-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, VOJmHTXOg1eCSDbXcQ8e5ctR6w8AkE0RjX/eqnLYj8QwYVRRvj0rNfTf2WvKSfKH xMrIFfVsibIMFP0qFAEUsg== 0000092122-08-000053.txt : 20080821 0000092122-08-000053.hdr.sgml : 20080821 20080821133910 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000092122-08-000053 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 8-K PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 7 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20080813 ITEM INFORMATION: Other Events ITEM INFORMATION: Financial Statements and Exhibits FILED AS OF DATE: 20080821 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20080821 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: SOUTHERN CO CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000092122 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: ELECTRIC SERVICES [4911] IRS NUMBER: 580690070 STATE OF INCORPORATION: DE FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 8-K SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 001-03526 FILM NUMBER: 081031866 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD., N.W. CITY: ATLANTA STATE: GA ZIP: 30308 BUSINESS PHONE: 4045065000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 30 IVAN ALLEN JR. BLVD., N.W. CITY: ATLANTA STATE: GA ZIP: 30308 8-K 1 so2008a-8k.htm

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)                      August 13, 2008 

 

Commission

File Number

Registrant, State of Incorporation,

Address and Telephone Number

I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.

 

 

 

1-3526

The Southern Company

(A Delaware Corporation)

30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

(404) 506-5000

58-0690070

 

The address of the registrant has not changed since the 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 August 13, 2008, The Southern Company (“Southern”) entered into an Underwriting Agreement covering the issue and sale of $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Senior Notes”). The Senior Notes were registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), pursuant to the shelf registration statement (Registration Statement Nos. 333-138503, 333-138503-01 and 333-138503-02), as amended, of Southern.

 

 

Item 9.01.              Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

                               (c)   Exhibits

 

 

1.2

Underwriting Agreement relating to the Senior Notes, dated August 13, 2008, among Southern and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Lehman Brothers Inc., as the Underwriters.

 

 

4.2

Third Supplemental Indenture to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of August 21, 2008, providing for the issuance of the Senior Notes.

 

 

4.13

Form of Senior Note (included in Exhibit 4.2 above).

 

 

5.1

Opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP relating to the Senior Notes.

 

 

12.1

Computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges.

 

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: August 21, 2008

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

 


By              /s/Wayne Boston
                        Wayne Boston
                    Assistant Secretary

 

 

 

EX-1.4 2 x1-4.htm

Exhibit 1.4

 

$600,000,000

Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes

due August 20, 2010

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

August 13, 2008

 

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The Southern Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (the “Agreement”) with you (the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 11 hereof), with respect to the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Senior Notes”) as set forth in Schedule I hereto.

The Company understands that the Underwriters are making a public offering of the Senior Notes pursuant to this Agreement. The Senior Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of January 1, 2007, as heretofore supplemented (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), and as to be further supplemented by a third supplemental indenture, dated as of August 21, 2008, to the Base Indenture relating to the Senior Notes (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee.

Pursuant to a Calculation Agent Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2007 (the “Calculation Agent Agreement”) between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as calculation agent thereunder (the “Calculation Agent”), the Company has engaged the Calculation Agent to perform certain services with respect to the floating interest rate on the Senior Notes.

SECTION 1.  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows:

 

 

 


(a)  A registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File Nos. 333-138503, 333-138503-01 and 333-138503-02), in respect of the Senior Notes and certain other securities has been prepared and filed in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”); such registration statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered or to be delivered to the Underwriters, became effective upon filing with the Commission in such form (except that copies of the registration statement and any post-effective amendment delivered to the Underwriters need not include exhibits but shall include all documents incorporated by reference therein); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement, as amended, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus, as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement, included in such registration statement, as amended, or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act, being hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”); such registration statement, as amended, as used with respect to the Senior Notes, including the information deemed a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(1) under the 1933 Act on the date of such registration statement’s effectiveness for purposes of Section 11 of the 1933 Act, as such Section applies to the Company and the Underwriters for the Senior Notes pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act (the “Effective Date”), including the exhibits thereto and all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at the Effective Date, being hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”; the base prospectus relating to the Senior Notes and certain other securities of the Company, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement relating to the Senior Notes, being hereinafter called the “Basic Prospectus”; the Basic Prospectus as amended and supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated August 13, 2008 relating to the Senior Notes which has been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act, as it may be further amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below) is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; the Basic Prospectus as amended or supplemented in final form, including by a prospectus supplement relating to the Senior Notes in the form in which it is filed with the Commission, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act in accordance with Section 4(e) hereof is hereinafter called the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and

 

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include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

For purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 2:30 PM (New York Time) on the date of this Agreement; the documents listed in Schedule III, taken together and attached hereto, are collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”

 

(b)  The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and, as of such time of filing, when read together with the Pricing Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (as defined in Section 3(a) hereof), none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Final Supplemented Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and, when read together with the Final Supplemented Prospectus as it otherwise may be amended or supplemented, will not contain an 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the Company makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriters with respect to: (A) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use in the Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus; or (B) any information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Series 2008A Senior Notes - Book-Entry Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company.”

(c)  The Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus comply, and any further amendments or supplements thereto, when any such amendments become effective or supplements are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1939 Act (hereinafter defined) and the General Rules and

 

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Regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus do not and will not, (i) as of the Effective Date as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, (ii) as of the Applicable Time as to the Pricing Disclosure Package and (iii) as of the date of the Final Supplemented Prospectus as to the Final Supplemented Prospectus or as of the date when any supplement is filed as to the Final Supplemented Prospectus as further supplemented or as of the Closing Date as to the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as it may be further supplemented as provided above, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the case of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, and, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in the case of the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus as further supplemented; except that the Company makes no warranties or representations with respect to (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “1939 Act”), (B) any statements or omissions made in a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use therein or (C) any information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Series 2008A Senior Notes - Book-Entry Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company.”

(d)  Each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule III hereto does not include anything that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus and each such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the Company makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriters with respect to any statement or omissions made in a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use therein.

(e)  With respect to the Registration Statement, (i) the Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act), (ii) the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement and (iii) the conditions for use of Form S-3, as set forth in the General Instructions thereof, have been satisfied.

(f)  (A) At the time of filing of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment to the Registration Statement for the purposes of

 

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complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus) and (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Senior Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act).

(g)  At the determination date for purposes of the Senior Notes within the meaning of Rule 164(h) under the 1933 Act, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.

(h)  Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.

(i)  The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware and has due corporate authority to conduct the business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it in such business, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Indenture and to issue and sell the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.

(j)  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(k)  The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will, on the Closing Date, constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (the “Enforceability Exceptions”); the Indenture will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus; and, on the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.

(l)  The issuance and delivery of the Senior Notes have been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, the Senior Notes will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor as described in this

 

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Agreement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions, will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture and will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.

(m)  The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Senior Notes, will not be an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(n)  The Calculation Agent Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Calculation Agent Agreement by the Calculation Agent, the Calculation Agent Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.

