UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 11, 2015
W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Illinois |
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1-5684 |
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36-1150280 |
(State or other Jurisdiction |
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(Commission File Number) |
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(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
100 Grainger Parkway, Lake Forest, Illinois |
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60045-5201 |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
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(Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (847) 535-1000
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On June 11, 2015, W.W. Grainger, Inc. (the Company) issued $1,000,000,000 of its 4.60% Senior Notes due 2045 (the Notes) upon completion of a public offering . The Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015, as supplemented by a first supplemental indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee.
The Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will mature on June 15, 2045. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually on June 15 and December 15, beginning on December 15, 2015.
Prior to December 15, 2044, the Company may redeem the Notes in whole at any time or in part from time to time at a make-whole redemption price calculated by reference to the then current yield on a US treasury security with a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes plus 25 basis points, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date. On or after December 15, 2044, the company may redeem the Notes in whole at any time or in part from time to time at 100% of their principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date. Additionally, if the Company experiences specific kinds of changes of control, it will be required to make an offer to purchase the Notes at 101% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.
Exhibits are filed herewith in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-203444), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2015, relating to the Notes offered pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement, dated June 4, 2015.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit |
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Description |
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1.1 |
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Underwriting Agreement, dated as of June 4, 2015, among W.W. Grainger, Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the underwriters named therein. |
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4.1 |
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Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015, between W.W. Grainger, Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. |
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4.2 |
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First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015, between W.W. Grainger, Inc., and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. |
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4.3 |
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Form of 4.60% Senior Notes due 2045 (included in Exhibit 4.2). |
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5.1 |
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Opinion of Mayer Brown LLP, counsel for W.W. Grainger, Inc., as to the validity of the Notes. |
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23.1 |
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Consent of Mayer Brown LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: June 11, 2015 |
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W.W. GRAINGER, INC. | |
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By: |
/s/ Ronald L. Jadin |
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Ronald L. Jadin |
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Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
Exhibit 1.1
W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
$1,000,000,000
4.600% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2045
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
June 4, 2015
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June 4, 2015 |
To the Managers named in Schedule I hereto
for the Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (the Company), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the Underwriters), for whom you are acting as managers (the Managers), the principal amount of its debt securities identified in Schedule I hereto (the Securities), to be issued under the indenture specified in Schedule I hereto (the Indenture) between the Company and the Trustee identified in such Schedule (the Trustee). If the firm or firms listed in Schedule II hereto include only the Managers listed in Schedule I hereto, then the terms Underwriters and Managers as used herein shall each be deemed to refer to such firm or firms.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) a registration statement, including a prospectus, (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto) on Form S-3, relating to securities (the Shelf Securities), including the Securities, to be issued from time to time by the Company. The registration statement as amended to the date of this Agreement, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), is hereinafter referred to as the Registration Statement, and the related prospectus covering the Shelf Securities dated June 4, 2015 is hereinafter referred to as the Basic Prospectus. The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the Prospectus, and the term preliminary prospectus means any preliminary form of the Prospectus. For purposes of this Agreement, free writing prospectus has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, Time of Sale Prospectus means the documents set forth opposite the caption Time of Sale Prospectus in Schedule I hereto, and broadly available road show means a bona fide electronic road show as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms Registration Statement, Basic Prospectus, preliminary prospectus, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein on the date hereof. The terms supplement, amendment, and amend as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission. If the Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, the Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) eligible to use the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement and the Company has not received notice that the Commission objects to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement.
(b) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain, and each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement as of the date hereof does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply, and as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (v) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Securities in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (vi) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (vii) the Prospectus in the form used to confirm sales and on the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), in each case, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to (A) statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Managers expressly for use therein or (B) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the Trust Indenture Act), of the Trustee.
(c) The Company is not an ineligible issuer in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule I hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.
(d) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Illinois, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a Material Adverse Effect).
(e) Each significant subsidiary of the Company, as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act (each, a Significant Subsidiary) has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification,
except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.
(f) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(g) On the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and shall constitute a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability.
(h) The Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(i) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities will not contravene (i) any provision of applicable law, (ii) the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (iv) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, except, in the case of Section 1(i)(iii), for any such contravention as could not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities, except for those that (x) have already been obtained or (y) may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states or non U.S. jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.
(j) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(k) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or to materially and adversely affect the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the this Agreement or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
(l) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(m) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an investment company as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(n) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (Environmental Laws), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals could not reasonably be expected to have, singly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(o) There are no known costs or known actual or threatened liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which, singly or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Except as described or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or as described in any other periodic reports of the Company filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the last five years, within the past five years, none of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any director or executive officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would constitute a material violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the FCPA), or any other applicable anti-corruption law, including without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in the furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any foreign official (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA or any other applicable anti-corruption law, and except as described or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or as described in any other periodic reports of the Company filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the last five years, within the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries, and to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance in all material respects with the FCPA and all other applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(q) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business,
the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Anti-Money Laundering Laws), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(r) (i) None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any director or executive officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (Person) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:
(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the European Union (EU), Her Majestys Treasury (HMT), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, Sanctions), nor
(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria).
(ii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(iii) For the past 5 years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(s) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect) and have paid all taxes required to be
paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement is accurate. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, since the end of the Companys most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Companys internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.
(u) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amounts of Securities set forth in Schedule II hereto opposite its name at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto.
3. Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Securities as soon after this Agreement has become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The
Company is further advised by you that the Securities are to be offered to the public upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City on the closing date and time set forth in Schedule I hereto, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as may be mutually agreed upon in writing by you and the Company. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the Closing Date.
Payment for the Securities shall be made against delivery to you through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (DTC) on the Closing Date for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Securities in definitive global form registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Underwriters duly paid.
5. Conditions to the Underwriters Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following conditions:
(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded the Company or any of the securities of the Company by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act; and
(ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 6(a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all
of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Mayer Brown LLP, outside counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibits A-1 and A-2 dated the Closing Date.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of the Deputy General Counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibit B dated the Closing Date.
(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters shall request.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Ernst & Young LLP, registered independent public accountants for the Company, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a cut-off date not earlier than the date hereof.
6. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) To furnish to you, without charge, a signed copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and to deliver to each of the Underwriters during the period mentioned in Section 7(e) or 7(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.
(b) Prior to the completion of the offering of the Securities, before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such
proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object with the exception of any filings required under the Exchange Act.
(c) To furnish to you a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which you reasonably object.
(d) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(e) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(f) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will
furnish to the Company) to which Securities may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(g) To endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not so qualified or to take any action that would subject the Company to taxation or service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not so subject as of the date hereof.
(h) To make generally available to the Companys security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, including Rule 158.
(i) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Companys counsel and the Companys accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Securities under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses incurred by them in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including the filing fees payable to the Commission relating to the Securities (within the time required by Rule 456 (b)(1), if applicable), all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters (not to exceed $5,000 in the aggregate) in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky memorandum, (iv) any fees charged by the rating agencies for the rating of the Securities, (v) the cost of the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Securities, (vi) the costs and charges of the Trustee, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any road show undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, (viii) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 9 entitled Indemnity and Contribution, and the last paragraph of Section 11 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Securities by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
(j) If the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement occurs before all the Securities have been sold by the Underwriters, prior to the third anniversary to file a new shelf registration statement and to take any other action necessary to permit the public offering of the Securities to continue without interruption; references herein to the Registration Statement shall include the new registration statement declared effective by the Commission;
(k) During the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing to and including the Closing Date, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities of the Company or warrants to purchase or otherwise acquire debt securities of the Company substantially similar to the Securities (other than (i) the Securities, (ii) commercial paper issued in the ordinary course of business or (iii) securities or warrants permitted with the prior written consent of the Managers identified in Schedule I with the authorization to release this lock-up on behalf of the Underwriters).
(l) To prepare a final term sheet relating to the offering of the Securities, containing only information that describes the final terms of the Securities or the offering in a form consented to by the Managers, and to file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) under the Securities Act following the date the final terms have been established for the offering of the Securities.
7. Covenants of the Underwriters. (a) Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.
(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company, other than the term sheet relating to the Securities containing customary information and conveyed to the purchasers of Securities, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus.
(c) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and agrees with respect to offers and sales outside the United States that:
(i) in relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a Relevant Member State), an offer to the public of any of the Securities may not be made in that Relevant Member State, except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of any of the Securities may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive, if they have been implemented in that Relevant Member State: (a) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; (b) to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or (c) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of the Securities shall require us or any Underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer to the public in relation to any Securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the Securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression Prospectus Directive means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression 2010 PD Amending Directive means Directive 2010/73/EU;
(ii) the Prospectus has not been approved by or registered with the and Futures Commission of Hong Kong or the Registrar of Companies of Hong Kong. The Securities may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (a) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong), or (b) in
other circumstances which do not result in the document being a prospectus within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the Securities may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to Securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to professional investors within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
(iii) the Securities have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and each underwriter has agreed that it will not offer or sell any Securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan;
(iv) the Prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, the Prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the Securities may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the Securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the SFA), (2) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (3) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the Securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is: (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the Securities under Section 275 except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance
with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is given for the transfer; or (3) by operation of law.
(v) each Underwriter has represented and agreed that: (a) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA)) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the Securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the Company; and (b) it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
8. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any bona fide electronic road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (an electronic road show), or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, electronic road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through you, expressly for use in the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, electronic road show, or the Propsectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, and the following statements set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: the third and eighth paragraphs and the third sentence of the seventh paragraph under the heading Underwriting.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the indemnified party) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the indemnifying party) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonably incurred fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such reasonably incurred fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Managers authorized to appoint counsel under this Section set forth in Schedule I hereto, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party
from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth in the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective principal amounts of Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.
(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such
indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.
9. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by written notice given by you to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase the Securities that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter
or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the principal amount of Securities that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 11 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Securities, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Underwriters with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Securities.
(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including its stockholders, employees or creditors, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to
the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.
12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
13. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
14. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
15. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to you at the addresses set forth in Schedule I hereto; and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to the address set forth in Schedule I hereto.
