Exhibit 4(t)
FLEET FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
INDENTURE
DATED AS OF []
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO
AS TRUSTEE
JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES
TIE-SHEET
of provisions of the Trust Indenture Act with Indenture dated as of [] between
Fleet Financial Group, Inc. and The First National Bank of Chicago, Trustee:
ACT SECTION INDENTURE SECTION
310(a)(1) 6.09
310(a)(2) 6.09
310(a)(3) N/A
310(a)(4) N/A
310(b) 6.08; 6.10(a), (b) and (d)
310(c) N/A
311(a) and (b) 6.13
311(c) N/A
312(a) 4.01; 4.02(a)
312(b) and (c) 4.02(b) and (c)
313(a) 4.04(a)
313(b)(1) N/A
313(b)(2) 4.04(b)
313(c) 4.04(c)
313(d) 4.04(d)
314(a) 4.03
314(b) N/A
314(c)(1) and (2) 13.06
314(c)(3) N/A
314(d) N/A
314(e) 13.06
314(f) N/A
315(a), (c) and (d) 6.01
315(b) 5.08
315(e) 5.09
316(a)(1) 5.01; 5.07
316(a)(2) Omitted
316(a) last sentence 7.04
316(b) 5.04
317(a) 5.02
317(b) 3.04(a)
318(a) 13.08
THIS TIE-SHEET IS NOT PART OF THE INDENTURE AS EXECUTED.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS*
Page
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Parties 1
Recitals 1
Authorization of Indenture 1
Compliance with Legal Requirements 1
Purpose of and Consideration for Indenture 1
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01. Definitions 1
Additional Provisions 1
Affiliate 1
Authenticating Agent 1
Bankruptcy Law 2
Board of Directors 2
Board Resolution 2
Business Day 2
Capital Securities 2
Capital Securities Guarantee 2
Certificate 2
Certificate of Authentication 2
Commission 2
Common Securities 2
Common Securities Guarantee 2
Company 2
Custodian 2
Declaration 2
Default 2
Defaulted Interest 3
Defeasance Agent 3
Depository Institution 3
Discharge 3
Event of Default 3
Fleet Capital Trust 3
Fleet Common Stock 3
Global Security 3
Indenture 3
Institutional Trustee 3
Interest 3
Interest Payment Date 3
Mortgage 3
Officers' Certificate 4
Opinion of Counsel 4
Other Financial Obligations 4
Outstanding 4
* THIS TABLE OF CONTENTS SHALL NOT, FOR ANY PURPOSE, BE DEEMED TO BE A PART OF
THE INDENTURE.
Person 4
Predecessor Security 4
Principal office of the Trustee 4
Responsible Officer 4
Security 5
Securities 5
Securityholder 5
holder of Securities 5
Senior Indebtedness 5
Subsidiary 5
Trustee 5
Trust Indenture Act 5
Trust Securities 5
U.S. Government Obligations 5
ARTICLE II
SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Forms Generally 6
SECTION 2.02. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication 6
SECTION 2.03. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series 6
SECTION 2.04. Authentication and Dating 8
SECTION 2.05. Date and Denomination of Securities 8
SECTION 2.06. Execution of Securities 10
SECTION 2.07. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Securities 10
SECTION 2.08. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities 11
SECTION 2.09. Temporary Securities 11
SECTION 2.10. Cancellation of Securities Paid, etc. 12
SECTION 2.11. Global Securities 12
ARTICLE III
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
SECTION 3.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest 13
SECTION 3.02. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc. 13
SECTION 3.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee's Office 13
SECTION 3.04. Provision as to Paying Agent 13
SECTION 3.05. Certificate to Trustee 14
SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions 14
SECTION 3.07. Limitation on Dividends; Transactions with Affiliates 14
SECTION 3.08. Covenants as to Fleet Capital Trusts 14
SECTION 3.09. Notice of Default 15
ARTICLE IV
SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE
COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.01. Securityholders' Lists 15
SECTION 4.02. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists 15
SECTION 4.03. Reports by Company 16
SECTION 4.04. Reports by the Trustee 17
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
ON EVENT OF DEFAULT
SECTION 5.01. Events of Default 17
SECTION 5.02. Payment of Securities on Default; Suit Therefor 19
SECTION 5.03. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee 20
SECTION 5.04. Proceedings by Securityholders 20
SECTION 5.05. Proceedings by Trustee 21
SECTION 5.06. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing 21
SECTION 5.07. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by
Majority of Securityholders 21
SECTION 5.08. Notice of Defaults 22
SECTION 5.09. Undertaking to Pay Costs 22
ARTICLE VI
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee 23
SECTION 6.02. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc. 23
SECTION 6.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc. 24
SECTION 6.04. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agents, Transfer
Agents or Registrar May Own Securities 24
SECTION 6.05. Moneys to be Held in Trust 25
SECTION 6.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee 25
SECTION 6.07. Officers' Certificate as Evidence 25
SECTION 6.08. Conflicting Interest of Trustee 25
SECTION 6.09. Eligibility of Trustee 25
SECTION 6.10. Resignation or Removal of Trustee 26
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance by Successor Trustee 27
SECTION 6.12. Succession by Merger, etc. 27
SECTION 6.13. Limitation on Rights of Trustee as a Creditor 28
SECTION 6.14. Authenticating Agents 28
ARTICLE VII
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 7.01. Action by Securityholders 29
SECTION 7.02. Proof of Execution by Securityholders 29
SECTION 7.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners 29
SECTION 7.04. Securities Owned by Company Deemed Not Outstanding 30
SECTION 7.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound 30
ARTICLE VIII
SECURITYHOLDERS' MEETINGS
SECTION 8.01. Purposes of Meetings 30
SECTION 8.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee 30
SECTION 8.03. Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders 31
SECTION 8.04. Qualifications for Voting 31
SECTION 8.05. Regulations 31
SECTION 8.06. Voting 31
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.01. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Securityholders 32
SECTION 9.02. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Securityholders 33
SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act; Effect of Supplemental
Indentures 34
SECTION 9.04. Notation on Securities 34
SECTION 9.05. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to
be Furnished Trustee 34
ARTICLE X
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE
SECTION 10.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms 34
SECTION 10.02. Successor Corporation to be Substituted for Company 35
SECTION 10.03. Opinion of Counsel to be Given Trustee 35
ARTICLE XI
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 11.01. Discharge of Indenture 35
SECTION 11.02. Deposited Moneys and U.S. Government Obligations to be
Held in Trust by Trustee 36
SECTION 11.03. Paying Agent to Repay Moneys Held 36
SECTION 11.04. Return of Unclaimed Moneys 36
SECTION 11.05. Defeasance Upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government
Obligations 36
ARTICLE XII
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS,
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 12.01. Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate Obligations 37
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 13.01. Successors 38
SECTION 13.02. Official Acts by Successor Corporation 38
SECTION 13.03. Surrender of Company Powers 38
SECTION 13.04. Addreses for Notices, etc. 38
SECTION 13.05. Governing Law 38
SECTION 13.06. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent 38
SECTION 13.07. Legal Holidays 39
SECTION 13.08. Trust Indenture Act to Control 39
SECTION 13.09. Table of Contents, Headings, etc. 39
SECTION 13.10. Execution in Counterparts 39
SECTION 13.11. Separability 39
SECTION 13.12. Assignment 39
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgment of Rights 40
ARTICLE XIV
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES-- MANDATORY AND OPTIONAL SINKING FUND
SECTION 14.01. Applicability of Article 40
SECTION 14.02. Notice of Redemption; Selection of Securities 40
SECTION 14.03. Payment of Securities Called for Redemption 41
SECTION 14.04. Mandatory and Optional Sinking Fund 41
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 15.01. Agreement to Subordinate 42
SECTION 15.02. Default on Senior Indebtedness 43
SECTION 15.03. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy 43
SECTION 15.04. Subrogation 44
SECTION 15.05. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination 45
SECTION 15.06. Notice by the Company 45
SECTION 15.07. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations 46
SECTION 15.08. Subordination May Not Be Impaired 46
Testimonium 47
Signatures 47
Acknowledgments 48
THIS INDENTURE, dated as of [], between Fleet Financial Group, Inc., a
Rhode Island corporation (hereinafter sometimes called the "Company"), and The
First National Bank of Chicago, a national banking association, as trustee
(hereinafter sometimes called the "Trustee"),
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly authorized
the issuance from time to time of its junior subordinated unsecured debentures,
notes or other evidence of indebtedness to be issued in one or more series (the
"Securities") up to such principal amount or amounts as may from time to time be
authorized in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and, to provide the
terms and conditions upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued
and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the execution of this Indenture;
and
WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make this Indenture a valid
agreement according to its terms, have been done and performed;
NOW, THEREFORE, This Indenture Witnesseth:
In consideration of the premises, and the purchase of the Securities by the
holders thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with the Trustee for the equal
and proportionate benefit of the respective holders from time to time of the
Securities or of a series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01. Definitions.
The terms defined in this Section 1.01 (except as herein otherwise
expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of
this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the
respective meanings specified in this Section 1.01. All other terms used in this
Indenture which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, as amended (the "Trust
Indenture Act"), or which are by reference therein defined in the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), shall (except as herein otherwise
expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) have the meanings
assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said Securities Act as
in force at the date of this Indenture as originally executed. All accounting
terms used herein and not expressly defined shall have the meanings assigned to
such terms in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and the
term "generally accepted accounting principles" means such accounting principles
as are generally accepted at the time of any computation. The words "herein",
"hereof" and "hereunder" and other words of similar import refer to this
Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other
subdivision.
"Additional Provisions" shall have the meaning given to such term in
Section 15.01.
"Affiliate" means, with respect to a specified Person, (a) any Person
directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote, 10% or
more of the outstanding voting securities or other ownership interests of the
specified Person, (b) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting
securities or other ownership interests are directly or indirectly owned,
controlled or held with power to vote by the specified Person, (c) any Person
directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with
the specified Person, (d) a partnership in which the specified Person is a
general partner, (e) any officer or director of the specified Person, and (f) if
the specified Person is an individual, any entity of which the specified Person
is an officer, director or general partner.
"Authenticating Agent" shall mean any agent or agents of the Trustee which
at the time shall be appointed and acting pursuant to Section 6.14.
"Bankruptcy Law" shall mean Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or
state law for the relief of debtors.
"Board of Directors" shall mean the Board of Directors or the Executive
Committee or any other duly authorized committee thereof of the Company.
"Board Resolution" shall mean a copy of a resolution certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by
the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such
certification.
"Business Day" shall mean, with respect to any series of Securities, any
day other than a day on which Federal or State banking institutions in the
Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York or Chicago, Illinois are authorized
or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close.
"Capital Securities" shall mean undivided beneficial interests in the
assets of a Fleet Capital Trust which rank pari passu with Common Securities
issued by such Fleet Capital Trust; provided, however, that upon the occurrence
of an Event of Default, the rights of holders of Common Securities to payment in
respect of distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise
are subordinated to the rights of holders of Capital Securities.
"Capital Securities Guarantee" shall mean any guarantee that the Company
may enter into with The First National Bank of Chicago or other Persons that
operate directly or indirectly for the benefit of holders of Capital Securities
of such Fleet Capital Trust.
"Certificate" shall mean a certificate signed by the principal executive
officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of
the Company.
"Certificate of Authentication" shall mean the certificate issued by the
Trustee or the Authenticating Agent as to the form of Security issued under the
Indenture.
"Commission" shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from
time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or,
if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not
existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture
Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
"Common Securities" shall mean undivided beneficial interests in the assets
of a Fleet Capital Trust which rank pari passu with Capital Securities issued by
such Fleet Capital Trust; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an
Event of Default, the rights of holders of Common Securities to payment in
respect of distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise
are subordinated to the rights of holders of Capital Securities.
"Common Securities Guarantee" shall mean any guarantee that the Company may
enter into with any Person or Persons that operate directly or indirectly for
the benefit of holders of Common Securities of such Fleet Capital Trust.
"Company" shall mean Fleet Financial Group, Inc., a Rhode Island
corporation, and, subject to the provisions of Article Ten, shall include its
successors and assigns.
"Custodian" shall mean any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, or
similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
"Declaration", with respect to a Fleet Capital Trust, shall mean the
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of such Fleet Capital Trust.
"Default" means any event, act or condition that with notice or lapse of
time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.
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"Defaulted Interest" shall have the meaning given to such term in Section
2.05.
"Defeasance Agent" shall have the meaning given to such term in Section
11.05(c).
"Depository Institution" shall mean, with respect to Securities of any
series, for which the Company shall determine that such Securities will be
issued as a Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York,
another clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under
the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or
other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case, shall be designated
by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.03 or 2.11.
"Discharged" shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 11.05(b).
"Event of Default" shall mean any event specified in Section 5.01,
continued for the period of time, if any, and after the giving of the notice, if
any, therein designated.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"Fleet Capital Trust" shall mean each of Fleet Capital Trust V, Fleet
Capital Trust VI, Fleet Capital Trust VII, Fleet Capital Trust VII, Fleet
Capital Trust IX and Fleet Capital Trust X, each a Delaware business trust, or
any other similar trust created for the purpose of issuing securities in
connection with the issuance of Securities under this Indenture.
"Fleet Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock, par value $0.01 per
share, of the Company or any other class of stock resulting from changes or
reclassifications of such Common Stock consisting solely of changes in par
value, or from par value to no par value, or from no par value to par value.
Subject to the anti-dilution provisions of any convertible Security, however,
shares of Fleet Common Stock issuable on conversion of a Security shall include
only shares of the class designated as Common Stock of the Company at the date
of the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or other instrument authorizing
such Security or shares of any class or classes resulting from any
reclassification or reclassifications thereof and which have no preference in
respect of the payment of dividends or the distribution of assets upon any
voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company
and which are not subject to redemption by the Company, provided that if at any
time there shall be more than one such resulting class, the shares of each such
class then so issuable shall be substantially in the proportion which the total
number of shares of such class resulting from all such reclassifications bears
to the total number of shares of such classes resulting from all such
reclassifications.
"Global Security" means, with respect to any series of Securities, a
Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to the Depository
Institution or pursuant to the Depository Institution's instruction, all in
accordance with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the
Depository Institution or its nominee.
"Indenture" shall mean this instrument as originally executed or, if
amended or supplemented as herein provided, as so amended or supplemented, or
both, and shall include the form and terms of particular series of Securities
established as contemplated hereunder.