(o)  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Calculation Agent Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior Notes and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and do not and will not result in any violation of the charter or bylaws of the Company, and do not and will not conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company under (A) any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties may be subject (except for conflicts, breaches or defaults which would not, individually or in the aggregate, be materially adverse to the Company or materially adverse to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement), or (B) any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its properties.

(p)  No authorization, approval, consent or order of any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of the Senior Notes or the transactions by the Company contemplated in this Agreement, except (A) such as may be required under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder; (B) the qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act; and (C) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or “blue sky” laws.

 

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(q)  The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of and for the dates indicated; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis (except that the unaudited financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus may be subject to normal year-end adjustments) throughout the periods involved and necessarily include amounts that are based on the best estimates and judgments of management. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited and unaudited financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

SECTION 2.  SALE AND DELIVERY TO THE UNDERWRITERS; CLOSING.

(a)  On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, the principal amount of the Senior Notes set forth in Schedule I to this Agreement opposite the name of such Underwriter (plus any additional amount of Senior Notes that such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 hereof) at a price equal to 99.75% of the principal amount thereof.

(b)  Payment for and delivery of certificates for the Senior Notes shall be made at the offices of Troutman Sanders LLP, 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W., Suite 950, Atlanta, Georgia 30308 at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on August 21, 2008 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 11) or such other time, place or date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the “Closing Date”). Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer in federal funds at the Closing Date against delivery of the Senior Notes to Lehman Brothers Inc. on behalf of all of the Underwriters. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized Lehman Brothers Inc., for each Underwriter’s account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of, the principal amount of the Senior Notes which each Underwriter has agreed to purchase. Lehman Brothers Inc., individually and not as a representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the principal amount of the Senior Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose payment has not been received by the Closing Date, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

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The delivery of the Senior Notes shall be made in fully registered form, registered in the name of CEDE & CO., to the offices of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York or its designee, and the Underwriters shall accept such delivery.

The certificate(s) for the Senior Notes will be made available for examination by the Underwriters not later than 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the last business day prior to the Closing Date.

SECTION 3.  FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES.

(a)  The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Underwriters, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Senior Notes that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and each other Underwriter, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Senior Notes that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or a free writing prospectus that is not required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433 or one or more free writing prospectuses through customary Bloomberg distribution that do not contain substantive changes from or additions to the information contained in Schedule II hereto; any such free writing prospectus (which shall include the pricing term sheet discussed in Section 3(b) hereof), the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Underwriters, is listed on Schedule III and herein called a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.”

(b)  The Company agrees to prepare a pricing term sheet, substantially in the form of Schedule II hereto and approved by the Underwriters, and to file such pricing term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act within the time period prescribed by such Rule.

(c)  The Company and the Underwriters have complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the 1933 Act applicable to any free writing prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required and legending.

(d)  The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Underwriters and, if requested by the Underwriters, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter a free writing prospectus or other document, the use of which has been consented to by the Underwriters, which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that

 

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this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for use therein.

(e)  The Company agrees that if there occurs an event or development as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will notify the Underwriters so that any use of the Pricing Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented.

SECTION 4.  COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company covenants with the Underwriters as follows:

(a)  The Company, on or prior to the Closing Date, will deliver to the Underwriters conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of all amendments thereto, heretofore or hereafter made, including any post-effective amendment (in each case including all exhibits filed therewith, and including unsigned copies of each consent and certificate included therein or filed as an exhibit thereto, except exhibits incorporated by reference, unless specifically requested). As soon as the Company is advised thereof, it will advise the Underwriters orally of the issuance of any stop order under the 1933 Act with respect to the Registration Statement, or the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act against the Company or related to the offering, of which the Company shall have received notice, and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and to secure the prompt removal thereof, if issued. The Company will deliver to the Underwriters sufficient conformed copies of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and of all supplements and amendments thereto (in each case without exhibits) for distribution to the Underwriters and, from time to time, as many copies of the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act.

(b)  The Company will furnish the Underwriters with written or electronic copies of each amendment and supplement to the Final Supplemented Prospectus relating to the offering of the Senior Notes in such quantities as the Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request. If, during the period (not exceeding nine months) when the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) shall be required by law in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes by an Underwriter, any event relating to or affecting the Company, or of which the Company shall be advised in writing by the Underwriters, shall occur, which in the opinion of the Company or of Underwriters’ counsel should be set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to make the

 

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Final Supplemented Prospectus not misleading in the light of the circumstances when it (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) is delivered, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Final Supplemented Prospectus or to file under the 1934 Act any document incorporated by reference in the Final Supplemented Prospectus in order to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, the Company forthwith will (i) notify the Underwriters to suspend solicitation of purchases of the Senior Notes and (ii) at its expense, make any such filing or prepare and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or supplements or an amendment or amendments to the Final Supplemented Prospectus which will supplement or amend the Final Supplemented Prospectus so that, as supplemented or amended, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Supplemented Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the 1933 Act) is delivered, not misleading or which will effect any other necessary compliance. In case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes after the expiration of the period specified in the preceding sentence, the Company, upon the request of such Underwriter, will furnish to such Underwriter, at the expense of such Underwriter, a reasonable quantity of a supplemented or amended prospectus, or supplements or amendments to the Final Supplemented Prospectus, complying with Section 10(a) of the 1933 Act. During the period specified in the second sentence of this subsection, the Company will continue to prepare and file with the Commission on a timely basis all documents or amendments required under the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; provided, that the Company shall not file such documents or amendments without also furnishing copies thereof prior to such filing to the Underwriters and Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.

(c)  The Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Senior Notes for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and the other jurisdictions of the United States as the Underwriters may designate; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to file a consent to service of process or to file annual reports or to comply with any other requirements in connection with such qualification deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.

(d)  The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable but not later than 45 days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement of the Company (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company’s fiscal quarter next following the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.

 

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(e)  As soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, and in any event within the time prescribed by Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, the Company will file the Final Supplemented Prospectus, in a form approved by the Underwriters, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, with the Commission and will advise the Underwriters of such filing and will confirm such advice in writing. Furthermore, the Company will make any other required filings pursuant to Rule 433(d)(1) of the 1933 Act within the time required by such Rule.

(f)  During a period of 15 days from the date of this Agreement, the Company will not, without the Underwriters’ prior written consent, directly or indirectly, sell, offer to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any Senior Notes or any security convertible into or exchangeable into or exercisable for the Senior Notes or any debt securities substantially similar to the Senior Notes (except for the Senior Notes issued pursuant to this Agreement). The Underwriters agree that commercial paper or other debt securities with scheduled maturities of less than one year are not subject to this Section 4(f).

(g)  If at any time when Senior Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Underwriters, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Senior Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Underwriters, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective and (iv) promptly notify the Underwriters of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other reasonable action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Senior Notes to continue as contemplated in the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

SECTION 5.  PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company will pay all expenses incidental to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to, the expenses of (i) the printing and filing of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificate(s) for the Senior Notes, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel and accountants, (iv) the qualification of the Senior Notes under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 4(c) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of any blue sky survey (such fees and disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $3,500), (v) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto and of the Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Final Supplemented Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of

 

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copies of any blue sky survey, (vii) the fee of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. in connection with its review of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, if applicable, (viii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and Calculation Agent, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee and Calculation Agent in connection with the Indenture, the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Senior Notes, (ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Senior Notes, (x) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar, and (xi) the cost of qualifying the Senior Notes with The Depository Trust Company.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay all other expenses incurred by them in connection with their offering of the Senior Notes including fees and disbursements of their counsel, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.