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Very truly yours, | ||||
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W.W. GRAINGER, INC. | ||||
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By: |
/s/ Philip M. West | |||
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Name: |
Philip M. West | ||
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Title: |
Vice President and Treasurer | ||
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Accepted as of the date hereof |
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MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC |
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J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC |
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Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto |
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By: |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Yurij Slyz |
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Name: |
Yurij Slyz |
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Title: |
Executive Director |
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By: |
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Stephen Sheiner |
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Name: |
Stephen Sheiner |
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Title: |
Executive Director |
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SCHEDULE I
Managers: |
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Managers authorized to release lock-up under Section 2: |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
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Managers authorized to appoint counsel under Section 8(c): |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
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Indenture: |
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Indenture to be dated as of June 11, 2015 between the Company and the Trustee |
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Trustee: |
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U. S. Bank National Association |
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Registration Statement File No.: |
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333-203444 |
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Time of Sale Prospectus |
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1. Prospectus dated June 4, 2015 relating to the Shelf Securities
2. the preliminary prospectus dated June 4, 2015 relating to the Securities
3. free writing prospectus dated June 4, 2015, filed by the Company under Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, substantially in the form of Schedule III hereto |
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Securities to be purchased: |
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4.600% Senior Notes due 2045 |
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Aggregate Principal Amount: |
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$1,000,000,000 |
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Purchase Price: |
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99.044% of the principal amount of the Securities, plus accrued interest, if any, from June 11, 2015 |
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Maturity: |
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June 15, 2045 |
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Interest Rate: |
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4.600% per annum, accruing from June 11, 2015 |
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Interest Payment Dates: |
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June 15 and December 15, commencing December 15, 2015 |
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Closing Date and Time: |
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June 11, 2015, 10:00 a.m. |
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Closing Location: |
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Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP |
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New York, New York 10017 |
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Address for Notices to Underwriters: |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor New York, NY 10036 Attention: Investment Banking Division Facsimile: (212) 507-8999
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10179 Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk Facsimile: 212-270-1063 |
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Address for Notices to the Company: |
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W.W. Grainger, Inc. |
SCHEDULE II
Underwriter |
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Principal Amount of |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
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$ |
500,000,000 |
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J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
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250,000,000 |
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U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. |
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35,715,000 |
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Wells Fargo Securities, LLC |
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35,715,000 |
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HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. |
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35,714,000 |
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
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35,714,000 |
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Loop Capital Markets LLC |
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35,714,000 |
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Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA), Inc. |
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35,714,000 |
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RBC Capital Markets, LLC |
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35,714,000 |
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Total |
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$ |
1,000,000,000 |
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SCHEDULE III
FORM OF TERM SHEET
Pricing Term Sheet
June 4, 2015
4.600% Senior Notes due June 15, 2045
Issuer: |
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W.W. Grainger, Inc. |
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Principal Amount: |
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$1,000,000,000 |
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Ratings (Moodys / S&P):* |
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A2 (stable) / AA (negative) |
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Maturity Date: |
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June 15, 2045 |
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Coupon (Interest Rate): |
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4.600% per annum |
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Price to Public: |
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99.919% of Principal Amount |
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Yield to Maturity: |
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4.605% |
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Benchmark Treasury: |
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2.500% due February 15, 2045 |
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Spread to Benchmark Treasury: |
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155 bps |
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Benchmark Treasury Price / Yield: |
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89-07 / 3.055% |
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Interest Payment Dates: |
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June 15 and December 15, commencing December 15, 2015 |
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Make-whole Call: |
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Callable at any time prior to December 15, 2044 at the greater of par and the make-whole redemption price (Treasury plus 25 basis points) |
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Par Call: |
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On or after December 15, 2044 |
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Trade Date: |
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June 4, 2015 |
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Settlement Date: |
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June 11, 2015 (T+5) |
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CUSIP / ISIN: |
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384802AB0 / US384802AB05 |
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Joint Book-Running Managers: |
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
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Co-Managers: |
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HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. Loop Capital Markets LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA), Inc. |
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RBC Capital Markets, LLC U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC |
Pro Forma Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges:
As adjusted to give effect to the issuance of the notes in this offering and the application of the net proceeds from this offering as described in Use of Proceeds in the prospectus supplement, and assuming the offering had been completed on (i) January 1, 2015, the ratio of earnings to fixed charges would have been 17.2x for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and (ii) January 1, 2014, the ratio of earnings to fixed charges would have been 16.1x for the year ended December 31, 2014. The pro forma ratio of earnings to fixed charges does not necessarily represent what the actual ratio of earnings to fixed charges would have been had those transactions occurred on the date assumed.
*Note: An explanation of the significance of ratings may be obtained from the ratings agencies. Generally, ratings agencies base their ratings on such material and information, and such of their own investigations, studies and assumptions, as they deem appropriate. The security ratings above are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold the securities offered hereby. The ratings may be subject to review, revision, suspension, reduction or withdrawal at any time by the rating agencies. Each of the security ratings above should be evaluated independently of any other security rating.
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at (866) 718-1649 and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC collect at (1-212-834-4533).
EXHIBIT A-1
OPINION OF MAYER BROWN LLP
The opinion of the counsel for the Company, to be delivered pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement shall be to the effect that:
A. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;
B. On the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and shall constitute a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability and except as rights to indemnification may be limited by applicable law and public policy considerations;
C. The Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, in each case enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and equitable principles of general applicability, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
D. The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities will not contravene any provision of Applicable Law or the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required under Applicable Law for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.
E. The statements relating to legal matters or documents included in (i) the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption Description of Our Debt Securities insofar as relevant to the offering of the Securities and (ii) the Prospectus under the captions Description of Notes in each case fairly summarize in all material respects such matters or documents.
F. The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an investment company as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
G. Subject to the qualifications set forth therein, the statements in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences, insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the U.S. federal income tax laws and the regulations thereunder or legal conclusions with respect thereto, fairly and accurately summarize in all material respects the matters discussed therein.
H. The Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein and except for that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Form T-1, as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
EXHIBIT A-2
NEGATIVE ASSURANCE LETTER OF MAYER BROWN LLP
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter is being furnished to you pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of June 4, 2015 (the Underwriting Agreement), by and between W.W. Grainger, Inc. (the Company) and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as managers of the several underwriters named in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriters), relating to the purchase by the Underwriters from the Company of $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 4.600% Notes due 2045 (the Securities). For purposes of this letter, Effective Date shall mean the most recent effectiveness of the Registration Statement with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to, and within the meaning of, Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Securities Act and Time of First Sale shall mean the time that the Underwriting Agreement was executed, which with your permission we have assumed to be 3:00 PM (New York time) on June 4, 2015. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning given to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
We have acted as special counsel to the Company in connection with the above transaction. In that connection we have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and participated in discussions with representatives of the Company, its independent registered public accounting firm, representatives of the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters regarding the contents of such documents and related matters. We did not participate in the preparation of the documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
The purpose of our professional engagement was not to establish or to confirm factual matters set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and we have not undertaken to verify independently any of such factual matters. Moreover, many of the determinations required to be made in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus involve matters of a non-legal nature.
Subject to the foregoing, we confirm to you that, in the course of performing the services referred to above, nothing came to our attention that caused us to believe that:
1. The Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
2. The Time of Sale Prospectus, as of the Time of First Sale, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
3. The Prospectus, as of its date and as of the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided, however, that we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, or the Prospectus, except as otherwise specifically provided in paragraphs and in our opinion of todays date addressed to you, and we do not express any belief with respect to the financial statements and financial schedules or other financial data or statistical data contained in, incorporated by reference into or omitted from the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or with respect to the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1.
This letter is furnished by us pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement, is solely for your benefit in your capacity as managers of the several underwriters and is not to be used, quoted or otherwise relied upon by any other person (including any person that acquires the Securities from you) or by you for any other purpose, or filed or furnished to any governmental agency or any other person, without our prior written consent.
EXHIBIT B
OPINION OF DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE COMPANY
A. The Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
B. Each Significant Subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
C. The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities will not contravene, to such counsels knowledge, any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or, to such counsels knowledge, any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary.
D. To such counsels knowledge, no legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described or of any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
E. Each document filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) appeared on its face to be appropriately responsive as of its filing date in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Exhibit 4.1
W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
AND
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, TRUSTEE
INDENTURE
Dated as of June 11, 2015
Debt Securities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page |
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ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION |
1 | |
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Section 1.1 |
Definitions |
1 |
Section 1.2 |
Compliance Certificates and Opinions |
8 |
Section 1.3 |
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee |
9 |
Section 1.4 |
Acts of Holders |
10 |
Section 1.5 |
Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company |
11 |
Section 1.6 |
Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver |
11 |
Section 1.7 |
Language of Notices, Etc. |
12 |
Section 1.8 |
Conflict with Trust Indenture Act |
12 |
Section 1.9 |
Effect of Headings and Table of Contents |
12 |
Section 1.10 |
Successors and Assigns |
12 |
Section 1.11 |
Separability Clause |
12 |
Section 1.12 |
Benefits of Indenture |
12 |
Section 1.13 |
Governing Law |
12 |
Section 1.14 |
Legal Holidays |
12 |
Section 1.15 |
Waiver of Jury Trial |
13 |
Section 1.16 |
U.S.A. Patriot Act |
13 |
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|
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ARTICLE 2 SECURITY FORMS |
13 | |
|
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Section 2.1 |
Forms Generally |
13 |
Section 2.2 |
Form of Trustees Certificate of Authentication |
14 |
Section 2.3 |
Securities in Global Form |
14 |
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ARTICLE 3 THE SECURITIES |
14 | |
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Section 3.1 |
Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series |
14 |
Section 3.2 |
Denominations |
17 |
Section 3.3 |
Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating |
17 |
Section 3.4 |
Temporary Securities |
18 |
Section 3.5 |
Registration, Transfer and Exchange |
19 |
Section 3.6 |
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities |
21 |
Section 3.7 |
Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved |
22 |
Section 3.8 |
Persons Deemed Owners |
23 |
Section 3.9 |
Cancellation |
24 |
Section 3.10 |
Computation of Interest |
24 |
Section 3.11 |
CUSIP Numbers |
24 |
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ARTICLE 4 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE |
24 | |
|
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Section 4.1 |
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture |
24 |
Section 4.2 |
Application of Trust Money |
26 |
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ARTICLE 5 REMEDIES |
26 | |
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Section 5.1 |
Events of Default |
26 |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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Page |
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Section 5.2 |
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment |
27 |
Section 5.3 |
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee |
28 |
Section 5.4 |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
29 |
Section 5.5 |
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities |
30 |
Section 5.6 |
Application of Money Collected |
30 |
Section 5.7 |
Limitation on Suits |
30 |
Section 5.8 |
Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest |
31 |
Section 5.9 |
Restoration of Rights and Remedies |
31 |
Section 5.10 |
Rights and Remedies Cumulative |
32 |
Section 5.11 |
Delay or Omission Not Waiver |
32 |
Section 5.12 |
Control by Holders of Securities |
32 |
Section 5.13 |
Waiver of Past Defaults |
32 |
Section 5.14 |
Undertaking for Costs |
33 |
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ARTICLE 6 THE TRUSTEE |
33 | |
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Section 6.1 |
Certain Duties and Responsibilities |
33 |
Section 6.2 |
Notice of Defaults |
34 |
Section 6.3 |
Certain Rights of Trustee |
35 |
Section 6.4 |
Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities |
37 |
Section 6.5 |
May Hold Securities |
37 |
Section 6.6 |
Money Held in Trust |
37 |
Section 6.7 |
Compensation and Reimbursement |
37 |
Section 6.8 |
Disqualifications; Conflicting Interests |
38 |
Section 6.9 |
Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility |
38 |
Section 6.10 |
Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor |
38 |
Section 6.11 |
Acceptance of Appointment by Successor |
40 |
Section 6.12 |
Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business |
41 |
Section 6.13 |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company |
41 |
Section 6.14 |
Appointment of Authenticating Agent |
41 |
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ARTICLE 7 HOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY |
43 | |
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Section 7.1 |
Company To Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders |
43 |
Section 7.2 |
Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders |
43 |
Section 7.3 |
Reports by Trustee |
45 |
Section 7.4 |
Reports by the Company |
45 |
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ARTICLE 8 CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, LEASE OR CONVEYANCE |
46 | |
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Section 8.1 |
Consolidations and Mergers of Company and Sales, Leases and Conveyances Permitted Subject to Certain Conditions |
46 |
Section 8.2 |
Rights and Duties of Successor Corporation |
46 |
Section 8.3 |
Officers Certificate and Opinion of Counsel |
47 |
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ARTICLE 9 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE |
47 |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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Page |
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Section 9.1 |
Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Holders |
47 |
Section 9.2 |
Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders |
48 |
Section 9.3 |
Execution of Supplemental Indentures |
49 |
Section 9.4 |
Effect of Supplemental Indentures |
49 |
Section 9.5 |
Conformity with Trust Indenture Act |
49 |
Section 9.6 |
Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures |
49 |
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ARTICLE 10 COVENANTS |
50 | |
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Section 10.1 |
Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest |
50 |
Section 10.2 |
Maintenance of Office or Agency |
50 |
Section 10.3 |
Money for Securities Payments To Be Held in Trust |
50 |
Section 10.4 |
Additional Amounts |
52 |
Section 10.5 |
Statement as to Compliance; Notice of Certain Defaults |
52 |
Section 10.6 |
Limitation upon Liens |
53 |
Section 10.7 |
Limitation upon Sales and Leasebacks |
54 |
Section 10.8 |
Waiver of Certain Covenants |
55 |
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ARTICLE 11 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES |
55 | |
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Section 11.1 |
Applicability of Article |
55 |
Section 11.2 |
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee |
56 |
Section 11.3 |
Selection by Trustee of Securities To Be Redeemed |
56 |
Section 11.4 |
Notice of Redemption |
56 |
Section 11.5 |
Deposit of Redemption Price |
57 |
Section 11.6 |
Securities Payable on Redemption Date |
58 |
Section 11.7 |
Securities Redeemed in Part |
58 |
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ARTICLE 12 SINKING FUNDS |
58 | |
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Section 12.1 |
Applicability of Article |
58 |
Section 12.2 |
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities |
59 |
Section 12.3 |
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund |
59 |
Reconciliation and tie between
Trust Indenture Act of 1939
and Indenture
Trust Indenture Act Section |
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Indenture Section |
§ 310 (a)(1) |
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6.9 |
(a)(2) |
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6.9 |
(a)(3) |
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Not Applicable |
(a)(4) |
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Not Applicable |
(a)(5) |
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6.9 |
(b) |
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6.8, 6.10 |
§ 311 (a) |
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6.13 |
(b) |
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6.13 |
§ 312 (a) |
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7.1, 7.2(a) |
(b) |
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7.2(b) |
(c) |
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7.2(c) |
§ 313 (a) |
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7.3(a) |
(b)(1) |
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Not Applicable |
(b)(2) |
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7.3(a) |
(c) |
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7.3(a) |
(d) |
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7.3(b) |
§ 314 (a) |
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7.4, 10.5 |
(b) |
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Not Applicable |
(c)(1) |
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1.2 |
(c)(2) |
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1.2 |
(c)(3) |
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Not Applicable |
(d) |
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Not Applicable |
(e) |
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1.2 |
§ 315 (a) |
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6.1(a) |
(b) |
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6.2 |
(c) |
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6.1(b) |
(d) |
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6.1(c) |
(d)(1) |
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6.1(a)(i), (c)(i) |
(d)(2) |
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6.1(c)(ii) |
(d)(3) |
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6.1(c)(iii) |
(e) |
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5.14 |
§ 316 (a) |
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1.1 |
(a)(1)(A) |
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5.2, 5.12 |
(a)(1)(B) |
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5.13 |
(a)(2) |
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Not Applicable |
(b) |
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5.8 |
(c) |
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1.4(c) |
§ 317 (a)(1) |
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5.3 |
(a)(2) |
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5.4 |
(b) |
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10.3 |
§ 318 (a) |
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1.8 |
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.