"Institutional Trustee" has the meaning set forth in the Declaration of the
applicable Fleet Capital Trust.
"Interest" shall mean, when used with respect to non-interest bearing
Securities, interest payable at maturity.
"Interest Payment Date", when used with respect to any installment of
interest on a Security of a particular series, shall mean the date specified in
such Security or in a Board Resolution or in an indenture supplemental hereto
with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an installment of
interest with respect to Securities of that series is due and payable.
"Mortgage" shall mean and include any mortgage, pledge, lien, security
interest, conditional sale or other title retention agreement or other similar
encumbrance.
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"Officers' Certificate" shall mean a certificate signed by the Chairman of
the Board, the President or any Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an
Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, an Assistant Controller, the Secretary or
an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee. Each such
certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 13.06 if and to
the extent provided by the provisions of such Section.
"Opinion of Counsel" shall mean an opinion in writing signed by legal
counsel experienced in the matters as to which such opinion is being delivered,
who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, or may be other counsel
satisfactory to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the statements
provided for in Section 13.06 if and to the extent required by the provisions of
such Section.
"Other Financial Obligations" means all obligations of the Company to make
payment pursuant to the terms of financial instruments, such as (i) securities
contracts and foreign currency exchange contracts, (ii) derivative instruments,
such as swap agreements (including interest rate and foreign exchange rate swap
agreements), cap agreements, floor agreements, collar agreements, interest rate
agreements, foreign exchange rate agreements, options, commodity futures
contracts, commodity option contracts and (iii) in the case of both (i) and (ii)
above, similar financial instruments, other than (A) obligations on account of
Senior Indebtedness and (B) obligations on account of indebtedness for money
borrowed ranking pari passu with or subordinate to the Securities.
The term "outstanding" (except as otherwise provided in Section 7.01), when
used with reference to Securities, shall, subject to the provisions of Section
7.04, mean, as of any particular time, all Securities authenticated and
delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent under this Indenture,
except
(a) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Securities, or portions thereof, for the payment or redemption of
which moneys in the necessary amount shall have been deposited in
trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than the
Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by
the Company (if the Company shall act as its own paying agent);
provided that, if such Securities, or portions thereof, are to be
redeemed prior to maturity thereof, notice of such redemption
shall have been given as in Article Fourteen provided or provision
satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been made for giving such
notice; and
(c) Securities in lieu of or in substitution for which other
Securities shall have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to
the terms of Section 2.08 unless proof satisfactory to the Company
and the trustee is presented that any such Securities are held by
bona fide holders in due course.
"Person" shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, joint
venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every previous
Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt and as that evidenced by
such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security
authenticated and delivered under Section 2.08 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or
stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed
or stolen Security.
"Principal office of the Trustee", or other similar term, shall mean the
principal office of the Trustee, at which at any particular time its corporate
trust business shall be administered.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the Trustee, any officer
within the corporate trust office of the Trustee, including any vice-president,
any assistant vice-president, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any
assistant treasurer or other officer of the corporate trust office 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
11
corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred
because of that officer's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular
subject.
"Security" or "Securities" shall have the meaning stated in the first
recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any security or
securities, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered under this
Indenture.
"Security Register" shall have the meaning given to such term in Section
2.07.
"Securityholder", "holder of Securities", or other similar terms, shall
mean any person in whose name at the time a particular Security is registered on
the register kept by the Company or the Trustee for that purpose in accordance
with the terms hereof.
"Senior Indebtedness" means, with respect to the Company, (i) the
principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of (A) indebtedness of the
Company for money borrowed and (B) indebtedness evidenced by securities,
debentures, bonds or other similar instruments issued by the Company, (ii) all
capital lease obligations of the Company, (iii) all obligations of the Company
issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property, all conditional
sale obligations of the Company and all obligations of the Company under any
title retention agreement (but excluding trade accounts payable arising in the
ordinary course of business), (iv) all obligations of the Company for the
reimbursement of any letter of credit, banker's acceptance, security purchase
facility or similar credit transaction, (v) all obligations of the type referred
to in clauses (i) through (iv) above of other persons for the payment of which
the Company is responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise and (vi)
all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (i) through (v) above of
other persons secured by any lien on any property or asset of the Company
(whether or not such obligation is assumed by the Company), except that Senior
Indebtedness shall not include (i) any such indebtedness that is by its terms
subordinated to or ranks pari passu with the Securities and (ii) any
indebtedness between and among the Company or its affiliates, including all
other debt securities and guarantees in respect to those debt securities, issued
to any other trust, or a trustee of such trust, partnership or other entity
affiliated with the Company that is a financing vehicle of the Company (a
"financing entity") in connection with the issuance by such financing entity of
Capital securities or other securities that rank pari passu with, or junior to,
the Capital Securities.
"Subsidiary" shall mean with respect to any Person, (i) any corporation at
least a majority of whose outstanding voting stock of which is owned, directly
or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such
Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any general partnership, joint
venture or similar entity, at least a majority of whose outstanding partnership
or similar interests shall at the time be owned by such Person, or by one or
more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries
and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person or any of its
Subsidiaries is a general partner. For the purposes of this definition, "voting
stock" means shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the
equity interest (however designated) in such Person having ordinary voting power
for the election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such
Person, other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having
such power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.
"Trustee" shall mean the Person identified as "Trustee" in the first
paragraph hereof, and, subject to the provisions of Article Six hereof, shall
also include its successors and assigns as Trustee hereunder. The term "Trustee"
as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the
trustee with respect to that series.
"Trust Indenture Act" shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as in
force at the date of execution of this Indenture, except as provided in Section
9.03.
"Trust Securities" shall mean Common Securities and Capital Securities of a
Fleet Capital Trust.
"U.S. Government Obligations" shall mean securities that are (i) direct
obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full
faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or
supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of
America the payment of which is
12
unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United
States of America, which, in either case under clauses (i) or (ii) are not
callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also
include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with
respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest
on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian
for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as
required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the
amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received
by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific
payment of interest on or principal of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced
by such depository receipt.
ARTICLE II
SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form as shall
be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution and as set forth in an
Officers' Certificate of the Company or in one or more indentures supplemental
hereto, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions
and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may
have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or
endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with any law or with
any rules made pursuant thereto or with any rules of any securities exchange or
all as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such
Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities.
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on
steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined
by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of
such Securities.
SECTION 2.02. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee's Certificate of Authentication on all Securities shall be in
substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to
in the within-mentioned Indenture.
The First National Bank of Chicago
as Trustee
By _______________________________________
Authorized Officer
SECTION 2.03. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and
delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one
or more series up to the aggregate principal amount of securities of that series
from time to time authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company
or pursuant to one or more indentures supplemental hereto. Prior to the initial
issuance of Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant
to a Board Resolution of the Company and set forth in an Officers' Certificate
of the Company or established in one or more indentures supplemental:
(a) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the
Securities of the series from all other Securities);
(b) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the
series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for
Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of,
13
or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to
Sections 2.07, 2.08, 2.09, 9.04 or 14.03);
(c) the date or dates on which the principal of and premium, if any, on the
Securities of the series is payable;
(d) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear
interest, if any, or the method by which such interest may be determined, the
date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates
on which such interest shall be payable or the manner of determination of such
Interest Payment Dates and the record dates for the determination of holders to
whom interest is payable on any such Interest Payment Dates;
(e) the place or places where the principal of, and premium, if any, and
any interest on Securities of the series shall be payable;
(f) the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the
duration of such extension;
(g) the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which and
the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in
whole or in part, at the option of the Company, pursuant to any sinking fund or
otherwise;
(h) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem, purchase or repay
Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or
at the option of a Securityholder thereof and the price or prices at which, and
the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which,
Securities of the series shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in
part, pursuant to such obligation;
(i) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple
thereof, the denominations in which Securities of the series shall be issuable;
(j) any Events of Default with respect to the Securities of a particular
series, if not set forth herein;
(k) the form of the Securities of the series including the form of the
Certificate of Authentication of such series;
(l) any trustee, authenticating or paying agents, warrant agents, transfer
agents or registrars with respect to the Securities of such series;
(m) whether the Securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in
part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the
Depository Institution for such Global Security or Securities, and whether
beneficial owners of interests in any such Global Securities may exchange such
interests for other Securities of such series in the manner provided in Section
2.07, and the manner and the circumstances under which and the place or places
where any such exchanges may occur if other than in the manner provided in
Section 2.07, and any other terms of the series relating to the global nature of
the Global Securities of such series and the exchange, registration or transfer
thereof and the payment of any principal thereof, or interest or premium, if
any, thereon; and
(n) any other terms of the series (which terms shall not be inconsistent
with the provisions of this Indenture).
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as
to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to such
resolution of the Board of Directors or in any such indenture supplemental
hereto.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant
to a Board Resolution of the Company, a copy of an appropriate record of such
action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the
Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the
Officers' Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.
SECTION 2.04. Authentication and Dating.
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At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this
Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the
Company to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall thereupon
authenticate and deliver said Securities to or upon the written order of the
Company, signed by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, President or one of
its Vice Presidents and by its Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, Secretary or
any Assistant Secretary, without any further action by the Company hereunder. In
authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities
under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be
entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in
relying upon:
(a) a copy of any Board Resolution or Resolutions relating thereto and, if
applicable, an appropriate record of any action taken pursuant to such
resolution, in each case certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of
the Company;
(b) an executed supplemental indenture, if any;
(c) an Officers' Certificate setting forth the form and terms of the
Securities as required pursuant to Sections 2.01 and 2.03, respectively; and
(d) an Opinion of Counsel prepared in accordance with Section 13.06 which
shall also state:
(i) that the form of such Securities has been established by or
pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors or by a
supplemental indenture as permitted by Section 2.01 in
conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(ii) that the terms of such Securities have been established by or
pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors or by a
supplemental indenture as permitted by Section 2.03 in
conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(iii) that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the
Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to
any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will
constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company;
(iv) that all laws and requirements in respect of the execution and
delivery by the Company of the Securities have been complied
with and that authentication and delivery of the Securities by
the Trustee will not violate the terms of the Indenture; and
(v) such other matters as the Trustee may reasonably request.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any
Securities under this Section if the Trustee, being advised by counsel,
determines that such action may not lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good
faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee, or a trust
committee of directors or trustees and/or vice presidents shall determine that
such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to existing holders.
SECTION 2.05. Date and Denomination of Securities.
The Securities shall be issuable as registered Securities without coupons
and in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 2.03.
In the absence of any such specification with respect to the Securities of any
series, the Securities of such Series shall be issuable in the denominations of
$1,000 and any multiple thereof. The Securities shall be numbered, lettered, or
otherwise distinguished in such manner or in accordance with such plans as the
officers of the Company executing the same may determine with the approval of
the Trustee as evidenced by the execution and authentication thereof.
Every Security shall be dated the date of its authentication, shall bear
interest, if any, from such date and shall be payable on such dates, in each
case, as contemplated by Section 2.03. The interest installment on any Security
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that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest
Payment Date for Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose
name said Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the
close of business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In
the event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called
for redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date
with respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment
Date, interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of
such Security as provided in Section 3.01.
Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not punctually paid or
duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for any Security of the same
series (herein called "Defaulted Interest") shall forthwith cease to be payable
to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by virtue of having
been such holder, and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at
its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:
(a) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Securities
to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their respective
Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a
special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which
shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the
Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be
paid on each such Security and the date of the proposed payment, and
at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount
of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect
of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to
the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed
payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit
of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause
provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a special record date for
the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall not be more than 15
nor less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and
not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice
of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company
of such special record date and, in the name and at the expense of the
Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted
Interest and the special record date therefor to be mailed, first
class postage prepaid, to each Securityholder at his or her address as
it appears in the Security Register (as hereinafter defined), not less
than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the proposed
payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date
therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest
shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their
respective Predecessor Securities) are registered on such special
record date and shall be no longer payable pursuant to the following
clause (b).
(b) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any
Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the
requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may
be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange,
if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustees of the proposed
payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be
deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution of the Company or one or
more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of any series of
Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the term "regular record date" as
used in this Section with respect to a series of Securities with respect to any
Interest Payment Date for such series shall mean either the fifteenth day of the
month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to
Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the last day
of a month, or the last day of the month immediately preceding the month in
which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section
2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a
month, whether or not such date is a Business Day.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security of a
series delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in
lieu of any other Security of such series shall carry the rights to interest
accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Security.
SECTION 2.06. Execution of Securities.
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The Securities shall be signed in the name and on behalf of the Company by
the facsimile signature of its Chairman of the Board of Directors, President or
one of its Vice Presidents and by the facsimile signature of its Treasurer, one
of its Assistant Treasurers, Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries,
under its corporate seal which may be affixed thereto or printed, engraved or
otherwise reproduced thereon, by facsimile or otherwise, and which need not be
attested. Only such Securities as shall bear thereon a Certificate of
Authentication substantially in the form hereinbefore recited, executed by the
Trustee or the Authenticating Agent, shall be entitled to the benefits of this
Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose. Such certificate by the
Trustee or the Authenticating Agent upon any Security executed by the Company
shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has been duly
authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled to the
benefits of this Indenture.
In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the
Securities shall cease to be such officer before the Securities so signed shall
have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent, or disposed of by the Company, such Securities nevertheless may be
authenticated and delivered or disposed of as though the person who signed such
Securities had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Security
may be signed on behalf of the Company by such persons as, at the actual date of
the execution of such Security, shall be the proper officers of the Company,
although at the date of the execution of this Indenture any such person was not
such an officer.
SECTION 2.07. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Securities.
Subject to Section 2.03(i), Securities of any series may be exchanged for a
like aggregate principal amount of Securities of the same series of other
authorized denominations. Securities to be exchanged may be surrendered at the
principal office of the Trustee or at any office or agency to be maintained by
the Company for such purpose as provided in Section 3.02, and the Company or the
Trustee shall execute and register and the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent
shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor the Security or Securities
which the Securityholder making the exchange shall be entitled to receive. Upon
due presentment for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at
the principal office of the Trustee or at any office or agency of the Company
maintained for such purpose as provided in Section 3.02, the Company or the
Trustee shall execute and register and the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent
shall authenticate and deliver in the name of the transferee or transferees a
new Security or Securities of the same series for a like aggregate principal
amount. Registration or registration of transfer of any Security by the Trustee
or by any agent of the Company appointed pursuant to Section 3.02, and delivery
of such Security, shall be deemed to complete the registration or registration
of transfer of such Security.
The Company or the Trustee shall keep, at the principal office of the
Trustee, a register for each series of Securities issued hereunder (the
"Security Register") in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may
prescribe, the Company or the Trustee shall register all Securities and shall
register the transfer of all Securities as in this Article Two provided. Such
register shall be in written form or in any other form capable of being
converted into written form within a reasonable time.
All Securities presented for registration of transfer or for exchange or
payment shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent) be duly endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written
instrument or instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and
the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent duly executed by, the holder or his
attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of
transfer of Securities, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a
sum sufficient to cover any tax, fee or other governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection therewith.
The Company or the Trustee shall not be required to exchange or register a
transfer of (a) any Security for a period of 15 days next preceding the date of
selection of Securities of such series for redemption, or (b) any Securities of
any series selected, called or being called for redemption in whole or in part,
except in the case of any Securities of any series to be redeemed in part, the
portion thereof not so to be redeemed.
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SECTION 2.08. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities.
In case any temporary or definitive Security shall become mutilated or be
destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company shall execute, and upon its request the
Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, a new Security of the same series
bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange and substitution
for the mutilated Security, or in lieu of and in substitution for the Security
so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for a substituted
Security shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity
as may be required by them to save each of them harmless, and, in every case of
destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also furnish to the Company and
the Trustee evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of
such Security and of the ownership thereof.
The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Security and deliver the
same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of the Company.
Upon the issuance of any substituted Security, the Company may require the
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that
may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses connected therewith.
In case any Security which has matured or is about to mature or has been called
for redemption in full shall become mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen,
the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Security, pay or authorize the
payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in the case of a mutilated
Security) if the applicant for such payment shall furnish to the Company and the
Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of
them harmless and, in case of destruction, loss or theft, evidence satisfactory
to the Company and to the Trustee of the destruction, loss or theft of such
Security and of the ownership thereof.
Every substituted Security of any series issued pursuant to the provisions
of this Section 2.08 by virtue of the fact that any such Security is destroyed,
lost or stolen shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the
Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be found at
any time, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally
and proportionately with any and all other Securities of the same series duly
issued hereunder. All Securities shall be held and owned upon the express
condition that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the foregoing
provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of
mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities and shall preclude any and all
other rights or remedies notwithstanding any law or statute existing or
hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the replacement or payment of
negotiable instruments or other securities without their surrender.
SECTION 2.09. Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company
may execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver temporary Securities
(printed or lithographed). Temporary Securities shall be issuable in any
authorized denomination, and substantially in the form of the definitive
Securities but with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be
appropriate for temporary Securities, all as may be determined by the Company.
Every such temporary Security shall be executed by the Company and be
authenticated by the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the
same manner, and with the same effect, as the definitive Securities. Without
unreasonable delay the Company will execute and deliver to the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent definitive Securities and thereupon any or all temporary
Securities of such series may be surrendered in exchange therefor, at the
principal office of the Trustee or at any office or agency maintained by the
Company for such purpose as provided in Section 3.02, and the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and deliver in exchange for such
temporary Securities a like aggregate principal amount of such definitive
Securities. Such exchange shall be made by the Company at its own expense and
without any charge therefor except that in case of any such exchange involving a
registration of transfer the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any tax, fee or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation
thereto. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of any series shall in all
respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive
Securities of the same series authenticated and delivered hereunder.
SECTION 2.10. Cancellation of Securities Paid, etc.
All Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment, redemption, exchange
or registration of transfer, shall, if
18
surrendered to the Company or any paying agent, be surrendered to the Trustee
and promptly cancelled by it, or, if surrendered to the Trustee or any
Authenticating Agent, shall be promptly cancelled by it, and no Securities shall
be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions
of this Indenture. All Securities cancelled by any Authenticating Agent shall be
delivered to the Trustee. The Trustee shall destroy cancelled Securities and
shall deliver a certificate of such destruction to the Company. If the Company
shall acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate
as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such
Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for
cancellation.
SECTION 2.11. Global Securities.
(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.03 that the
Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global Security, then
the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section
2.04, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that (i) shall represent, and
shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of,
all of the outstanding Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in
the name of the Depository Institution or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered
by the Trustee to the Depository Institution or pursuant to the Depository
Institution's instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the
following effect: "Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the
Indenture, this Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to
another nominee of the Depository Institution or to a successor Depository
Institution or to a nominee of such successor Depository Institution."
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.07, the Global Security of
a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided
in Section 2.07, only to another nominee of the Depository Institution for such
series or to a successor Depository Institution for such series selected or
approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depository
Institution.
(c) If at any time the Depository Institution for a series of the
Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as
Depository Institution for such series or if at any time the Depository
Institution for such series shall no longer be registered or in good standing
under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, and a
successor Depository Institution for such series is not appointed by the Company
within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such
condition, as the case may be, this Section 2.11 shall no longer be applicable
to the Securities of such series and the Company will execute, and subject to
Section 2.07, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver, the Securities of such
series in definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized
denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal
amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such Global
Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the Securities
of any series shall no longer be represented by a Global Security and that the
provisions of this Section 2.11 shall no longer apply to the Securities of such
series. In such event the Company will execute and, subject to Section 2.07, the
Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers' Certificate evidencing such determination
by the Company, will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in
definitive registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in
an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global
Security of such series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange
of the Global Security for such Securities in definitive registered form without
coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be cancelled by
the Trustee. Such Securities in definitive registered form issued in exchange
for the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be registered in
such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depository Institution,
pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise,
shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the
Depository Institution for delivery to the Persons in whose names such
Securities are so registered.
ARTICLE III
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
SECTION 3.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of
Securities that it will duly and punctually
19
pay or cause to be paid the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on,
each of the Securities of that series at the place, at the respective times and
in the manner provided in such Securities. Each installment of interest on the
Securities of any series may be paid by mailing checks for such interest payable
to the order of the holders of Securities entitled thereto as they appear on the
Security Register or by wire transfer to an account appropriately designated by
the holders of Securities entitled thereto.
SECTION 3.02. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc.
So long as any of the Securities remains outstanding, the Company will
maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, an office or agency
where the Securities of each series may be presented for payment, an office or
agency where the Securities of that Series may be presented for registration of
transfer and for exchange as in this Indenture provided, and an office or agency
where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of
that Series or of this Indenture may be served. The Company will give to the
Trustee written notice of the location of any such office or agency and of any
change of location thereof. Until otherwise designated from time to time by the
Company in a notice to the Trustee, or specified as contemplated by Section
2.03, any such office or agency for all of the above purposes shall be the
office or agency of the Trustee. In case the Company shall fail to maintain any
such office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, or
shall fail to give such notice of the location or of any change in the location
thereof, presentations and demands may be made and notices may be served at the
principal office of the Trustee.
In addition to any such office or agency, the Company may from time to time
designate one or more offices or agencies outside the Borough of Manhattan, The
City of New York, where the Securities may be presented for registration of
transfer and for exchange in the manner provided in this Indenture, and the
Company may from time to time rescind such designation, as the Company may deem
desirable or expedient; provided, however, that no such designation or
rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain
any such office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, for
the purposes above mentioned. The Company will give to the Trustee prompt
written notice of any such designation or rescission thereof.
SECTION 3.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee's Office.
The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the office of
Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 6.10, a Trustee, so
that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.
SECTION 3.04. Provision as to Paying Agent.
(a) If the Company shall appoint a paying agent other than the Trustee with
respect to the Securities of any series, it will cause such paying agent to
execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree
with the Trustee, subject to the provision of this Section 3.04:
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the payment
of the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on, the
Securities of such series (whether such sums have been paid to it by
the Company or by any other obligor on the Securities of such series)
in trust for the benefit of the holders of the Securities of such
series; and
(2) that it will give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company
(or by any other obligor on the Securities of such series) to make any
payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest, if any,
on, the Securities of such series when the same shall be due and
payable.
(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent, it will, on or before
each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on
the Securities of any series, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the
benefit of the holders of the Securities of such series a sum sufficient to pay
such principal, premium or interest so becoming due and will notify the Trustee
of any failure to take such action and of any failure by the Company (or by any
other obligor under the Securities of such series) to make any payment of the
principal of, and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on, the Securities of
such series when the same shall become due and payable.
20
(c) Anything in this Section 3.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and
discharge with respect to one or more or all series of Securities hereunder, or
for any other reason, pay or cause to be paid to the Trustee all sums held in
trust for any such series by the Trustee or any paying agent hereunder, as
required by this Section 3.04, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the
trusts herein contained.
(d) Anything in this Section 3.04 to the contrary notwithstanding, the
agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section 3.04 is subject to
Sections 11.03 and 11.04.
SECTION 3.05. Certificate to Trustee.
The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of
each fiscal year, commencing with the first calendar year following the issuance
of Securities of any series under this Indenture, so long as Securities of any
series are outstanding hereunder, an Officers' Certificate stating that in the
course of the performance by the signers of their duties as officers of the
Company they would normally have knowledge of any default by the Company in the
performance of any covenants contained herein, stating whether or not they have
knowledge of any such default and, if so, specifying each such default of which
the signers have knowledge and the nature thereof.
SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.
The Company will not, while any of the Securities remain outstanding,
consolidate with, or merge into, or merge into itself, or sell or convey all or
substantially all of its property to any other company unless the provisions of
Article Ten hereof are complied with.
SECTION 3.07. Limitation on Dividends; Transactions with Affiliates.
If Securities are issued to a Fleet Capital Trust or a trustee of such
trust in connection with the issuance of Trust Securities by such Fleet Capital
Trust and (i) there shall have occurred an Event of Default, or (ii) the Company
shall be in default with respect to its payment of any obligations under the
Capital Securities Guarantee or Common Securities Guarantee relating to such
Fleet Capital Trust, then (a) the Company shall not declare or pay any dividend
on, make any distribution with respect to, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make
a liquidation payment with respect to, any of its capital stock (other than (i)
purchases or acquisitions of shares of Fleet Common Stock in connection with the
satisfaction by the Company of its obligations under any employee benefit plans
or any other contractual obligation of the Company (other than a contractual
obligation ranking pari passu with or junior to the Securities), (ii) as a
result of a reclassification of the Company's capital stock or the exchange or
conversion of one class or series of the Company's capital stock for another
class or series of the Company's capital stock or (iii) the purchase of
fractional interests in shares of the Company's capital stock pursuant to the
conversion or exchange provisions of such Company capital stock or the security
being converted or exchanged), (b) the Company shall not make any payment of
interest, principal or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any
debt securities issued by the Company that rank pari passu with or junior to the
Securities; and (c) Fleet shall not make any guarantee payments with respect to
the foregoing (other than pursuant to the Capital Securities Guarantee).
SECTION 3.08. Covenants as to Fleet Capital Trusts.
In the event Securities are issued to a Fleet Capital Trust or a trustee of
such trust in connection with the issuance of Trust Securities by such Fleet
Capital Trust, for so long as such Trust Securities remain outstanding, the
Company will (i) maintain 100% direct or indirect ownership of the Common
Securities of such Fleet Capital Trust; provided, however, that any permitted
successor of the Company under the Indenture may succeed to the Company's
ownership of the Common Securities, (ii) use its reasonable efforts to cause
such Fleet Capital Trust (a) to remain a statutory business trust, except in
connection with a distribution of Securities, the redemption of all of the Trust
Securities of such Fleet Capital Trust or certain mergers, consolidations or
amalgamations, each as permitted by the Declaration of such Fleet Capital Trust,
and (b) to otherwise continue not to be treated as an association taxable as a
corporation or partnership for United States federal income tax purposes and
(iii) use its
21
reasonable efforts to cause each holder of Trust Securities to be treated as
owning an individual beneficial interest in the Securities.
SECTION 3.09. Notice of Default.
The Company shall file with the Trustee written notice of the occurrence of
any Event of Default within 30 business days of its becoming aware of any such
Event of Default.
ARTICLE IV
SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE
COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE.
SECTION 4.01. Securityholders' Lists.
The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or cause to be
furnished to the Trustee:
(a) on a semi-annual basis on each regular record date for each series of
Securities, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the
names and addresses of the Securityholders of such series of Securities as of
such record date (and on dates to be determined pursuant to Section 2.03 for
non-interest bearing securities in each year); and
(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30
days after the receipt by the Company, of any such request, a list of similar
form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list
is furnished, except that no such lists need be furnished so long as the Trustee
is in possession thereof by reason of its acting as Security registrar for such
series.
SECTION 4.02. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably
practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of
each series of Securities (1) contained in the most recent list furnished to it
as provided in Section 4.01 or (2) received by it in the capacity of Securities
registrar (if so acting) hereunder. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished
to it as provided in Section 4.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(b) In case three or more holders of Securities of any series (hereinafter
referred to as "applicants") apply in writing to the Trustee and furnish to the
Trustee reasonable proof that each such applicant has owned a Security of such
series for a period of at least 6 months preceding the date of such application,
and such application states that the applicants desire to communicate with other
holders of Securities of such series or with holders of all Securities with
respect to their rights under this Indenture or under such Securities and is
accompanied by a copy of the form of proxy or other communication which such
applicants propose to transmit, then the Trustee shall within 5 Business Days
after the receipt of such application, at its election, either:
(1) afford such applicants access to the information preserved at the
time by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a)
of this Section 4.02; or
(2) inform such applicants as to the approximate number of holders of
such series or all Securities, as the case may be, whose names and
addresses appear in the information preserved at the time by the
Trustee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this
Section 4.02, and as to the approximate cost of mailing to such
Securityholders the form of proxy or other communication, if any,
specified in such application.