SECTION 6.  CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS’ OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Senior Notes are subject to the following conditions:

(a)  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect on the Closing Date and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act against the Company or related to the offering shall be pending before, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened by, the Commission on such date. If filing of the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant to Rule 424, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, and any such supplement, as applicable, shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424. The pricing term sheet contemplated by Section 3(b) hereto, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, shall have been filed by the Company with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433.

(b)  On the Closing Date the Underwriters shall have received:

(1)  The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule IV.

(2)  The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Emmet, Marvin & Martin, LLP, counsel to the Trustee, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule V.

(3)  The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule VI.

(c)  At the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, any material adverse change in the

 

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business, properties or financial condition of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the President or any Vice President of the Company, and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1 hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied on or prior to the Closing Date and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act against the Company or related to the offering have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission.

(d)  The Underwriters shall have received on the date hereof and shall receive on the Closing Date from Deloitte & Touche LLP, a letter or letters addressed to the Underwriters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to the Underwriters) dated the respective dates of delivery thereof to the effect that: (A) they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act; (B) in their opinion, the financial statements audited by them and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations under the 1934 Act; and (C) on the basis of certain limited procedures performed through a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, namely (i) reading the minute books of the Company; (ii) performing the procedures specified by the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) for a review of interim financial statement information as described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, “Interim Financial Information,” on the unaudited financial statements, if any, of the Company incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, and on the latest available unaudited financial statements of the Company, if any, for any calendar quarter subsequent to the date of those incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable; and (iii) making inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding such unaudited financial statements or any specified unaudited amounts derived therefrom (it being understood that the foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and they would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments made in such letter, and accordingly that Deloitte & Touche LLP make no representations as to the sufficiency of such procedures for the Underwriters’ purposes), nothing came to their attention that

 

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caused them to believe that: (1) any material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed financial statements, if any, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, for them to be in conformity with GAAP; (2) such unaudited condensed financial statements do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934 Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the related published rules and regulations thereunder; (3) the unaudited amounts for Operating Revenues, Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes, Earnings from Continuing Operations and Net Income and the unaudited Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges set forth in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, do not agree with the amounts set forth in or derived from the unaudited financial statements for the same period included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; (4) as of a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of delivery of such letter, there has been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any decrease in net assets as compared with amounts shown in the latest unaudited balance sheet incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, except in each case for changes or decreases which (i) the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable, disclose have occurred or may occur, (ii) are occasioned by the declaration of dividends, (iii) are occasioned by draw-downs under existing pollution control financing arrangements, (iv) are occasioned by draw-downs and regularly scheduled payments of capitalized lease obligations, (v) are occasioned by the purchase or redemption of bonds or stock to satisfy mandatory or optional redemption provisions relating thereto, (vi) are occasioned by the reclassification of current maturities of long-term debt, or (vii) are disclosed in such letter; and (5) the unaudited amounts for Operating Revenues, Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes, Earnings from Continuing Operations and Net Income and the unaudited Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges for any calendar quarter subsequent to those set forth in (3) above, which, if available, shall be set forth in such letter, do not agree with the amounts set forth in or derived from the unaudited financial statements for the same period or were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with that of the corresponding audited amounts or ratios included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus or the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as applicable.

(e)  On the Closing Date, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as it may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions,

 

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herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.

(f)  No amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Final Supplemented Prospectus filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement (including any filing made by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act) shall be unsatisfactory in form to Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP or shall contain information (other than with respect to an amendment or supplement relating solely to the activity of the Underwriters) which, in the reasonable judgment of the Underwriters, shall materially impair the marketability of the Senior Notes.

(g)  The Company shall have performed its obligations when and as provided under this Agreement.

If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriters by notice to the Company at any time prior to the Closing Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 5, 8 and 10(b) hereof.

SECTION 7.  CONDITIONS OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY. The obligations of the Company shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the first sentence of Section 6(a). In case such conditions shall not have been fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company by mailing or delivering written notice thereof to the Underwriters. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as otherwise provided in Sections 5, 8 and 10(b) hereof.

SECTION 8.  INDEMNIFICATION.

(a)  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Underwriters and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act, against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, and to reimburse any such Underwriter and such controlling person or persons, if any, for any legal or other expenses incurred by them in connection with defending any actions, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or, if the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters any amendments or any supplements thereto, or shall make any filings pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act which are incorporated therein by reference, in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing

 

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Prospectus, the Final Supplemented Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, or in any free writing prospectus used by the Company other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon 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, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission which was made in such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, Basic Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus, Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter for use therein. Each Underwriter agrees, within ten days after the receipt by it of notice of the commencement of any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought by it, or by any person controlling it, from the Company on account of its agreement contained in this Section 8, to notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof but the omission of such Underwriter so to notify the Company of any such action shall not release the Company from any liability which it may have to such Underwriter or to such controlling person otherwise than on account of the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 8. In case any such action shall be brought against an Underwriter or any such person controlling such Underwriter and such Underwriter shall notify the Company of the commencement thereof as above provided, the Company shall be entitled to participate in (and, to the extent that it shall wish, including the selection of counsel, to direct) the defense thereof, at its own expense. In case the Company elects to direct such defense and select such counsel, any Underwriter or controlling person shall have the right to employ its own counsel, but, in any such case, the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person unless the employment of such counsel has been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with defending such action. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include any statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party. In no event shall any indemnifying party have any liability or responsibility in respect of the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim effected without its prior written consent.

(b)  Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and such of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act to the same extent and upon the same terms as the indemnity agreement of the Company set forth in Section 8(a) hereof, but only with respect to alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented

 

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Prospectus, or such documents as amended or supplemented, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter for use therein.

SECTION 9.  REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, or contained in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by, or on behalf of the Company and shall survive delivery of the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.

SECTION 10.  TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.

(a)  The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Date if (i) trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been generally suspended or there shall have been a material disruption in settlement in securities generally, (ii) minimum or maximum ranges for prices shall have been generally established on the New York Stock Exchange by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange, (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of major hostilities in which the United States is involved, any declaration of war by the United States Congress or any other substantial national or international calamity, crisis or emergency (including, without limitation, acts of terrorism) affecting the United States, in any such case provided for in clauses (i) through (iv) with the result that, in the reasonable judgment of the Underwriters, the offering, sale or delivery of the Senior Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus shall have been materially impaired.

(b)       If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters pursuant to subsection (a) above or 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, then in any such case, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for the reasonable fees and disbursements of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP and for the out of pocket expenses (in an amount not exceeding $10,000) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Senior Notes and, upon such reimbursement, the Company shall be absolved from any further liability hereunder, except as provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof.