INDENTURE, dated as of June 11, 2015, between W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (the Company), having its principal office at 100 Grainger Parkway, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, and U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, as trustee (the Trustee).
Recitals of The Company
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, unlimited as to principal amount, to bear such rates of interest, to mature at such time or times, to be issued in one or more series and to have such other provisions as shall be fixed as hereinafter provided; and
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture and all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH: For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the benefit of each other and for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 1.1 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;
(b) all other terms used herein that are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;
(c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the terms generally accepted accounting principles with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the date of such computation; and
(d) 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.
Act when used with respect to any Holders has the meaning specified in Section 1.4.
Additional Amounts means any additional amounts that are required by a Security or by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, under circumstances specified therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on certain Holders and that are owing to such Holders.
Affiliate of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, control when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms controlling and controlled have the meanings correlative to the foregoing.
Agent means any Security Registrar, Paying Agent, Securities Custodian or Authenticating Agent.
Applicable Procedures means, with respect to any payment, tender, redemption, transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Security in global form, the rules and procedures of the Depositary that apply to such payment, tender, redemption, transfer or exchange.
Attributable Debt means as to any particular lease under which either the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary is at the time liable as lessee and at any date as of which the amount thereof is to be determined, the total net obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of the lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended) discounted from the respective due dates thereof to such determination date at a rate per annum equivalent to the greater of (a) the weighted-average interest rate of the Outstanding Securities, such average being weighted by the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series and (b) the interest rate inherent in such lease (as determined in good faith by the Company), in each case to be compounded semi-annually. The total net obligations of the lessee for rental payments under any such lease for any such periods shall be the aggregate amount of the rent payable by the lessee with respect to such period after excluding amounts required to be paid on account of maintenance and repairs, services, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates and similar charges and contingent rents (such as those based on sales or monetary inflation). In the case of any lease which is terminable by the lessee upon the payment of a penalty, such net amount shall also include the amount of such penalty, but no rent shall be considered as required to be paid under such lease subsequent to the first date upon which it may be so terminated. If as of the determination date any Original Issue Discount Securities are Outstanding, then, for purposes of calculating Attributable Debt, the interest rate of the Original Issue Discount Securities shall be a rate equal to the yield to maturity on such Securities, calculated at the time of the issuance of such Securities, and the principal amount of such Original Issue Discount Securities shall be equal to the aggregate amount that would then be payable upon the acceleration of the maturity of such Securities pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof.
Authenticating Agent means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.14 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of one or more series.
Authorized Newspaper means a newspaper, in an official language of the country of publication or in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day, whether or not published on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays, and of general circulation in the place in connection with which the term is used or in the financial community of such place. Where successive publications are required to be made in Authorized Newspapers, the successive publications may be made in the same or in different newspapers in the same city meeting the foregoing requirements and in each case on any Business Day.
Board of Directors means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.
Board Resolution means 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, and delivered to the Trustee.
Business Day, except as may otherwise be provided in the form or terms of Securities of any particular series pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, with respect to any Place of Payment means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions or trust companies in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law to close.
Commission means 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.
Company means the Person named as the Company in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor corporation shall have become such pursuant to and in compliance with Article 8 of this Indenture, and thereafter Company shall mean such successor corporation.
Company Request and Company Order mean, respectively, a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, and by the Treasurer, the Secretary, an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.
Consolidated Net Tangible Assets means the total amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other properly deductible items) after deducting therefrom (a) all current liabilities (excluding liabilities that are extendable or renewable at the option of the obligor to a date more than 12 months after the date as of which the amount is being determined) and (b) all goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and expense and other like intangible assets, all as set forth on the most recent balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Corporate Trust Office means the office or agency of the Trustee, at which at any particular time its corporate trust business relating to this Indenture shall be administered, which office at the date of original execution of this Indenture is located at 190 South LaSalle Street, 10th Floor, MK-IL-SLTR, Chicago, IL 60603, Attention: Global Corporate Trust and Escrow Services, and for purposes of Section 10.2 such office is located at 100 Wall Street, Suite 1600, New York, New York 10005, Attention: Global Corporate Trust and Escrow Services, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee.
corporation means any corporation and, except as used in Article 8 hereof, any association, partnership, limited liability company or business trust.
Debt has the meaning specified in Section 10.6.
Defaulted Interest has the meaning specified in Section 3.7.
Depositary means with respect to the Securities of any series issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, the Person designated as Depositary by the Company pursuant to Section 3.1(c) until a successor Depositary shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter Depositary shall mean or include each Person who is then a Depositary hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, Depositary as used with respect to the Securities of any such series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of that series.
Dollars or $ or any similar reference shall mean currency of the United States, which at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
Event of Default has the meaning specified in Section 5.1.
Funded Debt means all Debt (i) having a maturity of more than 12 months from the date as of which the amount thereof is to be determined or having a maturity of less than 12 months but by its terms being renewable or extendible beyond 12 months from such date at the option of the obligor and (ii) ranking at least pari passu with the Securities.
Holder when used with respect to any Security means the Person in whose name the Security is registered in the Security Register.
Indenture means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof.
Interest when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security that by its terms bears interest only after Maturity means interest payable after Maturity, and, when used with respect to a Security that provides for the payment of Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 10.4, includes such Additional Amounts.
Interest Payment Date means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on the applicable Securities.
Lien has the meaning specified in Section 10.6.
Maturity when used with respect to any Security means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, notice of redemption or otherwise.
Officers Certificate means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President of the Company, and by the Treasurer, the Secretary, an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided for in Section 1.2.
Opinion of Counsel means a written opinion of counsel, who may (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture) be an employee of or counsel for the Company, or other counsel acceptable to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the statements provided for in Section 1.2.
Original Issue Discount Security means a Security issued pursuant to this Indenture that provides for declaration of an amount less than the principal thereof to be due and payable upon acceleration pursuant to Section 5.2.
Outstanding when used with respect to Securities means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(i) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(ii) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; provided, that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made; and
(iii) Securities that have been paid pursuant to Section 3.6 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company:
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that may be counted in making such determination and that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be equal to the amount of the principal thereof that could be declared to be due and payable pursuant to the terms of such Original Issue Discount Security at the time the taking
of such action by the Holders of such requisite principal amount is evidenced to the Trustee as provided in Section 1.4(a), and, provided, further, that Securities owned beneficially by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate (other than officers or directors of the Company) of the Company or such other obligor, shall be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities that the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgees right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor. In the case of a dispute as to such right, the advice of counsel shall be full protection in respect of any decision made by the Trustee in accordance with such advice. Upon request of the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officers Certificate listing and identifying all securities known by the Company to be owned or held by or for the account of any of the above-described persons; and, subject to the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such Officers Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Securities not listed therein are outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.
Paying Agent means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of (or premium, if any), or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.
Person means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
Place of Payment when used with respect to the Securities of any series means the place or places where, subject to the provisions of Section 10.2, the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified as provided pursuant to Section 3.1.
Predecessor Security of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.6 in exchange for or in lieu of a lost, destroyed, mutilated or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed, mutilated or stolen Security.
Principal Property means, as of any date, any building, structure or other facility together with the underlying land and its fixtures, used primarily for manufacturing, processing, production or distribution, in each case located in the United States, and owned or leased or to be owned or leased by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, and in each case the net book value of which as of such date exceeds 2 % of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as shown on the audited consolidated balance sheet contained in the latest annual report to the stockholders of the Company, other than any such land, building, structure or other facility or portion thereof which, in the opinion of the Board of Directors of the Company, is not of material importance to the business conducted by the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.
Redemption Date when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
Redemption Price when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed means the price at which it is to be redeemed as determined pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture.
Registered Security means any Security established pursuant to Section 2.1 that is registered in the Security Register.
Regular Record Date for the interest payable on a Security on any Interest Payment Date means the date, if any, specified in such Security as the Regular Record Date.
Responsible Officer when used with respect to the Trustee means the president, any vice president (whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title vice president), any assistant treasurer, any senior trust officer or trust officer, or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
Restricted Subsidiary means any Subsidiary of the Company which owns or leases a Principal Property.
sale and leaseback transaction has the meaning specified in Section 10.7.
Security or Securities means any Security or Securities, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
Securities Custodian means the custodian with respect to a global Security (as appointed by the Depositary), or any successor Person thereto and shall initially be the Trustee.
Security Register and Security Registrar have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.5.
Special Record Date for the payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series means a dated fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.7.
Stated Maturity when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
Subsidiary means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity of which at the time of determination the Company and/or one or more Subsidiaries owns or controls directly or indirectly more than 50% of the Voting Shares.
Trustee means the Person named as the Trustee in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such with respect to one or more series of Securities pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter Trustee shall mean each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, Trustee shall mean each such Person and as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to the Securities of that series.
Trust Indenture Act means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, Trust Indenture Act means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.
United States or U.S. means the United States of America (including the states and the District of Columbia), its territories and possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.
United States Alien means any Person who, for United States Federal income tax purposes, is a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual, a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust, or a foreign partnership one or more of the members of which is, for United States Federal income tax purposes, a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual or a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust.
U.S. Government Obligations means securities that are (i) direct obligations of the United States 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 the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States, that, 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.
Voting Shares means shares of stock (or similar equity interests) of the class or classes having general voting power under ordinary circumstances to elect at least a majority of the board of directors, managers or trustees of a corporation provided that, for the purposes hereof, shares of stock (or similar equity interests) that carry only the right to vote conditionally on the happening of an event shall not be considered voting shares whether or not such event shall have happened.
Section 1.2 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers
Certificate stating that 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, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:
(a) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such condition or covenant and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(c) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such condition or covenant has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 1.3 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents. Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Any certificate, statement or opinion of an officer of the Company or of counsel may be based insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by a firm of accountants or an accountant in the employ of the Company, unless
such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which his certificate, statement or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know that the same are erroneous.
Any certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants filed with the Trustee shall contain a statement that such firm is independent.
Section 1.4 Acts of Holders.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the Act of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 6.1) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company and any agent of the Trustee or the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved in any reasonable manner that the Trustee deems sufficient and in accordance with such reasonable rules as the Trustee may determine; and the Trustee may in any instance require further proof with respect to any of the matters referred to in this Section.
(c) The ownership of Securities and the principal amount and serial numbers of Securities held by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security Register.
(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of any Securities any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders of Securities entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, 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 Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of Securities of record at the close of business on such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Outstanding Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities shall be computed as of such record date; provided, that no such authorization, agreement or consent by the Holders on such 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.
(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done or suffered to be done by the Trustee, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
Section 1.5 Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
(a) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration, or
(b) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to the attention of its Treasurer at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.
Section 1.6 Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver.
Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or in the form of Securities of any particular series pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of Securities of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given to Holders of Securities if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of a Security affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.
In any case where notice to Holders of Securities is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder of a Security shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders of Securities. In the case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.
Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders of Securities shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) to a Holder of a global Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be
sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the Depositary or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with Applicable Procedures.
Section 1.7 Language of Notices, Etc.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election or waiver required or permitted under this Indenture shall be in the English language, except that, if the Company so elects, any published notice may be in an official language of the country of publication.
Section 1.8 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof that is required to be included in this Indenture by any of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, such required provisions shall control.
Section 1.9 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings herein, the Trust Indenture Act reconciliation, and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 1.10 Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 1.11 Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 1.12 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent, any Authenticating Agent and their successors hereunder and the Holders of Securities, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 1.13 Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Section 1.14 Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then
(notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or the Securities other than a provision in the Securities that specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section) payment of interest or any Additional Amounts or principal (and premium, if any) need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, and no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be.
Section 1.15 Waiver of Jury Trial.
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
Section 1.16 U.S.A. Patriot Act.
The Company acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The Company agrees that it will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act.
ARTICLE 2
SECURITY FORMS
Section 2.1 Forms Generally.
The Securities, if any, of each series and Securities in global form, if any, shall be in the form established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, shall have appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers of the Company executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities. If the forms of the Securities of any series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, 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 Company Order contemplated by Section 3.3 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to any series of Securities, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons.
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved or produced by any combination of these methods on a steel engraved border or steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the officers of the Company executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
Section 2.2 Form of Trustees Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustees Certificate of Authentication 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.
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U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee | ||
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Section 2.3 Securities in Global Form.
If Securities of a series are issuable in whole or in part in global form, any such Security may provide that it shall represent the aggregate amount of Outstanding Securities from time to time endorsed thereon and may also provide that the aggregate amount of Outstanding Securities represented thereby may from time to time be reduced to reflect exchanges or increased to reflect the issuance of additional Securities. Any endorsement of a Security in global form to reflect the amount, or any increase or decrease in the amount, of Outstanding Securities represented thereby shall be made in such manner and by such Person or Persons, as shall be specified therein or in the Company Order delivered to the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.3. Neither the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have responsibility for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary. The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as Securities Custodian with respect to the global Securities. The Trustee and each Agent are hereby authorized to act in accordance with Applicable Procedures as to each global Security and the Depositary.
ARTICLE 3
THE SECURITIES
Section 3.1 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:
(a) the title of the Securities and the series in which such Securities shall be included;
(b) the limit, if any, upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such title and the Securities of such series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 9.6 or 11.7);
(c) whether Securities of the series may be issued in whole or in part in global form and, if so, the identity of the Depositary for such Securities in global form, and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which interests in such Securities in global form may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for the individual Securities represented thereby;
(d) the date or dates on which the principal of such Securities is payable;
(e) the rate or rates at which such Securities shall bear interest, if any, or method by which such rate or rates are determined, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for the interest payable on Registered Securities on any Interest Payment Date, whether and under what circumstances Additional Amounts on such securities shall be payable in respect of specified taxes, assessments or other governmental charges withheld or deducted and, if so, whether the Company has the option to redeem the affected Securities rather than pay such Additional Amounts, and the basis upon which interest shall be calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months;
(f) the place or places, if any, in addition to or other than the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on or Additional Amounts, if any, payable in respect of such Securities shall be payable, where such Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer, where such Securities may be surrendered for exchange and where notice and demands to or upon the Company, in respect of such Securities and this Indenture, may be served and where notices to Holders pursuant to Section 1.6 will be published;
(g) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which such Securities may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company or a Holder;
(h) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem such Securities pursuant to any sinking fund and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be redeemed in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(i) the denominations in which Securities of the series, if any, shall be issuable if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
(j) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of such Securities that shall be payable upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2;
(k) if the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on, and Additional Amounts in respect of such Securities may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
(l) if the Securities of such series are to be issuable in definitive form (whether upon original issue or upon exchange of a temporary Security of such series) only upon receipt of certain certificates or other documents or satisfaction of other conditions, then the form and terms of such certificates, documents or conditions;
(m) any Events of Default with respect to Securities of such series, if not otherwise set forth herein; and
(n) any other terms of such Securities and any other deletions from or modifications or additions to this Indenture in respect of such Securities.
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and the rate or rates of interest, if any, redemption dates and sinking fund dates, if any, and Stated Maturity, the date from which interest, if any, shall accrue, the amount that shall be payable upon the declaration of acceleration and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to such Board Resolution and set forth in such Officers Certificate or in any such indenture supplemental hereto. All Securities of any one series need not be issued at the same time and, unless otherwise provided, a series may be reopened for issuances of additional Securities of such series.
If any of the terms of the Securities of any series were established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, 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 setting forth the terms of such series. No Officers Certificate may affect the Trustees own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise with respect to any series of Securities except as it may agree in writing.
The Company shall be responsible for making calculations called for under the Securities and this Indenture, including but not limited to determination of interest, Additional Amounts, Redemption Price, premium, if any, and any other amounts payable on the Securities. The Company will make the calculations in good faith and, absent manifest error, its calculations will be final and binding on the Holders. The Company will provide a schedule of its calculations to the Trustee when requested by the Trustee, and the Trustee is entitled to rely conclusively on the accuracy of the Companys calculations without independent verification. The Trustee shall forward the Companys calculations to any Holder upon the written request of such Holder.
Section 3.2 Denominations.
Unless other denominations and amounts may from time to time be fixed by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, the Registered Securities of each series, if any, shall be issuable in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
Section 3.3 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, President, any Vice President or its Treasurer. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile. Typographical and other minor errors or defects in any such signature shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any Security that has been duly authenticated and delivered by the Trustee.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.
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, together with the Board Resolution and Officers Certificate or supplemental indenture with respect to such Securities referred to in Section 3.1 and a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order and subject to the provisions hereof shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. In authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be provided with, and (subject to Section 6.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating,
(a) that the form and terms of such Securities have been established in conformity with the provision of this Indenture;
(b) that all conditions precedent set forth in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of such Securities have been complied with and 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, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors rights and to general equity principles; and
(c) as to such other matters as the Trustee may reasonably request;
provided, however, that if all the Securities of any series are not to be issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver an Opinion of Counsel at the time of issuance of each Security, but such Opinion of Counsel, with appropriate modifications, may instead be delivered at or prior to the time of the first issuance of Securities of such series.
The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustees own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee or if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken.
If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 3.1 that Securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in global form, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with this Section and the Company Order with respect to such series, authenticate and deliver one or more Securities in global form that (i) shall represent and shall be denominated in an authorized aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and tenor to be represented by one or more Securities in global form, (ii) shall be registered, in the name of the Depositary for such Security or Securities in global form or the nominee of such Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered to such Depositary or pursuant to such Depositarys instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for Notes in certificated form, this Note may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company (55 Water Street, New York, New York) to the issuer or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of CEDE & CO. or such other name as requested by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company and any payment is made to CEDE & CO., any transfer, pledge or other use hereof for value or otherwise by or to any person is wrongful since the registered owner hereof, CEDE & CO., has an interest herein. Each Depositary designated pursuant to Section 3.1 for a Security in global form must, at the time of its designation and at all times while it serves as Depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any other applicable statute or regulation.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for in Section 2.2 or 6.14 executed by or on behalf of the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized signatories, and such signature upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder.
Section 3.4 Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute and deliver to the Trustee, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the manner provided in Section 3.3, temporary Securities of such series that are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, in registered form without coupons and with such appropriate insertions, omissions,
substitutions and other variations as the officers of the Company executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities. In the case of Securities of any series, such temporary Securities may be in global form, representing all of the Outstanding Securities of such series and tenor.
Except in the case of temporary Securities in global form, which shall be exchanged in accordance with the provisions thereof, if temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable upon request for definitive Securities of such series containing identical terms and provisions upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such series at an office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose pursuant to Section 10.2, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Securities of authorized denominations of the same series containing identical terms and provisions. Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to a temporary Security in global form, 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 such series.
Section 3.5 Registration, Transfer and Exchange.
With respect to the Securities of each series, if any, the Company shall cause to be kept, at an office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 10.2, a register (herein sometimes referred to as the Security Register) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of the Securities of each series and of transfers of the Securities of each series. The Trustee is hereby appointed Security Registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers and exchanges of Securities as herein provided; provided, that the Company may, from time to time, designate (or change any designation of) any other Person or Persons to act as Security Registrar or co-Security Registrars with respect to the Securities of one or more series, with notice to the Trustee and as provided in Section 1.6 to the Holders. At all reasonable times the Security Register shall be open for inspection by the Company. In the event that the Trustee shall not be the Security Registrar, it shall have the right to examine the Security Register at all reasonable times.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at any office or agency of the Company maintained for that series pursuant to Section 10.2, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, at the direction of the Company, shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series of an authorized denomination, of a like aggregate principal amount bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding and containing identical terms and provisions.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented thereby, in definitive form, a Security in global form representing all or a portion of the Securities of a series may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary for such series to a nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such
Depositary or by such Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary for such series or a nominee of such successor Depositary.
At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series containing identical terms and provisions, in any authorized denominations, and of a like aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any such office or agency of the Company maintained for that series pursuant to Section 10.2. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, at the direction of the Company, shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
If at any time the Depositary for the Securities of a series notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for the Securities of such series or if at any time the Depositary for the Securities of such series shall no longer be eligible under Section 3.3, the Company, by Company Order, shall appoint a successor Depositary with respect to the Securities of such series. If a successor Depositary for the Securities of such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Companys election pursuant to Section 3.1(c) shall no longer be effective with respect to the Securities of such series and the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of definitive Securities of such series, will authenticate and deliver, Securities of such series in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount and of like terms and tenor equal to the principal amount of the Security or Securities in global form representing such series in exchange for such Security or Securities in global form.
The Company may at any time and in its sole discretion determine that individual Securities of any series issued in global form shall no longer be represented by such Security or Securities in global form. In such event the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual definitive Securities of such series and of the same terms and tenor, will authenticate and deliver individual Securities of such series in definitive form in authorized denominations and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Security or Securities in global form representing such series in exchange for such Security or Securities in global form.
If specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3.1 with respect to a series of Securities, the Depositary for such series of Securities may surrender a Security in global form for such series of Securities in exchange in whole or in part for individual Securities of such series in definitive form and of like terms and tenor on such terms as are acceptable to the Company, the Trustee and such Depositary. Thereupon, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual definitive Securities of such series, shall authenticate and deliver, without service charge:
(a) to the Depositary or to each Person specified by such Depositary a new individual Security or Securities of the same series and of the same tenor, of authorized denominations, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Persons beneficial interest in the Security in global form; and
(b) to such Depositary a new Security in global form in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Security in global form and the aggregate principal amount of the individual Securities delivered to Holders thereof.
In any exchange provided for in any of the preceding three paragraphs, the Company will execute and the Trustee pursuant to a Company Order will authenticate and deliver individual Securities in definitive registered form in authorized denominations.
Upon the exchange of a Security in global form for Securities in definitive form, at the direction of the Company, such Security in global form shall be cancelled by the Trustee. Securities issued in exchange for a Security in global form pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Security in global form, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee in writing. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the persons in whose names such Securities are so registered or to the Depositary.
Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee, at the direction of the Company, shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange or redemption shall (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar for such series of Security presented) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and such Security Registrar duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 3.4, 9.6 or 11.7 not involving any transfer.
The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the selection for redemption of Securities of that series under Section 11.3 and ending at the close of business on the day of such selection, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except in the case of any Security to be redeemed in part, the portion thereof not to be redeemed.
Section 3.6 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee, at the direction of the Company, shall authenticate and deliver in exchange
therefor a new Security of the same series containing identical terms and of like principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for or in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series containing identical terms and of like principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, 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 (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 3.7 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Interest on any Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall, if so provided in such Security, be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered as of the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
Any interest on any Security of any series that is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for such Security (herein called Defaulted Interest) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder; and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (a) or (b) below:
(a) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities affected (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 be not more than 15 days and not 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 Holder of such Securities at his address as it appears in the Security Register not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. The Trustee may, in its discretion, in the name and at the expense of the Company, cause a similar notice to be published at least once in a newspaper, customarily published in the English language on each Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, but such publication shall not be a condition precedent to the establishment of 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 at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (b).
(b) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest 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 Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Interest on Securities of any series that bear interest may be paid by mailing a check to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or by wire transfer or other electronic means.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section and Section 3.5, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
Section 3.8 Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium, if any), and (subject to Sections 3.5 and 3.7) interest on and Additional Amounts with respect to, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
None of the Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, the Security Registrar or any co-Security Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Security in global form or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests and each of them may act or refrain from acting without liability on any information relating to such records provided by the Depositary.
Section 3.9 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, repayment, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, shall be delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities and Securities surrendered directly to the Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee at the direction of the Company. No securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be cancelled by it in its customary manner unless by a Company Order the Company directs their return to it.
Section 3.10 Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Section 3.11 CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use CUSIP numbers (if then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall us CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP numbers.
ARTICLE 4
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 4.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
Upon the direction of the Company by a Company Order, this Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for, rights, obligations, duties and immunities of the Trustee set forth in the last paragraph of this Section and any right to receive Additional
Amounts, as provided in Section 10.4), and the Trustee, pursuant to a Company Order and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instructions acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when:
(a) either:
(i) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (A) Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.6, and (B) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 10.3) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:
(1) have become due and payable, or
(2) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(3) if redeemable at the option of the Company, are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,
and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge, or U.S. Government Obligations, maturing as to principal and paying interest in such amounts and at such times as will insure the availability of cash sufficient to pay and discharge, the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, and any Additional Amounts with respect thereto, to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities that have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
In the event there are Securities of two or more series hereunder, the Trustee shall be required to execute an instrument acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture only if requested to do so by Company Order with respect to Securities of all series as to which it is Trustee and if the other conditions thereto are met. In the event there are two or more Trustees hereunder, then the effectiveness of any such instrument shall be conditioned upon receipt of such instruments from all Trustees hereunder.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Holders under Section 10.1 (or the obligations of any guarantor or other obligor with respect to the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest, as set forth in any supplemental indenture) and to the Trustee under Section 6.7 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (ii) of clause (a) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.2 and the last paragraph of Section 10.3 shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.
Section 4.2 Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.3, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.1 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities, and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and any interest and Additional Amounts for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
ARTICLE 5
REMEDIES
Section 5.1 Events of Default.
Event of Default, wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
(a) default in the payment of any interest on or any Additional Amounts payable in respect of any of the Securities of such series as and when such interest or Additional Amounts becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(b) default in the payment of all or any part of the principal of, or premium, if any, on any of the Securities of such series as and when the same becomes due and payable at Maturity, or default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due and payable by the terms of any of the Securities of such series; or
(c) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or any supplemental indenture in respect of the Securities of such series (other than a covenant or agreement a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, 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 of such series a written notice specifying such
default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a Notice of Default 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 or proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization 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 or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to itself or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, or shall consent to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against it, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due, or shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the foregoing; or
(f) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that series.
Section 5.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(d) or (e)) occurs and is continuing, then, and in each and every 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 Outstanding Securities of such series, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Holders), may declare the entire principal of all Securities of such series, or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the Securities of such series, and the interest accrued thereon to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become due and payable immediately.
If an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(d) or (e) occurs and is continuing, then, and in each and every such case, unless the principal of all the Securities shall have already become due and payable, the entire principal of all the Outstanding Securities, or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the Securities of any series, and interest accrued thereon shall automatically become due and payable immediately without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after a declaration of acceleration (other than resulting from an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(d) or (e)) with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may waive all defaults with respect to such series and rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
(a) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay:
(i) all overdue installments of interest on and any Additional Amounts payable in respect of all Securities of that series,
(ii) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Securities of that series that have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Securities,
(iii) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue installments of interest and Additional Amounts at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Securities, and
(iv) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and
(b) all Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of the Securities of that series that has become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.3 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if:
(a) default is made in the payment of any installment of interest on or any Additional Amounts payable in respect of any Security when such interest or Additional Amounts shall have become due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(b) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security at its Maturity,
the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest and Additional Amounts, if any, with interest upon the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, upon overdue installments of interest or any Additional Amounts, at the rate or rates borne by or provided for in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be
sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem necessary to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 5.4 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities 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 on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount, or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the Securities of that series, of principal (and premium, if any) and interest and any Additional Amounts owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents or counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding; and
(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator (or other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder of Securities to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders of Securities, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.7. To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and
any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.7 hereof out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be unpaid for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that the Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder of a Security any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder of a Security in any such proceeding.
Section 5.5 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or any of the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery or judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 5.6 Application of Money Collected.
Any money or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article and after an Event of Default any money or other property distributed in respect of the Companys obligations under this Indenture shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal (and premium, if any), interest or any Additional Amounts, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.7; and
Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon the Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest and any Additional Amounts payable in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the aggregate amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any), interest and Additional Amounts, respectively; and
Third: The balance, if any, to the Company or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
Section 5.7 Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;
(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of security or indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(e) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;
it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders 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 such Holders or Holders of any other series, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.
Section 5.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Sections 3.5 and 3.7) interest on and any Additional Amounts in respect of such Security on the respective Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such right shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 5.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder of a Security has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of Securities shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as provided in Section 5.7 and except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 3.6, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders of Securities.
Section 5.12 Control by Holders of Securities.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series, provided, that
(a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, or involve the Trustee in personal liability;
(b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction; and
(c) such direction is not unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of Securities of such series (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any such direction is unduly prejudicial to such Holders).
Section 5.13 Waiver of Past Defaults.
Prior to a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity of the Securities of any series as provided in Section 5.2 (other than resulting from an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(d) or (e)), the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of Outstanding Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series waive any past default or Event of Default with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default:
(a) in the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on or Additional Amounts payable in respect of any Security of such series, or
(b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article 9 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.14 Undertaking for 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, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit, other than the Trustee, 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, including the Trustee, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee or by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder of any Security for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on or any Additional Amounts in respect of any Security on or after the respective Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date) or interest on any overdue principal of any Security.
ARTICLE 6
THE TRUSTEE
Section 6.1 Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
(a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default known to the Trustee,
(i) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties, and only such duties, as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(ii) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any provisions 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 (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).
(b) In case an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
(c) 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:
(i) this subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of subsection (a) of this Section;
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, 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 with respect to the Securities of such series; and
(iv) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section and shall be afforded to each Agent.
Section 6.2 Notice of Defaults.
Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default hereunder with respect to the Securities of any series, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of Securities of such series, notice of such default hereunder known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on, or any Additional Amounts with respect to, any Security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment with respect to 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 responsible officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders of Securities of such series; provided, further, that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 5.1(c) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section, the term default means any event that is, or after
notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default, with respect to Securities of such series. A default shall not be considered known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee unless it is a default in the payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest when due under Section 5.1(a) or (b) or a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof, in accordance with this Indenture, from the Company or from the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of the series to which the default relates sent to the Trustee in accordance with Section 1.5, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture.
Section 6.3 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.1:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, or other paper or document (whether in its original or facsimile form) reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order (other than delivery of any Security to the Trustee for authentication and delivery pursuant to Section 3.3, 3.5 or 3.6, which shall be sufficiently evidenced as provided therein) and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, request and rely upon an Officers Certificate, an Opinion of Counsel, or both;
(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any 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 reliance thereon;
(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities of any series pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
(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, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture or other paper or document or be bound to ascertain or inquire as to the performance or observance of any covenants, conditions, or agreements on the party of the Company, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee
shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(h) the permissive rights of the Trustee to do things enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty, and the Trustee shall not be answerable for other than its negligence or willful misconduct;
(i) the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, but not limited to, its right to be compensated, reimbursed and indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, whether as agent or otherwise, and to each agent, custodian and other person employed to act hereunder;
(j) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;
(k) in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective or whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action;
(l) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event that is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, from the Company or from the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of the series to which the default or Event of Default relates, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture;
(m) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.
(n) the Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers or duties hereunder; and
(o) in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer
(software and hardware) services, or other unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or facsimile or other wire or communication facility; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 6.4 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustees certificate of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.
Section 6.5 May Hold Securities.
The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 6.8 and 6.13, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.
Section 6.6 Money Held in Trust.
Money held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. Neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall be under any liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed with the Company.
Section 6.7 Compensation and Reimbursement.
The Company agrees:
(a) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(b) to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as shall be determined to have been caused by its own negligence or willful misconduct; and
(c) to fully indemnify the Trustee and its directors, officers, employees and agents for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on their part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and
expenses of defending themselves against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of their powers or duties hereunder.
As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any series upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the payment of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to the Securities.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default, the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.
Trustee for the purposes of this Section 6.7 shall include any predecessor Trustee and the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder and each agent, custodian and other person employed to act hereunder; provided, however, that the negligence or willful misconduct of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.
Section 6.8 Disqualifications; Conflicting Interests. If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture.
Section 6.9 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder, which shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 (or, in the case of a Trustee included in a bank holding company system, the related bank holding company shall have) and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority, and shall not be an Affiliate of the Company. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.
Section 6.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 6.11.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 6.11 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition at the expense of the Company any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to such series.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 6.8 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder of a Security who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or
(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.9 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder of a Security, 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, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (ii) subject to Section 5.14, any Holder of a Security who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of any 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 with respect to all Securities of such series and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor Trustee with respect to such Securities.
(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such
series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders of Securities and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 6.11, any Holder of a Security who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series. Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper, remove the Trustee and appoint a successor Trustee with respect to such Securities.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series by mailing written notice of such event by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.
Section 6.11 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.
(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee 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 one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and that (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, 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 that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) 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 trusts 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, 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 and that no Trustee shall be responsible for any notice given to, or received by, or any act or failure to act on the part of any other Trustee hereunder, and upon the
execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates have no further responsibility for the exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture other than as hereinafter expressly set forth, and each such successor Trustee without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.
(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.
Section 6.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
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, by sale or otherwise, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
Section 6.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).
Section 6.14 Appointment of Authenticating Agent.
The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to one or more series of Securities that shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original issue or exchange, registration of transfer or partial
redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 3.6, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustees certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent 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, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, by sale or otherwise, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof 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 such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent that shall be acceptable to the Company and shall mail written notice of such appointment by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders of Securities, if any, of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.
The Company agrees to pay each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section.
The provisions of Sections 3.8, 6.4 and 6.5 shall be applicable to each Authenticating Agent.
If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustees certificate of authentication, an alternate certificate of authentication in the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within mentioned Indenture.
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U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee | ||
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As Authenticating Agent | |
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Authorized Signatory | |
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Dated: |
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If all of the Securities of any series may not be originally issued at one time, and if the Trustee does not have an office capable of authenticating Securities upon original issuance located in a Place of Payment where the Company wishes to have Securities of such series authenticated upon original issuance, the Trustee, if so requested in writing (which writing need not comply with Section 1.2) by the Company, shall appoint in accordance with this Section 6.14 an Authenticating Agent having an office in a Place of Payment designated by the Company with respect to such series of Securities.