If the Trustee shall elect not to afford such applicants access to such
information, the Trustee shall, upon the written request of such
applicants, mail to each Securityholder of such series or all
Securities, as the case may be, whose name and address appear in the
information preserved at the time by the Trustee in
22
accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section 4.02
a copy of the form of proxy or other communication which is specified
in such request with reasonable promptness after a tender to the
Trustee of the material to be mailed and of payment, or provision for
the payment, of the reasonable expenses of mailing, unless within 5
days after such tender, the Trustee shall mail to such applicants and
file with the Commission, together with a copy of the material to be
mailed, a written statement to the effect that, in the opinion of the
Trustee, such mailing would be contrary to the best interests of the
holders of Securities of such series or all Securities, as the case
may be, or would be in violation of applicable law. Such written
statement shall specify the basis of such opinion. If the Commission,
after opportunity for a hearing upon the objections specified in the
written statement so filed, shall enter an order refusing to sustain
any of such objections or if, after the entry of an order sustaining
one or more of such objections, the Commission shall find, after
notice and opportunity for hearing, that all the objections so
sustained have been met and shall enter an order so declaring, the
Trustee shall mail copies of such material to all such Securityholders
with reasonable promptness after the entry of such order and the
renewal of such tender; otherwise the Trustee shall be relieved of any
obligation or duty to such applicants respecting their application.
(c) Each and every holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same,
agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee
nor any paying agent shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of
any such information as to the names and addresses of the holders of Securities
in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this Section 4.02,
regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the
Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant
to a request made under said subsection (b).
SECTION 4.03. Reports by Company.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the Trustee, within 15
days after the Company is required to file the same with the Commission, copies
of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or
copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time
to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company may be required to
file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange
Act; or, if the Company is not required to file information, documents or
reports pursuant to either of such sections, then to file with the Trustee and
the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to
time by the Commission, such of the supplementary and periodic information,
documents and reports which may be required pursuant to Section 13 of the
Exchange Act in respect of a security listed and registered on a national
securities exchange as may be prescribed from time to time in such rules and
regulations.
(b) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the Trustee and the
Commission, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed from time to
time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and reports with
respect to compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants provided
for in this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and
regulations.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees to transmit by mail to all holders of
Securities, as the names and addresses of such holders appear upon the Security
Register, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, such
summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by the
Company pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 4.03 as may be
required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the
Commission.
(d) The Company covenants and agrees to furnish to the Trustee within 120
days of the end of each fiscal year, the compliance certificate required by
Section 314(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 4.04. Reports by the Trustee.
(a) The term "reporting date", as used in this Section, shall be May 15 of
each year, commencing with the first May 15 after the first issuance of
Securities of a series for which the Trustee is acting as Trustee pursuant to
this Indenture. Within 60 days after the reporting date in each year, the
Trustee shall transmit by mail to all holders of
23
Securities as provided in Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, as their
names and addresses appear in the Security Register, a brief report dated as of
such reporting date, if required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(b) The Trustee shall transmit to the Securityholders for each series, as
hereinafter provided, a brief report with respect to the character and amount of
any advances (and if the Trustee elects so to state, the circumstances
surrounding the making thereof) made by the Trustee (as such), since the date of
the last report transmitted pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this
Section 4.04 (or, if no such report has yet been so transmitted, since the date
of execution of this Indenture), for the reimbursement of which it claims or may
claim a lien or charge prior to that of the Securities of such series on
property or funds held or collected by it as Trustee, and which it has not
previously reported pursuant to this subsection, if such advances remaining
unpaid at any time aggregate more than 10% of the principal amount of Securities
for such series outstanding at such time, such report to be transmitted within
90 days after such time.
(c) Reports pursuant to this Section 4.04 shall be transmitted by mail,
first class postage prepaid to all holders of Securities as required by Section
313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(d) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to
Securityholders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon which the
Securities of any applicable series are listed and also with the Commission. The
Company will notify the Trustee when and as the Securities of any series become
listed on any stock exchange.
(e) The Trustee shall comply with Sections 313(b) and 313(c) of the Trust
Indenture Act.
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
ON EVENT OF DEFAULT.
SECTION 5.01. Events of Default.
In case one or more of the following Events of Default with respect to
Securities of any series or such other events as may be established with respect
to the Securities of that series as contemplated by Section 2.03 hereof shall
have occurred and be continuing:
(a) default in the payment of any interest upon any Securities of that
series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a
period of 30 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest
payment period by the Company in accordance with the terms of any particular
series of Securities established as contemplated in this Indenture, shall not
constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose; or
(b) default in the payment of all or any part of the principal of, or
premium, if any, on, any Securities of that series as and when the same shall
become due and payable either at maturity, upon redemption (including redemption
for a sinking fund, if any), by declaration or otherwise; provided, however,
that a valid extension of the maturity of such Securities in accordance with the
terms of any particular series of Securities established as contemplated in this
Indenture, shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or
premium, if any, for this purpose; or
(c) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of
the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in
whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically
dealt with and other than those set forth exclusively in terms of any particular
series of Securities established as contemplated in this Indenture), and
continuance of such default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has
been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to
the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount
of the outstanding Securities a written notice specifying such default or breach
and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a "Notice of
Default"
24
hereunder; or
(d) a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall enter a decree or
order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case under any
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in
effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee,
sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or for any substantial part of
its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs and such
decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 90
consecutive days; or
(e) the Company shall commence a voluntary case under any applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, shall
consent to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any
such law, or shall consent to the appointment of or taking possession by a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other
similar official) of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or
shall make any general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail
generally to pay its debts as they become due; or
(f) in the event Securities are issued to a Fleet Capital Trust or a
trustee of such trust in connection with the issuance of Trust Securities by
such Fleet Capital Trust, such Fleet Capital Trust shall have voluntarily or
involuntarily dissolved, wound-up its business or otherwise terminated its
existence except in connection with (i) the distribution of Securities to
holders of Trust Securities in liquidation of their interests in such Fleet
Capital Trust, (ii) the redemption of all of the outstanding Trust Securities of
such Fleet Capital Trust or (iii) certain mergers, consolidations or
amalgamations, each as permitted by the Declaration of such Fleet Capital Trust.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then, and in each and
every such case, unless the principal of all of the Securities of such series
shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the holders of
not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series
then outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the
Trustee if given by Securityholders), may declare the entire principal of all
Securities of that series and the interest accrued thereon, if any, to be due
and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become
immediately due and payable.
The foregoing provisions, however, are subject to the condition that if, at
any time after the principal of the Securities of any series (or of all the
Securities, as the case may be) shall have been so declared due and payable, and
before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been
obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the Company shall pay or shall
deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of
interest upon all the Securities of such series (or of all the Securities, as
the case may be) and the principal of and premium, if any, on any and all
Securities of such series (or of all the Securities, as the case may be) which
shall have become due otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such
principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest
is enforceable under applicable law, on overdue installments of interest, at the
same rate as the rate of interest specified in the Securities of such series (or
at the respective rates of interest of all the Securities, as the case may be),
to the date of such payment or deposit) and such amount as shall be sufficient
to cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee,
their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other expenses and
liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor
Trustee except as a result of negligence or bad faith, and if any and all Events
of Default under the Indenture, other than the non-payment of the principal of
or premium, if any, on Securities which shall have become due by acceleration,
shall have been cured, waived or otherwise remedied as provided in this
Indenture, then and in every such case the holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Securities of such series (or of all the Securities, as
the case may be) then outstanding, by written notice to the Company and to the
Trustee, may waive all defaults with respect to that series (or with respect to
all Securities, as the case may be, in such case, treated as a single class) and
rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences, but no such waiver or
rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default
or shall impair any right consequent thereon.
In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right under this
Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because
of such rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have been
determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the Company,
the Trustee and the holders of the Securities shall be restored respectively to
their several positions and rights hereunder, and all rights, remedies
25
and powers of the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities shall
continue as though no such proceeding had been taken.
SECTION 5.02. Payment of Securities on Default; Suit Therefor.
The Company covenants that (a) in case an Event of Default under Section
5.01(a), (b), (c), (d) or (f) shall have occurred and be continuing, then, upon
demand of the Trustee, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of
the holders of the Securities of that series, the whole amount that then shall
have become due and payable on all such Securities of that series for principal
and premium, if any, or interest, or both, as the case may be, with interest
upon the overdue principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that payment
of such interest is enforceable under applicable law and, if the Securities are
held by a Fleet Capital Trust or a trustee of such trust, without duplication of
any other amounts paid by Fleet Capital Trust or trustee in respect thereof)
upon the overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities of
that series; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be
sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including a reasonable
compensation to the Trustee, its agents, attorneys and counsel, and any expenses
or liabilities incurred by the Trustee hereunder other than through its
negligence or bad faith.
In case the Company shall fail forthwith to pay such amounts upon such
demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall
be entitled and empowered to institute any actions or proceedings at law or in
equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute any
such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce any such
judgment or final decree against the Company or any other obligor on such
Securities and collect in the manner provided by law out of the property of the
Company or any other obligor on such Securities wherever situated the moneys
adjudged or decreed to be payable.
In case an Event of Default under Section 5.01(d) or (e) shall have
occurred, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities
of any series shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by
declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made
any demand pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.02, shall be entitled
and empowered, by intervention in such proceedings or otherwise, to file and
prove a claim or claims for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and
unpaid in respect of the Securities of such series and, in case of any judicial
proceedings, 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 reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each predecessor
Trustee, and their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and for
reimbursement of all expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made,
by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, except as a result of negligence or
bad faith) and of the Securityholders allowed in such judicial proceedings
relative to the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of any series, or
to the creditors or property of the Company or such other obligor, unless
prohibited by applicable law and regulations, to vote on behalf of the holders
of the Securities or any series in any election of a trustee or a standby
trustee in arrangement, reorganization, liquidation or other bankruptcy or
insolvency proceedings or person performing similar functions in comparable
proceedings, and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or
deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after the deduction
of its charges and expenses; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy
or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the Securityholders 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 Securityholders, to pay to the
Trustee such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover reasonable compensation to
the Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their respective agents, attorneys and
counsel, and all other expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made,
by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee except as a result of negligence or
bad faith.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize the Trustee to
authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder any
plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the
Securities of any series or the rights of any holder thereof or to authorize the
Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such
proceeding.
All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or under
any of the Securities, may be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of
any of the Securities, or the production thereof on any trial or other
26
proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted by the
Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any
recovery of judgment shall be for the ratable benefit of the holders of the
Securities.
In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and also any proceedings
involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the
Trustee shall be a party) the Trustee shall be held to represent all the holders
of the Securities, and it shall not be necessary to make any holders of the
Securities parties to any such proceedings.
SECTION 5.03. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee.
Any moneys collected by the Trustee shall be applied in the order
following, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution of
such moneys, upon presentation of the several Securities in respect of which
moneys have been collected, and stamping thereon the payment, if only partially
paid, and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of costs and expenses of collection applicable to
such series and reasonable compensation to the Trustee, its agents, attorneys
and counsel, and of all other expenses and liabilities incurred, and all
advances made, by the Trustee except as a result of its negligence or bad faith;
Second: To the payment of all Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations of the Company if and to the extent required by Article Fifteen;
Third: In case the principal of the outstanding Securities in respect of
which moneys have been collected shall not have become due and be unpaid, to the
payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Securities of such series for
principal (and premium, if any), and interest on the Securities of such series,
in respect of which or for the benefit of which money has been collected,
ratably, without preference of priority of any kind, according to the amounts
due on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest,
respectively.
SECTION 5.04. Proceedings by Securityholders.
No holder of any Security of any series shall have any right by virtue of
or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any suit, action
or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to this
Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other
remedy hereunder, unless such holder previously shall have given to the Trustee
written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance thereof with
respect to the Securities of such series specifying such Event of Default, as
hereinbefore provided, and unless also the holders of not less than 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series then outstanding
shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit
or proceeding in its own name as Trustee hereunder and shall have offered to the
Trustee such reasonable indemnity as it may require against the costs, expenses
and liabilities to be incurred therein or thereby, and the Trustee for 60 days
after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have
failed to institute any such action, suit or proceeding, it being understood and
intended, and being expressly covenanted by the taker and holder of every
Security with every other taker and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more
holders of Securities of any series shall have any right in any manner whatever
by virtue of or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect,
disturb or prejudice the rights of any other holder of Securities, or to obtain
or seek to obtain priority over or preference to any other such holder, or to
enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and
for the equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities of the
applicable series.
Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Indenture, however, the right
of any holder of any Security to receive payment of the principal of (premium,
if any) and interest, if any, on such Security, on or after the same shall have
become due and payable, or to institute suit for the enforcement of any such
payment, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such holder
and by accepting a Security hereunder it is expressly understood, intended and
covenanted by the taker and holder of every Security of such series with every
other such taker and holder and the Trustee, that no one or more holders of
Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatsoever by
virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or
prejudice the
27
rights of the holders of any other such Securities, or to obtain or seek to
obtain priority over or preference to any other such holder, or to enforce any
right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the
equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities of such series.
For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and
every Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be
given either at law or in equity.
SECTION 5.05. Proceedings by Trustee.
In case of an Event of Default hereunder the Trustee may in its discretion
proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this Indenture by such
appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to
protect and enforce any of such rights, either by suit in equity or by action at
law or by proceeding in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific
enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid
of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other
legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
SECTION 5.06. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing.
Except as otherwise provided in the last paragraph of Section 2.08 with
respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, lost or stolen Securities,
all powers and remedies given by this Article Five to the Trustee or to the
Securityholders shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and
not exclusive of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the
holders of the Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the
performance or observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this
Indenture or otherwise established with respect to such series, and no delay or
omission of the Trustee or of any holder of any of the Securities to exercise
any right or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing
as aforesaid shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a
waiver of any such default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to the
provisions of Section 5.04, every power and remedy given by this Article Five or
by law to the Trustee or to the Securityholders may be exercised from time to
time, and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the
Securityholders.