SECTION 11.  DEFAULT BY AN UNDERWRITER. If an Underwriter shall fail on the Closing Date to purchase the Senior Notes that it is obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the non-defaulting Underwriter shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for the non-defaulting Underwriter, or any other underwriters to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein

 

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set forth. If, however, the non-defaulting Underwriter shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(a)  if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the Senior Notes, the non-defaulting Underwriter shall be obligated to purchase the full amount thereof, or

(b)  if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the Senior Notes, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

SECTION 12.  NOTICES. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., 270 Park Avenue South, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10017, Attention: High Grade Syndicate Desk - 8th Floor and Lehman Brothers Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, 10019, Attention: Debt Capital Markets, Power Group (with a copy to the General Counsel at the same address); notices to the Company shall be mailed to 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30308, Attention: Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Southern Company Services, Inc., 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30308, Attention: Earl C. Long.

SECTION 13.  PARTIES. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 8 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from any of the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase. The Company acknowledges and agrees that in connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Company and the Underwriters have arms-length business relationships that create no

 

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fiduciary duty on the part of any party and each expressly disclaims any fiduciary or financial advisory relationship.

SECTION 14.  GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in said State. Except as otherwise set forth herein, specified times of day refer to New York City time.

SECTION 15.  COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY



By: /s/ Melissa K. Caen
Name: Melissa K. Caen
Title: Assistant Secretary

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.

 

By: /s/ Robert Bottamedi

Name: Robert Bottamedi

Title: Vice President

 

LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.

 

By: /s/ Greg Hall

Name: Greg Hall

Title: Managing Director

 

 

 

 

 


SCHEDULE I

 

 

Name of Underwriters

Principal Amount of

Series 2008A Senior Notes

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

$300,000,000

Lehman Brothers Inc.

_300,000,000

TOTAL:

$600,000,000

 

 


SCHEDULE II

 

PRICING TERM SHEET

 

(To Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated August 13, 2008)

 

Issuer:

 

The Southern Company

 

Security:

 

Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010

 

Expected Ratings*:

 

A3/A-/A (Moody’s/Standard & Poor’s/Fitch)

 

Principal Amount:

 

$600,000,000

 

Public Offering Price:

 

100%

 

Maturity:

 

August 20, 2010

 

Interest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floating rate based on the three-month LIBOR rate (calculated as described in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement) plus 0.70%, reset quarterly, and payable February 20, May 20, August 20 and November 20 of each year, commencing November 20, 2008

 

Format:

 

SEC Registered

 

Transaction Date:

 

August 13, 2008

 

Expected Settlement Date:

 

August 21, 2008

 

Underwriters:

 

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

Lehman Brothers Inc.

 

*Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

 

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 obtain 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 The Southern Company collect at 1-404-506-0759, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. collect at 1-212-834-4533 or Lehman Brothers Inc. toll-free at 1-888-603-5847.

 


SCHEDULE III

 

PRICING DISCLOSURE PACKAGE

 

 

1)          Prospectus dated January 11, 2007

2)          Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated August 13, 2008 (which shall be

deemed to include documents incorporated by reference therein)

3)          Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses

 

a)          Pricing Term Sheet attached as Schedule II hereto

 

 

 


Schedule IV

 

[Letterhead of TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP]

 

August 21, 2008

 

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes

due August 20, 2010

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to The Southern Company (the “Company”) in connection with (i) the Company’s issuance of $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Notes”) pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 2007, by and between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of August 21, 2008 (collectively, the “Indenture”); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated August 13, 2008 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters. This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to Section 6(b)(1) thereof.

All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File Nos. 333-138503, 333-138503-01 and 333-138503-02), pertaining to the Notes and certain other securities filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), as it became effective under the Act (the “Registration Statement”); the Company’s prospectus dated January 11, 2007 (the “Basic Prospectus”) as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated August 13, 2008 (the “Pricing Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Act which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q of the Company for

 


the quarters ended March 31, 2008 and June 30, 2008 and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated December 21, 2007, January 28, 2008, February 4, 2008, February 18, 2008, April 8, 2008, June 26, 2008 and July 21, 2008 (the “Pricing Exchange Act Documents”), and a prospectus supplement dated August 13, 2008 (together with the Basic Prospectus, the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Pricing Exchange Act Documents and the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company dated August 13, 2008 (the “Exchange Act Documents”), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and the Indenture. We have also examined the free writing prospectus prepared by the Company and filed with the Commission on August 13, 2008 pursuant to Rule 433 of the Act (the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”). The documents listed in Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, taken together, are collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”

In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.

The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to collectively as the “Agreements.”

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as to matters of New York law upon the opinion dated the date hereof rendered to you by Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, that:

1.         The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has due corporate authority to conduct the business in which it is engaged, to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.

2.         The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.

3.         All orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and the sale of the Notes; the issuance and the sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of the State of Georgia or any United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the

 

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provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.

4.         The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.

5.         The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.

6.         The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

7.         The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Indenture and the issuance and sale by the Company of the Notes do not and will not result in any violation of the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws of the Company, and do not and will not conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company under (A) any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that has been filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 or any subsequent report filed by the Company under the Exchange Act (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company), (B) any existing applicable law, rule or regulation applicable to the Company (other than the securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) or (C) any judgment, order or decree known to us of any government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.

 

3

 

 


8.         The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes, will not be an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with your counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of August 13, 2008, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement therein of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Series 2008A Senior Notes - Book-Entry Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company.”

 

4

 

 


The attorneys in this firm that are rendering this opinion are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia, the federal law of the United States, the Delaware General Corporation Law and, to the extent set forth herein in numbered paragraphs 4 and 5, the laws of the State of New York.

This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the above-described transaction. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent.

Yours very truly,

 

TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP

 

5

 

 


Schedule V

 

[Letterhead of Emmet, Marvin & Martin LLP]

 

August 21, 2008

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

 

The Southern Company

30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

 

The Southern Company

Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel for Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”), in connection with the issuance by The Southern Company (the “Company”) of $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Notes”). The Notes are being issued under the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 2007 (the “Original Indenture”) between the Company and Wells Fargo, as trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of August 21, 2008 (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Original Indenture, the “Indenture”) between the Company and the Trustee.

For purposes of this opinion, we have reviewed the Indenture and such other documents, records and papers, and satisfied ourselves as to such other matters, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for this opinion. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied on certificates of Wells Fargo and of public officials. In such review, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies or forms and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have assumed that Wells Fargo has been duly formed and that the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the

 


Company and constitutes the valid and binding agreement of, and is enforceable in accordance with its terms against, the Company.

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications below, we are of the opinion that:

1)        Based solely on a certificate from the Comptroller of the Currency, Wells Fargo is a national banking association formed under the laws of the United States and is authorized thereunder to transact the business of banking and exercise fiduciary powers.

 

2)        The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by Wells Fargo and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of Wells Fargo enforceable against Wells Fargo in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and by an implied covenant of reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing.

 

We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and, for purposes of this opinion, do not hold ourselves out as experts on the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York and the federal law of the United States. The opinions expressed herein are limited to matters governed by the laws of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States.

This opinion is solely for your benefit in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of the Notes and may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or relied upon or furnished to any other person, without our prior written consent.

Very truly yours,

 

 

2

 

 


Schedule VI

 

 

[Letterhead of DEWEY & LEBOEUF LLP]

August 21, 2008

 

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

270 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes

due August 20, 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have represented the Underwriters (hereinafter defined) in connection with (i) the issuance and sale by The Southern Company (the “Company”) of $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Notes”) pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 2007, by and between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 21, 2008 (collectively, the “Indenture”); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated August 13, 2008 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company and the Underwriters. This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to Section 6(b)(3) thereof.

All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File Nos. 333-138503, 333-138503-01 and 333-138503-02), pertaining to the Notes and certain other securities filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), as it became effective under the Act (the “Registration Statement”); the Company’s prospectus dated January 11, 2007 (the “Basic Prospectus”) as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated August 13, 2008 (the “Pricing Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q of the Company for the quarters ended March 31, 2008 and June 30, 2008 and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated December 21, 2007, January 28, 2008, February 4, 2008,

 


February 18, 2008, April 8, 2008, June 26, 2008 and July 21, 2008 (the “Pricing Exchange Act Documents”), and a prospectus supplement dated August 13, 2008 (together with the Basic Prospectus, the “Final Supplemented Prospectus”), filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act, which, pursuant to Form S-3, incorporates by reference the Pricing Exchange Act Documents and the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company dated August 13, 2008 (the “Exchange Act Documents”), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and the Indenture. We have also examined the free writing prospectus prepared by the Company and filed with the Commission on August 13, 2008 pursuant to Rule 433 of the Act (the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”). The documents listed in Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, taken together, are collectively referred to as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.”

In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.

The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to collectively as the “Agreements.”

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that:

1.         The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has due corporate authority to conduct its business as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.

2.         The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.

3.         All orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.

 

2

 

 


4.         The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.

5.         The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company’s obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus.

6.         The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with counsel to the Company. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of August 13, 2008, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or

 

3

 

 


incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, on the Effective Date (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Series 2008A Senior Notes - Book-Entry Only Issuance - The Depository Trust Company.”

We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York, the federal law of the United States and the Delaware General Corporation Law.

This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent except that Troutman Sanders LLP may rely on this opinion in giving its opinions pursuant to Section 6 of the Underwriting Agreement and to Sections 102, 302 and 904 of the Indenture, insofar as such opinions relate to matters of New York law.

Very truly yours,

 

 

DEWEY & LEBOEUF LLP

 

4

 

 

 

EX-4.2 3 x4-2.htm

Exhibit 4.2

 

 

 

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

 

TO

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, TRUSTEE.

 

 

 

THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

DATED AS OF AUGUST 21, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

SERIES 2008A FLOATING RATE SENIOR NOTES

 

DUE AUGUST 20, 2010

 

 

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS1

 

 

 

PAGE

ARTICLE 1

 1

 

Series 2008A Notes

1

 

SECTION 101.Establishment

1

 

SECTION 102.Definitions

2

 

SECTION 103.Payment of Principal and Interest

3

 

SECTION 104.Determination of Interest

4

 

SECTION 105.Denominations

5

 

SECTION 106.Global Securities

5

 

SECTION 107.Transfer

5

ARTICLE 2

 6

 

Miscellaneous Provisions

6

 

SECTION 201.Recitals by Company

6

 

SECTION 202.Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture

6

 

SECTION 203.Executed in Counterparts

6

 

EXHIBIT A

Form of Series 2008A Note

 

EXHIBIT B

Certificate of Authentication

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________

Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture or have any bearing upon the interpretation of any of its terms and provisions.

 

i


                        THIS THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE is made as of the 21st day of August, 2008, by and between THE SOUTHERN COMPANY, a Delaware corporation, 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30308 (the “Company”), and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, 7000 Central Parkway, Suite 550, Atlanta, Georgia 30328 (the “Trustee”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore entered into a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 2007 (the “Original Indenture”), with the Trustee, as heretofore supplemented;

 

WHEREAS, the Original Indenture is incorporated herein by this reference and the Original Indenture, as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by this Third Supplemental Indenture, is herein called the “Indenture”;

 

WHEREAS, under the Original Indenture, a new series of Senior Notes may at any time be established pursuant to a supplemental indenture executed by the Company and the Trustee;

 

WHEREAS, the Company proposes to create under the Indenture a new series of Senior Notes;

 

WHEREAS, additional Senior Notes of other series hereafter established, except as may be limited in the Original Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified, may be issued from time to time pursuant to the Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified; and

 

WHEREAS, all conditions necessary to authorize the execution and delivery of this Third Supplemental Indenture and to make it a valid and binding obligation of the Company have been done or performed.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE 1

 

Series 2008A Notes

 

SECTION 101. Establishment. There is hereby established a new series of Senior Notes to be issued under the Indenture, to be designated as the Company’s Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Series 2008A Notes”).

 

There are to be authenticated and delivered $600,000,000 principal amount of Series 2008A Notes, and such principal amount of the Series 2008A Notes may be increased from time to time

 


pursuant to Section 301 of the Original Indenture. All Series 2008A Notes need not be issued at the same time and such series may be reopened at any time, without the consent of any Holder, for issuances of additional Series 2008A Notes. Any such additional Series 2008A Notes will have the same interest rate, maturity and other terms as those initially issued. No Series 2008A Notes shall be authenticated and delivered in excess of the principal amount as so increased except as provided by Sections 203, 303, 304 or 907 of the Original Indenture. The Series 2008A Notes shall be issued in definitive fully registered form.

 

The Series 2008A Notes shall be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities in substantially the form set out in Exhibit A hereto. The Depositary with respect to the Series 2008A Notes shall be The Depository Trust Company.

 

The form of the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication for the Series 2008A Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

 

Each Series 2008A Note shall be dated the date of authentication thereof and shall bear interest from the date of original issuance thereof or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for.

 

The Series 2008A Notes will not be redeemable at the option of the Company prior to the Stated Maturity and will not have a sinking fund.

 

SECTION 102. Definitions. The following defined terms used herein shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meanings specified below. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Original Indenture.

 

“Calculation Agent” means Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, or its successor appointed by the Company, acting as calculation agent for the Series 2008A Senior Notes.

 

“Interest Determination Date” means the second London Business Day immediately preceding the first day of the relevant Interest Period.

 

“Interest Payment Dates” means the 20th day of February, May, August and November, commencing November 20, 2008; provided, however, in the event that any Interest Payment Date (other than the Interest Payment Date that is the Stated Maturity) would otherwise be a day that is not a Business Day, the Interest Payment Date will be the next succeeding Business Day.

 

“Interest Period” means the period commencing on an Interest Payment Date (or, with respect to the initial Interest Period only, commencing on the Original Issue Date) and ending on the day before the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.

 

“LIBOR” means, with respect to any Interest Period, the rate (expressed as a percentage per annum) for deposits in U.S. dollars for a three-month period commencing on the first day of that Interest Period and ending on the next Interest Payment Date that appears on Reuters LIBOR01 Page as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the Interest Determination Date for that

 

 

 

2


Interest Period. If such rate does not appear on the Reuters LIBOR01 Page as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the Interest Determination Date for that Interest Period, LIBOR will be determined on the basis of the rates at which deposits in U.S. dollars for the Interest Period and in a principal amount of not less than $1,000,000 are offered to prime banks in the London interbank market by four major banks in the London interbank market (which may include affiliates of one or more of the underwriters of the Series 2008A Notes) selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time on the Interest Determination Date for that Interest Period. The Calculation Agent will request the principal London office of each such bank to provide a quotation of its rate. If at least two such quotations are provided, LIBOR with respect to that Interest Period will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations. If fewer than two quotations are provided, LIBOR with respect to that Interest Period will be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted by three major banks in New York City (which may include affiliates of one or more of the underwriters of the Series 2008A Notes) selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first day of that Interest Period for loans in U.S. dollars to leading European banks for that Interest Period and in a principal amount of not less than $1,000,000. However, if fewer than three banks selected by the Calculation Agent to provide quotations are quoting as described above, LIBOR for that Interest Period will be the same as LIBOR as determined for the previous Interest Period.

 

“London Business Day” means a day that is a Business Day and a day on which dealings in deposits in U. S. dollars are transacted, or with respect to any future date are expected to be transacted, in the London interbank market.

 

 

“Original Issue Date” means August 21, 2008.

 

“Regular Record Date” means, with respect to each Interest Payment Date, the close of business on the 15th calendar day preceding such Interest Payment Date, whether or not a Business Day.

 

“Reuters LIBOR01 Page” means the display designated as Reuters LIBOR01 on the Reuters 3000 Xtra (or such other page as may replace the Reuters LIBOR01 Page on that service, or such other service as may be nominated as the information vendor, for the purpose of displaying rates or prices comparable to the London Interbank Offered rate for U.S. dollar deposits).

 

“Stated Maturity” means August 20, 2010; provided that if the Stated Maturity is not a Business Day, the principal and interest due on that date will be payable on the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

 

SECTION 103. Payment of Principal and Interest. The principal of the Series 2008A Notes shall be due at Stated Maturity. The unpaid principal amount of the Series 2008A Notes shall bear interest at the rates set quarterly pursuant to Section 104 hereof until paid or duly provided for. Interest shall be paid quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date to the Person in whose name the Series 2008A Notes are registered on the Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date, provided that interest payable at the Stated Maturity of principal as provided herein

 

 

 

3


will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holders on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person or Persons in whose name the Series 2008A Notes are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of the Series 2008A Notes not less than ten (10) days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Series 2008A Notes shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Original Indenture.

 

Payments of interest on the Series 2008A Notes will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for the Series 2008A Notes shall be computed and paid on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed over a 360-day year.

 

Payment of the principal and interest due at the Stated Maturity of the Series 2008A Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series 2008A Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series 2008A Notes shall be paid 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. Payments of interest (including interest on any Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer or other electronic transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.

 

SECTION 104. Determination of Interest.   The Series 2008A Notes will bear interest for each Interest Period at a per annum rate determined by the Calculation Agent, subject to the maximum interest rate permitted by New York or other applicable state law, as such law may be modified by United States law of general application. The interest rate applicable during each Interest Period will be equal to LIBOR on the Interest Determination Date for such Interest Period plus 0.70%. Promptly upon such determination, the Calculation Agent will notify the Company and the Trustee, if the Trustee is not then serving as the Calculation Agent, of the interest rate for the new Interest Period. The interest rate determined by the Calculation Agent, absent manifest error, shall be binding and conclusive upon the beneficial owners and Holders of the Series 2008A Notes, the Company and the Trustee.

 

Upon the request of a Holder of the Series 2008A Notes, the Calculation Agent will provide to such Holder the interest rate in effect on the date of such request and, if determined, the interest rate for the next Interest Period.

 

Accrued interest on a Series 2008A Note for any period shall be calculated by multiplying the principal amount of such Series 2008A Note by an accrued interest factor. The accrued interest factor shall be computed by adding the interest factor calculated for each day in the period for which accrued interest is being calculated. The interest factor (expressed as a decimal

 

 

 

4


rounded upwards if necessary) shall be computed by dividing the interest rate (expressed as a decimal rounded upwards if necessary) applicable to such date by 360.

 

All percentages resulting from any calculation of the interest rate on the Series 2008A Notes shall be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one-hundred thousandth of a percentage point, with five one-millionths of a percentage point rounded upwards, and all dollar amounts used in or resulting from such calculation shall be rounded to the nearest cent (with one-half cent being rounded upwards).

 

SECTION 105. Denominations. The Series 2008A Notes may be issued in the denominations of $1,000, or any integral multiple thereof.

 

SECTION 106. Global Securities. The Series 2008A Notes will be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities registered in the name of the Depositary (which shall be The Depository Trust Company) or its nominee. Except under the limited circumstances described below, Series 2008A Notes represented by one or more Global Securities will not be exchangeable for, and will not otherwise be issuable as, Series 2008A Notes in definitive form. The Global Securities described above may not be transferred except 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 to a successor Depositary or its nominee.

 

Owners of beneficial interests in such a Global Security will not be considered the Holders thereof for any purpose under the Indenture, and no Global Security representing a Series 2008A Note shall be exchangeable, except for another Global Security of like denomination and tenor to be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee or to a successor Depositary or its nominee. The rights of Holders of such Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary.

 

Subject to the procedures of the Depositary, a Global Security shall be exchangeable for Series 2008A Notes registered in the names of persons other than the Depositary or its nominee only if (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for such Global Security and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, or if at any time the Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, at a time when the Depositary is required to be so registered to act as such Depositary and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, in each case within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such cessation, (ii) the Company in its sole discretion determines that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, or (iii) there shall have occurred an Event of Default with respect to the Series 2008A Notes. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Series 2008A Notes registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct.

 

SECTION 107 Transfer. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of Series 2008A Notes, but payment will be required of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection therewith.

 

 

 

5


 

ARTICLE 2

 

Miscellaneous Provisions

 

SECTION 201. Recitals by Company. The recitals in this Third Supplemental Indenture are made by the Company only and not by the Trustee, and all of the provisions contained in the Original Indenture in respect of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers and duties of the Trustee shall be applicable in respect of Series 2008A Notes and of this Third Supplemental Indenture as fully and with like effect as if set forth herein in full.

 

SECTION 202. Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture. As heretofore supplemented and as supplemented hereby, the Original Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and the Original Indenture as heretofore supplemented and as supplemented by this Third Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument.

 

SECTION 203. Executed in Counterparts. This Third Supplemental Indenture may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

 

 

 

6


                        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused this instrument to be signed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized officers, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

 

 

By:       /s/ W. Paul Bowers  

W. Paul Bowers

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial               Officer

 

 

 

 

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION, as Trustee

 

 

By:       /s/ Elizabeth T. Wagner  

Elizabeth T. Wagner

Vice President

 

 

 


EXHIBIT A

 

FORM OF SERIES 2008A NOTE

 

 


 

NO. __

CUSIP NO. 842587 CD7

 

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

SERIES 2008A FLOATING RATE SENIOR NOTE

DUE AUGUST 20, 2010

 

 

Principal Amount:

$_____________

Regular Record Date:

15th calendar day prior to Interest Payment Date, whether or not a Business Day

Original Issue Date:

August 21, 2008

Stated Maturity:

August 20, 2010; provided that if the Stated Maturity is not a Business Day, the principal and interest due on that date will be payable on the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

Interest Payment Dates:

20th day of February, May, August and November; provided, however, in the event that any Interest Payment Date (other than the Interest Payment Date that is the Stated Maturity) would otherwise be a day that is not a Business Day, the Interest Payment Date will be the next succeeding Business Day

Interest Rate:

LIBOR plus 0.70% per annum, as set on each Interest Determination Date

Interest Determination Dates:

2nd London Business Day immediately preceding the first day of the relevant Interest Period

Authorized Denomination:

$1,000, or any integral multiple thereof

 

 

The Southern Company, a Delaware corporation (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 _______________________________________________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of _________ DOLLARS ($__________) on the Stated Maturity shown above, and to pay interest thereon from the Original Issue Date shown above, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date as specified above, commencing on November 20, 2008, and on the Stated Maturity at the rates per annum determined in accordance with the provisions specified below until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment and at such rates on any overdue principal and on any overdue installment of interest. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment

 


Date that is the Stated Maturity) will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (the “Note”) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date as specified above next preceding such Interest Payment Date, provided that any interest payable at Stated Maturity will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Notes of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes of this series shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.

 

The Series 2008A Notes (as defined on the reverse hereof) will bear interest for each Interest Period at a per annum rate determined by the Calculation Agent, subject to the maximum interest rate permitted by New York or other applicable state law, as such law may be modified by United States law of general application. The interest rate applicable during each Interest Period will be equal to LIBOR on the Interest Determination Date for such Interest Period plus 0.70%. Promptly upon such determination, the Calculation Agent will notify the Company and the Trustee, if the Trustee is not then serving as the Calculation Agent, of the interest rate for the new Interest Period. The interest rate determined by the Calculation Agent, absent manifest error, shall be binding and conclusive upon the beneficial owners and Holders of the Series 2008A Notes, the Company and the Trustee.

 

“Calculation Agent” means Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, or its successor appointed by the Company, acting as calculation agent for the Series 2008A Notes.

 

“Interest Determination Date” means the second London Business Day immediately preceding the first day of the relevant Interest Period.

 

“Interest Period” means the period commencing on an Interest Payment Date (or, with respect to the initial Interest Period only, commencing on the Original Issue Date) and ending on the day before the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.

 

“LIBOR” means, with respect to any Interest Period, the rate (expressed as a percentage per annum) for deposits in U.S. dollars for a three-month period commencing on the first day of that Interest Period and ending on the next Interest Payment Date that appears on Reuters LIBOR01 Page as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the Interest Determination Date for that Interest Period. If such rate does not appear on the Reuters LIBOR01 Page as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the Interest Determination Date for that Interest Period, LIBOR will be determined on the basis of the rates at which deposits in U.S. dollars for the Interest Period and in a principal amount of not less than $1,000,000 are offered to prime banks in the London interbank market by four major banks in the London interbank market (which may include affiliates of one or more of the underwriters of the Series 2008A Notes) selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), at approximately 11:00 a.m., London

 

A-2


time on the Interest Determination Date for that Interest Period. The Calculation Agent will request the principal London office of each such bank to provide a quotation of its rate. If at least two such quotations are provided, LIBOR with respect to that Interest Period will be the arithmetic mean of such quotations. If fewer than two quotations are provided, LIBOR with respect to that Interest Period will be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted by three major banks in New York City (which may include affiliates of one or more of the underwriters of the Series 2008A Notes) selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first day of that Interest Period for loans in U.S. dollars to leading European banks for that Interest Period and in a principal amount of not less than $1,000,000. However, if fewer than three banks selected by the Calculation Agent to provide quotations are quoting as described above, LIBOR for that Interest Period will be the same as LIBOR as determined for the previous Interest Period.

 

“London Business Day” means a day that is a Business Day and a day on which dealings in deposits in U. S. dollars are transacted, or with respect to any future date are expected to be transacted, in the London interbank market.

 

“Reuters LIBOR01 Page” means the display designated as Reuters LIBOR01 on the Reuters 3000 Xtra (or such other page as may replace the Reuters LIBOR01 Page on that service, or such other service as may be nominated as the information vendor, for the purpose of displaying rates or prices comparable to the London Interbank Offered rate for U.S. dollar deposits).

 

Payments of interest on this Note will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for this Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed over a 360-day year. A “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is closed for business.

 

Payment of the principal of and interest due at the Stated Maturity of the Series 2008A Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series 2008A Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series 2008A Notes shall be paid 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. Payment of interest (including interest on an Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer or other electronic transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least 16 days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.

 

REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS NOTE SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH AT THIS PLACE.

 

A-3


Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

A-4


 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.

 

Dated:

 

 

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

 

 

 

By:_______________________________________

Name:

Title:

 

 

Attest:

 

 

__________________________________

Name:

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

 

 

This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

 

 

 

 

By:________________________________

Authorized Officer

 

 


(Reverse Side of Note)

 

This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Senior Notes of the Company (the “Notes”), issued and issuable in one or more series under a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 2007, as supplemented (the “Indenture”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures incidental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitation of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes issued thereunder and of the terms upon which said Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Note is one of the series designated on the face hereof as Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Series 2008A Notes”) which is unlimited in aggregate principal amount. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Indenture.

 

 

The Series 2008A Notes will not have a sinking fund.

 

The Series 2008A Notes will not be redeemable at the option of the Company prior to the Stated Maturity.

 

If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Notes of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions 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 Notes of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Notes of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.

 

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the times, place and rates, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

 

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company for such purpose, duly endorsed by, or accompanied

 

A-7


by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar and duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes of this series, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

 

Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

The Notes of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Notes of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of this series of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same upon surrender of the Note or Notes to be exchanged at the office or agency of the Company.

 

This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.

 

 

 

 

A-8


ABBREVIATIONS

 

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

 

TEN COM-       as tenants in

common

UNIF GIFT MIN ACT- _______ Custodian ________

                  (Cust)                        (Minor)

TEN ENT-         as tenants by the

entireties

 

 

JT TEN-            as joint tenants

with right of

survivorship and

not as tenants

in common

 

under Uniform Gifts to

Minors Act

 

________________________

(State)

 

 

Additional abbreviations may also be used

though not on the above list.

 

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s) and transfer(s) unto

_______________________________________________________________________________

(please insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee)

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE
OF ASSIGNEE

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

agent to transfer said Note on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated: ____________

________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________

 

 

NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument in every particular without alteration or enlargement, or any change whatever.

 

 

A-9


EXHIBIT B

 

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

 

 

This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION,

as Trustee

 

 

 

 

By:________________________________

Authorized Officer

 

 

 

B-1

 

 

 

EX-5.1 4 x5-1.htm

Exhibit 5.1

TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA

600 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. - SUITE 5200

ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30308-2216

www.troutmansanders.com

TELEPHONE: 404-885-3000

 

 

 

August 21, 2008

 

The Southern Company

30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

 

 

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to The Southern Company (the “Company”) in connection with the above-referenced Registration Statement on Form S-3, as amended (Registration Statement Nos. 333-138503, 333-138503-01 and 333-138503-02 (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Notes”). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 2007 between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of August 21, 2008 (collectively, the “Indenture”).

 

We have examined the Registration Statement and the Indenture, which has been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.

 

In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legally binding obligation of the Trustee.

 

 

 

ATLANTA • HONG KONG • LONDON • NEW YORK • NEWARK • NORFOLK • RALEIGH
RICHMOND • SHANGHAI • TYSONS CORNER • VIRGINIA BEACH • WASHINGTON, D.C.

 

 


TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP

 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

 

 

 

August 21, 2008

Page 2

 

 

            Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity). In rendering the foregoing opinion, with respect to matters of New York law, we have relied on the opinion of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP attached hereto as Annex I.

 

The attorneys in this firm that are rendering this opinion are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia, the federal law of the United States, the Delaware General Corporation Law and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of New York.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the statements with respect to our name under the heading “Legal Matters” in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. This opinion may not be furnished or quoted to, or relied upon by, any other person for any purpose, without our prior written consent.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

/s/ Troutman Sanders LLP

 

 

 


Annex I

Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP

1301 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10019-6092

 

tel +1 212 259 8000

fax +1 212 259 6333

 

 

 

 

August 21, 2008

Troutman Sanders LLP

30 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, N.W.

Suite 950

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

 

RE:

Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to the underwriters in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3, as amended (Registration Statement Nos. 333-138503, 333-138503-01 and 333-138503-02) (the “Registration Statement”), relating to $600,000,000 aggregate principal amount of The Southern Company’s (the “Company”) Series 2008A Floating Rate Senior Notes due August 20, 2010 (the “Notes”). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 2007 between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by a Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of August 21, 2008 (collectively, the “Indenture”).

 

We have examined the Indenture, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.

 

In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legally binding obligation of the Trustee.

 

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company

 

NEW YORK | LONDON MULTINATIONAL PARTNERSHIP | WASHINGTON, DC

ALBANY | ALMATY | AUSTIN | BEIJING | BOSTON | BRUSSELS | CHARLOTTE | CHICAGO | DUBAI
FRANKFURT | HARTFORD | HONG KONG | HOUSTON | JACKSONVILLE | JOHANNESBURG (PTY) LTD. | LOS ANGELES
MILAN | MOSCOW | PARIS MULTINATIONAL PARTNERSHIP | RIYADH AFFILIATED OFFICE | ROME | SAN FRANCISCO | SILICON VALLEY | WARSAW

 


August 21, 2008

Page 2

 

(subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).

 

We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York.

 

This opinion is furnished solely for your benefit in connection with your rendering an opinion to the Company to be filed as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and we hereby consent to your attaching this opinion as an annex to such opinion. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or quoted to or relied upon by any other person, firm or entity for any purpose, without our prior written consent. In giving our consent to your attaching this opinion to the opinion being rendered by you, we do not thereby admit that we came within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,

 

/s/ Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP

 

DEWEY & LEBOEUF LLP

 

 

 

 

 

 

EX-12.1 5 x12-1.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 12.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8/4/2008

 

THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

Computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges for

the five years ended December 31, 2007

and the year to date June 30, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Months

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ended

 

 

Year ended December 31,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

2003

 

 

2004

 

 

2005

 

 

2006

 

 

2007

 

 

2008

 

 

--------------------------------------------------Thousands of Dollars--------------------------------------------------

EARNINGS AS DEFINED IN ITEM 503 OF REGULATION S-K:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes

$

2,100,143

 

$

2,113,696

 

$

2,185,427

 

$

2,354,684

 

$

2,568,995

 

$

1,178,676

 

Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized

 

527,272

 

 

640,261

 

 

746,819

 

 

865,873

 

 

885,796

 

 

446,056

 

Distributions on mandatorily redeemable preferred securities

151,358

 

 

27,230

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

AFUDC - Debt funds

 

12,370

 

 

17,970

 

 

20,500

 

 

20,453

 

 

47,519

 

 

32,308

 

Earnings as defined

$

2,791,143

 

$

2,799,157

 

$

2,952,746

 

$

3,241,010

 

$

3,502,310

 

$

1,657,040

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIXED CHARGES AS DEFINED IN ITEM 503 OF REGULATION S-K:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest on long-term debt

$

491,066

 

$

499,737

 

$

558,975

 

$

626,752

 

$

739,285

 

$

399,804

 

Interest on affiliated loans

 

0

 

 

99,737

 

 

127,721

 

 

122,088

 

 

66,372

 

 

11,727

 

Interest on interim obligations

 

18,035

 

 

8,671

 

 

25,358

 

 

76,745

 

 

75,249

 

 

18,197

 

Amort of debt disc, premium and expense, net

 

28,575

 

 

36,906

 

 

36,698

 

 

57,878

 

 

45,675

 

 

19,894

 

Other interest charges

 

1,966

 

 

13,180

 

 

18,567

 

 

2,863

 

 

6,734

 

 

28,742

 

Distributions on mandatorily redeemable preferred securities

151,358

 

 

27,230

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

Fixed charges as defined

 

691,000

 

 

685,461

 

 

767,319

 

 

886,326

 

 

933,315

 

 

478,364

 

Tax deductible preferred dividends

 

1,601

 

 

1,566

 

 

1,554

 

 

1,293

 

 

1,281

 

 

641

 

 

 

692,601

 

 

687,027

 

 

768,873

 

 

887,619

 

 

934,596

 

 

479,005

 

Non-tax deductible preferred and preference dividends

 

19,566

 

 

28,249

 

 

28,621

 

 

33,313

 

 

46,482

 

 

31,749

 

Ratio of net income before taxes to net income

x

1.411

 

x

1.375

 

x

1.367

 

x

1.485

 

x

1.469

 

x

1.499

 

Pref dividend requirements before income taxes

 

27,608

 

 

38,842

 

 

39,125

 

 

49,470

 

 

68,282

 

 

47,592

 

Fixed charges including pref dividend requirements

$

720,209

 

$

725,869

 

$

807,998

 

$

937,089

 

$

1,002,878

 

$

526,597

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

3.88

 

 

3.86

 

 

3.65

 

 

3.46

 

 

3.49

 

 

3.15

 

 

 

 

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