UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement |
On June 17, 2020, United Community Banks, Inc. (the “Company”) completed its previously announced public offering of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”).
The offering of the Notes was consummated pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), dated June 12, 2020, between the Company, as issuer, and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., as the representative of the several underwriters listed on Schedule A thereto, and pursuant to the Company’s registration statement dated April 20, 2018 on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224367), and subsequently amended by the Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on June 3, 2020 (as so amended, the “Registration Statement”), as supplemented by the prospectus supplement, dated June 12, 2020 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2020. The Underwriting Agreement includes customary representations, warranties and covenants by the Company, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties and termination provisions.
The Notes were issued pursuant to the Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2020 (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee.
The Notes will bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.000% per annum from and including June 17, 2020 to, but excluding, June 15, 2025 (the “Fixed Rate Period”). Interest accrued on the Notes during the Fixed Rate Period will be payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year. The Notes will bear a floating interest rate from, and including June 15, 2025, to, but excluding, the maturity date (as defined in the prospectus supplement under the caption “Description of the Senior Notes – Interest”) or earlier redemption date (the “Floating Rate Period”). The floating interest rate will be reset quarterly, and the interest rate for any Floating Rate Period shall be equal to a benchmark rate, expected to be the then-current Three-Month Term SOFR, plus 487 basis points for each quarterly interest period during the Floating Rate Period. During the Floating Rate Period, interest on the Notes will be payable quarterly in arrears on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year.
The Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company on any interest payment date on or after June 15, 2025. The redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Senior Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the redemption date. The Company will provide 30 to 60 calendar days’ notice of the redemption to the registered holders of the Senior Notes. Other than as set forth in this paragraph, the Senior Notes are not redeemable prior to maturity.
The foregoing descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes are each qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Underwriting Agreement, the Base Indenture and the Supplemental Indenture and the Notes, respectively, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1, Exhibit 4.1, Exhibit 4.2, and Exhibit 4.3, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the opinion of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, counsel to the Company, relating to the legality of the Notes is filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto.
| Item 2.03 | Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. |
The information regarding the Notes and the Indenture set forth in Item 1.01 is incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
(d) Exhibits.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Melinda Davis Lux | |
| Name: | Melinda Davis Lux | |
| Title: | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | |
Date: June 17, 2020
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Version
United community banks, inc.
$100,000,000
5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2030
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
June 12, 2020
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
214 N. Tryon St., 26th Floor
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
Ladies and Gentlemen:
United Community Banks, Inc., a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. (the “Representative”), on behalf of the several underwriters listed on Schedule A (together, the “Underwriters”), with respect to the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Securities”). The Securities are described in the Prospectus, which is referred to below. The Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as of June 17, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”) between the Company and U.S. Bank, National Association as trustee (the “Trustee”) as supplemented by supplemental indenture dated as of June 17, 2020 (together, with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”).
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Underwriting Agreement (the “Agreement”) has been executed and delivered.
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The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224367) covering the public offering and sale of certain securities, including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which automatic shelf registration statement became effective under Rule 462(e) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), and is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;” provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. Each preliminary prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted information in reliance on Rule 430B, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise, is referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The final prospectus, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or otherwise, is referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”). The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “1939 Act”).
As used in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means 3:30 p.m., New York City time, on June 12, 2020, or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Underwriters.
“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is included in the Registration Statement as of the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule B hereto, all considered together.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g), or (iv) the Final Term Sheet (as defined below).
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“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.
“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the time of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (the “Execution Time”); and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “1934 Act”), incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the Execution Time.
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Time (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:
(i) Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405) and the Securities have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such automatic shelf registration statement.
Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto), at the time it was filed, complied in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was substantially identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
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The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act Regulations”).
(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at the Closing Time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Time, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will 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.
The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the last paragraph under the heading “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” in the preliminary prospectus and in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).
(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Securities made prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 163”) and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including without limitation the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.
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(iv) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of 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), (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 Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act and (D) as of the Execution Time, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405).
(v) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
(vi) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(vii) Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly disclosed therein. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP, except as may be expressly disclosed therein, the information required to be stated therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in all material respects in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
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(viii) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) except for regular quarterly dividends on the shares of common stock of the Company in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock.
(ix) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended.
(x) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company identified on Schedule C hereto (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each subsidiary of the Company which conducts business as a bank is duly authorized to conduct such banking business in each jurisdiction in which such banking business is conducted or is validly existing as a national banking association under the laws of the United States. Except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (a) the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and (b) certain other unregulated subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.
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(xi) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise or conversion of convertible securities or options referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(xii) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company.
(xiii) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and binding obligations of the Company; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Securities conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.
(xiv) Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale by the Company under the 1933 Act.
(xv) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject, except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations, with respect to clause (C),that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xvi) No Resulting Defaults and Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Indenture, the issuance and sale of the Securities, the compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or bylaws (or similar organizational document) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clause (i), for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except as have been made or obtained and except as may be required by and made with or obtained from state securities laws or regulations.
(xvii) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, which would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xviii) Absence of Proceedings. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company or its subsidiaries to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement.
(xix) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or to be filed as exhibits thereto that have not been so described and filed as required.
(xx) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, state securities laws or the rules of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
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(xxi) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all material certificates, authorities or permits issued by appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authority or permit.
(xxii) Compliance with Regulations. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with all laws administered by, and all rules and regulations of, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (“DBF”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and any other federal or state bank regulatory authorities (together with the Federal Reserve Board, the DBF and the FDIC, the “Bank Regulatory Authorities”) with jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except for failures to be so in compliance that would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any written agreement or memorandum of understanding with, or a party to any commitment letter or similar undertaking to, or is subject to any order or directive by, or is a recipient of any extraordinary supervisory letter from, or has adopted any board of director resolutions at the request of, any Bank Regulatory Authority which currently restricts the conduct of its business, or relates to its capital adequacy, its credit policies or its management, nor have any of them been advised by any Bank Regulatory Authority that it is contemplating issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness of issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding, extraordinary supervisory letter, commitment letter or similar submission, or any such board of director resolutions, in each case that are applicable to the Company or its subsidiaries specifically rather than to banks and bank holding companies generally. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any communication from any governmental entity asserting that the Company or any subsidiary is not in compliance with any statute, law, rule, regulation, decision, directive or order except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any facts and circumstances, and has no reason to believe that any facts or circumstances exist, that would cause its principal banking subsidiary to be deemed not to be in satisfactory compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) and the regulations promulgated thereunder or to be assigned a CRA rating by federal or state banking regulators of lower than “satisfactory.”
(xxiii) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all liens, security interests, claims or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xxiv) Possession of Intellectual Property. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, singly or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxv) Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not individually or in the aggregate be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries (A) are in compliance with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) have and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (C) have not received, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any notice of any actual or potential liability or claim under or relating to any Environmental Laws and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries.
(xxvi) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
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(xxvii) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(xxviii) Payment of Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all United States federal income and other material tax returns that they were required by law to file (taking into account any valid extensions thereof), and all taxes required to be paid by the Company and each of its subsidiaries that are due and payable have been paid, except for such taxes as are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company and its subsidiaries.
(xxix) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (A) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (B) any reason to believe that it will not be able (x) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (y) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The deposit accounts of each subsidiary of the Company which conducts business as a bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) to the fullest extent permitted by law and the rules and regulations of the FDIC, and such subsidiaries have paid all premiums and assessments required by the FDIC and the rules and regulations thereunder and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(xx) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(xxxi) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any controlled affiliate of the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other affiliate of the Company, has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
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(xxxii) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(xxxiii) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA PATRIOT Act”), the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(xxxiv) OFAC. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently included on the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (the “SDN List”) maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any of its subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other person, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently included on the SDN List by OFAC.
(xxxv) Brokerage Commissions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.
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(xxxvi) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate and such data agrees with the sources from which they are derived.
(xxxvii) Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and duly qualified under the 1939 Act and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Trustee, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). At the Closing Time, the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the description of the Indenture contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(xxxviii) Broker-Dealer and Investment Advisor Subsidiaries. No subsidiary of the Company is required to be registered, licensed or qualified as a broker-dealer or investment advisor with the Commission or any similar state laws. The Company is not required to be registered as a futures commission merchant, commodities trading adviser, commodity pool operator or introducing broker under the Commodities Exchange Act or any similar state laws.
(xxxix) FINRA Affiliations. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations with any FINRA member firm among the Company’s officers, directors, or principal shareholders, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or as otherwise disclosed in writing to the Underwriters.
(xl) IT Systems and Data. (A) Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise to their information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of them), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”); (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented controls, policies, procedures and technological safeguards as determined by the Company to be reasonably necessary to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data, reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable law; and (C) the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations governing the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
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(b) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.
(a) The Securities. 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 $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Securities to the several Underwriters, at a purchase price of 99.00% of the principal amount thereof, and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company at such price the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite that Underwriter’s name in Schedule A hereto, plus any additional number of Securities which such Underwriter agrees to or becomes obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.
(b) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the account of the Underwriters of, the Securities shall be made at the offices of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the second (third, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).
Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery through the facilities of DTC to the Underwriters for their respective accounts of the Securities to be purchased by them.
(c) Denominations; Registration. The Securities shall be transferred electronically at the Closing Time, in such denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriters may request in writing at least one full business day prior to the Closing Time.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Underwriters promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
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(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include 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 not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any 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 light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Underwriters notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Underwriters with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Underwriters notice of any filings made by it pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Underwriters notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Underwriters with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and, subject to the requirements of applicable laws and regulations, will not file or use any such document to which the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
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(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Underwriters may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.
(f) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(g) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.
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(h) Final Term Sheet; Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company will prepare a final term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”), in the form set forth in Schedule B hereto, reflecting the final terms of the Securities, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, and shall file such Final Term Sheet as an “issuer free writing prospectus” pursuant to Rule 433 prior to the close of business two business days after the date hereof; provided that the Company shall furnish the Underwriters with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Underwriters or counsel to the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Underwriters and subject to the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Underwriters will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Underwriters. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Underwriters as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading (other than with respect to any Underwriter Information), the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid the following expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (iv) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(d) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (v) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, if any, (ix) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third sentence of Section 1 (a)(ii) and (x) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Securities.
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The Company agrees to reimburse the Representative for its reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement including, without limitation, expenses related to document and presentation materials, travel, external database and communications services, courier and delivery services, and the fees and expenses of its outside legal counsel incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. All fees and expenses to which the Representative shall be entitled to reimbursement under this paragraph of this Section 4(a) shall be due and payable upon receipt by the Company of a written accounting therefor setting forth in reasonable detail the expenses incurred by the Representative.
(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii), Section 10 or Section 11 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters (other than, for any termination in accordance with Section 10 hereof, any defaulting Underwriters) for all of their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective and at the Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated; and the Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction, with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
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(c) Opinion of General Counsel of Company. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of the General Counsel of the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
(e) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated and (v) no event of default under the Indenture or default with notice and/or lapse of time that would be an event of default in respect of the Securities has occurred and is continuing.
(f) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the Execution Time, the Underwriters shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(g) Bring-down Comfort Letters. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.
(h) Ratings. Subsequent to the Execution Time and prior to the Closing Time, there shall not have occurred any downgrading in or withdrawal of, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or withdrawal of, or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change in, the rating accorded the Securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act).
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(i) Additional Documents. At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters.
(j) Termination of 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 at or prior to Closing Time and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each of its directors and officers, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of or based on any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “non-deal” road show prior to the launch of the offering of the Securities or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriters), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
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provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who 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 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, if any, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel selected in accordance with the next sentence, and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 6 for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, the indemnifying party shall not, under any of the circumstances described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) below, have the right to assume or direct the defense thereof and shall be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 6 for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses in connection with the defense thereof if, in the reasonable judgment of the indemnified party (i) the use of the counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) representation of the indemnified party by such counsel would be inappropriate due to differing interests between the indemnifying party and any indemnified party, (iii) there are likely to be defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from, or in addition to, the defenses available to the indemnifying party, or (iv) the indemnifying party fails to use reasonable diligence in defending against such action. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Underwriters, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
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(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
SECTION 7. Contribution. To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
| 22 |
The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts with respect to the Securities underwritten by it exceed the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who 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 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
| 23 |
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriters, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriters, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or The NASDAQ Global Select Market where trading has not been suspended or materially limited as described in the immediately following clause, or (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or in The NASDAQ Global Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.
(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Securities which it is obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the other Underwriter (the “Non-defaulting Underwriter”) shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Non-defaulting Underwriter shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, the Non-defaulting Underwriter shall be obligated to purchase the full amount thereof, or
| 24 |
(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, 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 that does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the (i) Underwriters or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
SECTION 11. Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at the Closing Time to sell the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
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 U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. at 214 N. Tryon St., 26th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Credit Fixed Income, with a copy to Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, 607 14th Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005, Attention: Edward G. Olifer. Notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 125 Highway 515 East, Blairsville, Georgia 30512, Attention: Jefferson L. Harralson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to 125 Highway 515 East, Blairsville, Georgia 30512, Attention: Melinda Davis Lux, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer and Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, 2000 Huntington Center 41 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, Attention: Aaron A. Seamon.
SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the initial public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s -length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or its respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
| 25 |
SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall each 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, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 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, 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 Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 15. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.
SECTION 17. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 18. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
SECTION 19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
SECTION 20. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
[Signature Page Follows]
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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, | |||
| UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Jefferson L. Harralson | ||
| Name: Jefferson L. Harralson | |||
| Title: Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer | |||
| CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, | |||
| as of the date first above written: | |||
| U.S. BANCORP INVESTMENTS, INC. | |||
| By | /s/ Vanessa Clark | ||
| Name: Vanessa Clark | |||
| Title: Vice President | |||
[Underwriting Agreement – Signature Page]
SCHEDULE A
Underwriters’ Obligations
| Underwriters | Principal Amount of 5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2030 | |||
| U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. | $ | 60,000,000 | ||
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | $ | 40,000,000 | ||
| Total | $ | 100,000,000 | ||
| Sch A |
SCHEDULE B
Free Writing Prospectuses
Final Term Sheet, dated June 12, 2020, and filed by the Company with the Commission.
| Sch B |
SCHEDULE C
Significant Subsidiaries
| Subsidiary | State of Organization | |
| United Community Bank | Georgia | |
| Navitas Credit Corp. | Florida | |
| Navitas Equipment Receivables LLC 2016-1 | Delaware | |
| NLFC Reinsurance Corp. | Tennessee | |
| United Community Insurance Services, Inc. | Georgia | |
| Union Holdings, Inc. | Nevada | |
| Union Investments, Inc. | Nevada | |
| United Community Development Corporation | Georgia | |
| UCB South Carolina Properties, Inc. | South Carolina | |
| UCB Real Estate Investments, Inc. | Georgia | |
| UCBI Georgia Credits LLC | Georgia | |
| United Community Payment Systems, LLC (50% owned by United Community Bank) | Delaware | |
| Southern Bancorp Capital Trust I | Delaware | |
| Tidelands Statutory Trust I | Delaware | |
| Four Oaks Statutory Trust I | Delaware | |
| HCSB Financial Trust I | Delaware |
| Sch C |
Exhibit 4.1
UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC., ISSUER
AND
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, TRUSTEE
___________________________________________________________________
SENIOR DEBT SECURITIES
_______________________________________________
INDENTURE
Dated as of June 17, 2020
___________________________________________________________________
| Table of Contents | ||||
| Page | ||||
| ARTICLE I Definitions And Other Provisions Of General Application | 1 | |||
| Section 1.1 | Definitions | 1 | ||
| Section 1.2 | Compliance Certificates and Opinions | 6 | ||
| Section 1.3 | Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee | 6 | ||
| Section 1.4 | Acts of Holders; Record Dates | 7 | ||
| Section 1.5 | Notices, Etc. | 8 | ||
| Section 1.6 | Notice to Holders; Waiver | 8 | ||
| Section 1.7 | Conflict with Trust Indenture Act | 9 | ||
| Section 1.8 | Effect of Headings and Table of Contents | 9 | ||
| Section 1.9 | Successors and Assigns | 9 | ||
| Section 1.10 | Separability Clause | 9 | ||
| Section 1.11 | Benefits of Indenture | 9 | ||
| Section 1.12 | Governing Law | 9 | ||
| Section 1.13 | Waiver of Jury Trial | 9 | ||
| Section 1.14 | Force Majeure | 10 | ||
| Section 1.15 | Legal Holidays | 10 | ||
| ARTICLE II Security Forms | 11 | |||
| Section 2.1 | Forms Generally | 11 | ||
| Section 2.2 | Form of Legend for Global Securities | 11 | ||
| Section 2.3 | Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication | 11 | ||
| ARTICLE III The Securities | 12 | |||
| Section 3.1 | Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series | 12 | ||
| Section 3.2 | Denominations | 14 | ||
| Section 3.3 | Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating | 14 | ||
| Section 3.4 | Temporary Securities | 16 | ||
| Section 3.5 | Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange | 16 | ||
| Section 3.6 | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost, and Stolen Securities | 18 | ||
| Section 3.7 | Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved | 19 | ||
| Section 3.8 | Persons Deemed Owners | 20 | ||
| Section 3.9 | Cancellation | 20 | ||
| Section 3.10 | Computation of Interest | 21 | ||
| Section 3.11 | CUSIP Numbers | 21 | ||
-i-
| Table of Contents | ||||
| (continued) | ||||
| Page | ||||
| ARTICLE IV Satisfaction and Discharge | 21 | |||
| Section 4.1 | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 21 | ||
| Section 4.2 | Application of Trust Money | 22 | ||
| ARTICLE V Remedies | 23 | |||
| Section 5.1 | Events of Default | 23 | ||
| Section 5.2 | Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment | 24 | ||
| Section 5.3 | Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee | 25 | ||
| Section 5.4 | Trustee May File Proofs of Claim | 26 | ||
| Section 5.5 | Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities | 26 | ||
| Section 5.6 | Application of Money Collected | 26 | ||
| Section 5.7 | Limitation on Suits | 27 | ||
| Section 5.8 | Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium, and Interest | 27 | ||
| Section 5.9 | Restoration of Rights and Remedies | 27 | ||
| Section 5.10 | Rights and Remedies Cumulative | 28 | ||
| Section 5.11 | Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 28 | ||
| Section 5.12 | Control by Holders | 28 | ||
| Section 5.13 | Waiver of Past Defaults | 28 | ||
| Section 5.14 | Undertaking for Costs | 29 | ||
| ARTICLE VI The Trustee | 29 | |||
| Section 6.1 | Certain Duties and Responsibilities | 29 | ||
| Section 6.2 | Notice of Defaults | 29 | ||
| Section 6.3 | Certain Rights of Trustee | 30 | ||
| Section 6.4 | Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities | 31 | ||
| Section 6.5 | May Hold Securities | 31 | ||
| Section 6.6 | Money Held in Trust | 32 | ||
| Section 6.7 | Compensation and Reimbursement | 32 | ||
| Section 6.8 | Disqualification; Conflicting Interests | 32 | ||
| Section 6.9 | Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility | 33 | ||
| Section 6.10 | Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor | 33 | ||
| Section 6.11 | Acceptance of Appointment by Successor | 34 | ||
| Section 6.12 | Merger, Conversion, Consolidation, or Succession to Business | 35 | ||
| Section 6.13 | Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company | 35 | ||
-ii-
| Table of Contents | ||||
| (continued) | ||||
| Page | ||||
| Section 6.14 | Appointment of Authenticating Agent | 35 | ||
| ARTICLE VII Holder’s Lists and Reports by Trustee and Company | 37 | |||
| Section 7.1 | Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders | 37 | ||
| Section 7.2 | Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders | 37 | ||
| Section 7.3 | Reports by Trustee | 37 | ||
| Section 7.4 | Reports by Company | 38 | ||
| ARTICLE VIII Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance, Transfer or Lease | 38 | |||
| Section 8.1 | Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms | 38 | ||
| Section 8.2 | Successor Substituted | 39 | ||
| ARTICLE IX Supplemental Indentures | 39 | |||
| Section 9.1 | Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders | 39 | ||
| Section 9.2 | Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders | 40 | ||
| Section 9.3 | Execution of Supplemental Indentures | 41 | ||
| Section 9.4 | Effect of Supplemental Indentures | 41 | ||
| Section 9.5 | Conformity With Trust Indenture Act | 41 | ||
| Section 9.6 | Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures | 41 | ||
| ARTICLE X Covenants | 42 | |||
| Section 10.1 | Payment of Principal, Premium, and Interest | 42 | ||
| Section 10.2 | Maintenance of Office or Agency | 42 | ||
| Section 10.3 | Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust | 42 | ||
| Section 10.4 | Statement by Officers as to Default | 43 | ||
| Section 10.5 | Existence | 43 | ||
| Section 10.6 | Calculation of Original Issue Discount | 43 | ||
| ARTICLE XI Redemption of Securities | 44 | |||
| Section 11.1 | Applicability of Article | 44 | ||
| Section 11.2 | Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee | 44 | ||
| Section 11.3 | Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed | 44 | ||
| Section 11.4 | Notice of Redemption | 45 | ||
| Section 11.5 | Deposit of Redemption Price | 45 | ||
| Section 11.6 | Securities Payable on Redemption Date | 45 | ||
| Section 11.7 | Securities Redeemed in Part | 46 | ||
| ARTICLE XII Sinking Funds | 46 | |||
-iii-
| Table of Contents | ||||
| (continued) | ||||
| Page | ||||
| Section 12.1 | Applicability of Article | 46 | ||
| Section 12.2 | Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities | 46 | ||
| Section 12.3 | Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund | 47 | ||
| ARTICLE XIII Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance | 47 | |||
| Section 13.1 | Applicability of Article; Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance | 47 | ||
| Section 13.2 | Defeasance and Discharge | 47 | ||
| Section 13.3 | Covenant Defeasance | 48 | ||
| Section 13.4 | Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance | 48 | ||
| Section 13.5 | Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions | 50 | ||
| Section 13.6 | Reinstatement | 51 | ||
| Section 13.7 | Section 13.7.U.S.A | 51 | ||
-iv-
UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC.
Certain Sections of this Indenture relating to
Sections 310 through 318, inclusive, of the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939:
| Trust Indenture Act Section | Indenture Section | |||||
| §310 | (a)(1) | 6.9 | ||||
| (a)(2) | 6.9 | |||||
| (a)(3) | Not Applicable | |||||
| (a)(4) | Not Applicable | |||||
| (b) | 6.8 | |||||
| 6.10 | ||||||
| §311 | (a) | 6.13 | ||||
| (b) | 6.13 | |||||
| §312 | (a) | 7.1 | ||||
| (b) | 7.2 | (a) | ||||
| (c) | 7.2 | (b) | ||||
| §313 | (a) | 7.3 | (a) | |||
| (b) | 7.3 | (a) | ||||
| (c) | 7.3 | (a) | ||||
| (d) | 7.3 | (b) | ||||
| §314 | (a) | 7.4 | ||||
| (a)(4) | 1.2 | |||||
| 10.4 | ||||||
| (b) | Not Applicable | |||||
| (c)(1) | 1.2 | |||||
| (c)(2) | 1.2 | |||||
| (c)(3) | Not Applicable | |||||
| (d) | Not Applicable | |||||
| (e) | 1.2 | |||||
| §315 | (a) | 6.1 | ||||
| (b) | 6.2 | |||||
| (c) | 6.1 | |||||
| (d) | 6.1 | |||||
| (d)(1) | 6.1 | |||||
| (d)(2) | 6.1 | |||||
| (d)(3) | 6.1 | |||||
| (e) | 5.14 | |||||
| §316 | (a)(1)(A) | 5.2 |
- v -
| 5.12 | ||||||
| (a)(1)(B) | 5.13 | |||||
| (a)(2) | Not Applicable | |||||
| (b) | 5.8 | |||||
| (c) | 1.4 | (c) | ||||
| §317 | (a)(1) | 5.3 | ||||
| (a)(2) | 5.4 | |||||
| (b) | 10.3 | |||||
| §318 | (a) | 1.7 |
NOTE: This shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.
- vi -
INDENTURE, dated as of June 17, 2020, between UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Georgia (the “Company”), having its principal office at 125 Highway 515 East, Blairsville, Georgia 30512 and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured debentures, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness (the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as provided in this Indenture.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of any series of the Securities, as follows:
ARTICLE
I
Definitions And Other Provisions Of General Application
Section 1.1 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;
(2) all other terms used in this Indenture which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference to the Trust Indenture Act, have the meanings assigned to them in the Trust Indenture Act;
(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined in this Indenture have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, and, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, the term “accounting principles generally accepted in the United States” with respect to any computation required or permitted under this Indenture shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in the United States at the date of such computation; and
(4) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article” or a “Section” refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be, of this Indenture.
“Act”, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 1.4(a).
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have the meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.14 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of one or more series.
“Authorized Officer” means any officer of the Company designated by or pursuant to a Board Resolution to take certain actions as specified in this Indenture.
“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any other duly authorized committee of that board.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors, or by action of an Authorized Officer designated as such pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day”, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which is not a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required to be closed in the State of New York.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act or, if at any time after the execution of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.
“Company Request” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman, a Vice Chairman, its President, its Chief Financial Officer, or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Controller, an Assistant Controller, its Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at U.S. Bank National Association, Global Corporate Trust, 1349 West Peachtree Street, Suite 1050, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, Attention: April Bright.
“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.3.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 3.7.
“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.2.
“Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Person designated as Depositary for such series by the Company pursuant to Section 3.1, which Person shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company and its successors.
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“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 5.1.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended now or in the future and any successor statute.
“Global Security” means a Security bearing the legend prescribed in Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a series of Securities, which is executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary for such series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.
“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more supplemental indentures entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, including, for all purposes of this Indenture and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this Indenture and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term “Indenture” shall also include the terms of each particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 3.1.
“Interest Payment Date”, with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable in accordance with its terms or the terms of this Indenture, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, or otherwise.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman, a Vice Chairman, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, an Assistant Controller, the Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee. One of the officers signing an Officer’s Certificate given pursuant to Section 10.4 shall be the principal executive, financial, or accounting officer of the Company.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for or an employee of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company, or other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount of such Security to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity of such Security pursuant to Section 5.2.
“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities previously authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(1) Securities previously cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(2) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been previously deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision for such redemption satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;
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(3) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 3.6 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a protected purchaser, as such term is defined in Section 8-303 of the Uniform Commercial Code of New York, in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;
(4) Securities which have been defeased pursuant to Section 13.2; and
(5) Securities not deemed outstanding pursuant to Section 11.3;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, or waiver under this Indenture, (i) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon acceleration of its maturity pursuant to Section 5.2, (ii) if, as of such date, the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of a Security is not determinable, the principal amount of such Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount as specified or determined as contemplated by Section 3.1, and (iii) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor (in either case other than in such Affiliate’s or obligor’s fiduciary capacity) shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, or waiver, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor. Upon the written request of the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officer’s Certificate listing and identifying all Securities, if any, known by the Company to be owned or held by or for the account of the Company, or any other obligor of the Company on the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such obligor, and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such Officer’s Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Securities not listed therein are Outstanding for the purpose of any such determination.
“Paying Agent” means the Trustee or any other Person authorized by the Company (including the Company) to pay or deliver the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.
“Periodic Offering” means an offering of Securities of any series from time to time, the specific terms of which Securities, including, without limitation, its rate or rates of interest, if any, its Stated Maturity, and redemption provisions, if any, with respect to such Securities are to be determined by the Company or its agents upon the issuance of such Securities.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, or government or any agency or political subdivision of any government.
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“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, means the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 3.1.
“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.6 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen Security.
“Redemption Date”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
“Redemption Price”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date (whether or not a Business Day) specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 3.1.
“Responsible Officer”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer assigned to the Corporate Trust Office, including any managing director, vice president, assistant vice president, assistant treasurer, assistant secretary, any financial services officer or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers, and also, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of such officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration.
“Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.5.
“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.7.
“Stated Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal or interest on such Security, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” means a corporation or other Person more than 50% of the outstanding voting stock or a majority of the controlling interest of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, “voting stock” means stock which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, managers, trustees or equivalent of such corporation, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee under this Indenture, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee”, as used with respect to the Securities of any series, shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.
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“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as in force at the date as of which this Indenture was executed; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as so amended.
“U.S. Government Obligation” has the meaning specified in Section 13.4.
“Vice President”, when used with respect to the Company, means any duly appointed vice president (but shall not include any assistant vice president), whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president”.
“Wholly Owned Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary all of whose outstanding voting stock (other than directors’ qualifying shares) shall at the time be owned by the Company or one or more of its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries.
Section 1.2 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application to or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust Indenture Act. Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of an Officer’s Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in this Indenture.
Every certificate or opinion (other than the Officer’s Certificate delivered under Section 10.4 of this Indenture) with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the related definitions;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 1.3 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
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Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which this certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give, or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions, or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Section 1.4 Acts of Holders; Record Dates.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver, or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is expressly required by this Indenture, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied in and evidenced by such instrument or instruments) are sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 6.1) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Holder, including a Depositary that is a Holder of a Global Security, may make, give, or take, by a proxy or proxies, duly appointed in writing, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver, or other action provided or permitted in this Indenture to be made, given, or taken by Holders, and a Depositary that is a Holder of a Global Security may provide its proxy or proxies to the beneficial owners of interest in any such Global Security.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument, writing, certification or proxy may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument, writing, certification or proxy acknowledged to him its execution. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument, writing, certification or proxy, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.
(c) The Company may, in the circumstances permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, fix any day as the record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Securities of any series entitled to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver, or other action, or to vote on any action, authorized, or permitted to be given or taken by Holders of Securities of such series. If not set by the Company prior to the first solicitation of a Holder of Securities of such series made by any Person in respect of any such action, or, in the case of any such vote, prior to such vote, the record date for any such action or vote shall be the 30th day (or, if later, the date of the most recent list of Holders required to be provided pursuant to Section 7.1) prior to such first solicitation or vote, as the case may be. With regard to any record date for action to be taken by the Holders of one or more series of Securities, only the Holders of Securities of such series on such date (or their duly designated proxies) shall be entitled to give, take, or vote on the relevant action.
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(d) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.
(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver, or other Act of the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer of, in exchange for, or in lieu of such Security in respect of anything done, omitted, or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance on such action, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
(f) Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled to give or take any action under this Indenture with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any different part of such principal amount.
Section 1.5 Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver, or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with:
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose under this Indenture if made, given, furnished, or filed in writing and delivered in person, mailed by first-class mail or sent by telecopier transmission or electronic mail (in pdf format) to or with the Trustee, as follows (or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Company by the Trustee):
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Global Corporate Trust,
1349 West Peachtree Street, Suite 1050,
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Fax: (404) 365-7946
Attention: April Bright
(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose under this Indenture (unless otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company, Attention: Corporate Secretary.
Section 1.6 Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any), prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
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In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose under this Indenture.
Section 1.7 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.
Section 1.8 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings in this Indenture and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of this Indenture.
Section 1.9 Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 1.10 Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired by such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision.
Section 1.11 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties to this Indenture and their successors under this Indenture, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 1.12 Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Section 1.13 Waiver of Jury Trial.
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
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Section 1.14 Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppage, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes, epidemics, pandemics, acts of God, acts or provisions of any present or future law or regulation or governmental authority, fire, communication line failures, earthquakes, civil unrest, local or national disturbance or disaster, and the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or facsimile or other wire or communication facility; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts that are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 1.15 Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities, other than a provision of the Securities of any series which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section) payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date, or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, provided that no interest shall accrue with respect to the payment due on such date for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, or Stated Maturity, as the case may be.
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ARTICLE
II
Security Forms
Section 2.1 Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series shall be in substantially such form (not inconsistent with this Indenture) as shall be established by or pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions or in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions, and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers, or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed on them as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary therefor or as may, consistently with this Indenture, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 3.3 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.
The definitive Securities, if any, shall be printed, lithographed, or engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
Section 2.2 Form of Legend for Global Securities.
Any Global Security authenticated and delivered under this Indenture shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture referred to in this Security and is registered in the name of a Depositary or its nominee. This Security may not be transferred to, or registered or exchanged for Securities registered in the name of, any Person other than the Depositary or its nominee or a successor of such Depositary or a nominee of such successor and no such transfer may be registered, except in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture. Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, this Security shall be a Global Security subject to the foregoing, except in such limited circumstances.”
Section 2.3 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| Dated: | U.S. Bank National Association, | |||
| Not in its individual capacity but solely as Trustee | ||||
| By: | ||||
| Authorized Officer | ||||
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ARTICLE
III
The Securities
Section 3.1 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series, and each such series shall rank pari passu with all other unsecured and unsubordinated debt of the Company. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and, subject to Section 3.3, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series,
(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from Securities of any other series);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 3.4, 3.5. 3.6, 9.6, or 11.7 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 3.3, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered under this Indenture);
(3) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be payable, if other than the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on Regular Record Date for such interest;
(4) the date or dates on which the principal (and premium, if any) of the Securities of the series is payable;
(5) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable, and the Regular Record Date for any interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;
(6) the place or places in addition to the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, where the principal of and any premium and interest on Securities of the series shall be payable;
(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company and, if other than by a Board Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to redeem the Securities shall be evidenced;
(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem, purchase, or repay Securities of the series pursuant to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund, or analogous provision or at the option of a Holder of the Security, and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed, purchased, or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
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(9) if other than denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples in excess of such denominations, the denominations in which Securities of the series shall be issuable;
(10) if the amount of payments of principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index or formula, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
(11) if other than the principal amount of the Securities of the series, the portion of the principal amount of Securities which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of its Maturity pursuant to Section 5.2;
(12) if the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of any Securities of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the Stated Maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the principal amount of such Securities as of any such date for any purpose under the Securities or this Indenture, including the principal amount which shall be due and payable upon any Maturity other than the Stated Maturity or which shall be deemed to be Outstanding as of any date prior to the Stated Maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount shall be determined);
(13) the application, if any, of either or both of Section 13.2 and Section 13.3 to the Securities of the series (including, in the case of Section 13.3, the covenants and any Events of Default not specified therein that are subject thereto) and, if other than by a Board Resolution, the manner in which any election pursuant to such Sections by the Company shall be evidenced;
(14) whether the Securities of the series shall be issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the Depositary or Depositaries for such Global Security or Global Securities (if other than The Depository Trust Company), and any circumstances other than those set forth in Section 3.5 in which any such Global Security may be transferred to, and registered and exchanged for, Securities registered in the name of, a Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or its nominee and in which any such transfer may be registered;
(15) any Authenticating Agents, Paying Agents, or any other agents with respect to the Securities of the series;
(16) any other covenant or warranty included for the benefit of Securities of the series in addition to (and not inconsistent with) those included in this Indenture for the benefit of Securities of all series, or any other covenant or warranty included for the benefit of Securities of the series in lieu of any covenant or warranty included in this Indenture for the benefit of Securities of all series (including any covenant contained in Article X), or any provision that any covenant or warranty included in this Indenture for the benefit of Securities of all series (including any covenant contained in Article X) shall not be for the benefit of Securities of such series, or any change to or combination of the provisions of any such covenant or warranty included in this Indenture for the benefit of Securities of all series (including any covenants contained in Article X) which applies to the Securities of such series;
(17) any addition to, deletion from, or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount of such Securities due and payable pursuant to Section 5.2; and
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(18) any other terms of the series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 9.1(5)).
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 3.3) set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officer’s Certificate referred to above or in any indenture supplemental to the Indenture.
Unless otherwise provided with respect to the Securities of any series, at the option of the Company, interest on the Securities of any series that bears interest may be paid by mailing a check to the address of the Person entitled to such interest as such address shall appear in the Security Register.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.
Section 3.2 Denominations.
The Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 3.1. In the absence of any such provisions with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiples of such denominations.
Section 3.3 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman, a Vice Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, or an Executive Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Chief Accounting Officer, the Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company. The signature of any of these officers of the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with the documents referred to below in this Section 3.3, for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver such Securities to or upon a Company Order or pursuant to such procedures acceptable to the Trustee and to such recipients as may be specified from time to time by a Company Order. If so provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution or supplemental indenture establishing the Securities of any series, the maturity date, original issue date, interest rate, and any other terms of any or all of the Securities of such series may be determined by or pursuant to such Company Order and procedures. If provided for in such procedures, such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to written instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent. In authenticating such Securities and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and (subject to Section 6.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, unless and until such documents have been superseded or revoked:
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(a) a Company Order requesting such authentication and setting forth delivery instructions if the Securities are not to be delivered to the Company, provided that, with respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, (i) such Company Order may be delivered by the Company to the Trustee at any time prior to the delivery to the Trustee of the Securities of such series for authentication and delivery, (ii) the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series for original issue from time to time, in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding the aggregate principal amount established for such series, pursuant to a Company Order or pursuant to such procedures acceptable to the Trustee as may be specified from time to time by a Company Order, and (iii) if so provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution or supplemental indenture establishing the Securities of such series, the maturity date, original issue date, interest rate, and any other terms of any or all of the Securities of such series may be determined by a Company Order or pursuant to such procedures;
(b) any Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate and/or executed supplemental indenture referred to in Sections 2.1 and 3.1 by or pursuant to which the forms and terms of the Securities of such series were established;
(c) an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the form or forms and the terms of the Securities of such series, stating that such form or forms and terms have been established pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 3.1 and comply with this Indenture, and covering such other matters as the Trustee may reasonably request; and
(d) an Opinion of Counsel, substantially to the effect that:
(1) the form of the Securities of such series has been duly authorized and established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) the terms of the Securities of such series (or the manner of determining such terms) have been established by or pursuant to Board Resolution, duly authorized and an Officer’s Certificate or a supplemental indenture in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(3) that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium, and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles.
If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties, or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.1 and of the preceding paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the above specified documents at or prior to the time of authentication of each Security of such series if such documents are delivered at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security of such series to be issued.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
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No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for in this Indenture executed by the Trustee by manual signature of an authorized signatory, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered under this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 3.9, for all purposes of this Indenture, such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered under this Indenture and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 3.4 Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed, or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions, and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for that series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor. Until so exchanged the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series and tenor.
Section 3.5 Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office or in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment may sometimes be collectively referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as provided in this Indenture.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and the
Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor.
At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
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All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 3.4, 9.6, or 11.7 not involving any transfer.
The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that series selected for redemption under Section 11.3 and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
Notwithstanding the foregoing and except as otherwise specified or contemplated by Section 3.1, if at any time the Depositary for the Securities of a series represented by a Global Security or Global Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for the Securities of such series or if at any time the Depositary for Securities of a series shall no longer be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act or other applicable statute or regulation, the Company shall appoint a successor Depositary with respect to the Securities of such series. If a successor Depositary for the Securities of such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon Company Request, will authenticate and deliver, Securities of such series in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Global Securities representing Securities of such series in exchange for such Global Security or Global Securities.
In the event that (i) the Company at any time and in its sole discretion determines that the Securities of any series issued in the form of one or more Global Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Global Securities or (ii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default or an event which, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon Company Request, will authenticate and deliver, Securities of such series in definitive form and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Global Securities representing such series in exchange for such Global Security or Global Securities.
Upon the occurrence in respect of any Global Security of any series of any one or more of the conditions specified in the preceding two paragraphs or such other conditions as may be specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for such series, such Global Security may be exchanged for Securities registered in the names of, and the transfer of such Global Security may be registered to, such Persons (including Persons other than the Depositary with respect to such series and its nominees) as such Depositary shall direct. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, any Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, any Global Security shall also be a Global Security and shall bear the legend specified in Section 2.2 except for any Security authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or upon registration of transfer of, a Global Security pursuant to the preceding sentence.
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None of the Trustee or agents shall have any responsibility, liability or obligation to any beneficial owner of a Global Security, a member of, or a participant in, the Depositary or other Person with respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depositary or its nominee or of any participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the Securities or with respect to the delivery to any participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary or its nominee) of any notice (including any notice of redemption) or the payment of any amount under or with respect to such Securities. All notices and communications to be given to the Holders and all payments to be made to Holders under the Securities shall be given or made only to or upon the order of the registered Holders (which shall be the Depositary or its nominee in the case of a Global Security). The rights of beneficial owners in any Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary subject to the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee and the agents may rely and shall be fully protected in relying upon information furnished by the Depositary with respect to its members, participants and any beneficial owners. The Company, the Trustee and the agents shall be entitled to deal with the Depositary, and any nominee thereof, that is the registered Holder of any Global Security for all purposes of this Indenture relating to such Global Security (including the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest and additional amounts, if any, and the giving of instructions or directions by or to the owner or Holder of a beneficial ownership interest in such Global Security) as the sole Holder of such Global Security and shall have no obligations to the beneficial owners thereof. None of the Company, the Trustee or any agent shall have any responsibility or liability for any acts or omissions of the Depositary with respect to such Global Security, for the records of any such Depositary, including records in respect of beneficial ownership interests in respect of any such Global Security, for any transactions between the Depositary and any participant or between or among the Depositary, any such participant and/or any Holder or owner of a beneficial interest in such Global Security, or for any transfers of beneficial interests in any such Global Security.
The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Security other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.
Section 3.6 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost, and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee and there is delivered to the Company and the Trustee such security, indemnity or indemnity bond as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of them harmless, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss, or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost, or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
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In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company and the Trustee may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation to such issuance and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected with such issuance.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost, or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost, or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued under this Indenture.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen Securities.
Section 3.7 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (“Defaulted Interest”) shall cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as provided in this Clause. At such time the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the related Special Record Date to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of such series at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the related Special Record Date having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).
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(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
Section 3.8 Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.7) any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee, nor an agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
No holder of any beneficial interest in any Global Security registered in the name of a Depositary or its nominee shall have any rights under this Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and such Depositary or nominee, as the case may be, may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Indenture shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, or any agent of the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy, or other authorization furnished by a Depositary or its nominee pursuant to this Indenture. Further, none of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent, or any other agent of the Company or the Trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in any such Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
Section 3.9 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, conversion, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange, or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be promptly disposed of by the Trustee in accordance with its ordinary procedures.
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Section 3.10 Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Section 3.11 CUSIP Numbers.
The Company or its designee in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in “CUSIP” numbers.
ARTICLE IV
Satisfaction and Discharge
Section 4.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities expressly provided for in this Indenture), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(1) either:
(A) all Securities previously authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost, or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.6 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has previously been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 10.3) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(B) all such Securities not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,
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and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose cash or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof in an amount (without consideration of any reinvestment of interest) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not previously delivered to the Trustee for cancellation (other than Securities which have been destroyed, lost, or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.6), for principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable by the Company under this Indenture; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 6.7, the obligations (if any) of the Trustee to any Authenticating Agent under Section 6.14 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of Clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.2 and the last paragraph of Section 10.3 shall survive.
In the event there are Securities of two or more series under this Indenture, the Trustee shall be required to execute an instrument acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture only if requested to do so with respect to Securities of all series as to which it is Trustee and if the other conditions of such Securities are met. In the event there are two or more Trustees under this Indenture, then the effectiveness of any such instrument shall be conditioned upon receipt of such instruments from all such Trustees.
Section 4.2 Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.3, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.1 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled to such money, of the principal and any premium and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee.
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ARTICLE V
Remedies
Section 5.1 Events of Default.
“Events of Default”, wherever used in this Indenture with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default, whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree, or order of any court or any order, rule, or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(2) default in the payment of all or any part of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) the Securities of that series at its Maturity; or
(3) default in the deposit of any sinking fund or analogous payment, when and as due by the terms of the Securities of that series; or
(4) default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty which has expressly been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a series of Securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” under this Indenture; or
(5) the entry by a court or a governmental authority having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petitions seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company, under any applicable federal or state law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or substantially all of its assets, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Company, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or
(6) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or substantially all of its assets, or to an order for the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Company; or
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(7) any other Event of Default as provided in Section 3.1 with respect to Securities of that series.
Section 5.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default specified in Sections 5.1(1), (2) or (3), shall have occurred and be continuing with respect to the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, then and in each every such case, unless the principal of all of the Securities of such series shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Holders), may declare the entire principal of all the Securities of such series then Outstanding and the interest accrued on such Securities to become due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become immediately due and payable.
If an Event of Default specified in Sections 5.1(4) or 5.1(7) (if the Event of Default under either clause is with respect to less than all series of the Securities then Outstanding) shall have occurred and be continuing with respect to the Securities of one or more series, then, and in each and every such case, unless the principal of all of the Securities of such series shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all affected series (voting as one class), by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Holders), may declare the entire principal of all the Securities of all such affected series then Outstanding and the interest accrued on such Securities to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become immediately due and payable.
If an Event of Default described in Sections 5.1(4) or 5.1(7) (if the Event of Default under either Section is with respect to all series of Securities then Outstanding) shall have occurred and be continuing, then, in each and every such case, unless the principal of all the Securities of all series shall have already become due and payable, either the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of all the Securities then Outstanding (voting as one class), by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Holders), may declare the entire principal of all the Securities then Outstanding and interest accrued on such Securities, if any, to be due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become immediately due and payable.
If an Event of Default specified in Sections 5.1(5) or 5.1(6) with respect to Securities of any series then Outstanding shall have occurred and be continuing, then, in each and every such case, the principal amount and interest, if any, on all of the Securities of all series then Outstanding shall become immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holders.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of one or more series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as provided for below in this Article, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all affected series (voting as one class, except in the case of Events of Default described in subsections (1), (2) and (3) of Section 5.1, as to which each series so affected will vote as a separate class), by written notice to the Company and the Trustee may waive all defaults with respect to all affected series, and may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay (A) all overdue interest on all Securities of all affected series, (B) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Securities of all affected series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest on such Securities at the rate or rates prescribed in such Securities, (C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed in such Securities, and (D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee under this Indenture and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements, and advances of the Trustee, its agents, and counsel; and
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(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of all affected series, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities of the affected series which has become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any consequent right.
For all purposes under this Indenture, if a portion of the principal of any Original Issue Discount Securities shall have been accelerated and declared due and payable pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, then, from and after such declaration, unless such declaration has been rescinded and annulled as provided above, the principal amount of such Original Issue Discount Securities shall be deemed, for all purposes under this Indenture, to be such portion of the principal as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, and the payment of such portion of the principal as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, together with interest, if any, on such portion and all other amounts owing under such Original Issue Discount Security, shall constitute payment in full of such Original Issue Discount Securities.
Section 5.3 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if:
(1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days,
(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security at its Maturity, or
(3) default is made in the making or satisfaction of any sinking fund or analogous obligation when the same becomes due pursuant to the terms of any Security,
the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and any premium and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed in such Securities, and, in addition, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements, advances and any other amounts due the Trustee, its agents, and counsel under Section 6.7.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts immediately upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
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If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 5.4 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), its property, or its creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities of any series shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal (and premium, if any) or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise, to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such proceeding. In particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator, or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements, and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.7.
No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided, however, the Trustee may vote on behalf of the Holders for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and may be a member of a creditors, or other similar committee.
Section 5.5 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production of such Securities in any related proceeding, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements, and advances of the Trustee, its agents, and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 5.6 Application of Money Collected.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or any premium or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation on such Securities of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender of such Securities if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.7; and
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and any premium and interest, respectively.
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Section 5.7 Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy under this Indenture, unless:
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee under the Indenture;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses, and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request, and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series;
it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb, or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner provided in this Indenture and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders (it being further understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any action the Holders direct it to take is unduly prejudicial to other Holders).
Section 5.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium, and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.7) any interest on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date), and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 5.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions under this Indenture and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
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Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 3.6, no right or remedy conferred in this Indenture upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given under this Indenture or now or in the future existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in any such Event of Default. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 5.12 Control by Holders.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method, and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such series, provided that
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction, and
(3) subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not joining in any such direction or would involve the Trustee in personal liability.
Section 5.13 Waiver of Past Defaults.
Subject to Section 5.2, the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series waive any past default under this Indenture with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default (1) in the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of such series, or (2) in respect of a covenant or provision of this Indenture which under Article IX of this Indenture cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such affected series.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising from such default shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any consequent right.
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Section 5.14 Undertaking for Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Securities by his acceptance of such Securities shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered, or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section 5.14 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Securities on or after the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Securities (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date).
ARTICLE VI
The Trustee
Section 6.1 Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
The duties and responsibilities of the Trustee shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties under this Indenture, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it. Whether or not expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.
Section 6.2 Notice of Defaults.
If a default occurs under this Indenture with respect to Securities of any series, the Trustee shall give the Holders of Securities of such series notice of such default known to it as and to the extent provided by the Trust Indenture Act; provided, however, that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 5.1(4) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence; and, provided, further, that except in the case of default in the payment of the principal of or the interest on any of the Securities of such series, or in the payment of any sinking fund installment or analogous payment on such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors or trustees and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders of such series. For the purpose of this Section, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series. The Trustee shall not be deemed to know of any default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. For the purpose of this Section, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series.
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Section 6.3 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.1:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned in this Indenture shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering, or omitting any action under this Indenture, the Trustee (unless other evidence be specifically prescribed in this Indenture) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officer’s Certificate, an Opinion of Counsel, or both;
(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered, or omitted by it under this Indenture in good faith and in reliance on such advice or Opinion of Counsel;
(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses, and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness, or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records, and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney, at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers or perform any duties under this Indenture either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it;
(h) the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder;
(i) in the exercise of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, after an Event of Default, the Trustee shall use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs. No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability with respect to matters that are within the authority of the Trustee under this Indenture for its own negligent action, negligent failure to act or willful misconduct, except that:
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(1) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;
(2) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee under this Indenture;
(j) the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities unless either (1) with respect to any payment default, a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge of such default or Event of Default or (2) a written notice of such default or Event of Default shall have been given to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee by the Company or by any Holder of the Securities;
(k) the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties;
(l) the Trustee shall have no duty or obligation to monitor the Company’s compliance with the terms of this Indenture or to ascertain or inquire as to the observance, performance of any covenants, conditions or agreements of the Company except as expressly set forth in this Indenture;
(m) in no event shall the Trustee be liable to any Holder for punitive, special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action;
(n) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the names of the individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officer’s Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officer’s Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded; and
(o) the duties, responsibilities and obligations of the Trustee shall be limited to those expressly set forth herein, and no duties, responsibilities or obligations shall be inferred or implied against the Trustee, except pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 6.4 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.
The recitals contained in this Indenture and in the Securities, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds from such Securities.
Section 6.5 May Hold Securities.
The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar, or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 6.8 and 6.13, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar, or such other agent.
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Section 6.6 Money Held in Trust.
Money held by the Trustee in trust under this Indenture need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it under this Indenture except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.
Section 6.7 Compensation and Reimbursement.
The Company agrees:
(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation as shall be agreed in writing between the Company and the Trustee for all services rendered by it under this Indenture (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(2) except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements, and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement, or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or bad faith;
(3) to indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any and all loss, damage, claim, liability, action, suit, cost or expense of any kind and nature whatsoever incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts under this Indenture, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties under this Indenture;
(4) to secure the Company’s obligations under this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon all money or property held or collected by the Trustee in its capacity as Trustee, except for such money and property which is held in trust to pay principal (and premium, if any) or interest on particular Securities;
(5) when the Trustee incurs any expenses or renders any services after the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(5) or (6), such expenses and the compensation for such services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors; and
(6) the provisions of this Section 6.7 shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the termination of this Indenture.
Section 6.8 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. To the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest by virtue of being a trustee under this Indenture with respect to Securities of more than one series.
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Section 6.9 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee under this Indenture which shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act to act as such and has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section (and to the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act), the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article.
Section 6.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice of such resignation to the Company.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time upon ten days’ written notice with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 6.8 after written request for such compliance by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.9 and shall fail to resign after written request by the Company or by any such Holder, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation, or liquidation,
then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (ii) subject to Section 5.14, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.
(e) If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 6.11 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation or removal, the Trustee resigning or being removed may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
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(f) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed, or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11. If, within one year after such resignation, removal, or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, immediately upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 6.11, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
(g) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in the Securities Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.
Section 6.11 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment of a successor Trustee under this Indenture with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge, and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment. Upon such delivery, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed, or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts, and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers, and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer, and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee under this Indenture.
(b) In case of the appointment under this Indenture of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee, and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver a supplemental indenture wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts, and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to the Securities of all series, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts, and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts under this Indenture by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing in this Indenture or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees cotrustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts under this Indenture separate and apart from any trust or trusts under this Indenture administered by any other such Trustee; and, upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided in such supplemental indenture and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed, or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts, and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; and such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer, and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.
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(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers, and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) and (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.
Section 6.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation, or Succession to Business.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion, or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee under this Indenture, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties to this Indenture. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion, or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
Section 6.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).
Section 6.14 Appointment of Authenticating Agent.
The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents (which may be an affiliate of the Company) with respect to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer, or partial redemption or conversion, or pursuant to Section 3.6, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any of its states, or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.
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Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion, or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall mail written notice of such appointment by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment under this Indenture shall become vested with all the rights, powers, and duties of its predecessor, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.
The Company agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section.
If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed on it, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| As Authenticating Agent | ||
| By | ||
| Authorized Officer |
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ARTICLE
VII
Holder’s Lists and Reports by Trustee and Company
Section 7.1 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:
(a) semi-annually, not later than June 30 and December 31 in each year, a list for each series, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of Securities of such series as of the preceding June 15 or December 15, as the case may be, and
(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished;
provided, that if and so long as the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar for such series, such lists shall not be required to be furnished.
Section 7.2 Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.1 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 7.1 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(b) The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.3 Reports by Trustee.
(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act. To the extent that any such report is required by the Trust Indenture Act with respect to any 12-month period, such report shall cover the 12-month period ending May 15 and shall be transmitted (in accordance with the Trust Indenture Act) by the next succeeding July 15.
(b) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon which any Securities are listed, with the Commission, and with the Company. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee when any Securities are listed on any stock exchange.
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Section 7.4 Reports by Company.
The Company shall file with the Trustee and the Commission, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents, and other reports, and such summaries, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to such Trust Indenture Act; provided that any such information, documents, or reports required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is so required to be filed with the Commission.
Delivery of such reports, information, and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not imply a duty to review and shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee shall be entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).
ARTICLE
VIII
Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance, Transfer or Lease
Section 8.1 Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company and the Company’s depository institution subsidiary, the Bank, shall not, directly or indirectly, sell, or otherwise dispose of any shares of securities convertible into, or options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or purchase shares of, voting stock of the Bank, nor will the Company permit the Bank to issue such securities of the Bank, if in ease case, the Company would cease to own, directly or indirectly, at least 80% of the issued and outstanding voting stock of the Bank, unless:
(1) in case the Company shall consolidate with or merge into another Person or convey, transfer, or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation, shall be organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America, any of its states or the District of Columbia, and shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on all the Securities and the performance or observance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the Company or a Subsidiary as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by the Company or such Subsidiary at the time of such transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer, or lease and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent in this Indenture provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
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Section 8.2 Successor Substituted.
Upon any consolidation of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, any other Person or any conveyance, transfer, or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 8.1, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer, or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company in this Indenture, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor Person shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
ARTICLE
IX
Supplemental Indentures
Section 9.1 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more supplemental indentures, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company in this Indenture and in the Securities; or
(2) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power conferred in this Indenture upon the Company; or
(3) to add any additional Events of Default for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such additional Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such additional Events of Default are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series); or
(4) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form; or
(5) to add to, change, or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture in respect of one or more series of Securities, provided that any such addition, change, or elimination (i) shall neither (A) apply to any Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (B) modify the rights of the Holder of any such Security with respect to such provision or (ii) shall become effective only when there is no such Security Outstanding; or
(6) to secure the Securities; or
(7) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.1 and 3.1; or
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(8) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under this Indenture by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts under this Indenture by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.11(b); or
(9) to comply with any requirements of the Commission in connection with qualifying this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act; or
(10) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision in this Indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision in this Indenture, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture, provided that such action pursuant to this clause (10) shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect.
Section 9.2 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture, by Act of such Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture or indentures for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to this Section 9.2 shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected by such supplemental indenture,
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or reduce its principal amount or rate of interest or any premium payable upon its redemption, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security or any other Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of its Maturity pursuant to Section 5.2, or adversely affect any right of repayment at the option of the Holder of any Security, or change any Place of Payment where any Security or any premium or interest is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after its Stated Maturity (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or
(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver of compliance with the provisions of or defaults under this Indenture and their consequences provided for in this Indenture, or
(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 5.13, or Section 10.8, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each affected Outstanding Security, provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Section 6.11(b) and 9.1(8).
A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
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It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance of such supplemental indenture.
Section 9.3 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive in addition to the documents required by Section 1.2, and (subject to Section 6.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel and an Officer’s Certificate each stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties, or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 9.4 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance with such supplemental indenture, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities previously or subsequently authenticated and delivered under this Indenture shall be bound by such supplemental indenture.
Section 9.5 Conformity With Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
Section 9.6 Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.
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ARTICLE
X
Covenants
Section 10.1 Payment of Principal, Premium, and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of that series in accordance with the terms of the Securities and this Indenture.
Section 10.2 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with its address, such presentations, surrenders, notices, and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices, and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
Section 10.3 Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any of the Securities of that series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium, or interest a sum sufficient to pay the principal and any premium and interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as provided in this Indenture and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount, such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of its action or failure to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will (i) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent and (ii) during the continuance of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series) in the making of any payment in respect of the Securities of that series, and upon the written request of the Trustee, immediately pay to the Trustee all sums held in trust by such Paying Agent for payment in respect of the Securities of that series.
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The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall (unless otherwise required by mandatory provision of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law) be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee, shall cease at such time; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified in such notice, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
Section 10.4 Statement by Officers as to Default.
The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date of this Indenture, an Officer’s Certificate (one of the signers of which shall be the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, or principal accounting officer of the Company), stating whether or not, to the best knowledge of the signers, the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions, and conditions of this Indenture (without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture) and, if the Company shall be in default, specifying all such defaults and their nature and status of which they may have knowledge. The Company will deliver to the Trustee written notice of the occurrence of any Event of Default within ten Business Days of the Company becoming aware of any such Event of Default.
Section 10.5 Existence.
Subject to Article VIII, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence, rights (charter and statutory), and franchises; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise if the Board of Directors shall determine that its preservation is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that its loss is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.
Section 10.6 Calculation of Original Issue Discount.
If the Company has Outstanding any Original Issue Discount Securities, the Company shall file with the Trustee within a reasonable time after the end of each calendar year a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on Outstanding Securities as of the end of such year.
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ARTICLE
XI
Redemption of Securities
Section 11.1 Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article.
Section 11.2 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for such Securities. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company, the Company shall, at least 60 calendar days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel evidencing compliance with such restriction.
Section 11.3 Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed (unless all of the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed or such series is comprised of a single Security), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption, pro rata, or in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary, which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or any integral multiple of such denomination) of the principal amount of Securities of such series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series. If less than all of the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed (unless such series is comprised of a single Security), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary from the Outstanding Securities of such series and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount to be redeemed. The provisions of the preceding paragraph and this paragraph shall not apply with respect to the redemption of a series of Securities comprised of a single Security, whether such Security is to be redeemed in whole or in part. In the case of any such redemption in part, the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of the Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) of such Security.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.
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Section 11.4 Notice of Redemption.
The Company shall send, or cause to be sent, notices of redemption at least 30 days but not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at such Holder’s registered address or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary.
All notices of redemption shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date,
(2) the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any,
(3) the manner in which the Redemption Price was calculated,
(4) if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed, and that on or after the date fixed for redemption, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities of such series in authorized denominations for an aggregate principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion will be issued,
(5) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any, will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest on such Security will cease to accrue on and after such date,
(6) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any,
(7) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case, and
(8) the CUSIP numbers, if any, of the Securities to be redeemed.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company and shall not be irrevocable.
Section 11.5 Deposit of Redemption Price.
Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Redemption Date specified in the notice of redemption given as provided in Section 11.4, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 10.3) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.
Section 11.6 Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given in accordance with this Indenture, the Securities to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price specified in the notice, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with such notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1, installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 3.7.
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If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed in the Security.
Section 11.7 Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a Place of Payment (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series and of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE XII
Sinking Funds
Section 12.1 Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is referred to in this Indenture as a “mandatory sinking fund payment”, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is referred to in this Indenture as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 12.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.
Section 12.2 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (1) may deliver Securities of a series (other than any previously called for redemption) and (2) may apply as a credit Securities of a series which previously have been redeemed by the Company either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, or have been otherwise acquired by the Company as permitted by such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series; provided that such Securities to be so credited have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
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Section 12.3 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 90 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 12.2 and the basis for such credit and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Such Officer’s Certificate shall be irrevocable and upon its delivery the Company shall be obligated to make the cash payment or payments therein referred to, if any, on or before the succeeding sinking fund payment date. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.3 and cause notice of redemption to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 11.4. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 11.6 and 11.7. On or before each sinking fund payment date, the Company shall pay to the Trustee (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, the Company shall segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 10.3) in cash a sum in the currency in which Securities of such series are payable (except as provided pursuant to Section 3.1) equal to the principal (and premium, if any) and any interest accrued to the Redemption Date for Securities or portions thereof to be redeemed on such sinking fund payment date pursuant to this Section.
ARTICLE XIII
Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
Section 13.1 Applicability of Article; Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
If, pursuant to Section 3.1, provision is made for either or both of (a) Defeasance of the Securities of a series under Section 13.2 or (b) Covenant Defeasance of the Securities of a series under Section 13.3, then the provisions of such Section or Sections, as the case may be, together with the other provisions of this Article XIII, shall be applicable to the Securities of such series, and the Company may at its option by Board Resolution or in any other manner specified as contemplated by Section 3.1, at any time, with respect to the Securities of such series, elect to have either Section 13.2 (if applicable) or Section 13.3 (if applicable) be applied to the Outstanding Securities of such series upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII.
Section 13.2 Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company’s exercise of the above option applicable to this Section, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series on and after the date the conditions precedent set forth below are satisfied (“Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Outstanding Securities of such series and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture, insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged under this Indenture: (A) the rights of Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 13.4 as more fully set forth in such Section, payments of the principal of (any premium, if any) and interest on such Securities when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 6.7, 10.2, and 10.3, and such ancillary obligations, (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties, immunities, and other provisions in respect of the Trustee under this Indenture, and (D) this Article XIII. Subject to compliance with this Article XIII, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 13.2 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 13.3 with respect to the Securities of such series. Following a Defeasance, payment of the Securities of such series may not be accelerated because of an Event of Default.
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Section 13.3 Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company’s exercise of the above option applicable to this Section and after the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (“Covenant Defeasance”), (1) the Company shall be released from its obligations under any covenant applicable to such Securities that is determined pursuant to Section 3.1 to be subject to this provision, and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Section 5.1(4) (with respect to any Section applicable to such Securities that are specified pursuant to Section 3.1 as being subject to this provision), Section 5.1(5) or (6) or determined pursuant to Section 3.1 to be subject to this provision shall not be deemed to be or result in an Event of Default. For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition, or limitation set forth in any such Section or Article whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere in this Indenture to any such Section or Article or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision in this Indenture or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected by such Covenant Defeasance.
Section 13.4 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions precedent to application of either Section 13.2 or Section 13.3 to the Outstanding Securities of such series:
(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee which satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 6.9 and agrees to comply with the provisions of the Indenture applicable to it as if it were the Trustee under this Indenture), as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination of such money and U.S. Government Obligations, in each case sufficient, without reinvestment, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee as previously provided) to pay and discharge, the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Outstanding Securities of such series on the Maturity of such principal, any premium or interest, and any mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments applicable to the Outstanding Securities of such series on their due dates. Before such a deposit, the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities at a future date or dates in accordance with Article XI, which shall be given effect in applying the foregoing provisions. For this purpose, “U.S. Government Obligations” means securities that are (x) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged, or (y) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal of or interest on the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
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(2) No Event of Default or event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series shall have occurred and be continuing (A) on the date of such deposit or (B) insofar as subsections 5.1(5) and (6) are concerned, at any time during the period ending on the 120th day after the date of such deposit or, if longer, ending on the day following the expiration of the longest preference period applicable to the Company under federal or state law in respect of such deposit (it being understood that the condition in this clause (B) shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).
(3) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not (A) cause the Trustee for the Securities of such series to have a conflicting interest as defined in Section 6.8 or for purposes of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to any Securities of the Company or (B) result in the trust arising from such deposit to constitute, unless it is qualified as, a regulated investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(4) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.
(5) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not cause any Securities of such series then listed on any registered national securities exchange under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to be delisted.
(6) In the case of an election under Section 13.2, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (x) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (y) since the date of this Indenture there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based on such ruling or change such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain, or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner, and at the same times as would have been the case if such Defeasance had not occurred.
(7) In the case of an election under Section 13.3, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain, or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner, and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred.
(8) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (subject to customary qualifications and assumptions) after the period described in Section 13.4(2), the trust funds will not be subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally.
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(9) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall be effected in compliance with any additional terms, conditions, or limitations which may be imposed on the Company in connection with such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance pursuant to Section 3.1.
(10) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to either the Defeasance under Section 13.2 or the Covenant Defeasance under Section 13.3 (as the case may be) have been complied with.
Section 13.5 Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.3, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including any proceeds) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 13.6, the Trustee and any such other qualifying trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 13.4 in respect of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (but not including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due on such Securities in respect of principal (and premium, if any) and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee, or other charge imposed on or assessed against the money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 13.4 or the principal and interest received in respect of such money or U.S. Government Obligations other than any such tax, fee, or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.
Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 13.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount which would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
Section 13.6 Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with Section 13.5 by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining, or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under the Securities of such series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article XIII until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money and U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with Section 13.5; provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any such Security following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be entitled, at its election, (a) to receive from the Trustee or Paying Agent, as applicable, that portion of such money or U.S. Government Obligations equal to the amount of such payment, or (b) to be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money and U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or the Paying Agent.
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Section 13.7 Counterparts; Electronic Signatures.
This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. All notices, approvals, consents, requests and any communications hereunder must be in writing (provided that any communication sent to the Trustee hereunder must be in the form of a document that is signed manually or by way of a digital signature provided by DocuSign (or such other digital signature provider as specified in writing to the Trustee by the authorized representative), in English. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of using digital signatures and electronic methods to submit communications to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.
Section 13.8 Section 13.7.U.S.A. Patriot Act.
In order to comply with the laws, rules, regulations and executive orders in effect from time to time applicable to banking institutions, including, without limitation, those relating to the funding of terrorist activities and money laundering, including Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act of the United States (“Applicable AML Law”), the Trustee is required to obtain, verify, record and update certain information relating to individuals and entities which maintain a business relationship with the Trustee. Accordingly, the Company agrees to provide to the Trustee, upon the Trustee’s request from time to time, such identifying information and documentation as may be available for the Company in order to enable the Trustee to comply with Applicable AML Law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Jefferson L. Harralson | |
| Name: Jefferson L. Harralson | ||
| Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
| U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
| By: | /s/ April Bright | |
| Name: April Bright | ||
| Title: Assistant Vice President | ||
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Exhibit 4.2
UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC., ISSUER
and
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
As Trustee, Paying Agent and Security Registrar
FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Dated as of June 17, 2020
| Table of Contents | |||
| Page | |||
| Article 1 DEFINITIONS | 1 | ||
| Section 1.01 | Relation to Base Indenture | 1 | |
| Section 1.02 | Definition of Terms | 1 | |
| Article 2 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES | 6 | ||
| Section 2.01 | Designation and Principal Amount | 6 | |
| Section 2.02 | Maturity | 6 | |
| Section 2.03 | Form, Payment and Appointment | 6 | |
| Section 2.04 | Global Note | 7 | |
| Section 2.05 | Interest | 7 | |
| Section 2.06 | Redemption | 10 | |
| Section 2.07 | No Sinking Fund | 11 | |
| Section 2.08 | Payment of the Notes | 11 | |
| Article 3 CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER, OR LEASE | 11 | ||
| Section 3.01 | Merger | 11 | |
| Section 3.02 | Sale or Issuance of Capital Stock of Principal Subsidiary Bank | 11 | |
| Article 4 EVENTS OF DEFAULT | 12 | ||
| Section 4.01 | Appointment of a Receiver | 12 | |
| Article 5 CERTAIN COVENANTS | 12 | ||
| Section 5.01 | Existence | 12 | |
| Article 6 FORM OF NOTES | 12 | ||
| Section 6.01 | Form of Notes | 12 | |
| Article 7 ISSUE OF NOTES | 13 | ||
| Section 7.01 | Original Issue of Notes | 13 | |
| Section 7.02 | Further Issues of Notes | 13 | |
Article 8 IMMUNITY OF STOCKHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS |
13 | ||
| Section 8.01 | Indenture and Notes Solely Corporate Obligations | 13 | |
| Article 8 MISCELLANEOUS | 13 | ||
| Section 9.01 | Ratification of Indenture | 13 | |
| Section 9.02 | Conflict | 13 | |
| Section 9.03 | Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals | 13 | |
| Section 9.04 | New York Law to Govern | 13 | |
| Section 9.05 | Separability | 14 | |
| Section 9.06 | Additional Trustee Provisions | 14 | |
| Section 9.07 | Counterparts | 15 | |
| Section 9.08 | Electronic Signatures | 15 | |
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THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “First Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of June 17, 2020, is between UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC., a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking corporation, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered a Senior Debt Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), providing for the issuance from time to time of series of the Company’s senior notes;
WHEREAS, Section 9.2 of the Base Indenture provides for the Company and the Trustee to enter into an indenture supplemental to the Base Indenture to establish the forms or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Section 2.1 and Section 3.1 of the Base Indenture;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3.1 of the Base Indenture, the Company wishes to provide for the issuance of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of a new series of Securities to be known as its 5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”), the form and terms of such Notes and the terms, provisions and conditions thereof to be set forth as provided in this First Supplemental Indenture; and
WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this First Supplemental Indenture and all requirements necessary to make this First Supplemental Indenture a valid, binding and enforceable instrument in accordance with its terms, and to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company and the execution and delivery of this First Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized in all respects.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
Article
1
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01 Relation to Base Indenture. This First Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of the Base Indenture.
Section 1.02 Definition of Terms. For all purposes of this First Supplemental Indenture:
| (a) | capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings set forth in the Base Indenture; |
| (b) | a term defined anywhere in this First Supplemental Indenture shall have same meaning throughout; |
| (c) | the singular includes the plural and vice versa; |
| (d) | headings are for convenience of reference only and do not affect interpretation; |
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| (e) | unless otherwise specified or unless the context requires otherwise, (i) all references in this First Supplemental Indenture to Sections refer to the corresponding Sections of this First Supplemental Indenture and (ii) the terms “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and any other word of similar import refer to this First Supplemental Indenture; and |
| (f) | the following terms have the meanings given to them in this Section 1.02(f): |
“Benchmark” means, initially, Three-Month Term SOFR; provided that if the Calculation Agent determines on or prior to the Reference Time that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR or the then-current Benchmark, then “Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement.
“Benchmark Replacement” means the Interpolated Benchmark with respect to the then-current Benchmark, plus the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment for such Benchmark; provided that if (i) the Calculation Agent cannot determine the Interpolated Benchmark as of the Benchmark Replacement Date or (ii) the then-current Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR and a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR (in which event no Interpolated Benchmark with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR shall be determined), then
“Benchmark Replacement” means the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the Benchmark Replacement Date:
(1) Compounded SOFR;
(2) the sum of: (A) the alternate rate that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor and (B) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;
(3) the sum of: (A) the ISDA Fallback Rate, and (B) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment; or
(4) the sum of: (A) the alternate rate that has been selected by the Calculation Agent as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor, giving due consideration to any industry-accepted rate as a replacement for the then-current Benchmark for U.S. dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time, and (B) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
“Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the Benchmark Replacement Date:
(1) the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero), that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement;
(2) if the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement is equivalent to the ISDA Fallback Rate, then the ISDA Fallback Adjustment; or
(3) the spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by the Calculation Agent giving due consideration to any industry-accepted spread adjustment or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of the then-current Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for U.S. dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time.
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“Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any Benchmark Replacement, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including changes to the definition of “interest period,” timing and frequency of determining rates with respect to each interest period and making payments of interest, rounding of amounts or tenors, and other administrative matters) that the Calculation Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption of such Benchmark Replacement in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Calculation Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Calculation Agent determines that no market practice for use of the Benchmark Replacement exists, in such other manner as the Calculation Agent determines is reasonably necessary).
“Benchmark Replacement Date” means the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:
(1) in the case of clause (1) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the relevant Reference Time in respect of any determination;
(2) in the case of clause (2) or (3) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of (a) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on which the administrator of the Benchmark permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide the Benchmark; or
(3) in the case of clause (4) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein.
For the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of the definitions of Benchmark Replacement Date and Benchmark Transition Event, references to the Benchmark also include any reference rate underlying the Benchmark (for example, if the Benchmark becomes Compounded SOFR, references to the Benchmark would include SOFR).
For the avoidance of doubt, if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination.
“Benchmark Transition Event” means the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:
(i) if the Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, (A) the Relevant Governmental Body has not selected or recommended a forward-looking term rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR, (B) the development of a forward-looking term rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR that has been recommended or selected by the Relevant Governmental Body is not complete or (C) the Company determines that the use of a forward-looking rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR is not administratively feasible;
(ii) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of the Benchmark announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide the Benchmark, permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide the Benchmark;
(iii) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark, the central bank for the currency of the Benchmark, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for the Benchmark, a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for the Benchmark or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for the Benchmark, which states that the administrator of the Benchmark has ceased or will cease to provide the Benchmark permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide the Benchmark; or
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(iv) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark announcing that the Benchmark is no longer representative.
“Business Day” means (i) each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close, or (ii) a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is not closed for business.
“Calculation Agent” means the agent appointed by the Company prior to the commencement of the Floating Rate Period (which may include the Company or any of its Affiliates) to act in accordance with Section 2.05.
“Compounded SOFR” means the compounded average of SOFRs for the applicable Corresponding Tenor, with the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate being established by the Calculation Agent in accordance with:
(i) the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for determining compounded SOFR; provided that:
(ii) if, and to the extent that, the Calculation Agent determines that Compounded SOFR cannot be determined in accordance with clause (i) above, then the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate that have been selected by the Calculation Agent giving due consideration to any industry-accepted market practice for U.S. dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time.
For the avoidance of doubt, the calculation of Compounded SOFR shall exclude the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment (if applicable) and the spread of 487 basis points per annum.
“Corresponding Tenor” with respect to a Benchmark Replacement means a tenor (including overnight) having approximately the same length (disregarding business day adjustment) as the applicable tenor for the then-current Benchmark.
“DTC” shall mean the Depository Trust Company.
“Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Website” means the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source.
“Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a).
“Fixed Rate Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a).
“Fixed Rate Regular Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a).
“Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(b).
“Floating Rate Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(b).
“Floating Rate Regular Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(b).
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“Global Note” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.04.
“Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(b).
“interest period” means the period from and including the immediately preceding Interest Payment Date in respect of which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid or duly provided for, from and including the Issue Date to, but excluding, the applicable Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date or date of earlier redemption, if applicable.
“Interpolated Benchmark” with respect to the Benchmark means the rate determined for the Corresponding Tenor by interpolating on a linear basis between: (i) the Benchmark for the longest period (for which the Benchmark is available) that is shorter than the Corresponding Tenor, and (ii) the Benchmark for the shortest period (for which the Benchmark is available) that is longer than the Corresponding Tenor.
“ISDA Definitions” means the 2006 ISDA Definitions published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. or any successor thereto, as amended or supplemented from time to time, or any successor definitional booklet for interest rate derivatives published from time to time.
“ISDA Fallback Adjustment” means the spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that would apply for derivatives transactions referencing the ISDA Definitions to be determined upon the occurrence of an index cessation event with respect to the Benchmark for the applicable tenor.
“ISDA Fallback Rate” means the rate that would apply for derivatives transactions referencing the ISDA Definitions to be effective upon the occurrence of an index cessation date with respect to the Benchmark for the applicable tenor excluding the applicable ISDA Fallback Adjustment.
“Issue Date” means June 17, 2020.
“Maturity Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02.
“Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.06(a).
“Reference Time” with respect to any determination of the Benchmark means (i) if the Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, the time determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, and (ii) if the Benchmark is not Three-Month Term SOFR, the time determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes.
“Relevant Governmental Body” means the Federal Reserve and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or any successor thereto.
“SOFR” means the secured overnight financing rate published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as the administrator of the Benchmark (or a successor administrator), on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s website.
“Term SOFR” means the forward-looking term rate based on SOFR that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body.
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“Term SOFR Administrator” means any entity designated by the Relevant Governmental Body as the administrator of Term SOFR (or a successor administrator).
“Three-Month Term SOFR” means the rate for Term SOFR for a tenor of three months that is published by the Term SOFR Administrator at the Reference Time for any interest period, as determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions. All percentages used in or resulting from any calculation of Three-Month Term SOFR shall be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one-hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005% rounded up to 0.00001%.
“Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions” means any determination, decision or election with respect to any technical, administrative or operational matter (including with respect to the manner and timing of the publication of Three-Month Term SOFR, or changes to the definition of “interest period,” timing and frequency of determining Three-Month Term SOFR with respect to each interest period and making payments of interest, rounding of amounts or tenors, and other administrative matters) that the Calculation Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the use of Three-Month Term SOFR as the Benchmark in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Calculation Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Calculation Agent determines that no market practice for the use of Three-Month Term SOFR exists, in such other manner as the Calculation Agent determines is reasonably necessary).
“Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the Benchmark Replacement excluding the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
The terms “Company,” “Trustee,” “Base Indenture,” and “Notes” shall have the respective meanings set forth in the recitals to this First Supplemental Indenture and the paragraph preceding such recitals.
Article
2
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES
Section 2.01 Designation and Principal Amount. The Notes may be issued from time to time upon written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of Notes pursuant to Section 3.3 of the Base Indenture. There is hereby authorized a series of Securities designated as the 5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Rate Notes due 2030 having an initial aggregate principal amount of $100,000,000.
Section 2.02 Maturity. The date upon which the Notes shall become due and payable at final maturity, together with any accrued and unpaid interest, is June 15, 2030 (the “Maturity Date”).
Section 2.03 Form, Payment and Appointment. Except as provided in the last four paragraphs of Section 3.5 of the Base Indenture, the Notes will be issued only in book-entry form. Principal of and interest on the Notes will be payable in global form registered in the name of or held by DTC or its nominee in immediately available funds to DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered holder of such Global Note (as hereinafter defined). The principal of any certificated Notes will be payable at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City, New York, which shall initially be the principal office of the Trustee in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York; provided, however, that payment of interest may be made at the option of the Company by check mailed to the Person entitled thereto at such address as shall appear in the Security Register or by wire transfer to an account appropriately designated by the Person entitled to payment; provided that the paying agent shall have received written notice of such account designation at least five Business Days prior to the date of such payment (subject to surrender of the relevant Note in the case of a payment of interest on the Maturity Date).
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The Company hereby appoints the Trustee to act as Security Registrar and Paying Agent for the Notes.
The Notes will be issuable and may be transferred only in denominations of $1,000 or any amount in excess thereof that is an integral multiple of $1,000. The specified currency of the Notes shall be U.S. Dollars.
Section 2.04 Global Note. The Notes shall be issued initially in the form of one or more fully registered global notes (each such global note, a “Global Note”) deposited with DTC or its designated custodian or such other Depositary as any officer of the Company may from time to time designate. Unless and until a Global Note is exchanged for Notes in certificated form, such Global Note may be transferred, in whole but not in part, and any payments on the Notes shall be made, only to DTC or a nominee of DTC, or to a successor Depositary selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.
Section 2.05 Interest.
| (a) | The Notes will bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.000% per annum from and including June 17, 2020 to, but excluding, June 15, 2025 (the “Fixed Rate Period”). Interest accrued on the Notes during the Fixed Rate Period will be payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on December 15, 2020 (each such date, a “Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date”). The last Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date shall be June 15, 2025. The interest payable during the Fixed Rate Period will be paid to each Holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date (each such date, a “Fixed Rate Regular Record Date”). |
| (b) | The Notes will bear a floating interest rate from, and including June 15, 2025, to, but excluding, the Maturity Date or earlier Redemption Date (the “Floating Rate Period”). The floating interest rate will be reset quarterly, and the interest rate for any Floating Rate Period shall be equal to the then-current Three-Month Term SOFR plus 487 basis points for each quarterly interest period during the Floating Rate Period. During the Floating Rate Period, interest on the Notes will be payable quarterly in arrears on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year commencing, on September 15, 2025 (each such date, a “Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” and, together with a Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date, an “Interest Payment Date”). The interest payable during the Floating Rate Period will be paid to each Holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable Floating Rate Interest Payment Date (each such date, a “Floating Rate Regular Record Date”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Three-Month Term SOFR (or other applicable Benchmark) is less than zero, then Three-Month Term SOFR (or other such Benchmark) shall be deemed to be zero. The Calculation Agent will provide the Company and the Trustee with the interest rate in effect on the Notes promptly after the Reference Time (or such other date of determination for the applicable Benchmark). |
| (c) | The amount of interest payable on any Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months to, but excluding, June 15, 2025, and, the amount of interest payable on any Floating Rate Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed. The Company or the Calculation Agent, as applicable, shall calculate the amount of interest payable on any Interest Payment Date, and the Trustee shall have no duty to confirm or verify any such calculation. In the event that any scheduled Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date for the Notes falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date or of principal and interest payable on the Maturity Date will be paid on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (any payment made on such date will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and no interest on such payment will accrue for the period from and after such scheduled Interest Payment Date); provided, that in the event that any scheduled Floating Rate Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day and the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Floating Rate Interest Payment Date will be accelerated to the immediately preceding Business Day, and, in each such case, the amounts payable on such Business Day will include interest accrued to, but excluding, such Business Day. Dollar amounts resulting from interest calculations will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward. |
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| (d) | The Company shall take such actions as are necessary to ensure that from the commencement of the Floating Rate Period for so long as any of the Notes remain outstanding there will at all times be a Calculation Agent appointed to calculate Three-Month Term SOFR in respect of each Floating Rate Period. The calculation of Three-Month Term SOFR for each applicable Floating Rate Period by the Calculation Agent will (in the absence of manifest error) be final and binding. The Calculation Agent’s determination of any interest rate and its calculation of interest payments for any period will be maintained on file at the Calculation Agent’s principal offices, will be made available to any Holder of the Notes upon request and will be provided to the Trustee. The Calculation Agent shall have all the rights, protections and indemnities afforded to the Trustee under the Base Indenture and hereunder. The Calculation Agent may be removed by the Company at any time. If the Calculation Agent is unable or unwilling to act as Calculation Agent or is removed by the Company, the Company will promptly appoint a replacement Calculation Agent. The Calculation Agent may not resign its duties without a successor having been duly appointed; provided, that if a successor Calculation Agent has not been appointed by the Company and such successor accepted such position within 30 days after the giving of notice of resignation by the Calculation Agent, then the resigning Calculation Agent may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Calculation Agent with respect to such series. The Trustee shall not be under any duty to succeed to, assume or otherwise perform, any duties of the Calculation Agent, or to appoint a successor or replacement in the event of the Calculation Agent’s resignation or removal or to replace the Calculation Agent in the event of a default, breach or failure of performance on the part of the Calculation Agent with respect to the Calculation Agent’s duties and obligations hereunder. For the avoidance of doubt, if at any time there is no Calculation Agent appointed by the Company, then the Company shall be the Calculation Agent. The Company may appoint itself or any of its Affiliates to be the Calculation Agent. |
| (e) | Effect of Benchmark Transition Event. |
| (i) | If the Calculation Agent determines that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred on or prior to the Reference Time in respect of any determination of the Benchmark on any date, then the Benchmark Replacement will replace the then-current Benchmark for all purposes relating to the Notes during the Floating Rate Period in respect of such determination on such date and all determinations on all subsequent dates. In connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement, the Calculation Agent will have the right to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time. |
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| (ii) | Notwithstanding anything set forth in Section 2.05(b) above, if the Calculation Agent determines on or prior to the relevant Reference Time that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR, then the provisions set forth in this Section 2.05(e) will thereafter apply to all determinations of the interest rate on the Notes during the Floating Rate Period. After a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred, the interest rate on the Notes for each interest period during the Floating Rate Period will be an annual rate equal to the Benchmark Replacement plus 487 basis points. |
| (iii) | The Calculation Agent is expressly authorized to make certain determinations, decisions and elections under the terms of the Notes, including with respect to the use of Three-Month Term SOFR as the Benchmark and under this Section 2.05(e). Any determination, decision or election that may be made by the Calculation Agent under the terms of the Notes, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or selection (A) will be conclusive and binding on the Holders of the Notes and the Trustee absent manifest error, (B) if made by the Company as Calculation Agent, will be made in the Company’s sole discretion, (C) if made by a Calculation Agent other than the Company, will be made after consultation with the Company, and the Calculation Agent will not make any such determination, decision or election to which the Company reasonably objects and (D) notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in the Base Indenture, shall become effective without consent from the Holders of the Notes, the Trustee or any other party. If the Calculation Agent fails to make any determination, decision or election that it is required to make under the terms of the Notes, then the Company will make such determination, decision or election on the same basis as described above. |
| (iv) | The Company (or its Calculation Agent) shall notify the Trustee in writing (A) upon the occurrence of the Benchmark Transition Event or the Benchmark Replacement Date, and (B) of any Benchmark Replacements, Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes and other items affecting the interest rate on the Notes after a Benchmark Transition Event. |
| (v) | The Trustee (including in its capacity as Paying Agent) shall have no (A) responsibility or liability for the (1) Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, (2) selection of an alternative reference rate to Three-Month Term SOFR (including, without limitation, whether the conditions for the designation of such rate have been satisfied or whether such rate is a Benchmark Replacement or an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement), (3) determination or calculation of a Benchmark Replacement, or (4) determination of whether a Benchmark Transition Event or Benchmark Replacement Date has occurred, and in each such case under clauses (1) through (4) above shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon the selection, determination, and/or calculation thereof as provided by the Company or its Calculation Agent, as applicable, and (B) liability for any failure or delay in performing its duties hereunder as a result of the unavailability of a Benchmark rate as described in the definition thereof, including, without limitation, as a result of the Company’s or Calculation Agent’s failure to select a Benchmark Replacement or the Calculation Agent’s failure to calculate a Benchmark. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely conclusively on all notices from the Company or its Calculation Agent regarding any Benchmark or Benchmark Replacement, including, without limitation, in regards to Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, a Benchmark Transition Event, Benchmark Replacement Date, and Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes. The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for the actions or omissions of the Calculation Agent, or any failure or delay in the performance of the Calculation Agent’s duties or obligations, nor shall it be under any obligation to monitor or oversee the performance of the Calculation Agent. The Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely on any determination made, and any instruction, notice, Officers’ Certificate or other instruction or information provided by the Calculation Agent without independent verification, investigation or inquiry of any kind. The Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any amendment or supplement hereto that adversely impacts its rights, duties, obligations, immunities or liabilities (including, without limitation, in connection with the adoption of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes). |
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| (vi) | If the then-current Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, the Calculation Agent will have the right to establish the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, and if any of the foregoing provisions concerning the calculation of the interest rate and the payment of interest during the Floating Rate Period are inconsistent with any of the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions determined by the Calculation Agent, then the relevant Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions will apply |
Section 2.06 Redemption.
| (a) | The Notes shall be redeemable, in each case, in whole or in part from time to time, at the option of the Company beginning with the Interest Payment Date on June 15, 2025, but not prior thereto, and on any Interest Payment Date thereafter (each a “Redemption Date”). The Notes may not otherwise be redeemed prior to the Maturity Date. Any such redemption will be at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus (ii) accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date. |
| (b) | The provisions of Article XI of the Base Indenture shall apply to any redemption of the Notes pursuant to this Section 2.06. In the case of any partial redemption, the Trustee will select the particular Notes to be redeemed in such manner that complies with applicable legal and securities exchange requirements, if any, and that it deems appropriate and fair; provided that, if the Notes to be redeemed are represented by one or more Global Securities, any partial redemption will be made in accordance with DTC’s applicable procedures among all of the Holders of the Notes. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption relating to such Note shall state that it is a partial redemption and the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed, and a replacement Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Note. The Notes are not subject to redemption or prepayment at the option of the Holders. |
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| (c) | Any notice of redemption may be conditional in the Company’s discretion on one or more conditions precedent, and the Redemption Date may be delayed until such time as any or all of such conditions have been satisfied or revoked by the Company if it determines that such conditions will not be satisfied. |
Section 2.07 No Sinking Fund. The Notes are not entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund.
Section 2.08 Payment of the Notes. Not later than 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on each due date of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on any Notes, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money in immediately available funds sufficient to pay such principal, redemption payments, premium, if any, and interest so becoming due. All the payments must be in U.S. Dollars.
Article
3
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER, OR LEASE
Section 3.01 Merger. In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 8.1 of the Base Indenture, the Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or convey, transfer, or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, and the Company shall not permit any Person to consolidate with or merge into the Company or convey, transfer, or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to the Company if, as a result of any such consolidation or merger or such conveyance, transfer or lease, properties or assets of the Company would become subject to a mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or other encumbrance which would not be permitted by this Indenture, unless the Company or such successor Person, as the case may be, shall take such steps as shall be necessary effectively to secure the Securities equally and ratably with (or prior to) all indebtedness secured thereby.
Section 3.02 Sale or Issuance of Capital Stock of Principal Subsidiary Bank. Except as otherwise provided herein or in Article VIII of the Base Indenture, the Company shall not, directly or indirectly: (a) sell, assign, pledge, transfer or otherwise dispose of, or permit to be issued, any shares of Capital Stock (as defined herein) of a Principal Subsidiary Bank (as defined herein) or any securities convertible into or rights to subscribe to such Capital Stock, unless, after giving effect to (i) such sale, pledge, assignment, transfer, disposition or issuance, and (ii) the conversion of such securities into, or exercise of such rights with respect to, such Capital Stock, the Company will own, directly or indirectly, at least 80% of the outstanding shares of Capital Stock of each class of Capital Stock of such Principal Subsidiary Bank; or (b) pay any dividend in Capital Stock of a Principal Subsidiary Bank or make any other distribution in Capital Stock of a Principal Subsidiary Bank, unless the Principal Subsidiary Bank to which the transaction relates, after obtaining any necessary regulatory approvals, unconditionally guarantees payment of the principal and any premium and interest on the Securities; provided, however, the foregoing shall not prohibit any of the following: (1) any dispositions made by the Company or any Principal Subsidiary Bank of the Company (A) acting in a fiduciary capacity for any Person other than the Company or any Principal Subsidiary Bank of the Company or (B) to the Company or any Wholly Owned Subsidiary; (2) the merger or consolidation of a Principal Subsidiary Bank with and into another Principal Subsidiary Bank; (3) the sale, assignment, pledge, transfer or other dispositions of shares of Voting Stock of a Principal Subsidiary Bank made by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company if: (A) the sale, assignment, pledge, transfer or other disposition is made, in the minimum amount required by law, to any Person for the purpose of the qualification of such Person to serve as a director; or (B) the sale, assignment, pledge, transfer or other disposition is made in compliance with an order of a court or regulatory authority of competent jurisdiction or as a condition imposed by any such court or regulatory authority to the acquisition by the Company or any Principal Subsidiary Bank of the Company, directly or indirectly, of any other Person; or (C) the sale, assignment, pledge, transfer or other disposition of Voting Stock or any other securities convertible into or rights to subscribe to Voting Stock of a Principal Subsidiary Bank, so long as: (i) any such transaction is made for fair market value as determined by the Board of Directors or the board of directors of the Principal Subsidiary Bank of the Company disposing of such Voting Stock or other securities or rights, and (ii) after giving effect to such transaction and to any potential dilution, the Company and its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries will own, directly or indirectly, at least 80% of the Voting Stock of such Principal Subsidiary Bank; (4) any Principal Subsidiary Bank from selling additional shares of Voting Stock to its shareholders at any price, so long as immediately after such sale, the Company owns, directly or indirectly, at least as great a percentage of the Voting Stock of such Principal Subsidiary Bank as the Company owned prior to such sale of additional shares; or (5) a pledge made or a lien created to secure loans or other extensions of credit by a Principal Subsidiary Bank subject to Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act. As used herein, “Capital Stock” shall mean any shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) the equity of such Person, including any preferred stock, but excluding any debt securities convertible into such equity, and “Principal Subsidiary Bank” shall mean any subsidiary of the Company that is a bank or trust company organized and doing business under any state or federal law, the consolidated assets of which constitute 50% or more of the consolidated assets of the Company.
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Article
4
EVENTS OF DEFAULT
Section 4.01 Appointment of a Receiver. In addition to the Events of Default set forth in Section 5.1 of the Base Indenture, an Event of Default shall occur with respect to the Notes, in the event (i) a receiver, conservator or similar official is appointed for the Company’s principal banking subsidiary (which, for the avoidance of doubt, as of the date hereof, is United Community Bank) or (ii) a default under a bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company that has a principal amount outstanding that is more than $50 million (other than non-recourse indebtedness) under the terms of the instrument under which the indebtedness is issued or secured, which default has caused the indebtedness to become due and payable earlier than it would otherwise have become due and payable, and the acceleration has not been rescinded or annulled, or the indebtedness is discharged, or there is deposited in trust enough money to discharge the indebtedness, and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 30 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Notes a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” under this Indenture. Such Event of Default shall be treated for all purposes under the Indenture as if it were an Event of Default under Section 5.1(1) of the Base Indenture.
Article
5
CERTAIN COVENANTS
Section 5.01 Existence. Section 10.5 of the Base Indenture is hereby deleted in its entirety.
Article
6
FORM OF NOTES
Section 6.01 Form of Notes. The Notes and the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication to be endorsed thereon are to be substantially in the forms attached as Exhibit A hereto, with such changes therein as the officers of the Company executing the Notes (by manual or facsimile signature) may approve, such approval to be conclusively evidenced by their execution thereof.
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Article
7
ISSUE OF NOTES
Section 7.01 Original Issue of Notes. Notes having an aggregate principal amount of $100,000,000 may from time to time, upon execution of this First Supplemental Indenture, be executed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver said Notes to or upon the written order of the Company pursuant to Section 3.3 of the Base Indenture without any further action by the Company (other than as required by the Base Indenture).
Section 7.02 Further Issues of Notes. The Company may from time to time, without notice to or the consent of the holders of the Notes, create and issue further notes ranking pari passu with the Notes and with identical terms in all respects (or in all respects except for the offering price, the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date of such further notes or except for the first payment of interest following the issue date of such further notes) in order that such further notes may be consolidated and form a single series with the Notes and have the same terms as to status, redemption or otherwise as the Notes.
Article
8
IMMUNITY OF STOCKHOLDERS,
EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 8.01 Indenture and Notes Solely Corporate Obligations. No recourse for the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any stockholder, employee, agent, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this First Supplemental Indenture and the issue of the Notes.
Article
9
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 9.01 Ratification of Indenture. The Base Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and this First Supplemental Indenture shall be deemed part of the Base Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided.
Section 9.02 Conflict. If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof which is required to be included in this First Supplemental Indenture by any of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, such required provision shall control.
Section 9.03 Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals. The recitals herein contained are made by the Company and not by the Trustee, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this First Supplemental Indenture.
Section 9.04 New York Law to Govern. THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE AND EACH NOTE SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACT MADE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND FOR ALL PURPOSES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF SAID STATE. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING AMONG THE PARTIES HERETO ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
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Section 9.05 Separability. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this First Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, then, to the extent permitted by law, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this First Supplemental Indenture or of the Notes, but this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall be construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.
Section 9.06 Additional Trustee Provisions.
| (a) | Delivery to the Trustee of any reports, information and documents pursuant to the Base Indenture is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such reports, information and documents shall not constitute actual or constructive notice or knowledge of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the compliance of the Company with any of its covenants in the Base Indenture and this First Supplemental Indenture (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates). |
| (b) | The Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to the Base Indenture and this First Supplemental Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded. |
| (c) | In no event shall the Trustee be liable for special, indirect, punitive, or consequential loss or damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to, lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such damage and regardless of the form of action taken. |
| (d) | The rights, privileges, protections, indemnities, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder. |
| (e) | The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, pdf, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods, provided, however, that the Trustee shall have received an incumbency certificate listing persons designated to give such instructions or directions and containing specimen signatures of such designated persons, which such incumbency certificate shall be amended and replaced whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the listing. If the Company elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding that such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including, without limitation, the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties. |
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Section 9.07 Counterparts. This First Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 9.08 Electronic Signatures. All notices, approvals, consents, requests and any communications hereunder must be in writing (provided that any communication sent to the Trustee hereunder must be in the form of a document that is signed manually or by way of a digital signature provided by DocuSign (or such other digital signature provider as specified in writing to the Trustee by the authorized representative), in English. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of using digital signatures and electronic methods to submit communications to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this First Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed, as of the day and year first written above.
| UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Jefferson L. Harralson | ||
| Name: | Jefferson L. Harralson | ||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
| U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, | |||
| as Trustee | |||
| By: | /s/ April Bright | ||
| Name: | April Bright | ||
| Title: | Assistant Vice President | ||
[Signature Page to First Supplemental Indenture]
| -16- |
EXHIBIT A
Form of Note
THIS NOTE IS AN UNSECURED DEBT OBLIGATION OF THE COMPANY. THIS NOTE IS NOT A DEPOSIT OR SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND IS NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY OR INSTRUMENTALITY.
THIS NOTE IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITORY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITORY OR A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITORY, WHICH MAY BE TREATED BY THE COMPANY, THE TRUSTEE AND ANY AGENT THEREOF AS OWNER AND HOLDER OF THIS NOTE FOR ALL PURPOSES. THIS NOTE IS NOT EXCHANGEABLE FOR NOTES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED HEREIN AND IN THE INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED HEREIN AND IN THE INDENTURE.
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC., AS ISSUER, THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
| -1- |
UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC.
5.000% FIXED-TO-FLOATING RATE SENIOR NOTES DUE 2030
| Registered | |
| No. 1 | U.S. $100,000,000 |
| CUSIP NO. 90985FAH9 | |
| ISIN NO. US90985FAH91 |
UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC., a Georgia corporation (herein called the “Company”, which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal sum of One Hundred Million Dollars on June 15, 2030 (such date is hereinafter referred to as the “Stated Maturity Date”), unless redeemed prior to such date, and to pay interest thereon (i) from, and including, June 17, 2020, to, but excluding, June 15, 2025, at a rate of 5.000% per annum, semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing December 15, 2020 (each such date, a “Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date,” with the period from, and including, June 17, 2020 to, but excluding, the first Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date and each successive period from, and including, a Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date being a “Fixed Rate Period”) and (ii) from, and including, June 15, 2025 to, but excluding, the Stated Maturity Date, unless redeemed subsequent to June 15, 2025 but prior to the Stated Maturity Date, at a rate equal to Three-Month Term SOFR, reset quarterly, plus 487 basis points, or such other rate as determined pursuant to the Supplemental Indenture, payable quarterly in arrears on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year through the Stated Maturity Date or earlier Redemption Date (each, a “Floating Rate Interest Payment Date” and, together with the Fixed Rate Interest Payment Dates, the “Interest Payment Dates,” with the period from, and including, June 15, 2025 to, but excluding, the first Floating Rate Interest Payment Date and each successive period from, and including a Floating Rate Interest Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Floating Rate Interest Payment Date being a “Floating Rate Period”). The amount of interest payable on any Fixed Rate Interest Payment Date during the Fixed Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months up to, but excluding June 15, 2025, and, the amount of interest payable on any Floating Rate Interest Payment Date during the Floating Rate Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year and the number of days actually elapsed. In the event that any scheduled Interest Payment Date for this Note falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then payment of interest payable on such Interest Payment Date will be paid on the next succeeding day which is a Business Day (any payment made on such date will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and no interest on such payment will accrue for the period from and after such scheduled Interest Payment Date); provided, that in the event that any scheduled Floating Rate Interest Payment Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day and the next succeeding Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, such Floating Rate Interest Payment Date will be accelerated to the immediately preceding Business Day, and, in each such case, the amounts payable on such Business Day will include interest accrued to, but excluding, such Business Day. All percentages used in or resulting from any calculation of Three-Month Term SOFR shall be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005% rounded up to 0.00001%.
| -2- |
The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the fifteenth day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the applicable Interest Payment Date. 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 (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Company, 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 on which the Notes of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture.
All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Indenture and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
Payment of principal and interest shall be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, or at such other office or agency of the Company as may be designated by the Company for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debts, by Dollar check drawn on, or transfer to, a Dollar account. Payments of interest on this Note may be made by Dollar check, drawn on a Dollar account, mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, or, upon written application by the Holder to the Security Registrar setting forth wire instructions not later than the relevant Record Date, by transfer to a Dollar account.
Except as specifically provided herein and in the Indenture, the Company shall not be required to make any payment with respect to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed by any government or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
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.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof or an Authenticating Agent by the manual signature of one of their respective authorized signatories, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or the First Supplemental Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
[Signature Page Follows]
| -3- |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed and delivered.
| UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: Jefferson L. Harralson | ||
| Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
(Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication)
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||||
| Dated: | June 17, 2020 | By: | ||
| Authorized Signatory | ||||
| -4- |
[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF THE NOTE]
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of senior debt securities of the Company designated as its “5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2030” (the “Notes”). The Notes, taken together, are initially limited in aggregate principal amount to U.S. $100,000,000 issued and are to be issued under an Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2020 (herein called the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Base Indenture), as amended and supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2020 between the Company and the Trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture”; the Base Indenture, as amended and supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes and of the terms upon which the Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of any authorized denominations as requested by the Holder surrendering the same upon surrender of the Note or Notes to be exchanged, at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The Trustee upon such surrender by the Holder will issue the new Notes in the requested denominations.
No sinking fund is provided with respect to the Notes. The Company may, at its option, redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to the sum of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus (ii) accrued and unpaid interest (the “Redemption Price”) to, but excluding, the date of redemption (the “Redemption Date”), on any Interest Payment Date on or after June 15, 2025. Any such redemption will be at a redemption price equal to the Redemption Price. In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note or Notes of this series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof. The provisions of Article XI of the Base Indenture and Section 2.06 of the Supplemental Indenture shall apply to the redemption of any Notes by the Company.
The Notes are unsecured and rank equally with all of the Company’s other senior, unsecured indebtedness.
The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.
The Company may, without consent of the holders of the Notes, increase the principal amount of the Notes by issuing additional securities in the future on the same terms and conditions as the Notes, except for any difference in the issue price and interest accrued prior to the date of issuance of the additional securities, and with the same CUSIP number as the Notes. The Notes and any additional Notes issued by the Company would rank equally and ratably and would be treated as a single series for all purposes under the Indenture.
In any case where the due date for the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note at any Place of Payment, as the case may be, is not a Business Day, then payment of principal or interest need not be made on or by such date at such place but may be made on or by the next succeeding Business Day, with the same force and effect as if made on the date for such payment, and no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period after such date.
If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the principal of all the Notes, together with accrued interest to the date of declaration, may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
| -5- |
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 under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the written consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all the Notes, 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 in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note or such other Note.
As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Note shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default as Trustee and offered the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding, for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by any Holder of this Note for the enforcement of any payment of principal of or interest on this Note or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
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, places and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
The Notes will be subject to defeasance and covenant defeasance pursuant to Sections 13.2 and 13.3 of the Base Indenture.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable on the Security Register upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee or at such other office or agency of the Company as may be designated by it for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York (which shall initially be an office or agency of the Trustee), or at such other offices or agencies as the Company may designate, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees by the Security Registrar. 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 recover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentation 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 thereof for all purposes, whether or not such Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
| -6- |
No recourse for the payment of the principal of or interest on this Note and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company in the Indenture or any indenture supplemental thereto or in any Note, or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, employee, agent, officer or director or subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any successor corporation, either directly or through the Company or any successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise, all such liability being, by the acceptance hereof and as part of consideration for the issue hereof, expressly waived and released.
THE NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
All capitalized terms used in this Note which are defined in the Indenture, and not otherwise defined herein, shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
| -7- |
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
[PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE)
[PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE]
the within Book-Entry Security, and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing
attorney to transfer such security 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 Book-Entry Security in every particular without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever. |
| -8- |
Exhibit 5.1
 |
Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
O +1 678 272 3200 squirepattonboggs.com |
June 17, 2020
United Community Banks, Inc.
125 Highway 515 East
Blairsville, Georgia 30512
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to United Community Banks, Inc., a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), with the issuance and sale of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”), pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-224367), initially filed on April 20, 2018 and subsequently amended by the Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on June 3, 2020 (as so amended, the “Registration Statement”), a final prospectus supplement (including base prospectus), dated June 12, 2020 (the “Prospectus”), the Underwriting Agreement, dated June 12, 2020, between the Company, on the one hand, and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., as representative of the Underwriters (the “Underwriters”) listed in Schedule A therein (the “Underwriting Agreement”), on the other hand, and the Indenture, dated June 17, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2020, between the Company and the Trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”).
We have reviewed originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company; (ii) resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company, or a duly authorized committee thereof, adopted on May 29, 2020; (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; (iv) the Underwriting Agreement; (v) the Indenture; and (vi) such other certificates, instruments and documents as we have considered appropriate for purposes of the opinions hereafter expressed. In rendering this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and officers of the Company with respect to the accuracy of the factual matters contained in such certificates.
In connection with such review, we have assumed (i) the genuineness of all signatures and the legal competence of all signatories; (ii) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to authentic originals of all documents submitted to me as certified or photostatic copies; (iii) the legal competency and capacity for all purposes relevant hereto of all natural persons and, with respect to all parties to agreements or instruments relevant hereto other than the Company, that such parties had the requisite power and authority (corporate or otherwise) to execute, deliver and perform such agreements or instruments, that such agreements or instruments have been duly authorized by all requisite action (corporate or otherwise), executed and delivered by such parties and that such agreements or instruments are the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of such parties; and (iv) the proper issuance and accuracy of certificates of public officials and officers and agents of the Company.
| United Community Banks, Inc. | Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP |
| June 17, 2020 | |
| Page 2 | |
This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Georgia, excluding local laws of the State of Georgia, the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America that are, in our experience, normally applicable to the transactions of the type provided for in the Registration Statement, and we are expressing no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and the qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that the Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner specified in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will be valid and 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: (i) the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar law of general application affecting creditors’ rights, (ii) the effect of general principles of equity, including (without limitation) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and other similar doctrines affecting the enforceability of agreements generally (regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) waivers of any usury defense contained in the Indenture or the Notes which may be unenforceable and (iv) insofar as they relate to indemnification provisions, the effect of federal and state securities laws and public policy relating thereto.
This opinion is delivered as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to advise you of any changes in applicable law or any other matters that may come to my attention after the date hereof.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 17, 2020, and thereby incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, and to the use of our name in the Prospectus under the caption “Legal Matters.” In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP |
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