ARTICLE 7
HOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
Section 7.1 Company To Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:
(a) semi-annually, not later than June 15 and December 15 each year, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of Securities of each series as of the June 1 and the December 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such June 15 or December 15, 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; provided, however, that, so long as the Trustee is the Security Registrar, no such list shall be required to be furnished.
Section 7.2 Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders of Securities (i) contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee for each series as provided in Section 7.1, and (ii) received by the
Trustee for each series in the capacity of Security Registrar if the Trustee is then acting in such capacity. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 7.1 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(b) If 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 proof satisfactory to the Trustee that each such applicant has owned a Security of such series for a period of at least six 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 the Holders of all Securities with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the 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 five business days after the receipt of such application, at its election, either
(i) afford such applicants access to the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 7.2(a), or
(ii) inform such applicants as to the approximate number of Holders of Securities whose names and addresses appear in the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 7.2(a), and as to the approximate cost of mailing to such Holders 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 written request of such applicants, mail to each Holder of Securities whose name and address appears in the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 7.2(a), 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 five 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 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 Holders of Securities 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) 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 nor any Security Registrar 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 Section 7.2(b), 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 Section 7.2(b).
Section 7.3 Reports by Trustee.
(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall, within sixty days after each May 15 following the date of the initial issuance of Securities under this Indenture deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such May 15, which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a).
(b) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange, if any, upon which the Securities are listed, with the Commission and with the Company. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing when the Securities are listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.
Section 7.4 Reports by the Company.
The Company shall:
(a) file with the Trustee, within 30 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) that the Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; or, if the Company is not required to file information, documents or reports pursuant to either of said Sections, then it shall 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 that may be required pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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) file with the Trustee and Commission, in accordance with 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 of this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations; and
(c) transmit to Holders 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 paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission.
Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustees receipt of such shall not constitute constructive
notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Companys compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers Certificates).
ARTICLE 8
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, LEASE OR CONVEYANCE
Section 8.1 Consolidations and Mergers of Company and Sales, Leases and Conveyances Permitted Subject to Certain Conditions.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein or in any of the Securities, the Company may consolidate with, or sell, lease or convey all or substantially all of its assets to, or merge with or into, any other corporation in each case organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America or a State thereof; provided, that in any such case, either the Company shall be the continuing corporation, or the successor corporation shall be a corporation and such successor corporation shall expressly assume the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any), any interest on, and any Additional Amounts payable pursuant to Section 10.4 with respect to, all the Securities, according to their tenor, 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 by supplemental indenture satisfactory to the Trustee, executed and delivered to the Trustee by such successor corporation.
Section 8.2 Rights and Duties of Successor Corporation.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, lease or conveyance and upon any such assumption by the successor corporation, 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 predecessor corporation shall be relieved of any further obligation under this Indenture and the Securities. Such successor corporation thereupon may cause to be signed, and may issue either in its own name or in the name of the Company, any or all of the Securities issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee; 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 shall authenticate and shall deliver any Securities that previously shall have been signed and delivered by the officers of the Company to the Trustee for authentication, and any Securities that such successor corporation thereafter shall cause to be signed and delivered to the Trustee 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 Securities had been issued at the date of the execution hereof.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, lease or conveyance, such changes in phraseology and form (but not in substance) may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as may be appropriate.
Section 8.3 Officers Certificate and Opinion of Counsel.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.1 and 6.3, may receive an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such consolidation, merger, sale, lease or conveyance, and any such assumption and any such supplemental indenture, if any, complies with the provisions of this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided relating to such transactions have been complied with.
ARTICLE 9
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Section 9.1 Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders of Securities, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company, and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities contained; or
(b) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit 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 solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or
(c) to change or eliminate any restrictions on the payment of principal (or premium, if any) on Securities or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form, provided any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or
(d) to change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture; provided, that any such change or elimination (i) shall become effective only when there is no Security Outstanding of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision or (ii) shall not apply to any Security Outstanding; or
(e) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.1 and 3.1; or
(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(b); or
(g) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture that shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or
(h) to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth; or
(i) to add any additional Events of Default (and if such Events of Default are to be applicable to less than all series of Securities stating that such Events of Default are expressly being included solely to be applicable to such series); or
(j) to add to or change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture as shall be necessary or desirable in accordance with any amendments to the Trust Indenture Act; provided, that such action shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holders of the Securities of any series in any material respect; or
(k) to provide for the guarantee, or to secure, of all or any series of Securities.
Section 9.2 Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture, or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental Indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby,
(a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any Additional Amounts payable in respect thereof, or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or change the obligation of the Company to pay Additional Amounts pursuant to Section 10.4 (except as contemplated by Section 8.1 and permitted by Section 9.1(a)), or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2, or change any Place of Payment where, or the coin or currency in which, any Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or
(b) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture, or
(c) modify any of the provisions of this Section 9.2, Section 5.13 or Section 10.8, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby, or
(d) adversely affect the right to repayment, if any, of Securities of any series at the option of the Holders thereof.
A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture that has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or that modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders of Securities under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 9.3 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trust created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be given, and (subject to Section 6.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel and Officers Certificate stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture that affects the Trustees own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 9.4 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.
Section 9.5 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
Section 9.6 Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture
may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.
ARTICLE 10
COVENANTS
Section 10.1 Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if any), interest on and any Additional Amounts payable in respect of the Securities of that series in accordance with the terms of such series of Securities and this Indenture.
Section 10.2 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution or indenture supplemental hereto with respect to a series of Securities, the Company hereby designates as the Place of Payment for each series of Securities the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and initially appoints the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Offices as the Companys office or agency for each of such purposes in such city.
Section 10.3 Money for Securities Payments To Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any), or interest on, any of the Securities of that series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Person entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so
becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, on or prior to each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any), or interest on, any Securities of that series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:
(a) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on Securities of that series in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(b) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series; and
(c) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same terms as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
Except as otherwise provided in the form of Securities of any particular series pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal (and premium, if any) or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in an Authorized Newspaper in each Place of Payment or to be mailed to Holders of Securities, or
both, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication or mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company. In the absence of a written request from the Company to return unclaimed funds to the Company, the Trustee shall from time to time deliver all unclaimed funds to or as directed by applicable escheat authorities, as determined by the Trustee in its sole discretion, in accordance with the customary practices and procedures of the Trustee. Any unclaimed funds held by the Trustee pursuant to this section shall be held uninvested and without any liability for interest.
Section 10.4 Additional Amounts.
If the Securities of a series provide for the payment of Additional Amounts, the Company will pay to the Holder of any Security of any series Additional Amounts as provided therein. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on, or in respect of, any Security of any series or the net proceeds received on the sale or exchange of any Security of any series, such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided for in the terms of such Security and this Section to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of this Section and express mention of the payment of Additional Amounts (if applicable) in any provisions hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Amounts in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made.
If the Securities of a series provide for the payment of Additional Amounts, at least 10 days prior to the first Interest Payment Date with respect to that series of Securities (or if the Securities of that series will not bear interest prior to Maturity, the first day on which a payment of principal (and premium, if any) is made, and at least 10 days prior to each date of payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if there has been any change with respect to the matters set forth in the below-mentioned Officers Certificate), the Company will furnish the Trustee and the Companys principal Paying Agent or Paying Agents, if other than the Trustee, with an Officers Certificate instructing the Trustee and such Paying Agent or Paying Agents whether such payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of that series shall be made to Holders of Securities of that series who are United States Aliens without withholding for or on account of any tax, assessment or other governmental charge described in the Securities of that series. If any such withholding shall be required, then such Officers Certificate shall specify by country the amount, if any, required to be withheld on such payments to such Holders of Securities and the Company will pay to the Trustee or such Paying Agent the Additional Amounts required by the terms of such Security and the first paragraph of this Section. The Company covenants to indemnify the Trustee and any Paying Agent for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, liability or expense reasonably incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on their part arising out of or in connection with actions taken or omitted by any of them in reliance on any Officers Certificate furnished pursuant to this Section.
Section 10.5 Statement as to Compliance; Notice of Certain Defaults.
(a) The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, a written statement, which need not comply with Section 1.2, signed by the
principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, stating that:
(i) a review of the activities of the Company and its subsidiaries during such year and of performance under this Indenture has been made under his supervision, and
(ii) to the best of his knowledge, based on such review, (a) the Company has fulfilled all of its obligations under this Indenture throughout such year, or, if there has been a default in the fulfillment of any such obligation, specifying each such default known to him and the nature and status thereof, and (b) no event has occurred and is continuing that is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default, or, if such event has occurred and is continuing, specifying each such event known to him and the nature and status thereof.
(b) The Company will deliver to the Trustee within five days after the occurrence thereof, written notice of any event that after notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default pursuant to clause (d) of Section 5.1.
Section 10.6 Limitation upon Liens.
The Company will not itself, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee any loans, notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of indebtedness for money borrowed (loans, notes, bonds, debentures or other similar evidences of indebtedness for money borrowed being hereinafter in this Section and Section 10.7 called Debt), secured by any mortgage, pledge, security interest or other lien or encumbrance (such mortgages, pledges, security interests, liens and encumbrances being hereinafter in this Section, and in Section 10.7 collectively called Liens), on any Principal Property owned or leased by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, or on any shares of stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary owned or held by the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary, without effectively providing that the Securities (together with, if the Company shall so determine, any other Debt of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary then existing or thereafter created which is not subordinate to the Securities), shall be secured equally and ratably with (or prior to) such secured Debt, so long as such secured Debt shall be so secured, unless, after giving effect thereto, the sum of the aggregate principal amount of all such secured Debt then outstanding plus Attributable Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of sale and leaseback transactions (as defined in Section 10.7) existing at such time (other than sale and leaseback transactions permitted by Section 10.7(b)) would not exceed an amount equal to 20% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets; provided, however, that nothing contained in this Section 10.6 shall prevent, restrict or apply to, and there shall be excluded from secured Debt in any computation under this Section 10.6, Debt secured by:
(a) Liens existing as of the date of this Indenture on any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(b) Liens that secure Debt owing to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary by a Restricted Subsidiary;
(c) Liens on any property or assets of, or on any shares of stock or Debt of, any corporation existing at the time such corporation becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time such corporation is merged or consolidated with or into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, but only insofar as such Liens do not attach to any other property or assets of, or any shares of stock or Debt of, the Company or any Restricted Security;
(d) Liens on any property or assets or shares of stock or Debt existing at the time of acquisition thereof;
(e) Liens or any property or assets or shares of stock or Debt securing the payment of all or any part of the purchase price or construction cost thereof (including improvements thereon) or securing any Debt incurred or assumed for the purpose of financing all or any part of the purchase price or construction cost thereof if such Lien attaches concurrently with or within 180 days after the acquisition of such property or assets or shares of stock or Debt or the completion of any such construction, whichever is later, (provided the principal amount of the Debt secured by any such Lien, together with all other Debt secured by a Lien on such property or assets or shares of stock or Debt, does not exceed the purchase price of such property or assets or shares of stock or Debt or the cost of such improvement);
(f) Liens incurred or assumed in connection with an issuance of pollution control or industrial revenue bonds or similar financing the interest on which is excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes pursuant to Sections 103(a) and 103(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; or
(g) any extension, renewal, substitution or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals, substitutions or replacements), as a whole or in part, of any of the Liens referred to in subdivisions (a) through (f) above or the Debt secured thereby; provided that (1) such extension, renewal, substitution or replacement Lien shall be limited to all or any part of the same property or assets, shares of stock or Debt that secured the Lien immediately prior to such extension, renewal, substitution or replacement (plus improvements on such property and any other property or assets not then constituting a Principal Property) and (2) the Debt secured by such Lien at such time is not increased.
Debt created by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary shall not be cumulated with a guarantee of the same Debt by the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary for the same financial obligation.
Section 10.7 Limitation upon Sales and Leasebacks.
The Company will not itself, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any arrangement after the date of this Indenture with any Person (other than the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary) providing for the leasing by the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary of any Principal Property (except a lease for a temporary period (including renewal rights) not to exceed three years by the end of which the use of such Principal Property by the lessee will be discontinued) that the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary has sold or transferred or is about to sell or transfer to such Person (herein referred to as a sale and leaseback transaction) unless, either:
(a) The Attributable Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of such sale and leaseback transaction and all other sale and leaseback transactions existing at such time (other than sale and leaseback transactions permitted by Section 10.7(b)), plus the aggregate principal amount of Debt secured by Liens on Principal Properties then outstanding (excluding any such Debt secured by Liens covered in subdivisions (a) through (g) of the first paragraph of Section 10.6) without equally and ratably securing the Securities, would not exceed 20% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets, or
(b) The Company applies, within 180 days after the effective date of the sale or transfer, an amount in cash equal to the greater of (i) the net proceeds of the sale or transfer of the Principal Property leased pursuant to such arrangement and (ii) the fair market value of the Principal Property so sold and leased back at the time of entering into such arrangement (as determined by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company) to the retirement of Funded Debt (including Securities of any series constituting Funded Debt) of the Company, other than any such Funded Debt that the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary was otherwise obligated to repay within such 180 day period.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, where the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary is the lessee in any sale and leaseback transaction, Attributable Debt shall not include any Debt resulting from the guarantee by the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary of the lessees obligation thereunder.
Section 10.8 Waiver of Certain Covenants.
The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Sections 10.6 or 10.7 with respect to the Securities of any series if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
ARTICLE 11
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 11.1 Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series that are redeemable at the option of the Company before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with the terms of such Securities and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of any series) this Article. Securities of any series that are redeemable at the option of the Holder before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with the terms of such Securities and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of any series) Sections 11.5 and 11.6 of this Article.
Section 11.2 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of the Securities of any series, the Company shall, at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date, the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and the relevant terms of the Securities to be redeemed. The election of a Holder to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a writing by a Holder sent to the Trustee and the Company at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Holder in such notice (unless a shorter notice period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee). Such notice shall notify the Trustee and the Company of such Redemption Date, the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and any relevant terms of the Securities of such series to be redeemed.
Section 11.3 Selection by Trustee of Securities To Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series having the same terms are to be redeemed, and the Securities are global Securities, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date in accordance with Applicable Procedures. If the Securities are not global Securities, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem appropriate and that may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such series or any integral multiple thereof that is also an authorized denomination) of the principal amount of Securities of such series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such series.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Security Registrar (if other than itself) in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal of such Securities that has been or is to be redeemed.
Section 11.4 Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided in Section 1.6, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, unless a shorter period is specified in the Securities to be redeemed, to the Holders of Securities to be redeemed. Failure to give notice by mailing or sending in the manner herein provided to the Holder of any Securities designated for redemption as a whole or in part, or any defect in the notice to any such Holder, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities or portion thereof. Any notice that is mailed or sent to the Holder of any Securities in the
manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not such Holder receives the notice.
All notices of redemption shall state the series of Securities to be redeemed and the Section of this Indenture or the Securities permitting or requiring such redemption and:
(a) the Redemption Date,
(b) the Redemption Price (or the method of calculating the Redemption Price) and accrued interest, if any,
(c) if less than all Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amount) of the particular Securities to be redeemed,
(d) in case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice that relates to such Security shall state that on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, the Holder of such Security will receive, without charge, a new Security or Securities of authorized denominations for the principal amount thereof remaining unredeemed,
(e) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed, and, if applicable, that interest thereon shall cease to accrue on and after said date,
(f) the Place or Places of Payment where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price,
(g) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case, and
(h) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.
A notice of redemption sent as contemplated by Section 1.6 need not identify particular Securities to be redeemed.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Companys request and provision of such request at least 15 days prior to the notice being sent by the Trustee (or such shorter period as may be acceptable to the Trustee), by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.
Section 11.5 Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 10.3) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect thereto, all the Securities or portions thereof that are to be redeemed on that date.
Section 11.6 Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given by the Holder to the Company and Trustee pursuant to Section 11.2 or to the Holder by the Company or the Trustee pursuant to Section 11.4, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest (and any Additional Amounts) to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments of interest on Securities whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the Regular Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 3.7.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal (and premium, if any) shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
Section 11.7 Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security that is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at any office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose pursuant to Section 10.2 (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing) and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security, without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series, containing identical terms and provisions, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE 12
SINKING FUNDS
Section 12.1 Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of such series or as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such series issued pursuant to this Indenture.
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 series is herein referred to as an optional sinking fund payment. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 12.2. Each sinking fund payment
shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.
Section 12.2 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of a series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series, (1) deliver Outstanding Securities of such series (other than any of such Securities previously called for redemption) theretofore purchased or receive credit for Securities (not previously so credited) theretofore purchased by the Company and delivered to the Trustee for cancellation pursuant to Section 3.9, and (2) apply as a credit Securities of such series that have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such series of Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities; provided, that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If, as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities of any series in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 12.2, the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such series for redemption, except upon Company Request, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall at the request of the Company from time to time pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment requested to be released to the Company.
Section 12.3 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that series pursuant to Section 12.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so credited and not theretofore delivered. If such Officers Certificate shall specify an optional amount to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.3 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 11.4. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 11.6 and 11.7.
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This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart by facsimile or PDF transmission shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart thereof. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
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W.W. GRAINGER, INC. | |
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BY |
/s/ Philip M. West |
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Name: |
Philip M. West |
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Title: |
Vice President and Treasurer |
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U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | |
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BY |
/s/ Linda E. Garcia |
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Name: |
Linda E. Garcia |
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Title: |
Vice President |
[Signature page to Indenture]
Exhibit 4.2
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W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
AND
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, TRUSTEE
4.60% Senior Notes due 2045
FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Dated as of June 11, 2015
to
Indenture Dated as of June 11, 2015
Debt Securities
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FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of June 11, 2015, (this Supplemental Indenture), between W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (the Company) and U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association (the Trustee).
Recitals of The Company
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee an Indenture (the Base Indenture), dated as of June 11, 2015 (as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture), providing for the issuance from time to time of one or more series of Securities;
WHEREAS, Section 9.1(e) of the Base Indenture provides that the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holders of Securities, enter into an indenture supplemental to the Base Indenture to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.1 and 3.1 of the Base Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture to provide for the issuance of $1,000,000,000 principal amount of its 4.60% Senior Notes due 2045 (the Notes); and
WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture; all the conditions and requirements necessary to make this Supplemental Indenture, when duly executed and delivered, a valid and binding agreement in accordance with its terms and for the purposes herein expressed, have been performed and fulfilled; and the execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture have been duly authorized in all respects.
NOW THEREFORE, THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITNESSETH: For and in consideration of the premises and the issuance of the series of Securities provided for herein, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
RELATION TO THE BASE INDENTURE; DEFINITIONS; RULES OF CONSTRUCTION
Section 1.1 Relation to the Base Indenture. This Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of the Base Indenture.
Section 1.2 Definitions. For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture, the following terms shall have the respective meanings set forth in this Section 1.2.
Adjusted Treasury Rate means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.
Base Indenture has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.
Business Day means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday and other than a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York, are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Certificated Security means a Security registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.4 hereof, substantially in the form of the Security attached hereto as Exhibit A-1 and that does not bear the Global Security Legend.
Change of Control means the occurrence of any of the following: (1) the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any person (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), other than the Company or one of its Subsidiaries becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Companys Voting Stock or other Voting Stock into which the Companys Voting Stock is reclassified, consolidated, exchanged or changed, measured by voting power rather than number of shares; (2) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the Companys assets and the assets of its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to one or more Persons, other than the Company or one of its Subsidiaries; or (3) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Companys Board of Directors are not Continuing Directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction shall not be deemed to be a Change of Control if (1) the Company becomes a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company and (2)(A) the direct or indirect holders of the Voting Stock of such holding company immediately following that transaction are substantially the same as the holders of the Companys Voting Stock immediately prior to that
transaction or (B) immediately following that transaction no person (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) (other than a holding company satisfying the requirements of this sentence) is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such holding company.
Change of Control Offer has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a).
Change of Control Payment has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a).
Change of Control Payment Date has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a).
Change of Control Triggering Event means the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Rating Event.
Company has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereof.
Comparable Treasury Issue means the U.S. Treasury security selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having an actual or interpolated maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Notes.
Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect to any Redemption Date, (i) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (ii) if the Company is provided fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.
Continuing Director means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Companys Board of Directors who (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date the Notes were issued or (2) was nominated for election, elected or appointed to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination, election or appointment (either by a specific vote or by approval of the Companys proxy statement in which such member was named as a nominee for election as a director).
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Global Security has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(a).
Global Security Legend means the legend set forth in Section 2.4(c), which is to be placed on all Global Securities issued under the Indenture.
Indenture has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.
Independent Investment Banker means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.
Investment Grade Rating means a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moodys and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, and the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any replacement rating agency or rating agencies.
Moodys means Moodys Investors Service, Inc.
Notes has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto, and means any Notes authenticated and delivered pursuant to the Indenture.
Participant means a member of, or a participant in, the Depositary.
Paying Agent means any Person (including the Company) authorized by the Company to pay the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Securities on behalf of the Company.
Primary Treasury Dealer has the meaning set forth in the definition of Reference Treasury Dealer.
Rating Agencies means (1) each of Moodys and S&P, and (2) if either Moodys or S&P ceases to rate the Notes or fails to make a rating of the Notes publicly available for reasons outside of the Companys control, a nationally recognized statistical rating organization within the meaning of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act selected by the Company (as certified by a Board Resolution) as a replacement agency for Moodys or S&P, or both of them, as the case may be.
Rating Event means the rating on the Notes is lowered by each of the Rating Agencies and the Notes are rated below an Investment Grade Rating by each of the Rating Agencies on any day within the 60-day period (which 60-day period will be extended so long as the rating of the Notes is under publicly announced consideration for a possible downgrade by any of the Rating Agencies) after the earlier of (1) the occurrence of a Change of Control and (2) public notice of the Companys intention to effect a Change of Control; provided, however, that a Rating Event otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating shall not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus shall not be deemed a Rating Event for purposes of the definition of Change of Control Triggering Event) if the Rating Agencies making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply do not announce or publicly confirm or inform the Trustee in writing at the Companys request that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control has occurred at the time of the Rating Event).
Reference Treasury Dealer means each of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and their respective successors and, at the Companys option, additional Primary Treasury Dealers; provided, however, that if any of the foregoing ceases to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a Primary Treasury Dealer), the Company shall substitute another Primary Treasury Dealer.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.
S&P means Standard & Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Supplemental Indenture has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereof.
Trustee has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereof until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving thereunder.
Voting Stock means, with respect to any specified person (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), as of any date, the capital stock of such person that is at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such person.
Section 1.3 Rules of Construction. For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture, except as expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings specified in the Base Indenture;
(b) all references herein to Articles and Sections, unless otherwise specified, refer to the corresponding Articles and Sections of this Supplemental Indenture;
(c) the words herein, hereof and hereunder and other words of similar import refer to this Supplemental Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision; and
(d) in the event of a conflict with the definition of terms in the Base Indenture, the definitions in this Supplemental Indenture shall control.
ARTICLE 2
THE NOTES
Section 2.1 Title of the Notes. There are hereby established by this Supplemental Indenture a separate series of Securities under the Indenture, designated as the 4.60% Senior Notes due 2045.
Section 2.2 Limitation on Aggregate Principal Amount.
(a) The Notes are initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $1,000,000,000, except for such Notes authorized and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of other notes, pursuant to Sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 9.6 or 11.7 of the Base Indenture. The Company may, from time to time, without the consent of Holders of the Securities of any series, issue Securities under the Indenture in addition, and with identical terms, to the $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes (other than issue date, issue price and the amount of the first payment of interest). Any such additional Securities and the Notes will be treated as a single series for purposes of the Indenture; provided that if the additional Securities are not fungible with the Notes for United States federal income tax purposes, the additional Securities will have a separate CUSIP number. Any such increase in the authorized aggregate principal amount of the Notes shall be evidenced by an Officers Certificate delivered to the Trustee, without further action by the Company.
Section 2.3 Terms of the Notes.
(a) The Depository Trust Company is hereby designated as the Depositary for the Notes, which shall be issued in the form of Global Securities as further provided in Section 2.4.
(b) The principal of the Notes is payable on June 15, 2045.
(c) The Notes shall bear interest at an annual rate of 4.60%, from June 11, 2015, or from the most recent date on which interest has been paid or provided for, payable semi-annually on June 15 and December 15 of each year commencing December 15, 2015, until the principal of such Notes is paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable will be paid to the person in whose name the Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding June 1 or December 1, respectively. If the date on which interest is payable is not a Business Day, the interest will be paid on the next following Business Day and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
(d) Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and any such interest on the Notes will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in New York, New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register. U.S. Bank National Association is appointed as the Trustee and Paying Agent for the Notes to perform the functions set forth in the Indenture to be performed by such offices.
(e) At any time prior to December 15, 2044 (the date that is six months prior to their maturity date), the Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:
· 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date; and
· the sum of the remaining scheduled payments of principal of and interest on the Notes to be redeemed (not including any portion of the payment of interest accrued as of the Redemption Date), discounted to their present value as of the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus 25 basis points, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount to be redeemed to the Redemption Date.
On or after December 15, 2044 (the date that is six months prior to their maturity date), the Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.
(f) The Notes are not entitled to any mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments.
(g) The Notes shall be issued in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess of $2,000.
(h) The entire principal amount of the Notes shall be payable upon the acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2 of the Indenture.
(i) Additional Amounts will not be payable to the Holders of the Notes.
(j) The Notes shall have such other terms and provisions as are provided in the form thereof set forth in Exhibit A-1 hereto, which terms and provisions are hereby expressly made a part of the Indenture and, to the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. Except as otherwise expressly permitted by the Indenture, all Notes shall be identical in all respects. Notwithstanding any differences among them, all Notes issued under the Indenture, including any Notes issued after the date hereof pursuant to and in accordance with the terms hereof, shall vote and consent together on all matters as one class.
(k) The Company shall be required to offer to purchase the Notes, in accordance with Section 2.5 hereof, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event.
Section 2.4 Book Entry Provisions; Transfer and Exchange.
(a) The Notes shall be issued initially in the form of one or more permanent global notes (Global Securities). Each Global Security initially shall (i) be registered in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or the nominee of such Depositary, (ii) be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary or with the Trustee as custodian for such Depositary, (iii) bear the Global Security Legend and (iv) be dated the date of its authentication. Except as provided in Section 2.4(b), owners of beneficial interests in Global Securities will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Notes.
Participants shall have no rights under the Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary, or the Trustee as its custodian, or under such Global Security, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or shall impair, as between the Depositary and its Participants, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of any Security.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision in the Indenture, no Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and no transfer of a Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name of any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof unless (i) such Depositary (A) has notified the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or (B) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered as such under the Exchange Act, and in either case of (A) or (B) the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary within 90 calendar days, (ii) the Company, at its option, executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order stating that it elects to cause the issuance of the Securities in certificated form and that all Global Securities shall be exchanged in whole for Securities that are not Global Securities (in which case, such exchange shall be effected by the Trustee) or (iii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Notes. In all cases, Certificated Securities delivered in exchange for any Global Security or beneficial interests in Global Securities will be registered in the names, and issued in any approved denominations, requested by or on behalf of the Depositary (in accordance with its customary procedures). Global Securities also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 3.4 and 3.6 of the Base Indenture. Every Security authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Security or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 2.4 or Sections 3.4 and 3.6 of the Base Indenture, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Security. A Global Security may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 2.4(b).
(c) Legend. The following legend shall appear on the face of all Global Securities.
THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF A DEPOSITARY OR A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF CEDE & CO. OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSORS NOMINEE.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (DTC), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT AND ANY
SUCH CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
Section 2.5 Change of Control.
(a) If a Change of Control Triggering Event occurs with respect to the Notes, unless the Company has exercised its option to redeem the Notes (as described in Section 2.3(e)), the Company shall be required to make an offer (the Change of Control Offer) to each Holder of the Notes of such series to repurchase all or any part (equal to $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof) of such Holders Notes on the terms set forth below. In the Change of Control Offer, the Company shall be required to offer payment in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes repurchased to the date of repurchase (the Change of Control Payment). Within 30 days following any Change of Control Triggering Event or, at the option of the Company, prior to any Change of Control, but after public announcement of the transaction that constitutes or may constitute the Change of Control, the Company shall deliver a notice to Holders of the Notes, with a copy to the Trustee, describing the transaction that constitutes or may constitute the Change of Control Triggering Event and offering to repurchase the Notes on the date specified in the notice, which date shall be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is delivered (the Change of Control Payment Date). The notice shall, if delivered prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, state that the offer to purchase is conditioned on the Change of Control Triggering Event occurring on or prior to the Change of Control Payment Date.
(b) On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company shall, to the extent lawful:
(i) accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer;
(ii) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and
(iii) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an Officers Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being repurchased.
(c) The Company shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made
by the Company and the third party repurchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer.
(d) The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act, and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control Triggering Event. To the extent that the provisions of any such securities laws or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Section 2.5, the Company shall comply with those securities laws and regulations and shall not be deemed to have breached its obligations under this Section 2.5 by virtue of any such conflict.
(e) In addition to the Events of Default specified in Section 5.1 of the Base Indenture, the following shall constitute an Event of Default with respect to the Notes: any default in the payment of any Change of Control Payment in respect of the Notes as when the same becomes due and payable in accordance with Section 2.5 hereof. Such additional Event of Default is expressly included in this Supplemental Indenture for the benefit of, and shall be solely applicable to, the series of Securities established as the Notes by this Supplemental Indenture.
ARTICLE 3
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 3.1 Ratification. The Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects hereby adopted, ratified and confirmed.
Section 3.2 Counterparts. This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by Facsimile or PDF may be used in lieu of the originals shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
Section 3.3 Governing Law. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE AND THE NOTES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CHOICE OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
Section 3.4 Trustee. The Trustee makes no representations as to, and shall not be responsible for, the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or the Notes. The recitals herein are deemed to be those of the Company and not of the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of the Notes or the proceeds thereof. Neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall be responsible for monitoring the Companys ratings or determining whether a Rating Event has occurred.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
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W.W. GRAINGER, INC. | |
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/s/ Philip M. West |
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Name: Philip M. West | |
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Title: Vice President and Treasurer | |
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U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | |
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/s/ Linda E. Garcia |
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Name: Linda E. Garcia | |
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Title: Vice President |
[Signature page to First Supplemental Indenture]
W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
4.60% SENIOR NOTE DUE 2045
Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation (DTC and the Depository), to the Company (as defined below) or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other names as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.
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W.W. Grainger, Inc., an Illinois corporation (herein called the Company, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to , the principal sum of Dollars ($ ) on June 15, 2045, and to pay interest thereon from June 11, 2015 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for semi-annually on June 15 and December 15 in each year commencing December 15, 2015, at the rate of 4.60% per annum until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment.
The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security is registered at the close of business on the June 1 or the December 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided, however, that, if such Interest Payment Date would fall on a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date shall be the following day that is a Business Day and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and any such interest on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in New York, New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been manually executed by or on behalf of the Trustee under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed by the manual or facsimile signature of one of its authorized officers.
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Trustees Certificate of Authentication
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within mentioned Indenture.
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W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the Securities), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture dated as of June 11, 2015, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee (herein called the Trustee, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture dated as of June 11, 2015, between the Company and the Trustee (collectively, the Indenture), to which the Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof, initially limited in aggregate principal amount to $1,000,000,000.
At any time prior to December 15, 2044 (the date that is six months prior to their maturity date), the Securities are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to the greater of:
· 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date; and
· the sum of the remaining scheduled payments of principal of and interest on the Securities to be redeemed (not including any portion of the payment of interest accrued as of the Redemption Date), discounted to their present value as of the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Adjusted Treasury Rate, plus 25 basis points, plus accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount to be redeemed to the Redemption Date.
On or after December 15, 2044 (the date that is six months prior to their maturity date), the Securities are redeemable at the option of the Company, in whole or in part at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.
Adjusted Treasury Rate means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.
Business Day means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday and other than a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York, are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
Comparable Treasury Issue means the U.S. Treasury security selected by the Independent Investment Banker as having an actual or interpolated maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Securities that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Securities.
Comparable Treasury Price means, with respect to any Redemption Date, (i) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (ii) if the Company is provided fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.
Independent Investment Banker means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.
Reference Treasury Dealer means each of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and their respective successors and, at the Companys option, additional Primary Treasury Dealers; provided, however, that if any of the foregoing ceases to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City (a Primary Treasury Dealer), the Company shall substitute another Primary Treasury Dealer.
Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third Business Day preceding such Redemption Date.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series under the Indenture to be affected at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of all the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
The Indenture does not limit the incurrence of additional debt by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; however, it does limit the creation of certain Liens and the entry into sale and leaseback transaction by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries. The limitations are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
Global Security and Global Securities means a Security or Securities evidencing all or part of a series of Securities, issued to the Depositary (as hereinafter defined) for such series or its nominee, registered in the name of such Depositary or its nominee, bearing the Global Securities Legend and dated the date of its authentication. Depositary means, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as the Depositary by the Company.
No holder of any beneficial interest in this Security held on its behalf by a Depositary or a nominee of such Depositary shall have any rights under the Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and such Depositary or nominee may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall impair, as between a Depositary and such holders of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary as Holder of any Security.
This Security is exchangeable, in whole but not in part, for Securities registered in the names of Persons other than the Depositary or its nominee or in the name of a successor to the Depositary or a nominee of such successor depositary only if (i) the Depositary (a) notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for the Global Securities and the Company fails to appoint a successor depositary within 90 calendar days or (b) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and the Company fails to appoint a successor depositary within 90 calendar days, (ii) at any time the Company in its sole discretion determines to issue Certificated Securities or (iii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Securities. If this Security is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence, it shall be exchangeable for Securities issuable in minimum denominations of $2000 and in integral multiples of $1000 in excess thereof and registered in such names as the Depositary holding this Security shall direct. Subject to the foregoing, this Security is not exchangeable, except for a Security or Securities of the same aggregate denominations to be registered in the name of such Depositary or its nominee or in the name of a successor to the Depositary or a nominee of such successor depositary.
No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any, on) or interest on this Security, or for any claim based hereon, or otherwise in respect hereof, or based on or in respect of the Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto, against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or any successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise, all such liability being, by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof, expressly waived and released.
All capitalized terms used in this Security and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
This Security, including without limitation the obligation of the Company contained herein to pay the principal of (and premium, if any, on) and interest on this Security in accordance with the terms hereof and of the Indenture, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York.
ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Security, fill in the form below:
(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Security to
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(Insert assignees social security or tax I.D. no.) |
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(Print or type assignees name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint agent to transfer this Security on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
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Exhibit 5.1
June 11, 2015 |
Mayer Brown LLP 71 South Wacker Drive
Main Tel +1 312 782 0600 www.mayerbrown.com |
W.W. Grainger, Inc.
100 Grainger Parkway
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Re: W.W. Grainger, Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to W.W. Grainger Inc., an Illinois corporation (the Company), in connection with the offer and sale of $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.60% Senior Notes due 2045 (the Securities) as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement dated June 4, 2015 (the Prospectus Supplement) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Securities will be issued under an Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association as Trustee (the Trustee) as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 11, 2015, between the Company and the Trustee (collectively, the Indenture).
As special counsel to the Company, we have examined originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction of the Companys Restated Articles of Incorporation, the Companys Bylaws, resolutions of the Companys Board of Directors and such Company records, certificates and other documents and such questions of law as we considered necessary or appropriate for the purpose of this opinion. In rendering this opinion, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and to the assumptions, conditions and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that upon the due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of the Securities, and the receipt of the consideration therefor set forth in the Prospectus Supplement, the Securities will be valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and subject to general principles of equity.
Mayer Brown LLP operates in combination with other Mayer Brown entities with offices in Europe and Asia
and is associated with Tauil & Chequer Advogados, a Brazilian law partnership.
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