SECTION 5.07. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority
of Securityholders.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities
of any or all series affected (voting as one class) at the time outstanding
shall have the right to direct the time, method, and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or
power conferred on the Trustee; provided, however, that (subject to the
provisions of Section 6.01) the Trustee shall have the right to decline to
follow any such direction if the Trustee shall determine that the action so
directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the holders not taking part in such
direction or if the Trustee being advised by counsel determines that the action
or proceeding so directed may not lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good
faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee, or a trust
committee of directors or trustees and/or Responsible Officers shall determine
that the action or proceedings so directed would involve the Trustee in personal
liability. Prior to any declaration accelerating the maturity of any series of
the Securities, or of all the Securities, as the case may be, the holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series at the
time outstanding may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities of such
series waive any past default or Event of Default including any default
established pursuant to Section 2.03 and its consequences except a default (a)
in the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the
Securities, (b) in respect of covenants or provisions hereof which cannot be
modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each Security affected,
or (c) a default of the covenants contained in Section 3.06; provided, however,
that if the Securities of such series are held by a Fleet Capital Trust or a
trustee of such trust, such waiver or modification to such waiver shall not be
effective until the holders of a majority in liquidation preference of Trust
Securities of the applicable Fleet Capital Trust shall have consented to such
waiver or modification to such waiver; provided further, that if the consent of
the Holder of each outstanding Security is required, such waiver shall not be
effective until each holder of the Trust Securities of the applicable Fleet
Capital Trust shall have consented to such waiver. Upon any such waiver, the
default covered thereby shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this
Indenture and the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such
series shall be restored to their former positions and rights hereunder,
respectively; but no such waiver shall
28
extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent
thereon. Upon any such waiver the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the
Securities of that series (or of all Securities, as the case may be) shall be
restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no
such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of Default
or impair any right consequent thereon. Whenever any default or Event of Default
hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 5.07, said default
or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Securities of that series (or
of all Securities, as the case may be) and this Indenture be deemed to have been
cured and to be not continuing.
The foregoing provisions shall be in lieu of Sections 316(a)(1)(A) and
316(a)(1)(B) of the Trust Indenture Act and such sections are hereby expressly
excluded from this Indenture and the Securities, as permitted by the Trust
Indenture Act.
SECTION 5.08. Notice of Defaults.
The Trustee shall, within 90 days after the occurrence of a default with
respect to the Securities of any series, mail to all Securityholders of that
series, as the names and addresses of such holders appear upon the Security
Register, notice of all defaults with respect to that series known to the
Trustee, unless such defaults shall have been cured before the giving of such
notice (the term "defaults" for the purpose of this Section 5.08 being hereby
defined to be the events specified in clauses (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of
Section 5.01, not including periods of grace, if any, provided for therein, and
irrespective of the giving of written notice specified in clause (c) of Section
5.01); and provided that, except in the case of default in the payment of the
principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of such
series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long
as the board of directors, the executive committee, or a trust committee of
directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines
that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Securityholders
of such series; and provided further, that in the case of any default of the
character specified in Section 5.01(c), no such notice to Securityholders of
such series shall be given until at least 60 days after the occurrence thereof
but shall be given within 90 days after such occurrence.
SECTION 5.09. Undertaking to Pay Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Security by his
acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its
discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under
this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or
omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an
undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its
discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees,
against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and
good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the
provisions of this Section 5.09 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the
Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of
Securityholders of any series, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in
principal amount of the Securities of that series outstanding, or to any suit
instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the
principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security against the
Company on or after the same shall have become due and payable.
ARTICLE VI
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.
With respect to the holders of any series of Securities issued hereunder,
the Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to
securities of that series and after the curing or waiving of all Events of
Default which may have occurred, with respect to securities of that series,
undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set
forth in this Indenture. In case an Event of Default with respect to the
Securities of a series has occurred (which has not been cured or waived) the
Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this
Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a
prudent man would
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exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee
from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or
its own willful misconduct, except that
(a) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to
Securities of a series and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default
with respect to that series which may have occurred
(1) the duties and obligations of the Trustee with respect to
Securities of a series shall be determined solely by the express
provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable
except for the performance of such duties and obligations with respect
to such series as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no
implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture
against the Trustee; and
(2) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, the Trustee
may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the
correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or
opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of
this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions
which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished
to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same
to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this
Indenture;
(b) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good
faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be
proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and;
(c) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or
omitted to be taken by it in good faith, in accordance with the direction of the
Securityholders pursuant to Section 5.07, relating to the time, method and place
of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture.
None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the
Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of
its rights or powers, if there is reasonable ground for believing that the
repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to it under the
terms of this Indenture or adequate indemnity against such risk is not
reasonably assured to it.
SECTION 6.02. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.01:
(a) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining
from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion,
report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, note, debenture or other paper or
document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by
the proper party or parties;
(b) any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned herein
shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers' Certificate (unless other
evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any Board
Resolution may be evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company;
(c) the Trustee may consult with counsel and any advice or Opinion of
Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of
any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in
accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel;
(d) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights
or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of
any of the Securityholders, pursuant to the provisions of this
30
Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee
reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities
which may be incurred therein or thereby;
(e) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it
in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or
rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture; nothing contained herein
shall, however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the occurrence of an
Event of Default with respect to a series of the Securities (that has not been
cured or waived) to exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of
the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and to use the same degree
of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use
under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs;
(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts
or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument,
opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, debenture,
coupon or other paper or document, unless requested in writing to do so by the
holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding
Securities of the series affected thereby; provided, however, that if the
payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or
liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is,
in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the
security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require
reasonable indemnity against such expense or liability as a condition to so
proceeding; and
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or
perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents (including
any Authenticating Agent), custodians, nominees or attorneys, and the Trustee
shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any
such agent or attorney appointed by it with due care.
SECTION 6.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities (except in the
certificate of authentication of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent) shall
be taken as the statements of the Company and the Trustee and the Authenticating
Agent assume no responsibility for the correctness of the same. The Trustee and
the Authenticating Agent make no representations as to the validity or
sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. The Trustee and the
Authenticating Agent shall not be accountable for the use or application by the
Company of any Securities or the proceeds of any Securities authenticated and
delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent in conformity with the
provisions of this Indenture.
SECTION 6.04. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agents, Transfer Agents
or Registrar May Own Securities.
The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent or any paying agent or any transfer
agent or any Security registrar, in its individual or any other capacity, may
become the owner or pledgee of Securities with the same rights it would have if
it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, paying agent, transfer agent or
Security registrar.
SECTION 6.05. Moneys to be Held in Trust.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.04, all moneys received by the
Trustee or any paying agent shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be
held in trust for the purpose for which they were received, but need not be
segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee
and any paying agent shall be under no liability for interest on any money
received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company. So long as
no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, all interest allowed
on any such moneys shall be paid from time to time upon the written order of the
Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, any
Vice President, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company.
SECTION 6.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee.
The Company, as borrower, covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee from
time to time, and the Trustee shall
31
be entitled to, reasonable compensation (which shall not be limited by any
provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express
trust), and the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request for
all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the
Trustee in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including
the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel
and of all persons not regularly in its employ and any amounts paid by the
Trustee to any Authenticating Agent pursuant to Section 6.14) except any such
expense, disbursement or advance as may arise from its negligence or bad faith.
The Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee (and its officers, agents,
directors and employees) for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss,
liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on the part of the
Trustee and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or
administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending
itself against any claim of liability in the premises. The obligations of the
Company under this Section 6.06 to compensate and indemnify the Trustee and to
pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall
constitute additional indebtedness hereunder, and shall survive the resignation
or removal of the Trustee and the termination of this Indenture. Such additional
indebtedness shall be secured by a lien prior to that of the Securities upon all
property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held
in trust for the benefit of the holders of particular Securities.
SECTION 6.07. Officers' Certificate as Evidence.
Except as otherwise provided in Sections 6.01 and 6.02, whenever in the
administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it
necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or
omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect
thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or
bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by an Officers' Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such
certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the
Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by
it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
SECTION 6.08. Conflicting Interest of Trustee.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire any "conflicting interest" within the
meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee and the
Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of
the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 6.09. Eligibility of Trustee.
The Trustee hereunder shall at all times be a corporation organized and
doing business under the laws of the United States of America or any State or
Territory thereof or of the District of Columbia or a corporation or other
Person permitted to act as trustee by the Commission authorized under such laws
to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at
least $50,000,000 (US) and subject to supervision or examination by Federal,
State, Territorial, or District of Columbia authority. If such corporation
publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the
requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the
purposes of this Section 6.09 the combined capital and surplus of such
corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth
in its most recent report of condition so published.
The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as Trustee.
In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance
with the provisions of this Section 6.09, the Trustee shall resign immediately
in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 6.10.
SECTION 6.10. Resignation or Removal of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee, or any trustee or trustees hereafter appointed, may at any
time resign with respect to one or more or all series of Securities by giving
written notice of such resignation to the Company and by mailing notice thereof
to the holders of the applicable series of Securities at their addresses as they
shall appear on the Security
32
Register. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly
appoint a successor trustee or trustees with respect to the applicable series by
written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of its Board of Directors,
one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one
copy to the successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so
appointed with respect to any series of Securities and have accepted appointment
within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of resignation to the affected
Securityholders, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee, or any Securityholder
who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or Securities of the applicable
series for at least six months may, subject to the provisions of Section 5.09,
on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any such court
for the appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such
notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, appoint a successor
trustee.
(b) In case at any time any of the following shall occur --
(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of Section
6.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any
Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Security or
Securities for at least six months, or
(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of Section 6.09 and shall fail to resign after written
request therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder, or
(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be
adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or a receiver of the Trustee or of
its property shall be appointed, or any public officer shall take
charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the
purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,
then, in any such case, the Company may remove the Trustee and appoint a
successor trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of the
Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the
Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor trustee, or, subject to the
provisions of Section 5.09, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder
of a Security or Securities of the applicable series for at least six months
may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court
of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of
a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it
may deem proper and prescribe, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor
trustee.
(c) The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Securities of any series at the time outstanding may at any time remove the
Trustee with respect to such series and nominate a successor trustee with
respect to the applicable series of Securities or all series, as the case may
be, which shall be deemed appointed as successor trustee with respect to the
applicable series unless within 10 days after such nomination the Company
objects thereto, in which case the Trustee so removed or any Securityholder of
the applicable series, upon the terms and conditions and otherwise as provided
in subsection (a) of this Section 6.10, may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for an appointment of a successor trustee with respect to such
series.
(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a
successor trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section 6.10 shall
become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee as
provided in Section 6.11.
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance by Successor Trustee.
Any successor trustee appointed as provided in Section 6.10 shall execute,
acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to its predecessor trustee an
instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the resignation
or removal of the retiring trustee with respect to all or any applicable series
shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act, deed
or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, duties and
obligations with respect to such series of its predecessor hereunder, with like
effect as if originally named as trustee herein; but, nevertheless, on the
written request of the Company or of the successor trustee, the trustee ceasing
to act shall, upon payment of any amounts then due it pursuant to the provisions
of Section 6.06, execute
33
and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all the rights
and powers of the trustee so ceasing to act and shall duly assign, transfer and
deliver to such successor trustee all property and money held by such retiring
trustee thereunder. Upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company
shall execute any and all instruments in writing for more fully and certainly
vesting in and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights and powers.
Any trustee ceasing to act shall, nevertheless, retain a lien upon all property
or funds held or collected by such trustee to secure any amounts then due it
pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.06.
If a successor trustee is appointed with respect to the Securities of one
or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring trustee and each
successor trustee with respect to the Securities of any applicable series shall
execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto which shall contain such
provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the
rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring trustee with respect to the
Securities of any series as to which the predecessor trustee is not retiring
shall continue to be vested in the predecessor trustee, and shall add to or
change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide
for or facilitate the administration of the trustee hereunder by more than one
trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental
indenture shall constitute such trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that
each such trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and
apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such trustee.
No successor trustee shall accept appointment as provided in this Section
6.11 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be
qualified under the provisions of Section 6.08 and eligible under the provisions
of Section 6.09.
Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this
Section 6.11, the Company shall mail notice of the succession of such trustee
hereunder to the holders of Securities of any applicable series at their
addresses as they shall appear on the Security Register. If the Company fails to
mail such notice within 10 days after the acceptance of appointment by the
successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be mailed at
the expense of the Company.
SECTION 6.12. Succession by Merger, etc.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with
which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger,
conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any
corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust
business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder without
the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of
the parties hereto.
In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the
trusts created by this Indenture any of the Securities of any series shall have
been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may
adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor trustee, and deliver
such Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Securities
of any series shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee
may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder
or in the name of the successor trustee; and in all such cases such certificates
shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities of such series
or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have;
provided, however, that the right to adopt the certificate of authentication of
any predecessor Trustee or authenticate Securities of any series in the name of
any predecessor Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by
merger, conversion or consolidation.
SECTION 6.13. Limitation on Rights of Trustee as a Creditor.
The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act,
excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to
Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included therein.
SECTION 6.14. Authenticating Agents.
34
There may be one or more Authenticating Agents appointed by the Trustee
upon the request of the Company with power to act on its behalf and subject to
its direction in the authentication and delivery of Securities of any series
issued upon exchange or transfer thereof as fully to all intents and purposes as
though any such Authenticating Agent had been expressly authorized to
authenticate and deliver Securities of such series; provided, that the Trustee
shall have no liability to the Company for any acts or omissions of the
Authenticating Agent with respect to the authentication and delivery of
Securities of any series. Any such Authenticating Agent shall at all times be a
corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or
of any State or Territory thereof or of the District of Columbia authorized
under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and
surplus of at least $5,000,000 and being subject to supervision or examination
by Federal, State, Territorial or District of Columbia authority. If such
corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually pursuant to law or
the requirements of such authority, then for the purposes of this Section 6.14
the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its
combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition
so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible
in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately
in the manner and with the effect herein specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any Authenticating Agent
shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business
of any Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor of such Authenticating Agent
hereunder, if such successor corporation is otherwise eligible under this
Section 6.14 without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on
the part of the parties hereto or such Authenticating Agent.
Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign with respect to one or more
or all series of Securities by giving written notice of resignation to the
Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of
any Authenticating Agent with respect to one or more or all series of Securities
by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent and to the
Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination,
or in case at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible under
this Section 6.14, the Trustee may, and upon the request of the Company shall,
promptly appoint a successor Authenticating Agent with respect to the applicable
series eligible under this Section 6.14, shall give written notice of such
appointment to the Company and shall mail notice of such appointment to all
holders of the applicable series of Securities as the names and addresses of
such holders appear on the Security Register. Any successor Authenticating Agent
with respect to all or any series upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder
shall become vested with all rights, powers, duties and responsibilities with
respect to such series of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if
originally named as Authenticating Agent herein.
The Trustee agrees to pay to any Authenticating Agent from time to time
reasonable compensation for its services, and the Trustee shall be entitled to
be reimbursed for such payments, subject to Section 6.06. Any Authenticating
Agent shall have no responsibility or liability for any action taken by it as
such in accordance with the directions of the Trustee.
ARTICLE VII
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 7.01. Action by Securityholders.
Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a specified
percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any or all series
may take any action (including the making of any demand or request, the giving
of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other action) the fact
that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such specified
percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (a) by any instrument or any
number of instruments of similar tenor executed by such Securityholders in
person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (b) by the record of such
holders of Securities voting in favor thereof at any meeting of such
Securityholders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of
Article Eight, or (c) by a combination of
35
such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of such
Securityholders.
If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any series any
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other
action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officers'
Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the determination
of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have
no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given
before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the
close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for
the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion
of outstanding Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented
to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or
other action, and for that purpose the outstanding Securities of that series
shall be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such
authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date
shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the
provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.
SECTION 7.02. Proof of Execution by Securityholders.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, 6.02 and 8.05, proof of the
execution of any instrument by a Securityholder or his agent or proxy shall be
sufficient if made in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as
may be prescribed by the Trustee or in such manner as shall be satisfactory to
the Trustee. The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security
Register or by a certificate of the Security registrar. The Trustee may require
such additional proof of any matter referred to in this Section as it shall deem
necessary.
The record of any Securityholders' meeting shall be proved in the manner
provided in Section 8.06.
SECTION 7.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners.
Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Security, the
Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent, any transfer
agent and any Security registrar may deem the person in whose name such Security
shall be registered upon the Security Register to be, and may treat him as, the
absolute owner of such Security (whether or not such Security shall be overdue)
for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal of,
premium, if any, and interest on such Security and for all other purposes; and
neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent nor any paying
agent nor any transfer agent nor any Security registrar shall be affected by any
notice to the contrary. All such payments so made to any holder for the time
being or upon his order shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums so
paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon
any such Security.
SECTION 7.04. Securities Owned by Company Deemed Not Outstanding.
In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate principal
amount of Securities have concurred in any direction, consent or waiver under
this Indenture, Securities which are owned by the Company or any other obligor
on the Securities or by any person directly or indirectly controlling or
controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any
other obligor on the Securities shall be disregarded and deemed not to be
outstanding for the purpose of any such determination; provided that for the
purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any
such direction, consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows are
so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in
good faith may be regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section 7.04
if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's
right to vote such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any
such other obligor or person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by
or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other
obligor. In the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee
taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.
SECTION 7.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound.
36
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as
provided in Section 7.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the
percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Security specified in this
Indenture in connection with such action, any holder of a Security (or any
Security issued in whole or in part in exchange or substitution therefor) the
serial number of which is shown by the evidence to be included in the Securities
the holders of which have consented to such action may, by filing written notice
with the Trustee at its principal office and upon proof of holding as provided
in Section 7.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Security (or so far
as concerns the principal amount represented by any exchanged or substituted
Security). Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any
Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future
holders and owners of such Security, and of any Security issued in exchange or
substitution therefor, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard
thereto is made upon such Security or any Security issued in exchange or
substitution therefor.
ARTICLE VIII
SECURITYHOLDERS' MEETINGS
SECTION 8.01. Purposes of Meetings.
A meeting of Securityholders of any or all series may be called at any time
and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article Eight for any
of the following purposes:
(a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee, or to give any
directions to the Trustee, or to consent to the waiving of any default hereunder
and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be taken by
Securityholders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article Five;
(b) to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee pursuant to the
provisions of Article Six;
(c) to consent to the execution of an indenture or indentures supplemental
hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02; or
(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the
holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of such Securities under any
other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.
SECTION 8.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee.
The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Securityholders of any or all
series to take any action specified in Section 8.01, to be held at such time and
at such place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the Trustee
shall determine. Notice of every meeting of the Securityholders of any or all
series, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general
terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be mailed to
holders of Securities of each series affected at their addresses as they shall
appear on the Securities register of such series. Such notice shall be mailed
not less than 20 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
SECTION 8.03. Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders.
In case at any time the Company pursuant to a resolution of the Board of
Directors, or the holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the
Securities of any or all series, as the case may be, then outstanding, shall
have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of Securityholders of any or all
series, as the case may be, by written request setting forth in reasonable
detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not
have mailed the notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such
request, then the Company or such Securityholders may determine the time and the
place in said Borough of Manhattan for such meeting and may call such meeting to
take any action authorized in Section 8.01, by mailing notice thereof as
provided in Section 8.02.
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SECTION 8.04. Qualifications for Voting.
To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Securityholders a person shall (a)
be a holder of one or more Securities with respect to which the meeting is being
held or (b) a person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy by a holder
of one or more such Securities. The only persons who shall be entitled to be
present or to speak at any meeting of Securityholders shall be the persons
entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel and any representatives of
the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its
counsel.
SECTION 8.05. Regulations.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may
make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of
Securityholders, in regard to proof of the holding of Securities and of the
appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of
inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and
other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the
conduct of the meeting as it shall think fit.
The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary
chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the
Company or by Securityholders as provided in Section 8.03, in which case the
Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in
like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent
secretary of the meeting shall be elected by majority vote of the meeting.
Subject to the provisions of Section 7.04, at any meeting each holder of
Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held or proxy therefor
shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities
held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or
counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not outstanding
and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not outstanding. The chairman of
the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Securities held
by him or instruments in writing as aforesaid duly designating him as the person
to vote on behalf of other Securityholders. Any meeting of Securityholders duly
called pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.02 or 8.03 may be adjourned from
time to time by a majority of those present, whether or not constituting a
quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.
SECTION 8.06. Voting.
The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of holders of
Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held shall be by written
ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of such holders or of their
representatives by proxy and the serial number or numbers of the Securities held
or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two
inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against
any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting
their verified written reports in triplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A
record in duplicate of the proceedings of each meeting of Securityholders shall
be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said
record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot
taken thereat and affidavits by one or more persons having knowledge of the
facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said
notice was mailed as provided in Section 8.02. The record shall show the serial
numbers of the Securities voting in favor of or against any resolution. The
record shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman
and secretary of the meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the
Company and the other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter
to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting.
Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the
matters therein stated.
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
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SECTION 9.01. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Securityholders.
The Company and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter
into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect), without the consent of
the Securityholders, for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company, or
successive successions, and the assumption by the successor corporation of the
covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company pursuant to Article Ten
hereof;
(b) to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants,
restrictions or conditions for the protection of the holders of all or any
series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less
than all series of Securities stating that such covenants are expressly being
included for the benefit of such series) as the Board of Directors and the
Trustee shall consider to be for the protection of the holders of such
Securities, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a
default in any of such additional covenants, restrictions or conditions a
default or an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the
several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth; provided,
however, that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction or
condition such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of
grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in
the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon
such default or may limit the remedies available to the Trustee upon such
default;
(c) to provide for the issuance under this Indenture of Securities in
coupon form (including Securities registrable as to principal only) and to
provide for exchangeability of such Securities with the Securities issued
hereunder in fully registered form and to make all appropriate changes for such
purpose;
(d) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision
contained herein or in any supplemental indenture which may be defective or
inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental
indenture, or to make such other provisions in regard to matters or questions
arising under this Indenture; provided that any such action shall not adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the Securities;
(e) to add to, delete from, or revise the terms of Securities of any series
as permitted by Section 2.01 and 2.03, including, without limitation, any terms
relating to the issuance, exchange, registration or transfer of Securities
issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the
payment of any principal thereof, or interest or premium, if any, thereon;
(f) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by
a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to
add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary
to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more
than one trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.11;
(g) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any
Securityholder in any material respect; or
(h) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and
conditions of the Securities of any series, to establish the form of any
certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this Indenture
or any series of Securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any
series of Securities.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution
of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate agreements
and stipulations which may be therein contained and to accept the conveyance,
transfer and assignment of any property thereunder, but the Trustee shall not be
obligated to, but may in its discretion, enter into any such supplemental
indenture which affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under
this Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section
9.01 may be executed by the Company
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and the Trustee without the consent of the holders of any of the Securities at
the time outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.
SECTION 9.02. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 7.01) of the holders of
not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the
time outstanding of all series affected by such supplemental indenture (voting
as a class), and in the case of Securities issued to a Fleet Capital Trust, the
holders of a majority in aggregate liquidation amount of the related Capital
Securities, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee
may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures
supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust
Indenture Act then in effect) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or
changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or
of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the
holders of the Securities of each series so affected; provided, however, that no
such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the holders of each
Security affected thereby (and each Capital Security, if applicable), (i) extend
the fixed maturity of any Security of any series, or reduce the rate or extend
the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce the principal amount thereof
or any premium thereon, or reduce any amount payable on redemption thereof or
make the principal thereof or any interest or premium thereon payable in any
coin or currency other than that provided in the Securities, or impair or affect
the right of any Securityholder to institute suit for payment thereof or the
right of repayment, if any, at the option of the holder, without the consent of
the holder of each Security so affected, (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of
Securities the holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental
indenture or (iii) otherwise materially adversely affect the interest of the
holders of any series of the Securities or the Capital Securities; provided,
further, that if the Securities of such series are held by a Fleet Capital Trust
or a trustee of such trust, such supplemental indenture shall not be effective
until the holders of a majority in liquidation preference of Trust Securities of
the applicable Trust shall have consented to such supplemental indenture;
provided further, that if the consent of the holder of each outstanding Security
is required, such supplemental indenture shall not be effective until each
holder of the Trust Securities of the applicable Fleet Capital Trust shall have
consented to such supplemental indenture.
A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other
provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the
benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the
rights of Securityholders of such series with respect to such covenant or
provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture or the
Securityholders of any other series.
Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a copy of a resolution of
the Board of Directors certified by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary
authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the
filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders as
aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such
supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee's
own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which
case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter
into such supplemental indenture. The Trustee may receive an Opinion of Counsel
as conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this
Article is authorized or permitted by, and conforms to, the terms of this
Article and that it is proper for the Trustee under the provisions of this
Article to join in the execution thereof.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Trustee
shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, setting forth in
general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the
Securityholders of all series affected thereby as their names and addresses
appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Trustee to mail such
notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect
the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders under this
Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental
indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the
substance thereof.
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SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act; Effect of Supplemental
Indentures.
Any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to the provisions of this
Article Nine shall comply with the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect. Upon
the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this
Article Nine, this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended
in accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights,
obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the
Company and the holders of Securities of each series affected thereby shall
thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all
respects to such modifications and amendments and all the terms and conditions
of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the
terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
SECTION 9.04. Notation on Securities.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of
any supplemental indenture affecting such series pursuant to the provisions of
this Article Nine may bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any
matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the
Trustee shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to
conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors, to any
modification of this Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may
be prepared and executed by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent and delivered in exchange for the Securities of any series
then outstanding.
SECTION 9.05. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to be
Furnished Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and 6.02, may
receive an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive
evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant hereto complies with
the requirements of this Article Nine.
ARTICLE X
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE.
SECTION 10.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms.
Nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities shall
prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other
corporation or corporations organized under the laws of a domestic jurisdiction
(whether or not affiliated with the Company, as the case may be), or successive
consolidations or mergers in which the Company, as the case may be, or its
successor or successors shall be a party or parties, or shall prevent any sale,
conveyance, transfer or other disposition of the property of the Company, as the
case may be, or its successor or successors as an entirety, or substantially as
an entirety, to any other corporation organized under the laws of a domestic
jurisdiction (whether or not affiliated with the Company, as the case may be, or
its successor or successors) authorized to acquire and operate the same;
provided, however, that the Company hereby covenants and agrees that, upon any
such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, the
due and punctual payment, in the case of the Company, of the principal of
(premium, if any) and interest on all of the Securities of all series in
accordance with the terms of each series, according to their tenor and the due
and punctual performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of
this Indenture with respect to each series or established with respect to such
series to be kept or performed by the Company as the case may be, shall be
expressly assumed, by supplemental indenture (which shall conform to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect) satisfactory in form
to the Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by the entity formed by
such consolidation, or into which the Company, as the case may be, shall have
been merged, or by the entity which shall have acquired such property; provided,
further, that after giving effect thereto, no Default shall have occurred and be
continuing hereunder.
SECTION 10.02. Successor Corporation to be Substituted for Company.
41
In case of any such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer 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 due
and punctual payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on
all of the Securities and the due and punctual performance and observance of all
of the covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed or observed by
the Company, such successor corporation shall succeed to and be substituted for
the Company, with the same effect as if it had been named herein as the party of
the first part, and the Company thereupon shall be relieved of any further
liability or obligation hereunder or upon the Securities. Such successor
corporation thereupon may cause to be signed, and may issue either in its own
name or in the name of Fleet Financial Group, Inc., any or all of the Securities
issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company
and delivered to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent; and, upon the order of
such successor corporation instead of the Company and subject to all the terms,
conditions and limitations in this Indenture prescribed, the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and deliver any Securities which
previously shall have been signed and delivered by the officers of the Company
to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent for authentication, and any
Securities which such successor corporation thereafter shall cause to be signed
and delivered to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent for that purpose. All
the Securities so issued shall in all respects have the same legal rank and
benefit under this Indenture as the Securities theretofore or thereafter issued
in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all of such Indentures
had been issued at the date of the execution hereof.
SECTION 10.03. Opinion of Counsel to be Given Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and 6.02, may
receive an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any consolidation,
merger, conveyance or transfer, and any assumption, permitted or required by the
terms of this Article Ten complies with the provisions of this Article Ten.
ARTICLE XI
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE.
SECTION 11.01. Discharge of Indenture.
When (a) the Company shall deliver to the Trustee for cancellation all
Securities theretofore authenticated (other than any Securities which shall have
been destroyed, lost or stolen and which shall have been replaced or paid as
provided in Section 2.08) and not theretofore cancelled, or (b) all the
Securities not theretofore cancelled or delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to become
due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within one
year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of
redemption, and the Company shall deposit with the Trustee, in trust, funds
sufficient to pay at maturity or upon redemption all of the Securities (other
than any Securities which shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which
shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.08) not theretofore
cancelled or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal and
premium, if any, and interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or
redemption date, as the case may be, but excluding, however, the amount of any
moneys for the payment of principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on the
Securities (1) theretofore repaid to the Company in accordance with the
provisions of Section 11.04, or (2) paid to any State or to the District of
Columbia pursuant to its unclaimed property or similar laws, and if in either
case the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable
hereunder by the Company, then this Indenture shall cease to be of further
effect, except that the provisions of Sections 2.05, 2.07, 2.08, 3.01, 3.02,
3.04, 6.06, 6.10 and 11.04 hereof shall survive until such Securities shall
mature and be paid. Thereafter, Sections 6.10 and 11.04 shall survive, and the
Trustee, on demand of the Company accompanied by any Officers' Certificate and
an Opinion of Counsel and at the cost and expense of the Company, shall execute
proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture,
the Company, however, hereby agreeing to reimburse the Trustee for any costs or
expenses thereafter reasonably and properly incurred by the Trustee in
connection with this Indenture or the Securities.
SECTION 11.02. Deposited Moneys and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held
in Trust by Trustee.
42
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.04, all moneys and U.S. Government
Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Sections 11.01 or 11.05 shall
be held in trust and applied by it to the payment, either directly or through
any paying agent (including the Company if acting as its own paying agent), to
the holders of the particular Securities for the payment of which such moneys or
U.S. Government Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee, of all sums
due and to become due thereon for principal, premium, if any, and interest.
SECTION 11.03. Paying Agent to Repay Moneys Held.
Upon the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture all moneys then held
by any paying agent of the Securities (other than the Trustee) shall, upon
demand of the Company, be repaid to it or paid to the Trustee, and thereupon
such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to
such moneys.
SECTION 11.04. Return of Unclaimed Moneys.
Any moneys deposited with or paid to the Trustee or any paying agent for
payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on Securities and
not applied but remaining unclaimed by the holders of Securities for 3 years
after the date upon which the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on
such Securities, as the case may be, shall have become due and payable, shall be
repaid to the Company by the Trustee or such paying agent on written demand; and
the holder of any of the Securities shall thereafter look only to the Company
for any payment which such holder may be entitled to collect and all liability
of the Trustee or such paying agent with respect to such moneys shall thereupon
cease.
SECTION 11.05. Defeasance Upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government
Obligations.
(a) The Company shall be deemed to have been Discharged (as defined below)
from its respective obligations with respect to any series of Securities upon
satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth below with respect to any
series of Securities:
(i) The Company shall have deposited or caused to be deposited
irrevocably with the Trustee or the Defeasance Agent (as defined below)
as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and
dedicated solely to, the benefit of the holders of the Securities of
such series (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations
which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof
in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day
before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a
combination of (A) and (B), sufficient, in the opinion (with respect to
(B) and (C)) of a nationally recognized firm of independent public
accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to
the Trustee and the Defeasance Agent, if any, to pay and discharge each
installment of principal (including any mandatory sinking fund
payments) of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the outstanding
Securities of such series on the dates such installments of principal,
interest or premium are due;
(ii) if the Securities of such series are then listed on any national
securities exchange, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee
and the Defeasance Agent, if any, an Opinion of Counsel to the effect
that the exercise of the option under this Section 11.05 would not
cause such Securities to be delisted from such exchange;
(iii) no Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time
would become an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such
series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such
deposit; and
(iv) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee and the Defeasance
Agent, if any, an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that holders of the
Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for
United States Federal income tax purposes as a result of the exercise
of the option under this Section 11.05 and will be subject to United
States Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and
at
43
the same times as would have been the case if such option had not
been exercised, and, in the case of the Securities of such series being
Discharged, such opinion shall be accompanied by a private letter
ruling to that effect received from the United States Internal Revenue
Service or a revenue ruling pertaining to a comparable form of
transaction to that effect published by the United States Internal
Revenue Service.
(b) "Discharged" means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and
discharged the entire indebtedness represented by, and obligations under, the
Securities of such series and to have satisfied all the obligations under this
Indenture relating to the Securities of such series (and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the
same), except (A) the rights of holders of Securities of such series to receive,
from the trust fund described in clause (1) above, payment of the principal of
and the interest and premium, if any, on such Securities when such payments are
due; (B) the Company's obligations with respect to such Securities under
Sections 2.07, 2.08, 5.02 and 11.04; and (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties
and immunities of the Trustee hereunder.
(c) "Defeasance Agent" means another financial institution which is
eligible to act as Trustee hereunder and which assumes all of the obligations of
the Trustee necessary to enable the Trustee to act hereunder. In the event such
a Defeasance Agent is appointed pursuant to this section, the following
conditions shall apply:
(i) The Trustee shall have approval rights over the document appointing
such Defeasance Agent and the document setting forth such Defeasance
Agent's rights and responsibilities;
(ii) The Defeasance Agent shall provide verification to the Trustee
acknowledging receipt of sufficient money and/or U.S. Government
Obligations to meet the applicable conditions set forth in this Section
11.05;
(iii) The Trustee shall determine whether the Company shall be deemed
to have been Discharged from its respective obligations with respect to
any series of Securities.
ARTICLE XII
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS,
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.
SECTION 12.01. Indenture and Securities Solely Corporate Obligations.
No recourse for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or
interest on any Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect
thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of
the Company in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture, or in any
Security, or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby,
shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as
such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation of
the Company, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation
of the Company, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law,
or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being
expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and
released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this
Indenture and the issue of the Securities.
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
SECTION 13.01. Successors.
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this Indenture
contained by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns whether so
expressed or not.
44
SECTION 13.02. Official Acts by Successor Corporation.
Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or
required to be done or performed by any board, committee or officer of the
Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the
like board, committee or officer of any corporation that shall at the time be
the lawful sole successor of the Company.
SECTION 13.03. Surrender of Company Powers.
The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of 2/3
(two-thirds) of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may
surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power so
surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company, as the case may be, and as
to any successor corporation.
SECTION 13.04. Addresses for Notices, etc.
Any notice or demand which by any provision of this Indenture is required
or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the holders of
Securities on the Company may be given or served by being deposited postage
prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office letter box addressed
(until another address is filed by the Company with the Trustee for the purpose)
to the Company, One Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, Attention:
General Counsel. Any notice, direction, request or demand by any Securityholder
to or upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made,
for all purposes, if given or made in writing at the office of the Trustee,
addressed to the Trustee, One First National Plaza, Suite 0126, 9th Floor,
Chicago, Illinois 60670-0126, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration.
SECTION 13.05. Governing Law.
This Indenture and each Security shall be deemed to be a contract made
under the laws of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of said State.
SECTION 13.06. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent.
Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any
action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish
to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that in the opinion of the
signers all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture
relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of
Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions
precedent have been complied with.
Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and delivered to
the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for
in this Indenture shall include (1) a statement that the person making such
certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (2) 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; (3) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such
examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an
informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been
complied with; and (4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such
person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 13.07. Legal Holidays.
In any case where the date of payment of interest on or principal of the
Securities will be in The City of New York, New York or Chicago, Illinois a
legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized by law to
close, the payment of such interest on or principal of the Securities need not
be made on such date but may be made on the next succeeding day not in the City
a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized by law to
close, with the same force and effect as if made on the date of payment and no
interest shall accrue for the period from and after such date.
45
SECTION 13.08. Trust Indenture Act to Control.
(a) If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits,
qualifies or conflicts with another provision included in this Indenture which
is required to be included in this Indenture by any of Sections 310 to 317,
inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such required provision shall control.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any provisions contained in this
Indenture as to directions and waivers by Securityholders or impairment of
Securityholders' rights to payment shall be in lieu of Sections 316(a)(1)(A) and
316(a)(1)(B) of the Trust Indenture Act and such sections are hereby expressly
excluded from this Indenture and the Securities, as permitted by the Trust
Indenture Act.
SECTION 13.09. Table of Contents, Headings, etc.
The table of contents and the titles 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 hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict
any of the terms or provisions hereof.
SECTION 13.10. Execution in Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one
and the same instrument.
SECTION 13.11. Separability.
In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture or in
the Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal
or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability
shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of such Securities,
but this Indenture and such Securities shall be construed as if such invalid or
illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.
SECTION 13.12. Assignment.
The Company will have the right at all times to assign any of its
respective rights or obligations under this Indenture to a direct or indirect
wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company, provided that, in the event of any such
assignment, the Company, as the case may be, will remain liable for all such
obligations. Subject to the foregoing, the Indenture is binding upon and inures
to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and
assigns. This Indenture may not otherwise be assigned by the parties hereto.
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgment of Rights.
The Company acknowledges that, with respect to any Securities held by a
Fleet Capital Trust or a trustee of such trust, if the Institutional Trustee of
such Trust fails to enforce its rights under this Indenture as the holder of the
series of Securities held as the assets of such Fleet Capital Trust, any holder
of Capital Securities may institute legal proceedings directly against the
Company to enforce such Institutional Trustee's rights under this Indenture
without first instituting any legal proceedings against such Institutional
Trustee or any other person or entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and such event is attributable
to the failure of the Company to pay interest or principal on the applicable
series of Securities on the date such interest or principal is otherwise payable
(or in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), the Company acknowledges
that a holder of Capital Securities may directly institute a proceeding for
enforcement of payment to such holder of the principal of or interest on the
applicable series of Securities having a principal amount equal to the aggregate
liquidation amount of the Capital Securities of such holder on or after the
respective due date specified in the applicable series of Securities.
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ARTICLE XIV
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES -- MANDATORY AND
OPTIONAL SINKING FUND
SECTION 14.01. Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to the Securities of any
series which are redeemable before their maturity or to any sinking fund for the
retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as
contemplated by Section 2.03 for Securities of such series.
SECTION 14.02. Notice of Redemption; Selection of Securities.
In case the Company shall desire to exercise the right to redeem all, or,
as the case may be, any part of the Securities of any series in accordance with
their terms, it shall fix a date for redemption and shall mail a notice of such
redemption at least 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for
redemption to the holders of Securities of such series so to be redeemed as a
whole or in part at their last addresses as the same appear on the Security
Register. Such mailing shall be by first class mail. The notice if mailed in the
manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given,
whether or not the holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give
such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the holder of any Security of
a series designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the
validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Security of such
series.
Each such notice of redemption shall specify the date fixed for redemption,
the redemption price at which Securities of such series are to be redeemed, the
place or places of payment, that payment will be made upon presentation and
surrender of such Securities, that interest accrued to the date fixed for
redemption will be paid as specified in said notice, and that on and after said
date interest thereon or on the portions thereof to be redeemed will cease to
accrue. If less than all the Securities of such series are to be redeemed the
notice of redemption shall specify the numbers of the Securities of that series
to be redeemed. In case any Security of a series is to be redeemed in part only,
the notice of redemption shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof
to be redeemed and shall state that on and after the date fixed for redemption,
upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities of that series in
principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued.
Prior to the redemption date specified in the notice of redemption given as
provided in this Section, the Company will deposit with the Trustee or with one
or more paying agents an amount of money sufficient to redeem on the redemption
date all the Securities so called for redemption at the appropriate redemption
price, together with accrued interest to the date fixed for redemption.
If less than all the Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the Company
will give the Trustee notice not less than 60 days prior to the redemption date
as to the aggregate principal amount of Securities of that series to be redeemed
and the Trustee shall select, in such manner as in its sole discretion it shall
deem appropriate and fair, the Securities of that series or portions thereof (in
integral multiples of $1,000, except as otherwise set forth in the applicable
form of Security) to be redeemed.
SECTION 14.03. Payment of Securities Called for Redemption.
If notice of redemption has been given as provided in Section 14.02 or
Section 14.04, the Securities or portions of Securities of the series with
respect to which such notice has been given shall become due and payable on the
date and at the place or places stated in such notice at the applicable
redemption price, together with interest accrued to the date fixed for
redemption, and on and after said date (unless the Company shall default in the
payment of such Securities at the redemption price, together with interest
accrued to said date) interest on the Securities or portions of Securities of
any series so called for redemption shall cease to accrue. On presentation and
surrender of such Securities at a place of payment specified in said notice, the
said Securities or the specified portions thereof shall be paid and redeemed by
the Company at the applicable redemption price, together with interest accrued
47
thereon to the date fixed for redemption.
Upon presentation of any Security of any series redeemed in part only, the
Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the
holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security or Securities of
such series of authorized denominations, in principal amount equal to the
unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.
SECTION 14.04. Mandatory and Optional Sinking Fund.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of
Securities of any series is herein referred to as a "mandatory sinking fund
payment", and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the
terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as an "optional sinking
fund payment". The last date on which any such payment may be made is herein
referred to as a "sinking fund payment date".
In lieu of making all or any part of any mandatory sinking fund payment
with respect to any Securities of a series in cash, the Company may at its
option (a) deliver to the Trustee Securities of that series theretofore
purchased by the Company and (b) may apply as a credit Securities of that series
which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the
terms of such Securities or through the application of optional sinking fund
payments pursuant to the next succeeding paragraph, in each case in satisfaction
of all or any part of any mandatory sinking fund payment, provided that such
Securities have not been previously so credited. Each such Security so delivered
or applied as a credit shall be credited at the sinking fund redemption price
for such Securities and the amount of any mandatory sinking fund shall be
reduced accordingly. If the Company intends so to deliver or credit such
Securities with respect to any mandatory sinking fund payment it shall deliver
to the Trustee at least 60 days prior to the next succeeding sinking fund
payment date for such series (a) a certificate signed by any Vice President, the
Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the Company specifying the portion of
such sinking fund payment, if any, to be satisfied by payment of cash and the
portion of such sinking fund payment, if any, which is to be satisfied by
delivering and crediting such Securities and (b) any Securities to be so
delivered. All Securities so delivered to the Trustee shall be cancelled by the
Trustee and no Securities shall be authenticated in lieu thereof. If the Company
fails to deliver such certificate and Securities at or before the time provided
above, the Company shall not be permitted to satisfy any portion of such
mandatory sinking fund payment by delivery or credit of Securities.
At its option the Company may pay into the sinking fund for the retirement
of Securities of any particular series, on or before each sinking fund payment
date for such series, any additional sum in cash as specified by the terms of
such series of Securities. If the Company intends to exercise its right to make
any such optional sinking fund payment, it shall deliver to the Trustee at least
60 days prior to the next succeeding sinking fund payment date for such Series a
certificate signed by any Vice President, the Treasurer or any Assistant
Treasurer of the Company stating that the Company intends to exercise such
optional right and specifying the amount which the Company intends to pay on
such sinking fund payment date. If the Company fails to deliver such certificate
at or before the time provided above, the Company shall not be permitted to make
any optional sinking fund payment with respect to such sinking fund payment
date. To the extent that such right is not exercised in any year it shall not be
cumulative or carried forward to any subsequent year.
If the sinking fund payment or payments (mandatory or optional) made in
cash plus any unused balance of any preceding sinking fund payments made in cash
shall exceed $50,000 (or a lesser sum if the Company shall so request) with
respect to the Securities of any particular series, it shall be applied by the
Trustee or one or more paying agents on the next succeeding sinking fund payment
date to the redemption of Securities of such series at the sinking fund
redemption price together with accrued interest to the date fixed for
redemption. The Trustee shall select, in the manner provided in Section 14.02,
for redemption on such sinking fund payment date a sufficient principal amount
of Securities of such series to absorb said cash, as nearly as may be, and the
Trustee shall, at the expense and in the name of the Company, thereupon cause
notice of redemption of Securities of such series to be given in substantially
the manner and with the effect provided in Sections 14.02 and 14.03 for the
redemption of Securities of that series in part at the option of the Company,
except that the notice of redemption shall also state that the Securities of
such series are being redeemed for the sinking fund. Any sinking fund moneys not
so applied
48
or allocated by the Trustee or any paying agent to the redemption of Securities
of that series shall be added to the next cash sinking fund payment received by
the Trustee or such paying agent and, together with such payment, shall be
applied in accordance with the provisions of this Section 14.04. Any and all
sinking fund moneys held by the Trustee or any paying agent on the maturity date
of the Securities of any particular series, and not held for the payment or
redemption of particular Securities of such series, shall be applied by the
Trustee or such paying agent, together with other moneys, if necessary, to be
deposited sufficient for the purpose, to the payment of the principal of the
Securities of that series at maturity.
On or before each sinking fund payment date, the Company shall pay to the
Trustee or to one or more paying agents in cash a sum equal to all interest
accrued to the date fixed for redemption on Securities to be redeemed on the
next following sinking fund payment date pursuant to this Section.
Neither the Trustee nor any paying agent shall redeem any Securities of a
series with sinking fund moneys, and the Trustee shall not mail any notice of
redemption of Securities for such series by operation of the sinking fund,
during the continuance of a default in payment of interest on such Securities or
of any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default occurring as a
consequence of this paragraph), except that if the notice of redemption of any
Securities shall theretofore have been mailed in accordance with the provisions
hereof, the Trustee or any paying agent shall redeem such Securities if cash
sufficient for that purpose shall be deposited with the Trustee or such paying
agent for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Article Fourteen.
Except as aforesaid, any moneys in the sinking fund for such series at the time
when any such default or Event of Default shall occur and any moneys thereafter
paid into the sinking fund shall, during the continuance of such default or
Event of Default, be held as security for the payment of all such Securities;
provided, however, that in case such Event of Default or default shall have been
cured or waived as provided herein, such moneys shall thereafter be applied on
the next succeeding sinking fund payment date on which such moneys may be
applied pursuant to the provisions of this Section 14.04.
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 15.01. Agreement to Subordinate.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each holder of Securities issued
hereunder and under any supplemental indenture or by any resolutions by the
Board of Directors ("Additional Provisions") by such Securityholder's acceptance
thereof likewise covenants and agrees, that all Securities shall be issued
subject to the provisions of this Article Fifteen; and each holder of a
Security, whether upon original issue or upon transfer or assignment thereof,
accepts and agrees to be bound by such provisions.
The payment by the Company of the principal of, premium, if any, and
interest on all Securities issued hereunder and under any Additional Provisions
shall, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, be subordinated
and junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations of the Company and rank pari passu
and equivalent to creditor obligations of those holding general unsecured claims
not entitled to statutory priority under the United States Bankruptcy Code or
otherwise, in each case whether outstanding at the date of this Indenture or
thereafter incurred.
No provision of this Article Fifteen shall prevent the occurrence of any
default or Event of Default hereunder.
SECTION 15.02. Default on Senior Indebtedness.
No payment may be made of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on
the Securities, or in respect of any redemption, retirement, purchase or other
acquisition of any of the Securities, at any time when (i) there is a default in
the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, interest on or otherwise in
respect of any Senior Indebtedness, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for
prepayment or by declaration or otherwise, or (ii) any event of default with
respect to any Senior Indebtedness has occurred and is continuing, or would
occur as a result of such payment on the Securities or any redemption,
retirement, purchase or other acquisition of any of the Securities, permitting
the
49
holders of such Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of the holders
thereof) to accelerate the maturity thereof.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment shall be
received by the Trustee when such payment is prohibited by the preceding
paragraph of this Section 15.02, such payment shall be held in trust for the
benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the holders of Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations or their respective
representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to
which any of such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations may have
been issued, as their respective interests may appear, but only to the extent
that the holders of the Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations (or
their representative or representatives or a trustee) notify the Trustee in
writing within 90 days of such payment of the amounts then due and owing on the
Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations and only the amounts
specified in such notice to the Trustee shall be paid to the holders of Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations.
SECTION 15.03. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy.
Upon any payment by the Company or distribution of assets of the Company of
any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to creditors
upon any dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization of the Company,
whether voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or
other proceedings, all amounts due upon all Senior Indebtedness and Other
Financial Obligations of the Company shall first be paid in full, or payment
thereof provided for in money in accordance with their terms, before any payment
is made by the Company on account of the principal (and premium, if any) or
interest on the Securities; and upon any such dissolution or winding-up or
liquidation or reorganization, any payment by the Company, or distribution of
assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or
securities, to which the Securityholders or the Trustee would be entitled to
receive from the Company, except under the provisions of this Article Fifteen,
shall be paid by the Company or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy,
liquidating trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution,
or by the Securityholders or by the Trustee under the Indenture if received by
them or it, directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations of the Company (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the
respective amounts of Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations held
by such holders, as calculated by the Company) or their representative or
representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to
which any instruments evidencing such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, to
the extent necessary to pay such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations in full, in money or money's worth, after giving effect to any
concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders of such Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations, before any payment or distribution
is made to the Securityholders or to the Trustee.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or
distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash,
property or securities, prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by the
Trustee before all Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations of the
Company are paid in full, or provision is made for such payment in money in
accordance with its terms, such payment or distribution shall be held in trust
for the benefit of and shall be paid over or delivered to the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations or their representative or
representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to
which any instruments evidencing such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations may have been issued, and their respective interests may appear, as
calculated by the Company, for application to the payment of all Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations of the Company, as the case may be,
remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to pay such Senior Indebtedness and
Other Financial Obligations in full in money in accordance with its terms, after
giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the benefit of
the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations.
For purposes of this Article Fifteen, the words "cash, property or
securities" shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as
reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other corporation
provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the payment of which
is subordinated at least to the extent provided in this Article Fifteen with
respect to the Securities to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness and Other
Financial Obligations of the Company, as the case may be, that may at the time
be outstanding, provided that (i) such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations is assumed by the new corporation, if any, resulting
50
from any such reorganization or readjustment, and (ii) the rights of the holders
of such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations are not, without the
consent of such holders, altered by such reorganization or readjustment. The
consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the Company into, another
corporation or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the
conveyance or transfer of its property as an entirety, or substantially as an
entirety, to another corporation upon the terms and conditions provided for in
Article Ten of this Indenture shall not be deemed a dissolution, winding-up,
liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this Section 15.03 if such
other corporation shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, conveyance or
transfer, comply with the conditions stated in Article Ten of this Indenture.
Nothing in Section 15.02 or in this Section 15.03 shall apply to claims of, or
payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.06 of this Indenture.
SECTION 15.04. Subrogation.
Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness and Other
Financial Obligations of the Company, the rights of the Securityholders shall be
subrogated to the rights of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and Other
Financial Obligations to receive payments or distributions of cash, property or
securities of the Company, as the case may be, applicable to such Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations until all amounts owing on the
Securities shall be paid in full; and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no
payments or distributions to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and Other
Financial Obligations of any cash, property or securities to which the
Securityholders or the Trustee would be entitled except under the provisions of
this Article Fifteen, and no payment over pursuant to the provisions of this
Article Fifteen to or for the benefit of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness
and Other Financial Obligations by Securityholders or the Trustee, shall, as
between the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness and
Other Financial Obligations of the Company, and the holders of the Securities,
be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or on account of such Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations. It is understood that the
provisions of this Article Fifteen are and are intended solely for the purposes
of defining the relative rights of the holders of the Securities, on the one
hand, and the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations, on the other hand.
Nothing contained in this Article Fifteen or elsewhere in this Indenture,
any Additional Provisions or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair,
as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations of the Company, and the holders of
the Securities, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and
unconditional, to pay to the holders of the Securities the principal of,
premium, if any, and interest on, the Securities as and when the same shall
become due and payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or
shall affect the relative rights of the holders of the Securities and creditors
of the Company, as the case may be, other than the holders of Senior
Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations of the Company, as the case may be,
nor shall anything herein or therein prevent the Trustee or the holder of any
Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon
default under the Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article
Fifteen of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial
Obligations in respect of cash, property or securities of the Company, as the
case may be, received upon the exercise of any such remedy.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in
this Article Fifteen, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article Six of
this Indenture, and the Securityholders shall be entitled to conclusively rely
upon any order or decree made by any court of competent jurisdiction in which
such dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization proceedings are
pending, or a certificate of the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidation
trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to
the Trustee or to the Securityholders, for the purposes of ascertaining the
Persons entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of Senior
Indebtedness, Other Financial Obligations and other indebtedness of the Company,
as the case may be, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts
paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this
Article Fifteen.
SECTION 15.05. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.
Each Securityholder by such Securityholder's acceptance thereof authorizes
and directs the Trustee on such Securityholder's behalf to take such action as
may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination
51
provided in this Article Fifteen and appoints the Trustee such Securityholder's
attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
SECTION 15.06. Notice by the Company.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible Officer of
any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the making of any payment of
monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities pursuant to the
provisions of this Article Fifteen. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
Article Fifteen or any other provision of this Indenture or any Additional
Provisions, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of
any facts that would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the
Trustee in respect of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article
Fifteen, unless and until a Responsible Officer shall have received written
notice thereof from the Company or a holder or holders of Senior Indebtedness or
Other Financial Obligations or from any trustee therefor; and before the receipt
of any such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article
Six of this Indenture, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such
facts exist; provided, however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the
notice provided for in this Section 15.06 at least two Business Days prior to
the date upon which by the terms hereof any money may become payable for any
purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest on any Security), then, anything herein contained
to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority
to receive such money and to apply the same to the purposes for which they were
received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary that may be
received by it within two Business Days prior to such date.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article Six of this Indenture,
shall be entitled to conclusively rely on the delivery to it of a written notice
by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness or Other
Financial Obligations of the Company, as the case may be (or a trustee on behalf
of such holder), to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of
such Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations or a trustee on behalf
of any such holder or holders. In the event that the Trustee determines in good
faith that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person
as a holder of such Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations to
participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article Fifteen, the
Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable
satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of such Senior Indebtedness or
Other Financial Obligations held by such Person, the extent to which such Person
is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts
pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article Fifteen, and, if such
evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person
pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such
payment.
SECTION 15.07. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness and
Other Financial Obligations.
The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights
set forth in this Article Fifteen in respect of any Senior Indebtedness or Other
Financial Obligations at any time held by it, to the same extent as any other
holder of Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations, and nothing in
this Indenture or any Additional Provisions shall deprive the Trustee of any of
its rights as such holder.
With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial
Obligations of the Company, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only
such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this
Article Fifteen, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations shall be read
into this Indenture or any Additional Provisions against the Trustee. The
Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations and, subject to the
provisions of Article Six of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be liable to
any holder of such Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations if it
shall pay over or deliver to Securityholders, the Company or any other Person
money or assets to which any holder of such Senior Indebtedness or Other
Financial Obligations shall be entitled by virtue of this Article Fifteen or
otherwise.
SECTION 15.08. Subordination May Not Be Impaired.
No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness or
Other Financial Obligations of the
52
Company to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any way
be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the
Company, as the case may be, or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by
any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Company, as the case may be,
with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture, regardless of any
knowledge thereof that any such holder may have or otherwise be charged with.
Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph, the
holders of Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations of the Company
may, at any time and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the
Trustee or the Securityholders, without incurring responsibility to the
Securityholders and without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in
this Article Fifteen or the obligations hereunder of the holders of the
Securities to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial
Obligations, do any one or more of the following: (i) change the manner, place
or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter, such
Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations, or otherwise amend or
supplement in any manner such Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations
or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which such Senior
Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations is outstanding; (ii) sell, exchange,
release or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise
securing such Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations; (iii) release
any Person liable in any manner for the collection of such Senior Indebtedness
or Other Financial Obligations; and (iv) exercise or refrain from exercising any
rights against the Company, as the case may be, and any other Person.
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53
The First National Bank of Chicago hereby accepts the trusts in this
Indenture declared and provided, upon the terms and conditions hereinabove set
forth.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be
duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized and their
respective corporate seals to be hereunto duly affixed and attested, all as of
the day and year first above written.
[Seal] FLEET FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
Attest:
By: ___________________________ By: _______________________________
Title: Title:
[Seal] THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO,
Attest: as Trustee
By: ___________________________
Title:
By: ________________________________
Title:
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND )
COUNTY OF PROVIDENCE ) ss.:
On the ____ day of ______________, 1998 before me personally came
_________________, to me known, who, being by me duly sworn, did depose and say
that he resides at ___________________________ that he or she is
_______________________ of Fleet Financial Group, Inc., one of the corporations
described in and which executed the above instrument; that he knows the
corporate seal of said corporation; that the seal affixed to the said instrument
is such corporate seal; that it was so affixed by authority of the Board of
Directors of said corporation; and that he signed his name thereto by like
authority.
NOTARY PUBLIC
[seal] Commission expires:
STATE OF )
COUNTY OF ) ss.:
On the _____ day of ________________, 1998, before me personally came
__________________________, to me known, who, being by me duly sworn, did depose
and say that he resides at ___________________; that he or she is
___________________ of The First National Bank of Chicago, one of the
corporations described in and which executed the above instrument; that he knows
the corporate seal of said corporation; that the seal affixed to the said
instrument is such corporate seal; that it was so affixed by authority of the
Board of Directors of said corporation, and that he signed his name thereto by
like authority.
NOTARY PUBLIC
[seal] Commission expires: