500%
2002............................................107.084%
2003............................................105.667%
SECTION 6.03. OTHER REMEDIES.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee
may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal, premium,
if any, and interest on the Notes or to enforce the performance of any
provision of the Notes or this Indenture.
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not
possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A
delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of a Note in exercising any
right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or
remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All
remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
SECTION 6.04. WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.
Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal
amount of the then outstanding Notes by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of
the Holders of all of the Notes waive an existing Default or Event of Default
and its consequences hereunder, except a continuing Default or Event of Default
in the payment of the principal of, premium, or interest on, the Notes
(including in connection with an offer to purchase) (provided, however, that
the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount at maturity of the then
outstanding Notes may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including
any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration). 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.
49
SECTION 6.05. CONTROL BY MAJORITY.
Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then
outstanding Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any
trust or power conferred on it. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any
direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that the Trustee determines
may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of Notes or that may
involve the Trustee in personal liability.
SECTION 6.06. LIMITATION ON SUITS.
A Holder of a Note may pursue a remedy with respect to this
Indenture or the Notes only if:
(a) the Holder of a Note gives to the Trustee written notice
of a continuing Event of Default;
(b) the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the
then outstanding Notes make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the
remedy;
(c) such Holder of a Note or Holders of Notes offer and, if
requested, provide to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against
any loss, liability or expense;
(d) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60
days after receipt of the request and the offer and, if requested, the
provision of indemnity; and
(e) during such 60-day period the Holders of a majority in
principal amount of the then outstanding Notes do not give the Trustee a
direction inconsistent with the request.
A Holder of a Note may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of
another Holder of a Note or to obtain a preference or priority over another
Holder of a Note.
SECTION 6.07. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF NOTES TO RECEIVE PAYMENT.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the
right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of principal, premium and
interest on the Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the
Note (including in connection with an offer to purchase), or to bring suit for
the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall
not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
SECTION 6.08. COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.
If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(a) or (b)
occurs and is continuing, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its
own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole
amount of principal of, premium and interest remaining unpaid
50
on the Notes and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful,
interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and
expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
SECTION 6.09. TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.
The Trustee is authorized to file such proofs of claim and
other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the
claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel)
and the Holders of the Notes allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to
the Company (or any other obligor upon the Notes), its creditors or its
property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute
any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any
custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder
to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall
consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the
Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any
other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07 hereof. To the extent that the
payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under
Section 7.07 hereof out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied
for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be
paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other
properties that the Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding
whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or
otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to
authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or
the rights of any Holder, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the
claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
SECTION 6.10. PRIORITIES.
If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article,
it shall pay out the money in the following order:
First: to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts
due under Section 7.07 hereof, including payment of all compensation, expense
and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs
and expenses of collection;
Second: to Holders of Notes for amounts due and unpaid on the
Notes for principal, premium and interest, ratably, without preference or
priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for
principal, premium and interest, respectively; and
Third: to the Company or to such party as a court of
competent jurisdiction shall direct.
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The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any
payment to Holders of Notes pursuant to this Section 6.10.
SECTION 6.11. UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under
this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or
omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by
any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit,
and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including
reasonable attorneys' fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due
regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party
litigant. This Section does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a
Holder of a Note pursuant to Section 6.07 hereof, or a suit by Holders of more
than 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes.
ARTICLE 7.
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. DUTIES OF TRUSTEE.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing,
the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this
Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a
prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his
own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(i) the duties of the Trustee shall be determined solely by
the express provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform
only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture
and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read
into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(ii) in the absence of bad faith or negligence on its part,
the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements
and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon
certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to
the requirements of this Indenture. However, the Trustee shall examine
the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform
to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or
investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts
stated therein).
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its
own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful
misconduct, except that:
(i) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b)
of this Section;
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(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of
judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is
proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent
facts; and
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any
action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a
direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05 hereof.
(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every
provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject
to paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this Section.
(e) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee
to expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee shall be
under no obligation to exercise any of its rights and powers under this
Indenture at the request of any Holders, unless such Holder shall have offered
to the Trustee security and indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss,
liability or expense.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money
received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company.
Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds
except to the extent required by law.
SECTION 7.02. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely upon any document
believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper
Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in such
document.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may
require an Officers' Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee
shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in
reliance on such Officers' Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may
consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of
Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability
in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good
faith and in reliance thereon.
(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and
shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent
appointed with due care.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes
or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within the
rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.
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(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture,
any demand, request, direction or notice from the Company shall be sufficient
if signed by an Officer of the Company.
(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any
of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or
direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders shall have offered to the
Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and
liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or
direction.
(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 and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct
or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by
it hereunder.
(h) 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 Notes and this Indenture.
(i) Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be
segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee
shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder
except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.
SECTION 7.03. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may
become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Company or
any Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not
Trustee. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting
interest it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the SEC for
permission to continue as trustee or resign. Any Agent may do the same with
like rights and duties. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11
hereof.
SECTION 7.04. TRUSTEE'S DISCLAIMERS.
The Trustee shall not be responsible for and makes no
representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes,
it shall not be accountable for the Company's use of the proceeds from the
Notes or any money paid to the Company or upon the Company's direction under
any provision of this Indenture, it shall not be responsible for the use or
application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee,
and it shall not be responsible for any statement or recital herein or any
statement in the Notes or any other document in connection with the sale of the
Notes or pursuant to this Indenture other than its certificate of
authentication.
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SECTION 7.05. NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.
If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing and
if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to Holders of Notes a
notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs.
Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of,
premium, if any, or interest on any Note, the Trustee may withhold the notice
if and so long as a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith
determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders of
the Notes.
SECTION 7.06. REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS OF THE NOTES.
Within 60 days after each May 15 beginning with the May 15
following the date of this Indenture, and for so long as Notes remain
outstanding, the Trustee shall mail to the Holders of the Notes a brief report
dated as of such reporting date that complies with TIA ss. 313(a) (but if no
event described in TIA ss. 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months
preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). The Trustee also
shall comply with TIA ss. 313(b)(2). The Trustee shall also transmit by mail
all reports as required by TIA ss. 313(c).
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to the
Holders of Notes shall be mailed to the Company and filed with the SEC and each
stock exchange on which the Notes are listed in accordance with TIA ss. 313(d).
The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when the Notes are listed on any
stock exchange.
SECTION 7.07. COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such
compensation as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree in
writing for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder. The
Trustee's compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a
trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee promptly
upon request for all reasonable disbursements, advances and expenses incurred
or made by it in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses
shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the
Trustee's agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify the Trustee or any predecessor
Trustee against any and all losses, liabilities or expenses incurred by it
arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of its
duties under this Indenture, including the costs and expenses of enforcing this
Indenture against the Company (including this Section 7.07) and defending
itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company or any Holder or any
other person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of
any of its powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any such loss,
liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence or bad faith. The
Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek
indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve
the Company of its obligations hereunder. The Company shall defend the claim
and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate
counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such
55
counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.07 shall
survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an
Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(g) or (h) hereof occurs, the
expenses and the compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses
of its agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of
administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The Trustee shall comply with the provisions of TIA ss.
313(b)(2) to the extent applicable.
SECTION 7.08. REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.
A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a
successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee's
acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign in writing at any time and be
discharged from the trust hereby created by so notifying the Company. The
Holders of Notes of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding
Notes may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company in
writing. The Company may remove the Trustee if:
(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof;
(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an
order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy
Law;
(c) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee
or its property; or
(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists
in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a
successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office,
the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may
appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the
Company.
If a successor Trustee does not take office within 30 days
after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the
Company, or the Holders of Notes of at least 10% in principal amount of the
then outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a successor Trustee.
If the Trustee, after written request by any Holder of a Note
who has been a Holder of a Note for at least six months, fails to comply with
Section 7.10, such Holder of a Note may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor
Trustee.
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A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its
appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon, the
resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the
successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee
under this Indenture. The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its
succession to Holders of the Notes. The retiring Trustee shall promptly
transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, provided
all sums owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the Lien
provided for in Section 7.07 hereof. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee
pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Company's obligations under Section 7.07
hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
SECTION 7.09. SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER, ETC.
If the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or
transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another
corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the
successor Trustee.
SECTION 7.10. ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a
corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of
America or of any state thereof that is authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trustee power, that is subject to supervision or examination by
federal or state authorities and that has a combined capital and surplus of at
least $50 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of
condition.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the
requirements of TIA ss. 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee is subject to TIA
ss. 310(b).
SECTION 7.11. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.
The Trustee is subject to TIA ss. 311(a), excluding any
creditor relationship listed in TIA ss. 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or
been removed shall be subject to TIA ss. 311(a) to the extent indicated
therein.
ARTICLE 8.
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
SECTION 8.01. OPTION TO EFFECT LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
The Company may, at the option of its Board of Directors
evidenced by a resolution set forth in an Officers' Certificate, at any time,
elect to have either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof be
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applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the conditions set forth
below in this Article 8.
SECTION 8.02. LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the
option applicable to this Section 8.02, the Company shall, subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be deemed to
have been discharged from its obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes
on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, "Legal
Defeasance"). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company shall
be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by
the outstanding Notes, which shall thereafter be deemed to be "outstanding"
only for the purposes of Section 8.05 hereof and the other Sections of this
Indenture referred to in (a) and (b) below, and to have satisfied all its other
obligations under such Notes and this Indenture (and the Trustee, on demand of
and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments
acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which shall
survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (a) the rights of
Holders of outstanding Notes to receive solely from the trust fund described in
Section 8.04 hereof, and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in
respect of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such Notes when
such payments are due, (b) the Company's obligations with respect to such Notes
under Sections 2.06, 2.07, 2.10 and 4.02 hereof, (c) the rights, powers,
trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company's
obligations in connection therewith and (d) this Article 8. Subject to
compliance with this Article 8, the Company may exercise its option under this
Section 8.02 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section
8.03 hereof.
SECTION 8.03. COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.01 hereof of the
option applicable to this Section 8.03, the Company shall, subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof, be released
from its obligations under Sections 4.03, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12,
4.13, 4.15 and 4.16 and Article 5 hereof with respect to the outstanding Notes
on and after the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied
(hereinafter, "Covenant Defeasance"), and the Notes shall thereafter be deemed
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 such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed "outstanding"
for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes shall not
be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant
Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes, 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 covenant, whether directly or
indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or
by reason of any reference in any such 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 6.01 hereof, but, except as
specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be
unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.01
hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.03 hereof,
58
subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.04 hereof,
Sections 6.01(d) through 6.01(f) hereof shall not constitute Events of Default.
SECTION 8.04. CONDITIONS TO LEGAL OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
The following shall be the conditions to the application of
either Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof to the outstanding Notes:
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant
Defeasance:
(a) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in
trust, for the benefit of the Holders, cash in United States dollars,
non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts
as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of
independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and
interest on the outstanding Notes on the stated date for payment thereof or on
the applicable redemption date, as the case may be;
(b) in the case of an election under Section 8.02 hereof, the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United
States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that (A) the Company has
received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a
ruling or (B) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the
applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based
thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the
outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income
tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to
federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same
times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(c) in the case of an election under Section 8.03 hereof, the
Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United
States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that the Holders of the
outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income
tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to
federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same
times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(d) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of
Default resulting from the incurrence of Indebtedness all or a portion of the
proceeds of which will be used to defease the Notes pursuant to this Article 8
concurrently with such incurrence) or insofar as Sections 6.01(g) or 6.01(h)
hereof is concerned, at any time in the period ending on the 91st day after the
date of deposit;
(e) such Legal 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 or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries is bound;
59
(f) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
opinion of counsel to the effect that on the 91st day following the deposit,
the trust funds will not be subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors' rights
generally;
(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with
the intent of preferring the Holders over any other creditors of the Company or
with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other
creditors of the Company; and
(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all
conditions precedent provided for or relating to the Legal Defeasance or the
Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.
SECTION 8.05. DEPOSITED MONEY AND GOVERNMENT SECURITIES TO BE
HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
Subject to Section 8.06 hereof, all money and non-callable
Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the
Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section
8.05, the "Trustee") pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof in respect of the
outstanding Notes shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in
accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the
payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company
acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such
Notes of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal,
premium, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other
funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any
tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or
non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.04 hereof or
the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax,
fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the
outstanding Notes.
Anything in this Article 8 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the
request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by
it as provided in Section 8.04 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally
recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written
certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion
delivered under Section 8.04(a) hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof
that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal
Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
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SECTION 8.06. REPAYMENT TO COMPANY.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or
then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of,
premium, if any, or interest on any Note and remaining unclaimed for two years
after such principal, and premium, if any, or interest has become due and
payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the
Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note shall
thereafter, as a secured creditor, look only to the Company for payment
thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to
such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall
thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent,
before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the
Company cause to be published once, in The New York Times and The Wall Street
Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed and that,
after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the
date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money
then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
SECTION 8.07. REINSTATEMENT.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any United
States dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section
8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be, 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 Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit
had occurred pursuant to Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof until such time as the
Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with
Section 8.02 or 8.03 hereof, as the case may be; provided, however, that, if
the Company makes any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on
any Note following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be
subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment
from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE 9.
AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER
SECTION 9.01. WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES.
Notwithstanding Section 9.02 of this Indenture, the Company
and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Notes without the
consent of any Holder of a Note:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
(b) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in
place of certificated Notes;
(c) to provide for the assumption of the Company's
obligations to the Holders of the Notes in the case of a merger or
consolidation pursuant to Article 5 hereof;
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(a) to make any change that would provide any additional
rights or benefits to the Holders of the Notes or that does not adversely
affect the legal rights hereunder of any Holder of the Note; or
(b) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect
or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA.
Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution
of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or
supplemental Indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents
described in Section 7.02 hereof, the Trustee shall join with the Company in
the execution of any amended or supplemental Indenture authorized or permitted
by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements
and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be
obligated to enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture that affects its
own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
SECTION 9.02. WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS OF NOTES.
Except as provided below in this Section 9.02, the Company
and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture (including Section 3.09,
4.10 and 4.15 hereof) and the Notes may be amended or supplemented with the
consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Notes
then outstanding (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer
or exchange offer for the Notes), and, subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07
hereof, any existing Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event
of Default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on
the Notes, except a payment default resulting from an acceleration that has
been rescinded) or compliance with any provision of this Indenture or the Notes
may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount
of the then outstanding Notes (including consents obtained in connection with a
tender offer or exchange offer for the Notes).
Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution
of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or
supplemental Indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence
satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders of Notes as
aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in
Section 7.02 hereof, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution
of such amended or supplemental Indenture unless such amended or 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 amended or supplemental Indenture.
The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record
date for the purpose of determining the Persons entitled to consent to any
indenture supplemental hereto. If a record date is fixed, the Holders on such
record date, or their duly designated proxies, and only such Persons, shall be
entitled to consent to such supplemental indenture, whether or not such Holders
remain Holders after such record date; provided, that unless such consent shall
have become effective by
62
virtue of the requisite percentage having been obtained prior to the date which
is 180 days after such record date, any such consent previously given shall
automatically and without further action by any Holder be canceled and of no
further effect.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of
Notes under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed
amendment or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the
substance thereof.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section
becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Notes affected
thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. 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 amended or
supplemental Indenture or waiver. Subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, the
Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then
outstanding may waive compliance in a particular instance by the Company with
any provision of this Indenture or the Notes. However, without the consent of
each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver may not (with respect to any Notes
held by a non-consenting Holder):
(a) reduce the principal amount of Notes whose Holders must
consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(b) reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of
any Note or alter or waive any of the provisions with respect to the redemption
of the Notes except as provided above with respect to Sections 4.10 and 4.15
hereof;
(c) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of
interest, including default interest, on any Note;
(d) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of
principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Notes (except a rescission
of acceleration of the Notes by the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the then outstanding Notes and a waiver of the payment
default that resulted from such acceleration);
(e) make any Note payable in money other than that stated in
the Notes;
(f) make any change in the provisions of this Indenture
relating to waivers of past Defaults or the rights of Holders of Notes to
receive payments of principal of or interest on the Notes; or
(g) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Note
(other than a payment required by Sections 3.09, 4.10 and 4.15 hereof).
(h) make any change in Section 6.04 or 6.07 hereof or in the
foregoing amendment and waiver provisions.
63
SECTION 9.03. COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Notes
shall be set forth in a amended or supplemental Indenture that complies with
the TIA as then in effect.
SECTION 9.04. REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS.
Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a
consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by the Holder of a
Note and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences
the same debt as the consenting Holder's Note, even if notation of the consent
is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder of a Note or subsequent
Holder of a Note may revoke the consent as to its Note if the Trustee receives
written notice of revocation before the date the waiver, supplement or
amendment becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver becomes
effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder.
SECTION 9.05. NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF NOTES.
The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an
amendment, supplement or waiver on any Note thereafter authenticated. The
Company in exchange for all Notes may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate
new Notes that reflect the amendment, supplement or waiver.
Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note
shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or
waiver.
SECTION 9.06. TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC.
The Trustee shall sign any amended or supplemental Indenture
authorized pursuant to this Article 9 if the amendment or supplement does not
adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee.
The Company may not sign an amendment or supplemental Indenture until the Board
of Directors approves it. In executing any amended or supplemental indenture,
the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be
fully protected in relying upon, an Officer's Certificate and an Opinion of
Counsel stating that the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture is
authorized or permitted by this Indenture.
ARTICLE 10.
SUBORDINATION
SECTION 10.01. AGREEMENT TO SUBORDINATE.
The Company agrees, and each Holder by accepting a Note
agrees, that the Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes is subordinated in right
of payment, to the extent and in the manner provided in this Article 10, to the
prior payment in full in cash of all Senior Debt (whether outstanding on the
date hereof or hereafter created, incurred, assumed or guaranteed), and that
the subordination is for the benefit of the holders of Senior Debt.
64
SECTION 10.02. LIQUIDATION; DISSOLUTION; BANKRUPTCY.
Upon any distribution to creditors of the Company in a
liquidation or dissolution of the Company or in a bankruptcy, reorganization,
insolvency, receivership or similar proceeding relating to the Company or its
property, an assignment for the benefit of creditors or any marshalling of the
Company's assets and liabilities, the holders of Senior Debt shall be entitled
to receive payment in full in cash of all Obligations due in respect of such
Senior Debt (including interest after the commencement of any such proceeding
at the rate specified in the applicable Senior Debt, whether or not an
allowable claim in any such proceeding) before the Holders of Notes will be
entitled to receive any payment with respect to the Notes, and until all
Obligations with respect to Senior Debt are paid in full in cash, any
distribution to which the Holders of Notes would be entitled shall be made to
the holders of Senior Debt (except, in each case, that Holders of Notes may
receive Permitted Junior Securities and payments made from the trust described
under Article 8).
SECTION 10.03. DEFAULT ON DESIGNATED SENIOR DEBT.
The Company may not make any payment or distribution to the
Trustee or any Holder in respect of Obligations with respect to the Notes and
may not acquire from the Trustee or any Holder any Notes for cash or property
(other than (i) securities that are subordinated to at least the same extent as
the Notes to (a) Senior Debt and (b) any securities issued in exchange for
Senior Debt and (ii) payments and other distributions made from any defeasance
trust created pursuant to Section 8.01 hereof) until all principal and other
Obligations with respect to the Senior Debt have been paid in full if:
(i) a default in the payment of any principal or other
Obligations with respect to Designated Senior Debt occurs and is
continuing; or
(ii) a default, other than a payment default, on Designated
Senior Debt occurs and is continuing that then permits holders of the
Designated Senior Debt to accelerate its maturity and the Trustee
receives a notice of the default (a "Payment Blockage Notice") from
the Company or a Representative with respect to such Designated Senior
Debt. If the Trustee receives any such Payment Blockage Notice, no
subsequent Payment Blockage Notice shall be effective for purposes of
this Section unless and until (i) at least 360 days shall have elapsed
since the effectiveness of the immediately prior Payment Blockage
Notice and (ii) all scheduled payments of principal, premium, if any,
and interest on the Notes that have come due have been paid in full in
cash. No nonpayment default that existed or was continuing on the date
of delivery of any Payment Blockage Notice to the Trustee shall be, or
be made, the basis for a subsequent Payment Blockage Notice unless
such default shall have been waived or cured for a period of not less
than 90 days.
The Company may and shall resume payments on and
distributions in respect of the Notes and may acquire them upon the earlier of:
65
(1) the date upon which the default is
cured or waived, or
(2) in the case of a default referred to in
Section 10.03(ii) hereof, 179 days pass after notice is
received if the maturity of such Designated Senior Debt has
not been accelerated,
if this Article otherwise permits the payment, distribution or acquisition at
the time of such payment or acquisition.
SECTION 10.04. ACCELERATION OF SECURITIES.
If payment of the Securities is accelerated because of an
Event of Default, the Company shall promptly notify holders of Senior Debt of
the acceleration.
SECTION 10.05. WHEN DISTRIBUTION MUST BE PAID OVER.
In the event that the Trustee or any Holder receives any
payment of any Obligations with respect to the Notes at a time when the Trustee
or such Holder, as applicable, has actual knowledge that such payment is
prohibited by Article 10 hereof, such payment shall be held by the Trustee or
such Holder, in trust for the benefit of, and shall be paid forthwith over and
delivered, upon written request, to, the holders of Senior Debt as their
interests may appear or their Representative under the indenture or other
agreement (if any) pursuant to which Senior Debt may have been issued, as their
respective interests may appear, for application to the payment of all
Obligations with respect to Senior Debt remaining unpaid to the extent
necessary to pay such Obligations in full in accordance with their terms, after
giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders
of Senior Debt.
With respect to the holders of Senior Debt, the Trustee
undertakes to perform only such obligations on the part of the Trustee as are
specifically set forth in this Article 10, and no implied covenants or
obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Debt shall be read into this
Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any
fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Debt, and shall not be liable to any
such holders if the Trustee shall pay over or distribute to or on behalf of
Holders or the Company or any other Person money or assets to which any holders
of Senior Debt shall be entitled by virtue of this Article 10, except if such
payment is made as a result of the willful misconduct or negligence of the
Trustee.
SECTION 10.06. NOTICE BY COMPANY
The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee and the Paying
Agent of any facts known to the Company that would cause a payment of any
Obligations with respect to the Notes to violate this Article 10, but failure
to give such notice shall not affect the subordination of the Notes to the
Senior Debt as provided in this Article 10.
The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it
of a written notice by a person representing himself to be a holder of Senior
Debt (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such
66
holder) to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of Senior Debt
(or a trustee or agent on behalf of any such holder). In the event that the
Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with respect
to the right of any person as holder of Senior Debt to participate in any
payment or distribution pursuant to this Article 10, the Trustee may request
such person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee
as to the amount of Senior Debt held by such person, the extent to which such
person is entitled to participate in such evidence is not furnish, the Trustee
may defer any payment which it may be required to make for the benefit of such
person pursuant to the terms of this Indenture pending judicial determination
as to the rights of such person to receive such payment.
SECTION 10.07. SUBROGATION.
After all Senior Debt is paid in full in cash and until the
Notes are paid in full, Holders of Notes shall be subrogated (equally and
ratably with all other Indebtedness pari passu with the Notes) to the rights of
holders of Senior Debt to receive distributions applicable to Senior Debt to
the extent that distributions otherwise payable to the Holders of Notes have
been applied to the payment of Senior Debt. A distribution made under this
Article 10 to holders of Senior Debt that otherwise would have been made to
Holders of Notes is not, as between the Company and Holders, a payment by the
Company on the Notes.
SECTION 10.08. RELATIVE RIGHTS.
This Article 10 defines the relative rights of Holders of
Notes and holders of Senior Debt. Nothing in this Indenture shall:
(1) impair, as between the Company and
Holders of Notes, the obligation of the Company, which is
absolute and unconditional, to pay principal of and interest
on the Notes in accordance with their terms;
(2) affect the relative rights of Holders
of Notes and creditors of the Company other than their rights
in relation to holders of Senior Debt; or
(3) prevent the Trustee or any Holder of
Notes from exercising its available remedies upon a Default
or Event of Default, subject to the rights of holders and
owners of Senior Debt to receive distributions and payments
otherwise payable to Holders of Notes.
If the Company fails because of this Article 10 to pay
principal of or interest on a Note on the due date, the failure is still a
Default or Event of Default.
SECTION 10.09. SUBORDINATION MAY NOT BE IMPAIRED BY COMPANY.
No right of any holder of Senior Debt to enforce the
subordination of the Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes shall be impaired by
any act or failure to act by the Company or any Holder or by the failure of the
Company or any Holder to comply with this Indenture.
67
SECTION 10.10. DISTRIBUTION OR NOTICE TO REPRESENTATIVE.
Whenever a distribution is to be made or a notice given to
holders of Senior Debt, the distribution may be made and the notice given to
their Representative.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company
referred to in this Article 10, the Trustee and the Holders of Notes shall be
entitled to rely upon any order or decree made by any court of competent
jurisdiction or upon any certificate of such Representative or of the
liquidating trustee or agent or other Person making any distribution to the
Trustee or to the Holders of Notes for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons
entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of the Senior Debt
and other Indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon,
the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent
thereto or to this Article 10.
SECTION 10.11. RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE AND PAYING AGENT.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article 10 or any
other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with
knowledge of the existence of any facts that would prohibit the making of any
payment or distribution by the Trustee, and the Trustee and the Paying Agent
may continue to make payments on the Notes, unless the Trustee shall have
received at its Corporate Trust Office at least three Business Days prior to
the date of such payment written notice of facts that would cause the payment
of any Obligations with respect to the Notes to violate this Article 10. Only
the Company or a Representative may give the notice. Nothing in this Article 10
shall impair the claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to
Section 7.07 hereof.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may hold
Senior Debt with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any
Agent may do the same with like rights.
SECTION 10.12. AUTHORIZATION TO EFFECT SUBORDINATION.
Each Holder of Notes, by the Holder's acceptance thereof,
authorizes and directs the Trustee on such Holder's behalf to take such action
as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination as provided
in this Article 10, and appoints the Trustee to act as such Holder's
attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes. If the Trustee does not file a
proper proof of claim or proof of debt in the form required in any proceeding
referred to in Section 6.09 hereof at least 30 days before the expiration of
the time to file such claim, the credit agents are hereby authorized to file an
appropriate claim for and on behalf of the Holders of the Notes.
SECTION 10.13. AMENDMENTS.
The provisions of this Article 10 shall not be amended or
modified without the written consent of the holders of at least 75% in
aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding if such amendment
would adversely affect the rights of Holders of Notes.
68
ARTICLE 11.
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 11.01. TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or
conflicts with the duties imposed by TIA ss.318(c), the imposed duties shall
control.
SECTION 11.02. NOTICES.
Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to
the others is duly given if in writing and delivered in Person or mailed by
first class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested),
telecopier or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the
others' address:
If to the Company:
L-3 Communications Corporation
600 Third Avenue, 34th Floor,
New York, New York 10016
Attention: Vice President-Finance (Fax: 212-805-5470)
With a copy to:
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Attention: Vincent Pagano Jr. (Fax: 212-455-2502)
If to the Trustee:
The Bank of New York
101 Barclay Street, Floor 21 West
New York, New York 10286
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration (Fax: 212-815-5915)
The Company or the Trustee, by notice to the others may
designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or
communications.
All notices and communications (other than those sent to
Holders) shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by
hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the
mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if telecopied; and
the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by
overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.
69
Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by
first class mail, certified or registered, return receipt requested, or by
overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery to its address shown on
the register kept by the Registrar. Any notice or communication shall also be
so mailed to any Person described in TIA ss. 313(c), to the extent required by
the TIA. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in
it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.
If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided
above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the
addressee receives it.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Holders, it
shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
SECTION 11.03. COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS OF NOTES WITH OTHER HOLDERS OF NOTES.
Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA ss. 312(b) with other
Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The
Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection
of TIA ss. 312(c).
SECTION 11.04. CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee
to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the
Trustee:
(a) an Officers' Certificate in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in
Section 11.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all
conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture
relating to the proposed action have been satisfied; and
(b) an Opinion of Counsel in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Trustee (which shall include the statements set forth in
Section 11.05 hereof) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such
conditions precedent and covenants have been satisfied.
SECTION 11.05. STATEMENTS REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE OR OPINION.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate
provided pursuant to TIA ss. 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA
ss. 314(e) and 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;
70
(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, he or
she 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 satisfied; and
(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such
Person, such condition or covenant has been satisfied.
SECTION 11.06. RULE BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a
meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and
set reasonable requirements for its functions.
SECTION 11.07. NO PERSONAL LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES
AND STOCKHOLDERS.
No director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder
of the Company, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the
Company under the Notes and this Indenture or for any claim based on, in
respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of
Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver
and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes. Such
waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities
laws and it is the view of the Commission that such a waiver is against public
policy. SECTION 11.08. GOVERNING LAW.
THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL GOVERN AND BE
USED TO CONSTRUE THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES,
WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW.
SECTION 11.09. NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other
indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of any
other Person. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to
interpret this Indenture.
SECTION 11.10. SUCCESSORS.
All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Notes
shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture
shall bind its successors.
71
SECTION 11.11. SEVERABILITY.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Notes 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 11.12. COUNTERPART ORIGINALS.
The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture.
Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the
same agreement.
SECTION 11.13. TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC.
The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and Headings of
the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience
of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and shall
in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
[Signatures on following pages]
72
SIGNATURES
Dated as of May 22, 1998
L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
By:
---------------------------
Name:
Title:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By:
---------------------------
Name:
Title:
S-1
EXHIBIT A
(Face of Note)
===============================================================================
CUSIP/CINS __________
8 1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008
No. ___ $_________
L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
promises to pay to __________________________________________________
the principal sum of ________________________________________________
Dollars on May 15, 2008.
Interest Payment Dates: May 15, and November 15
Record Dates: May 1, and November 1
Dated: _______________, 199__
L-3 Communications Corporation
By:
---------------------------
Name:
Title:
By:
---------------------------
Name:
Title:
This is one of the [Global] Notes
referred to in the within (SEAL)
mentioned Indenture:
Dated:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By:
--------------------------------
===============================================================================
A-1
(Back of Note)
8 1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008
[THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE
GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE
BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY
BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.07 OF THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE
MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE
INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR
CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL
NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN
CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.]1
Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them
in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated
1. INTEREST. L-3 Communications Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note
at 8 1/2% per annum from May 22, 1998 until maturity. The Company shall pay
interest semi-annually in arrears on May 15 and November 15, commencing on
November 15, 1998, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next
succeeding Business Day (each an "Interest Payment Date"), with the same force
and effect as if made on the date for such payment. Interest on the Notes will
accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no
interest has been paid, from the date of issuance; provided that if there is no
existing Default in the payment of interest, and if this Note is authenticated
between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding
Interest Payment Date, interest shall accrue from such next succeeding Interest
Payment Date; provided, further, that the first Interest Payment Date shall be
November 15. The Company shall pay interest (including post-petition interest
in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium,
if any, from time to time on demand at a rate that is 1% per annum in excess of
the rate then in effect; it shall pay interest (including post-petition
interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of
interest and Liquidated Damages (without regard to any applicable grace
periods) from time to time on demand at the same rate to the extent lawful.
Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day
months.
2. METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Company will pay interest on the Notes
(except defaulted interest) to the Persons who are registered Holders of Notes
at the close of business on the May 1 or November 1 next (whether or not a
Business Day) preceding the Interest Payment Date, even if such Notes are
canceled after such record date and on or before such Interest
- ---------------
1 This paragraph should be included only if the Note is issued in global form.
A-2
Payment Date, except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect
to defaulted interest. The Notes will be payable as to principal, premium, if
any, and interest at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such
purpose within The City and State of New York, or, at the option of the
Company, payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the Holders at
their addresses set forth in the register of Holders; provided that payment by
wire transfer of immediately available funds will be required with respect to
principal of and interest, premium on, all Global Notes and all other Notes the
Holders of which shall have provided wire transfer instructions to the Company
or the Paying Agent if such Holders shall be registered Holders of at least
$250,000 in principal amount of the Notes. Such payment shall be 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.
3. PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, The Bank of New York, the
Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The
Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder.
The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.
4. INDENTURE. The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as
of May 22, 1998 ("Indenture") between the Company and the Trustee. The terms of
the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the
Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.
Code ss.ss. 77aaa-77bbbb). The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders
are referred to the Indenture and such Act for a statement of such terms. To
the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of
the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling.
The Notes issuable under the Indenture are obligations of the Company limited
to $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount.
5. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.
(a) Except as set forth in clause (b) of this paragraph 5,
the Notes shall not be redeemable at the Company's option prior to May 15,
2003. Thereafter, the Notes shall be subject to redemption at any time at the
option of the Company, in whole or in part, upon not less than 30 nor more than
60 days' notice, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of
principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to
the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period
beginning on May 15 of the years indicated below:
YEAR PERCENTAGE
---- ----------
2003......................................... 104.250%
2004......................................... 102.833%
2005......................................... 101.417%
2006 and thereafter.......................... 100.000%
A-3
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the first 36 months
after the date of the Indenture, the Company may on any one or more occasions
redeem up to an aggregate of 35% of the Notes originally issued at a redemption
price of 108.500% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid
interest to the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more
Equity Offerings by the Company or the net cash proceeds of one or more Equity
Offerings by Holdings that are contributed to the Company as common equity
capital; provided that at least 65% of the Notes originally issued remain
outstanding immediately after the occurrence of each such redemption; and
provided, further, that any such redemption must occur within 120 days of the
date of the closing of such Equity Offering.
6. MANDATORY REDEMPTION.
Except as set forth in paragraph 7 below, the Company shall
not be required to make mandatory redemption payments with respect to the
Notes.
7. REPURCHASE AT OPTION OF HOLDER.
(a) If there is a Change of Control, the Company shall be
required to make an offer (a "Change of Control Offer") to repurchase all or
any part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of each Holder's
Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of aggregate principal amount thereof
plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase (in either
case, the "Change of Control Payment"). Within 10 days following any Change of
Control, the Company shall mail a notice to each Holder setting forth the
procedures governing the Change of Control Offer as required by the Indenture.
(b) If the Company or a Subsidiary consummates any Asset
Sales, within five Business Days of each date on which the aggregate amount of
Excess Proceeds exceeds $10.0 million, the Company shall commence an offer to
all holders of 1997 Notes (as "Asset Sale Offer") pursuant to Section 3.09 of
the Indenture to purchase the maximum principal amount of 1997 Notes that may
be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds, at an offer price in cash in an amount
equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest
to the date of purchase, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the
1997 Indenture. To the extent that the aggregate amount of 1997 Notes tendered
pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer is less than the remaining Excess Proceeds
("Remaining Excess Proceeds") and the sum of (A) such amount of Remaining
Excess Proceeds and (B) the Remaining Excess Proceeds from any subsequent Asset
Sale Offers exceeds $3.0 million, the Company will be required to make an offer
to all Holders of Notes and any other Indebtedness that ranks pari passu with
the Notes that, by its terms, requires the Company to offer to repurchase such
Indebtedness with such Remaining Excess Proceeds (a "Secondary Asset Sale
Offer") to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes and pari passu
Indebtedness that may be purchased out of such Remaining Excess Proceeds, at an
offer price in cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof
plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the date of purchase, in
accordance with the procedures set forth in the Indenture. To the extent that
the aggregate amount of Notes or pari passu Indebtedness tendered pursuant to a
Secondary Asset Sale Offer is less than the Remaining Excess Proceeds, the
Company may use any Remaining Excess
A-4
Proceeds for general corporate purposes. If the aggregate principal amount of
Notes or pari passu Indebtedness surrendered by Holders thereof exceeds the
amount of Remaining Excess Proceeds in a Secondary Asset Sale Offer, the
Company shall repurchase such Indebtedness on a pro rata basis and the Trustee
shall select the Notes to be purchased on a pro rata basis. Holders of Notes
that are the subject of an offer to purchase will receive an Asset Sale Offer
from the Company prior to any related purchase date and may elect to have such
Notes purchased by completing the form entitled "Option of Holder to Elect
Purchase" on the reverse of the Notes.
8. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Notice of redemption will be mailed at least
30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder
whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address. Notes in
denominations larger than $1,000 may be redeemed in part but only in whole
multiples of $1,000, unless all of the Notes held by a Holder are to be
redeemed. On and after the redemption date interest ceases to accrue on Notes
or portions thereof called for redemption.
9. DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in registered form
without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided
in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among
other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and
the Company may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or
permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not exchange or register the
transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for
the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part. Also, it need not
exchange or register the transfer of any Notes for a period of 15 days before a
selection of Notes to be redeemed or during the period between a record date
and the corresponding Interest Payment Date.
10. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder of a Note may be
treated as its owner for all purposes.
11. AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER. Subject to certain exceptions,
the Indenture or the Notes may be amended or supplemented with the consent of
the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding
Notes, and any existing default or compliance with any provision of the
Indenture or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes. Without the consent
of any Holder of a Note, the Indenture or the Notes may be amended or
supplemented to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to provide for
uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes, to
provide for the assumption of the Company's obligations to Holders of the Notes
in case of a merger or consolidation, to make any change that would provide any
additional rights or benefits to the Holders of the Notes or that does not
adversely affect the legal rights under the Indenture of any such Holder, or to
comply with the requirements of the Commission in order to effect or maintain
the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.
A-5
12. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES. An "Event of Default" occurs if: (i)
default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest on the Notes (whether
or not prohibited by the subordination provisions of the Indenture); (ii)
default in payment when due of the principal of or premium, if any, on the
Notes (whether or not prohibited by the subordination provisions of the
Indenture); (iii) failure by the Company to comply with the covenants contained
in sections 4.10, 4.15 or 5.10 of the Indenture; (iv) failure by the Company
for 60 days after notice to comply with any of its other agreements in the
Indenture or the Notes; (v) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument
under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced
any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries) whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists,
or is created after the Issue Date, which default results in the acceleration
of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity and, in each case, the
principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount
of any other such Indebtedness the maturity of which has been so accelerated,
aggregates $10.0 million or more; (vi) failure by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to pay final judgments aggregating in excess of $10.0
million, which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60
days; (vii) certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the
Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries; and (viii) except as permitted
by the Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee shall be held in any judicial
proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid.
If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the
Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may
declare all the Notes to be due and payable immediately; provided, however,
that so long as any Designated Senior Debt is outstanding, such declaration
shall not become effective until the earlier of (i) the day which is five
Business Days after receipt by the Representatives of Designated Senior Debt of
such notice of acceleration or (ii) the date of acceleration of any Designated
Senior Debt. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event of Default
arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, with respect to the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, all outstanding Notes will become due and
payable without further action or notice. Holders of the Notes may not enforce
the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. Subject to
certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then
outstanding Notes may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust or power.
The Trustee may withhold from Holders of the Notes notice of any continuing
Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of Default relating to
the payment of principal or interest) if it determines that withholding notice
is in their interest.
In the case of any Event of Default occurring by reason of any willful
action (or inaction) taken (or not taken) by or on behalf of the Company with
the intention of avoiding payment of the premium that the Company would have
had to pay if the Company then had elected to redeem the Notes pursuant to the
optional redemption provisions of the Indenture, an equivalent premium shall
also become and be immediately due and payable to the extent permitted by law
upon the acceleration of the Notes. If an Event of Default occurs prior to May
15, 2003 by reason of any willful action (or inaction) taken (or not taken) by
or on behalf of the Company with the intention of avoiding the prohibition on
redemption of the Notes prior to May 15, 2003, then the
A-6
premium specified in the Indenture shall also become immediately due and
payable to the extent permitted by law upon the acceleration of the Notes.
The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes
then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all
of the Notes waive any existing Default or Event of Default and its
consequences under the Indenture except a continuing Default or Event of
Default in the payment of interest on, or the principal of, the Notes.
13. TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH COMPANY. The Trustee, in its individual or
any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform
services for the Company or its Affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the
Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not the Trustee.
14. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. A director, officer, employee,
incorporator or stockholder, of the Company, as such, shall not have any
liability for any obligations of the Company under the Notes or the Indenture
or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or
their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such
liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the
issuance of the Notes.
15. AUTHENTICATION. This Note shall not be valid until authenticated
by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.
16. ABBREVIATIONS. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of
a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (=
tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship
and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts
to Minors Act).
17. CUSIP NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the
Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused
CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes and the Trustee may use CUSIP numbers
in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made
as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as
contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the
other identification numbers placed thereon.
18. GOVERNING LAW. The internal law of the State of New York shall
govern and be used to construe this Note, without regard to the principles of
conflicts of laws.
The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and
without charge a copy of the Indenture. Requests may be made to:
L-3 Communications Corporation
600 Third Avenue, 34th Floor,
New York, New York 10016
Attention: Vice President-Finance (Fax: 212-805-5470)
A-7
ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Note, fill in the form below: (I) or (we) assign and transfer
this Note to
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Insert assignee's soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint
--------------------------------------------------------
to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute
another to act for him.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:
--------------------
Your Signature:
-------------------------
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the
face of this Note)
Signature Guarantee.
A-8
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company
pursuant to Section 4.10 or 4.15 of the Indenture, check the box below:
[ ] Section 4.10 [ ] Section 4.15
If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the
Company pursuant to Section 4.10 or Section 4.15 of the Indenture, state the
amount you elect to have purchased: $______________
Date: Your Signature:
-------------------- ------------------------
(Sign exactly as your name appears on
the Note)
Tax Identification No.:
---------------
Signature Guarantee.
A-9
SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE2
The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for a Definitive
Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an
interest in this Global Note, have been made:
Principal Amount of
this Global Note Signature of
Amount of decrease Amount of increase following such authorized officer
in Principal Amount in Principal Amount decrease of Trustee or Note
Date of Exchange of this Global Note of this Global Note (or increase) Custodian
---------------- ------------------- ------------------- ------------------- -------------------
- ---------------------
2 This should be included only if the Note is issued in global form.
A-10
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE TO BE DELIVERED
BY GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this "Supplemental Indenture"), dated
as of _________________, between ____________________ (the "Guaranteeing
Subsidiary"), a subsidiary of L-3 Communications Corporation (or its permitted
successor), a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and __________, as trustee
under the indenture referred to below (the "Trustee").
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to
the Trustee an indenture (the "Indenture"), dated as of _______, 1998 providing
for the issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $250,000,000 of
____% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008 (the "Notes");
WHEREAS, the Indenture provides that under certain
circumstances the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall execute and deliver to the
Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which the Guaranteeing Subsidiary
shall unconditionally guarantee all of the Company's Obligations under the
Notes and the Indenture on the terms and conditions set forth herein (the
"Subsidiary Guarantee"); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 4.13 of the Indenture, the
Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for
other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, the Guaranteeing Subsidiary and the Trustee mutually covenant and
agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes as follows:
1. CAPITALIZED TERMS. Capitalized terms used herein without definition
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
2. AGREEMENT TO GUARANTEE. The Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby agrees
as follows:
(a) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary, jointly and severally
with all other Guaranteeing Subsidiaries, if any,
unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a
Senior Note authenticated and delivered by the
Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and
assigns, regardless of the validity and
enforceability of the Indenture, the Notes or the
Obligations of the Company under the Indenture or
the Notes, that:
B-1
(i) the principal of, premium and interest on
the Notes will be promptly paid in full
when due, whether at maturity, by
acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and
interest on the overdue principal of,
premium and interest on the Notes, to the
extent lawful, and all other Obligations of
the Company to the Holders or the Trustee
thereunder or under the Indenture will be
promptly paid in full, all in accordance
with the terms thereof; and
(ii) in case of any extension of time for
payment or renewal of any Notes or any of
such other Obligations, that the same will
be promptly paid in full when due in
accordance with the terms of the extension
or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by
acceleration or otherwise.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that
this Subsidiary Guarantee would constitute or result
in a violation of any applicable fraudulent
conveyance or similar law of any relevant
jurisdiction, the liability of the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary under this Supplemental Indenture and its
Subsidiary Guarantee shall be reduced to the maximum
amount permissible under such fraudulent conveyance
or similar law.
3. EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES.
(a) To evidence its Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in
this Supplemental Indenture, the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary hereby agrees that a notation of such
Subsidiary Guarantee substantially in the form of
Exhibit C to the Indenture shall be endorsed by an
officer of such Guaranteeing Subsidiary on each
Senior Note authenticated and delivered by the
Trustee after the date hereof.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary hereby agrees that its Subsidiary
Guarantee set forth herein shall remain in full
force and effect notwithstanding any failure to
endorse on each Senior Note a notation of such
Subsidiary Guarantee.
(c) If an Officer whose signature is on this
Supplemental Indenture or on the Subsidiary
Guarantee no longer holds that office at the time
the Trustee authenticates the Senior Note on which a
Subsidiary Guarantee is endorsed, the Subsidiary
Guarantee shall be valid nevertheless.
(d) The delivery of any Senior Note by the Trustee,
after the authentication thereof under the
Indenture, shall constitute due delivery of the
Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in this Supplemental
Indenture on behalf of the Guaranteeing Subsidiary.
B-2
(e) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby agrees that its
obligations hereunder shall be unconditional,
regardless of the validity, regularity or
enforceability of the Notes or the Indenture, the
absence of any action to enforce the same, any
waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with
respect to any provisions of the Notes or the
Indenture, the recovery of any judgment against the
Company, any action to enforce the same or any other
circumstance which might otherwise constitute a
legal or equitable discharge or defense of a
guarantor.
(f) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby waives diligence,
presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims
with a court in the event of insolvency or
bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a
proceeding first against the Company, protest,
notice and all demands whatsoever and covenants that
its Subsidiary Guarantee made pursuant to this
Supplemental Indenture will not be discharged except
by complete performance of the obligations contained
in the Notes and the Indenture.
(g) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any
court or otherwise to return to the Company or the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary, or any Custodian, Trustee,
liquidator or other similar official acting in
relation to either the Company or the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary, any amount paid by either to the Trustee
or such Holder, the Subsidiary Guarantee made
pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture, to the
extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated
in full force and effect.
(h) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary agrees that it shall not
be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation
to the Holders in respect of any obligations
guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all
obligations guaranteed hereby. The Guaranteeing
Subsidiary further agrees that, as between the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary, on the one hand, and the
Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand:
(i) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed
hereby may be accelerated as provided in
Article 6 of the Indenture for the purposes
of the Subsidiary Guarantee made pursuant
to this Supplemental Indenture,
notwithstanding any stay, injunction or
other prohibition preventing such
acceleration in respect of the obligations
guaranteed hereby; and
(ii) in the event of any declaration of
acceleration of such obligations as
provided in Article 6 of the Indenture,
such obligations (whether or not due and
payable) shall forthwith become due and
payable by the Guaranteeing Subsidiary for
the purpose of the Subsidiary Guarantee
made pursuant to this Supplemental
Indenture.
B-3
(i) The Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall have the right to
seek contribution from any other non-paying
Guaranteeing Subsidiary so long as the exercise of
such right does not impair the rights of the Holders
or the Trustee under the Subsidiary Guarantee made
pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture.
4. GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC. ON CERTAIN
TERMS.
(a) Except as set forth in Articles 4 and 5 of the
Indenture, nothing contained in the Indenture, this
Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall prevent
any consolidation or merger of the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary with or into the Company or any other
Guaranteeing Subsidiary or shall prevent any
transfer, sale or conveyance of the property of the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary as an entirety or
substantially as an entirety, to the Company or any
other Guaranteeing Subsidiary.
(b) Except as set forth in Article 4 of the Indenture,
nothing contained in the Indenture, this
Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall prevent
any consolidation or merger of the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary with or into a corporation or
corporations other than the Company or any other
Guaranteeing Subsidiary (in each case, whether or
not affiliated with the Guaranteeing Subsidiary), or
successive consolidations or mergers in which a
Guaranteeing Subsidiary or its successor or
successors shall be a party or parties, or shall
prevent any sale or conveyance of the property of a
Guaranteeing Subsidiary as an entirety or
substantially as an entirety, to a corporation other
than the Company or any other Guaranteeing
Subsidiary (in each case, whether or not affiliated
with the Guaranteeing Subsidiary) authorized to
acquire and operate the same; provided, however,
that the Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby covenants
and agrees that (i) subject to the Indenture, upon
any such consolidation, merger, sale or conveyance,
the due and punctual performance and observance of
all of the covenants and conditions of the Indenture
and this Supplemental Indenture to be performed by
such Guaranteeing Subsidiary, shall be expressly
assumed (in the event that the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary is not the surviving corporation in the
merger), by supplemental indenture satisfactory in
form to the Trustee, executed and delivered to the
Trustee, by the corporation formed by such
consolidation, or into which the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary shall have been merged, or by the
corporation which shall have acquired such property
and (ii) immediately after giving effect to such
consolidation, merger, sale or conveyance no Default
or Event of Default exists.
(c) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale or
conveyance and upon the assumption by the successor
corporation, by supplemental indenture, executed and
delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to
the Trustee, of the Subsidiary Guarantee made
pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture
B-4
and the due and punctual performance of all of the
covenants and conditions of the Indenture and this
Supplemental Indenture to be performed by the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary, such successor corporation
shall succeed to and be substituted for the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary with the same effect as if
it had been named herein as the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary. Such successor corporation thereupon may
cause to be signed any or all of the Subsidiary
Guarantees to be endorsed upon the Notes issuable
under the Indenture which theretofore shall not have
been signed by the Company and delivered to the
Trustee. All the Subsidiary Guarantees so issued
shall in all respects have the same legal rank and
benefit under the Indenture and this Supplemental
Indenture as the Subsidiary Guarantees theretofore
and thereafter issued in accordance with the terms
of the Indenture and this Supplemental Indenture as
though all of such Subsidiary Guarantees had been
issued at the date of the execution hereof.
5. RELEASES.
(a) Concurrently with any sale of assets (including, if
applicable, all of the Capital Stock of the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary), all Liens, if any, in
favor of the Trustee in the assets sold thereby
shall be released; provided that in the event of an
Asset Sale, the Net Proceeds from such sale or other
disposition are treated in accordance with the
provisions of Section 4.10 of the Indenture. If the
assets sold in such sale or other disposition
include all or substantially all of the assets of
the Guaranteeing Subsidiary or all of the Capital
Stock of the Guaranteeing Subsidiary, then the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary (in the event of a sale or
other disposition of all of the Capital Stock of
such Guaranteeing Subsidiary) or the Person
acquiring the property (in the event of a sale or
other disposition of all or substantially all of the
assets of such Guaranteeing Subsidiary) shall be
released from and relieved of its obligations under
this Supplemental Indenture and its Subsidiary
Guarantee made pursuant hereto; provided that in the
event of an Asset Sale, the Net Proceeds from such
sale or other disposition are treated in accordance
with the provisions of Section 4.10 of the
Indenture. Upon delivery by the Company to the
Trustee of an Officers' Certificate to the effect
that such sale or other disposition was made by the
Company or the Guaranteeing Subsidiary, as the case
may be, in accordance with the provisions of the
Indenture and this Supplemental Indenture, including
without limitation, Section 4.10 of the Indenture,
the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably
required in order to evidence the release of the
Guaranteeing Subsidiary from its obligations under
this Supplemental Indenture and its Subsidiary
Guarantee made pursuant hereto. If the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary is not released from its obligations
under its Subsidiary Guarantee, it shall remain
liable for the full amount of principal
B-5
of and interest on the Notes and for the other
obligations of such Guaranteeing Subsidiary under
the Indenture as provided in this Supplemental
Indenture.
(b) Upon the designation of a Guaranteeing Subsidiary as
an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with the
terms of the Supplemental Indenture, such
Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall be released and
relieved of its obligations under its Subsidiary
Guarantee and this Supplemental Indenture. Upon
delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that such designation of such
Guaranteeing Subsidiary as an Unrestricted
Subsidiary was made by the Company in accordance
with the provisions of this Supplemental Indenture,
also including without limitation Section 4.07 of
the Indenture, the Trustee shall execute any
documents reasonably required in order to evidence
the release of such Guaranteeing Subsidiary from its
obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee. Any
Guaranteeing Subsidiary not released from its
obligations under its Subsidiary Guarantee shall
remain liable for the full amount of principal of
and interest on the Notes and for the other
obligations of any Guaranteeing Subsidiary under the
Indenture as provided in Article 10.
6. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No past, present or future director,
officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder or agent of the Guaranteeing
Subsidiary, as such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the
Company or any Guaranteeing Subsidiary under the Notes, any Subsidiary
Guarantees, the Indenture or this Supplemental Indenture or for any claim based
on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each
Holder of the Notes by accepting a Senior Note waives and releases all such
liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of
the Notes. Such waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the
federal securities laws and it is the view of the Commission that such a waiver
is against public policy.
7. NEW YORK LAW TO GOVERN. THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
SHALL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, WITHOUT
REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS.
8. COUNTERPARTS. The parties may sign any number of copies of this
Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them
together represent the same agreement.
9. EFFECT OF HEADINGS. The Section headings herein are for convenience
only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
10. THE TRUSTEE. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner
whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this
Supplemental Indenture or for or in respect of the recitals contained herein,
all of which recitals are made solely by the Guaranteeing Subsidiary and the
Company.
B-6
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed and attested, all as of the date
first above written.
Dated: , [GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY]
------------ ----
By:
-------------------------
Name:
Title:
Dated: , THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
------------ ---- as Trustee
By:
-------------------------
Name:
Title:
B-7
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF NOTATION ON SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTE RELATING TO SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEE
Pursuant to the Supplemental Indenture (the "Supplemental
Indenture") dated as of _______________ among _______________ and
_________________, each Guaranteeing Subsidiary (i) has jointly and severally
unconditionally guaranteed (a) the due and punctual payment of the principal
of, premium and interest on the Notes, whether at maturity or an interest
payment date, by acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, (b) the due
and punctual payment of interest on the overdue principal and premium of, and
interest on the Notes, and (c) in case of any extension of time of payment or
renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, the same will be
promptly paid in full when due in accordance with the terms of the extension or
renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise and (ii) has
agreed to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys'
fees) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights under this
Subsidiary Guarantee.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the
Subsidiary Guarantee of any Guaranteeing Subsidiary would constitute or result
in a violation of any applicable fraudulent conveyance or similar law of any
relevant jurisdiction, the liability of such Guaranteeing Subsidiary under its
Subsidiary Guarantee shall be reduced to the maximum amount permissible under
such fraudulent conveyance or similar law.
No past, present or future director, officer, employee,
agent, incorporator, stockholder or agent of any Guaranteeing Subsidiary, as
such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any
Guaranteeing Subsidiary under the Notes, any Subsidiary Guarantee, Indenture,
any supplemental indenture delivered pursuant to the Indenture by such
Guaranteeing Subsidiary or any Subsidiary Guarantees, or for any claim based
on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each
Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability.
This Subsidiary Guarantee shall be binding upon each
Guaranteeing Subsidiary and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the
benefit of the successors and assigns of the Trustee and the Holders and, in
the event of any transfer or assignment of rights by any Holder or the Trustee,
the rights and privileges herein conferred upon that party shall automatically
extend to and be vested in such transferee or assignee, all subject to the
terms and conditions hereof.
This Subsidiary Guarantee shall not be valid or obligatory
for any purpose until the certificate of authentication on the Note upon which
this Subsidiary Guarantee is noted have been executed by the Trustee under the
Indenture by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers.
Capitalized terms used herein have the meaning assigned to them in the
Indenture.
[GUARANTEEING SUBSIDIARY]
By:
------------------------------
Name:
Title:
C-1
===============================================================================
CUSIP/CINS 502413AD9
8 1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008
No. 1 $180,000,000
L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
promises to pay to Cede & Co. or registered assigns
the principal sum of One Hundred and Eighty Million Dollars on May 15, 2008.
Interest Payment Dates: May 15, and November 15
Record Dates: May 1, and November 1
Dated: May 22, 1998
L-3 Communications Corporation
By:
--------------------------
Name:
Title:
By:
--------------------------
Name:
Title:
This is one of the Global Notes
referred to in the within
mentioned Indenture:
Dated: May 22, 1998
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By:
----------------------------
Name:
Title:
===============================================================================
8 1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008
THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE
GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE
BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY
BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.07 OF THE INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE
MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE
INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR
CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL
NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN
CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.
Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them
in the Indenture referred to below unless otherwise indicated.
1. INTEREST. L-3 Communications Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note
at 8 1/2% per annum from May 22, 1998 until maturity. The Company shall pay
interest semi-annually in arrears on May 15 and November 15, commencing on
November 15, 1998, or if any such day is not a Business Day, on the next
succeeding Business Day (each an "Interest Payment Date"), with the same force
and effect as if made on the date for such payment. Interest on the Notes will
accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid or, if no
interest has been paid, from the date of issuance; provided that if there is no
existing Default in the payment of interest, and if this Note is authenticated
between a record date referred to on the face hereof and the next succeeding
Interest Payment Date, interest shall accrue from such next succeeding Interest
Payment Date; provided, further, that the first Interest Payment Date shall be
November 15. The Company shall pay interest (including post-petition interest
in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal and premium,
if any, from time to time on demand at a rate that is 1% per annum in excess of
the rate then in effect; it shall pay interest (including post-petition
interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of
interest and Liquidated Damages (without regard to any applicable grace
periods) from time to time on demand at the same rate to the extent lawful.
Interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day
months.
2. METHOD OF PAYMENT. The Company will pay interest on the Notes
(except defaulted interest) to the Persons who are registered Holders of Notes
at the close of business on the May 1 or November 1 next (whether or not a
Business Day) preceding the Interest Payment Date, even if such Notes are
canceled after such record date and on or before such Interest Payment Date,
except as provided in Section 2.12 of the Indenture with respect to defaulted
interest. The Notes will be payable as to principal, premium, if any, and
interest at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose
within The City and State of New York, or, at the option of the Company,
payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the Holders at their
addresses set forth in the register of Holders; provided that payment by wire
transfer of immediately available funds will be required with respect to
principal of and interest, premium on, all Global Notes and all other Notes the
Holders of which shall have provided wire transfer instructions to the Company
or the Paying Agent if such Holders shall be registered Holders of at least
$250,000 in principal amount of the Notes. Such payment shall be 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.
3. PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR. Initially, The Bank of New York, the
Trustee under the Indenture, will act as Paying Agent and Registrar. The
Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder.
The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act in any such capacity.
4. INDENTURE. The Company issued the Notes under an Indenture dated as
of May 22, 1998 ("Indenture") between the Company and the Trustee. The terms of
the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the
Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.
Code ss.ss. 77aaa-77bbbb). The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders
are referred to the Indenture and such Act for a statement of such
2
terms. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express
provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and
be controlling. The Notes issuable under the Indenture are obligations of the
Company limited to $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount.
5. OPTIONAL REDEMPTION.
(a) Except as set forth in clause (b) of this paragraph 5,
the Notes shall not be redeemable at the Company's option prior to May 15,
2003. Thereafter, the Notes shall be subject to redemption at any time at the
option of the Company, in whole or in part, upon not less than 30 nor more than
60 days' notice, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of
principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to
the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period
beginning on May 15 of the years indicated below:
YEAR PERCENTAGE
2003............................................ 104.250%
2004............................................ 102.833%
2005............................................ 101.417%
2006 and thereafter............................. 100.000%
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the first 36 months
after the date of the Indenture, the Company may on any one or more occasions
redeem up to an aggregate of 35% of the Notes originally issued at a redemption
price of 108.500% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid
interest to the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more
Equity Offerings by the Company or the net cash proceeds of one or more Equity
Offerings by Holdings that are contributed to the Company as common equity
capital; provided that at least 65% of the Notes originally issued remain
outstanding immediately after the occurrence of each such redemption; and
provided, further, that any such redemption must occur within 120 days of the
date of the closing of such Equity Offering.
6. MANDATORY REDEMPTION.
Except as set forth in paragraph 7 below, the Company shall
not be required to make mandatory redemption payments with respect to the
Notes.
7. REPURCHASE AT OPTION OF HOLDER.
(a) If there is a Change of Control, the Company shall be
required to make an offer (a "Change of Control Offer") to repurchase all or
any part (equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof) of each Holder's
Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of aggregate principal amount thereof
plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase (in either
case, the "Change of Control Payment"). Within 10 days following any Change of
Control, the
3
Company shall mail a notice to each Holder setting forth the procedures
governing the Change of Control Offer as required by the Indenture.
(b) If the Company or a Subsidiary consummates any Asset
Sales, within five Business Days of each date on which the aggregate amount of
Excess Proceeds exceeds $10.0 million, the Company shall commence an offer to
all holders of 1997 Notes (as "Asset Sale Offer") pursuant to Section 3.09 of
the Indenture to purchase the maximum principal amount of 1997 Notes that may
be purchased out of the Excess Proceeds, at an offer price in cash in an amount
equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest
to the date of purchase, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the
1997 Indenture. To the extent that the aggregate amount of 1997 Notes tendered
pursuant to an Asset Sale Offer is less than the remaining Excess Proceeds
("Remaining Excess Proceeds") and the sum of (A) such amount of Remaining
Excess Proceeds and (B) the Remaining Excess Proceeds from any subsequent Asset
Sale Offers exceeds $3.0 million, the Company will be required to make an offer
to all Holders of Notes and any other Indebtedness that ranks pari passu with
the Notes that, by its terms, requires the Company to offer to repurchase such
Indebtedness with such Remaining Excess Proceeds (a "Secondary Asset Sale
Offer") to purchase the maximum principal amount of Notes and pari passu
Indebtedness that may be purchased out of such Remaining Excess Proceeds, at an
offer price in cash in an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof
plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to the date of purchase, in
accordance with the procedures set forth in the Indenture. To the extent that
the aggregate amount of Notes or pari passu Indebtedness tendered pursuant to a
Secondary Asset Sale Offer is less than the Remaining Excess Proceeds, the
Company may use any Remaining Excess Proceeds for general corporate purposes.
If the aggregate principal amount of Notes or pari passu Indebtedness
surrendered by Holders thereof exceeds the amount of Remaining Excess Proceeds
in a Secondary Asset Sale Offer, the Company shall repurchase such Indebtedness
on a pro rata basis and the Trustee shall select the Notes to be purchased on a
pro rata basis. Holders of Notes that are the subject of an offer to purchase
will receive an Asset Sale Offer from the Company prior to any related purchase
date and may elect to have such Notes purchased by completing the form entitled
"Option of Holder to Elect Purchase" on the reverse of the Notes.
8. NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Notice of redemption will be mailed at least
30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder
whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address. Notes in
denominations larger than $1,000 may be redeemed in part but only in whole
multiples of $1,000, unless all of the Notes held by a Holder are to be
redeemed. On and after the redemption date interest ceases to accrue on Notes
or portions thereof called for redemption.
9. DENOMINATIONS, TRANSFER, EXCHANGE. The Notes are in registered form
without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided
in the Indenture. The Registrar and the Trustee may require a Holder, among
other things, to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and
the Company may require a Holder to pay any taxes and fees required by law or
permitted by the Indenture. The Company need not exchange or register the
transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for
the unredeemed portion of any
4
Note being redeemed in part. Also, it need not exchange or register the
transfer of any Notes for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be
redeemed or during the period between a record date and the corresponding
Interest Payment Date.
10. PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. The registered Holder of a Note may be
treated as its owner for all purposes.
11. AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER. Subject to certain exceptions,
the Indenture or the Notes may be amended or supplemented with the consent of
the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding
Notes, and any existing default or compliance with any provision of the
Indenture or the Notes may be waived with the consent of the Holders of a
majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes. Without the consent
of any Holder of a Note, the Indenture or the Notes may be amended or
supplemented to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, to provide for
uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes, to
provide for the assumption of the Company's obligations to Holders of the Notes
in case of a merger or consolidation, to make any change that would provide any
additional rights or benefits to the Holders of the Notes or that does not
adversely affect the legal rights under the Indenture of any such Holder, or to
comply with the requirements of the Commission in order to effect or maintain
the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.
12. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES. An "Event of Default" occurs if: (i)
default for 30 days in the payment when due of interest on the Notes (whether
or not prohibited by the subordination provisions of the Indenture); (ii)
default in payment when due of the principal of or premium, if any, on the
Notes (whether or not prohibited by the subordination provisions of the
Indenture); (iii) failure by the Company to comply with the covenants contained
in sections 4.10, 4.15 or 5.10 of the Indenture; (iv) failure by the Company
for 60 days after notice to comply with any of its other agreements in the
Indenture or the Notes; (v) default under any mortgage, indenture or instrument
under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced
any Indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries (or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries) whether such Indebtedness or guarantee now exists,
or is created after the Issue Date, which default results in the acceleration
of such Indebtedness prior to its express maturity and, in each case, the
principal amount of any such Indebtedness, together with the principal amount
of any other such Indebtedness the maturity of which has been so accelerated,
aggregates $10.0 million or more; (vi) failure by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to pay final judgments aggregating in excess of $10.0
million, which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60
days; (vii) certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the
Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries; and (viii) except as permitted
by the Indenture, any Subsidiary Guarantee shall be held in any judicial
proceeding to be unenforceable or invalid.
If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the
Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes may
declare all the Notes to be due and payable immediately; provided, however,
that so long as any Designated Senior Debt is outstanding, such declaration
shall not become effective until the earlier of (i) the day which is
5
five Business Days after receipt by the Representatives of Designated Senior
Debt of such notice of acceleration or (ii) the date of acceleration of any
Designated Senior Debt. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Event
of Default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, with
respect to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, all outstanding Notes will
become due and payable without further action or notice. Holders of the Notes
may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture.
Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of
the then outstanding Notes may direct the Trustee in its exercise of any trust
or power. The Trustee may withhold from Holders of the Notes notice of any
continuing Default or Event of Default (except a Default or Event of Default
relating to the payment of principal or interest) if it determines that
withholding notice is in their interest.
In the case of any Event of Default occurring by reason of any willful
action (or inaction) taken (or not taken) by or on behalf of the Company with
the intention of avoiding payment of the premium that the Company would have
had to pay if the Company then had elected to redeem the Notes pursuant to the
optional redemption provisions of the Indenture, an equivalent premium shall
also become and be immediately due and payable to the extent permitted by law
upon the acceleration of the Notes. If an Event of Default occurs prior to May
15, 2003 by reason of any willful action (or inaction) taken (or not taken) by
or on behalf of the Company with the intention of avoiding the prohibition on
redemption of the Notes prior to May 15, 2003, then the premium specified in
the Indenture shall also become immediately due and payable to the extent
permitted by law upon the acceleration of the Notes.
The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes
then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all
of the Notes waive any existing Default or Event of Default and its
consequences under the Indenture except a continuing Default or Event of
Default in the payment of interest on, or the principal of, the Notes.
13. TRUSTEE DEALINGS WITH COMPANY. The Trustee, in its individual or
any other capacity, may make loans to, accept deposits from, and perform
services for the Company or its Affiliates, and may otherwise deal with the
Company or its Affiliates, as if it were not the Trustee.
14. NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. A director, officer, employee,
incorporator or stockholder, of the Company, as such, shall not have any
liability for any obligations of the Company under the Notes or the Indenture
or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or
their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such
liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the
issuance of the Notes.
15. AUTHENTICATION. This Note shall not be valid until authenticated
by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent.
16. ABBREVIATIONS. Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of
a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (=
tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship
and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts
to Minors Act).
6
17. CUSIP NUMBERS. Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the
Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused
CUSIP numbers to be printed on the Notes and the Trustee may use CUSIP numbers
in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders. No representation is made
as to the accuracy of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as
contained in any notice of redemption and reliance may be placed only on the
other identification numbers placed thereon.
18. GOVERNING LAW. The internal law of the State of New York shall
govern and be used to construe this Note, without regard to the principles of
conflicts of laws.
The Company will furnish to any Holder upon written request and
without charge a copy of the Indenture. Requests may be made to:
L-3 Communications Corporation
600 Third Avenue, 34th Floor,
New York, New York 10016
Attention: Vice President-Finance (Fax: 212-805-5470)
7
ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Note, fill in the form below: (I) or (we) assign and
transfer this Note to
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Insert assignee's soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
(Print or type assignee's name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint _______________________________________________________
to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute
another to act for him.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Date: _________________________
Your Signature: ___________________________________________
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
Signature Guarantee.
8
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company
pursuant to Section 4.10 or 4.15 of the Indenture, check the box below:
[ ] Section 4.10 [ ] Section 4.15
If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the
Company pursuant to Section 4.10 or Section 4.15 of the Indenture, state the
amount you elect to have purchased: $______________
Date:_____________ Your Signature: ______________________________
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the Note)
Tax Identification No.: ______________________
Signature Guarantee.
9
SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE
The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for a Definitive
Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an
interest in this Global Note, have been made:
Principal Amount of
this Global Note Signature of
Amount of decrease Amount of increase following such authorized officer
in Principal Amount in Principal Amount decrease of Trustee or Note
Date of Exchange of this Global Note of this Global Note (or increase) Custodian
---------------- ------------------- ------------------- -------------------- ------------------
10
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEE
Pursuant to the Supplemental Indenture (the "Supplemental
Indenture") dated as of May 22, 1998 among The Bank of New York, as trustee
(the "Trustee"), and Hygienetics Environmental Services, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, L-3 Communications ILEX Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation and
Southern California Microwave, Inc., a California corporation (the
"Guaranteeing Subsidiaries"), each Guaranteeing Subsidiary (i) has jointly and
severally unconditionally guaranteed (a) the due and punctual payment of the
principal of, premium and interest on the Notes, whether at maturity or an
interest payment date, by acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, (b)
the due and punctual payment of interest on the overdue principal and premium
of, and interest on the Notes, and (c) in case of any extension of time of
payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, the same will
be promptly paid in full when due in accordance with the terms of the extension
or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise and (ii)
has agreed to pay any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable
attorneys' fees) incurred by the Trustee or any Holder in enforcing any rights
under this Subsidiary Guarantee.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the
Subsidiary Guarantee of any Guaranteeing Subsidiary would constitute or result
in a violation of any applicable fraudulent conveyance or similar law of any
relevant jurisdiction, the liability of such Guaranteeing Subsidiary under its
Subsidiary Guarantee shall be reduced to the maximum amount permissible under
such fraudulent conveyance or similar law.
No past, present or future director, officer, employee,
agent, incorporator, stockholder or agent of any Guaranteeing Subsidiary, as
such, shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any
Guaranteeing Subsidiary under the Notes, any Subsidiary Guarantee, Indenture,
any supplemental indenture delivered pursuant to the Indenture by such
Guaranteeing Subsidiary or any Subsidiary Guarantees, or for any claim based
on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each
Holder by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability.
This Subsidiary Guarantee shall be binding upon each
Guaranteeing Subsidiary and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the
benefit of the successors and assigns of the Trustee and the Holders and, in
the event of any transfer or assignment of rights by any Holder or the Trustee,
the rights and privileges herein conferred upon that party shall automatically
extend to and be vested in such transferee or assignee, all subject to the
terms and conditions hereof.
This Subsidiary Guarantee shall not be valid or obligatory
for any purpose until the certificate of authentication on the Note upon which
this Subsidiary Guarantee is noted have been executed by the Trustee under the
Indenture by the manual signature of one of its authorized officers.
Capitalized terms used herein have the meaning assigned to them in the
Indenture.
1
HYGIENETICS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.
By: ________________________________
Name:
Title:
L-3 COMMUNICATIONS ILEX SYSTEMS, INC.
By: ________________________________
Name:
Title:
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MICROWAVE, INC.
By: ________________________________
Name:
Title: