Exhibit 1.01
Entergy Corporation
$[________] [___]% Senior Notes due [_______]
$[________] [___]% Senior Notes due [_______]
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
[__________], 20[__]
[Name(s) of Underwriter(s)]
c/o [Name(s) of Representative(s)]
[
Address(es) of Representative(s)
]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, Entergy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters set forth on Schedule I attached hereto (the “Underwriters,” which term, when the context permits, shall also include any underwriters substituted as hereinafter in Section 11 provided), for whom [__________] and [__________] are acting as representatives (the Representatives”), an aggregate of $[________] principal amount of the Company’s [___]% Senior Notes due [________] (the “20[__] Notes”) and an aggregate of $[________] principal amount of the Company’s [___]% Senior Notes due [________] (the “20[__] Notes,” and, together with the 20[__] Notes, the “Notes”), in accordance with the terms set forth in this Underwriting Agreement (this “Underwriting Agreement”).
SECTION 1.
Purchase and Sale
. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company shall issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each Underwriter shall purchase from the Company, at the time and place herein specified, severally and not jointly, the 20[__] Notes at [___]% of the principal amount thereof, and the 20[__] Notes at [___]% of the principal amount thereof, in the principal amounts set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I attached hereto.
SECTION 2.
Description of Notes
. The Notes shall be issued under and pursuant to the Company’s Indenture, dated as of [__________], with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”) (said Indenture, including the (i) officer’s certificate that will establish the terms and provisions of the 20[__] Notes and (ii) officer’s certificate that will establish the terms and provisions of the 20[__] Notes, each pursuant to Section 301 thereof, is hereinafter referred to as the “Indenture”). The Notes shall have the terms and provisions described in the Disclosure Package (as defined herein).
SECTION 3.
Representations and Warranties of the Company
. The Company represents and warrants to the several Underwriters, and covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters, that:
(a)
The Company is duly organized and validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has the necessary corporate power and authority to conduct the business that it is described as conducting in the Disclosure Package and to own and operate the properties owned and operated by it in such business and is in good standing and duly qualified to conduct such business as a foreign corporation in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, property or financial condition of the Company and Entergy Arkansas, Inc., Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C., Entergy Louisiana, LLC, Entergy Mississippi, Inc., Entergy New Orleans, Inc., Entergy Texas, Inc. and System Energy Resources, Inc. (each, a “Principal Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Principal Subsidiaries”), taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or membership interests of each Principal Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable, and all of such capital stock or membership interests (excluding preferred stock or preferred securities with voting rights) is owned by the Company, directly or indirectly, free from liens, encumbrances and defects of title.
(b)
Each Principal Subsidiary is duly incorporated or organized and validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the necessary corporate or limited liability company power and authority to conduct the business that it is described in the Disclosure Package as conducting and to own and operate the properties owned and operated by it in such business. Each Principal Subsidiary is in good standing and duly qualified to conduct such business as a foreign corporation or foreign limited liability company in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(c)
Except for certain of the Principal Subsidiaries, the Company does not have any “significant subsidiaries” within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X.
(d)
The Company meets the requirements for the use of an “automatic shelf registration statement”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), and the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-[______]) for the registration of an indeterminate aggregate offering price of the Company’s debt securities, including the Notes, under the Securities Act, and such registration statement became effective upon filing with the Commission. At the time of filing such registration statement and at the date hereof, (i) the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) and (ii) the Company was and is a “well-know seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act). No stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or relating to the offering of the Notes has been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company. The prospectus forming a part of such registration statement, at the time such registration statement (or the most recent amendment thereto filed prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below)) initially became effective, including all documents incorporated by reference therein at that time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Prospectus.” In the event that (i) the Basic Prospectus shall have been amended, revised or supplemented (but excluding any amendments, revisions or supplements to the Basic Prospectus relating solely to debt securities of the Company other than the Notes) prior to the Applicable Time, including without limitation by any preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the offering and sale of the Notes that is deemed to be part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B(e) under the Securities Act, or (ii) the Company shall have filed documents pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) after the time such registration statement (or the most recent amendment thereto filed prior to the Applicable Time) became effective and prior to the Applicable Time (but excluding documents incorporated therein by reference relating solely to debt securities of the Company other than the Notes), which are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Basic Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, the term “Basic Prospectus” as used herein shall also mean such prospectus as so amended, revised or supplemented and reflecting such incorporation by reference. The various parts of such registration statement, in the form in which such parts became effective and as such parts may have been amended by all amendments thereto as of the Applicable Time (including, for these purposes, as an amendment, any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Basic Prospectus), and including any information omitted from such registration statement at the time such part of such registration statement, as so amended, became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, are hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement.” The Basic Prospectus as it shall be supplemented to reflect the terms of the offering and sale of the Notes by a prospectus supplement dated the date hereof, to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (“Rule 424(b)”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus.”
(e)
(i) After the Applicable Time and during the time specified in Section 6(e) hereof, the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or any supplement to the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package (except any amendment or supplement relating solely to debt securities of the Company other than the Notes), and (ii) between the Applicable Time and the Closing Date (as defined herein), the Company will not file any document that is to be incorporated by reference in, or any supplement to, the Basic Prospectus, in either case, without prior notice to the Underwriters and to Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (“Counsel for the Underwriters”), or any such amendment or supplement to which the Underwriters or said Counsel shall reasonably object on legal grounds in writing. For purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, any document that is filed with the Commission after the Applicable Time and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package (except documents incorporated by reference relating solely to debt securities of the Company other than the Notes) pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 shall be deemed a supplement to the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, as the case may be.
(f)
The Registration Statement, as of the latest date as of which any part of the Registration Statement relating to the Notes became, or is deemed to have become, effective under the Securities Act in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, the Indenture, at such time, and the Basic Prospectus, when delivered to the Underwriters for their use in marketing the Notes, fully complied, and the Prospectus, at the time it is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and at the Closing Date, as it may then be amended or supplemented, will fully comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Trust Indenture Act”) and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or pursuant to said rules and regulations did or will be deemed to comply therewith. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, on the date filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, fully complied or will fully comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or pursuant to said rules and regulations did or will be deemed to comply therewith. No documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Underwriting Agreement except as set forth on Part C of Schedule II hereto or such other documents as were delivered to you prior to the date of this Underwriting Agreement. The Registration Statement did not, as of the latest date as of which any part of the Registration Statement relating to the Notes became, or is deemed to have become, effective under the Securities Act in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the time that the Basic Prospectus was delivered to the Underwriters for their use in marketing the Notes, the Basic Prospectus did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. As of its date and at the Closing Date, the Prospectus, as it may then be amended or supplemented, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and, on said dates and at such times, the documents then incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, when taken together with the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as it may then be amended or supplemented, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing representations and warranties in this paragraph (f) shall not apply to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus, as they may be then amended or supplemented (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(b) hereof), or to any statements in or omissions from the statement of eligibility of the Trustee on Form T-1, as it may then be amended, under the Trust Indenture Act filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the “Statement of Eligibility”).
(g)
The Disclosure Package, and each electronic roadshow, if any, identified in Part B of Schedule II hereto, when taken together with the Disclosure Package, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and the documents then incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package, when taken together with the Disclosure Package, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use in connection with the preparation of the Disclosure Package (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(b) hereof). For purposes hereof, (i) “Disclosure Package” shall mean (x) the Basic Prospectus as amended or supplemented immediately prior to [_]:[__] [ ].M. New York City time ([_]:[__] [ ].M. Central time) on the date of this Underwriting Agreement (the time at which the Underwriters and the Company agreed upon the pricing terms set forth in the final term sheets attached as Annex A and Annex B to Schedule II hereto) (the “Applicable Time”), (y) the Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Part A of Schedule II hereto and (z) the additional information, if any, identified in Part D of Schedule II hereto, (ii) “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, and (iii) “Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(h)
Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. If there occurs an event or development as a result of which the Disclosure Package
would include an untrue statement of a material fact or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will notify promptly the Underwriters so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for use in connection with the preparation of the Disclosure Package (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(b) hereof).
(i)
The issuance and sale of the Notes and the fulfillment of the terms of this Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture will not result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries is now a party.
(j)
Except as set forth in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package, each of the Company and the Principal Subsidiaries possesses adequate franchises, licenses, permits, and other rights to conduct its business and operations as now conducted, without any known conflicts with the rights of others which could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(k)
Each of the Company and the Principal Subsidiaries maintains (x) systems of internal controls and processes sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (y) disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act).
(l)
The Company is not, and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes, will not be, an “investment company,” or an entity “controlled” by an investment company, as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(m)
Except as set forth in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any Principal Subsidiary is a party or of which any property of the Company or such Principal Subsidiary is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or such Principal Subsidiary, would individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
(n)
Since the date of the most recent financial statements incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package, there has been no event which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package.
(o)
The consolidated financial statements and schedules of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein).
(p)
Neither the Company nor any Principal Subsidiary is in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter, bylaws or other organizational agreement, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any such Principal Subsidiary or any of its properties, as applicable, which violation or default, with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii), individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(q)
Deloitte & Touche LLP who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules of the Company incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package, are independent registered public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.
(r)
The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Disclosure Package and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
SECTION 4.
Offering
. The Company is advised by the Underwriters that they propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Notes as soon after the effectiveness of this Underwriting Agreement as in their judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by the Underwriters that the Notes will be offered to the public at their respective initial public offering prices specified in the Prospectus plus accrued interest thereon, if any, from the Closing Date.
SECTION 5.
Time and Place of Closing; Delivery of the Notes
. Delivery of the Notes and payment to the Company of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of immediately available funds shall be made at the offices of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 101 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10178, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on [__________] [__], 20[__], or at such other time on the same or such other day as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives, or as may be established in accordance with Section 11 hereof. The hour and date of such delivery and payment are herein called the “Closing Date.”
The Notes shall be delivered to the Underwriters in book-entry only form through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York. The certificate(s) for the 20[__] Notes shall be in the form of one or more typewritten global certificates in fully registered form, in the aggregate principal amount of the 20[__] Notes, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company. The certificate(s) for the 20[__] Notes shall be in the form of one or more typewritten global certificates in fully registered form, in the aggregate principal amount of the 20[__] Notes, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company. The Company agrees to make the Notes available to the Underwriters for checking not later than 2:30 P.M., New York City time, on the last business day preceding the Closing Date at such place as may be agreed upon between the Underwriters and the Company, or at such other time and/or date as may be agreed upon between the Underwriters and the Company.
SECTION 6.
Covenants of the Company
. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a)
Not later than the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Underwriters a conformed copy of the Registration Statement in the form that it or the most recent post-effective amendment thereto became effective, certified by an officer of the Company to be in such form.
(b)
The Company will prepare a (i) final term sheet, containing a description of the final terms of the 20[__] Notes and the offering thereof, in the form attached as Annex A to Schedule II hereto and (ii) final term sheet, containing a description of the final terms of the 20[__] Notes and the offering thereof, in the form attached as Annex B to Schedule II hereto, and will file such term sheets pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act within the time required by such Rule.
(c)
The Company will deliver to the Underwriters as many copies of the Prospectus (and any amendments or supplements thereto) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(d)
The Company will cause the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission pursuant to and in compliance with Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) under the Securities Act) and will advise the Representatives promptly of the issuance of any stop order under the Securities Act with respect to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus or the institution of any proceedings therefor or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act of which the Company shall have received notice. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and to secure the prompt removal thereof if issued.
(e)
During such period of time as the Underwriters are required by law to deliver a prospectus (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act) after this Underwriting Agreement has become effective, if any event relating to or affecting the Company, or of which the Company shall be advised by the Underwriters in writing, shall occur which in the Company’s opinion should be set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package in order to make the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing when it is delivered (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act) to a purchaser of the Notes, the Company will amend or supplement the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package by either (i) preparing and filing with the Commission and furnishing to the Underwriters a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or supplements or an amendment or amendments to the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, or (ii) making an appropriate filing pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act which will supplement or amend the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, so that, as supplemented or amended, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package is delivered (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act) to a purchaser, not misleading. Unless such event relates solely to the activities of the Underwriters (in which case the Underwriters shall assume the expense of preparing any such amendment or supplement), the expenses of complying with this Section 6(e) shall be borne by the Company until the expiration of nine months from the time of effectiveness of this Underwriting Agreement, and such expenses shall be borne by the Underwriters thereafter.
(f)
The Company will make generally available to its security holders, as soon as practicable, an earning statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning after the “effective date of the registration statement” within the meaning of Rule 158 under the Securities Act, which earning statement shall be in such form, and be made generally available to security holders in such a manner, as to meet the requirements of the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(g)
At any time within six months of the date hereof, the Company will furnish such proper information as may be lawfully required by, and will otherwise cooperate in qualifying the Notes for offer and sale under, the blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters may reasonably designate, provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or dealer in securities, to file any consents to service of process under the laws of any jurisdiction, or to meet any other requirements deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.
(h)
The Company will, except as herein provided, pay all fees, expenses and taxes (except transfer taxes) in connection with the offering of the Notes, including with respect to (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, (ii) the printing, issuance and delivery of the Notes, (iii) legal counsel relating to the qualification of the Notes under the blue sky laws of various jurisdictions in an amount not to exceed $3,500, (iv) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of reasonable quantities of copies of the Registration Statement, any preliminary (and any supplemental) blue sky survey, the Basic Prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (e) of this Section 6, (v) the rating of the Notes by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating agencies, (vi) the applicable Commission filing fees relating to the Notes within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act without regard to the proviso thereof, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Notes, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, and travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company, and (viii) filings or other notices (if any) with or to, as the case may be, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in connection with its review of the terms of the offering. Except as provided above, the Company shall not be required to pay any expenses of the Underwriters, except that, if this Underwriting Agreement shall be terminated in accordance with the provisions of Section 7, 8 or 12 hereof, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for the (A) reasonable fees and expenses of Counsel for the Underwriters, whose fees and expenses the Underwriters agree to pay in any other event, and (B) reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in an aggregate amount not exceeding $15,000, incurred in contemplation of the performance of this Underwriting Agreement. The Company shall not in any event be liable to the Underwriters for damages on account of loss of anticipated profits.
(i)
The Company will not sell any additional debt securities that are substantially similar to the Notes without the consent of the Representatives until after the earlier to occur of (i) the Closing Date and (ii) the date of the termination of the fixed price offering restrictions applicable to the Underwriters. The Underwriters agree to notify the Company of such termination if it occurs prior to the Closing Date.
(j)
The Company agrees that, unless it has obtained or will obtain, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company that, unless it has obtained or will obtain, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 under the Securities Act, other than the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses identified in Parts A and B of Schedule II hereto and any electronic road show identified in Part B of Schedule II hereto. Any such Free Writing Prospectus consented to by the Representatives or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including, if applicable, in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
SECTION 7.
Conditions of the Underwriters’ Obligations
. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Notes shall be subject to the accuracy on the date hereof and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties made herein on the part of the Company and of any certificates furnished by the Company on the Closing Date and to the following conditions:
(a)
The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) prior to 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the second business day following the date of this Underwriting Agreement, or such other time and date as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Underwriters; and the final term sheets contemplated by Section 6(b) hereof and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
(b)
No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or preventing or suspending the use of the Basic Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, shall be in effect at or prior to the Closing Date; no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or relating to the offering of the Notes shall be pending before, or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Underwriters, threatened by, the Commission on the Closing Date and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act shall have been received; and the Underwriters shall have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the President, a Vice President, the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Company, authorized to act for the Company, to the effect that, as of the Closing Date, no such stop order has been or is in effect, that no proceedings for such purposes are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, and that no such notice of objection has been received.
(c)
At the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from Mark G. Otts, Esq., Senior Counsel–Corporate and Securities of Entergy Services, Inc. and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, opinions, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the forms set forth in Exhibits A and B hereto, respectively, (i) with such changes therein as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Underwriters with the approval of Counsel for the Underwriters, and (ii) if the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall be supplemented after being furnished to the Underwriters for use in offering the Notes, prior to the Closing Date, with changes therein to reflect such supplementation.
(d)
At the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from Counsel for the Underwriters an opinion, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit C hereto, with such changes therein as may be necessary to reflect any supplementation of the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus prior to the Closing Date.
(e)
On or prior to the date this Underwriting Agreement became effective, the Underwriters shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accountants (the “Accountants”), a letter dated the date hereof and addressed to the Underwriters to the effect that (i) they are independent registered public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder; (ii) in their opinion, the financial statements and financial statement schedules audited by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder; (iii) on the basis of performing the procedures specified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review of interim financial information as described in SAS No. 100, Interim Financial Information, on the latest unaudited financial statements, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, a reading of the latest available interim unaudited financial statements of the Company, the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Company, the Executive Committee thereof, if any, other committees thereof specified therein, and the stockholders of the Company, since December 31, 20[__] to a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, and inquiries of officers of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters (it being understood that the foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit made in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and they would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments made in such letter and, accordingly, that the Accountants make no representations as to the sufficiency of such procedures for the purposes of the Underwriters), nothing has come to their attention which caused them to believe that, to the extent applicable, (A) the unaudited financial statements of the Company (if any) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations thereunder; (B) any material modifications should be made to said unaudited financial statements for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles; (C) at the date of the latest available balance sheet read by the Accountants and at a subsequent specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of the letter, there was any change in the capital stock of the Company, increase in long-term debt of the Company, or decrease in its net current assets or stockholders’ equity, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the most recent balance sheet incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except in all instances for changes, increases or decreases which the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur, for declarations of dividends, for the amortization of premium or discount on long-term debt, for any increases in long-term debt in respect of previously issued pollution control, solid waste disposal or industrial development revenue bonds, or for changes, increases or decreases as set forth in such letter, identifying the same and specifying the amount thereof; and (D) for the period from the closing date of the most recent income statement incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to the closing date of the latest available income statement read by the Accountants, there were any decreases, as compared to the corresponding period in the preceding year, in the Company’s operating revenues, operating income or net income, except in all instances for decreases that the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or decreases as set forth in such letter, identifying the same and specifying the amount thereof; and (iv) stating that they have compared specific dollar amounts, percentages of revenues and earnings and other financial information pertaining to the Company (x) set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and (y) set forth in documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as specified by the Underwriters, in each case, to the extent that such amounts, numbers, percentages and information may be derived from the general accounting records of the Company, and excluding any questions requiring an interpretation by legal counsel, with the results obtained from the application of specified readings, inquiries and other appropriate procedures (which procedures do not constitute an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) set forth in such letter, and found them to be in agreement.
(f)
At the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the President, a Vice President, the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Company, authorized to act for the Company, to the effect that (i) as of the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein are true and correct, (ii) the Company has performed and complied with all agreements and conditions in this Underwriting Agreement to be performed or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) since the most recent date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, as it may then be amended or supplemented, there has not been any material adverse change in the business, property or financial condition of the Company and the Principal Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and there has not been any material transaction entered into by the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business, in each case other than as referred to in, or contemplated by, the Prospectus, as it may then be amended or supplemented.
(g)
At the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from the Accountants a letter, dated the Closing Date, confirming, as of a date not more than five days prior to the Closing Date, the statements contained in the letter delivered pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof.
(h)
On or prior to the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from the Company evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters that the Notes have received ratings of at least [___] from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and at least [___] from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”).
(i)
Between the date hereof and the Closing Date, neither Moody’s nor S&P shall have lowered the Company’s corporate credit rating or the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities in any respect.
(j)
Between the date hereof and the Closing Date, no event shall have occurred with respect to or otherwise affecting the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries, which, in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, materially impairs the investment quality of the Notes.
(k)
All legal matters in connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes shall be satisfactory in form and substance to Counsel for the Underwriters.
(l)
The Company shall furnish the Underwriters with additional conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as may be reasonably requested.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 7 shall not have been fulfilled, this Underwriting Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives at any time on or prior to the Closing Date upon notice thereof to the Company. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (h) of Section 6 and in Section 10 hereof.
SECTION 8.
Condition of the Company’s Obligations
. The obligations of the Company hereunder shall be subject to the following condition:
(a)
No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall be in effect at or prior to the Closing Date, and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or relating to the offering of the Notes shall be pending before, or threatened by, the Commission on the Closing Date, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act shall have been received.
In case the condition specified in this Section 8 shall not have been fulfilled, this Underwriting Agreement may be terminated by the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date upon notice thereof to the Representatives. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (h) of Section 6 and in Section 10 hereof.
SECTION 9.
Indemnification
.
(a)
The Company shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person who controls each Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which each Underwriter or any or all of them may become subject under the Securities Act or any other statute or common law and shall reimburse each Underwriter and any such controlling person for any legal or other expenses (including to the extent hereinafter provided, reasonable counsel fees) incurred by them in connection with investigating any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in connection with defending any actions, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, expenses or actions arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the information contained in the final term sheets required to be prepared and filed pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, as each may be amended or supplemented, or in the Disclosure Package, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall not apply to any such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, expenses or actions arising out of, or based upon, any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or any such omission or alleged omission, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished herein or in writing to the Company by such Underwriter specifically for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any thereof, or the Disclosure Package (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(b) hereof), or arising out of, or based upon, statements in or omissions from the Statement of Eligibility; and provided further, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 9(a) shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter, or to the benefit of any person controlling such Underwriter, on account of any such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, expenses or actions arising from the sale of the Notes to any person in respect of the Basic Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, each as may be then supplemented or amended, furnished by such Underwriter to a person to whom any of the Notes were sold (excluding in all cases, however, any document then incorporated by reference therein), insofar as such indemnity relates to any untrue or misleading statement or omission made in such Basic Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if a copy of a supplement or amendment to such Basic Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (excluding in all cases, however, any document then incorporated by reference therein) (i) is furnished on a timely basis by the Company to such Underwriter, (ii) is required to have been conveyed to such person by or on behalf of such Underwriter, at or prior to the entry into the contract of sale of the Notes with such person, but was not so conveyed (which conveyance may be oral (if permitted by law) or written) by or on behalf of such Underwriter and (iii) would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action.
(b)
Each Underwriter shall severally, but not jointly, indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers and each person who controls the foregoing within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act or any other statute or common law and shall reimburse each of them for any legal or other expenses (including, to the extent hereinafter provided, reasonable counsel fees) incurred by them in connection with investigating any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities or in connection with defending any action, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, expenses or actions arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in the Disclosure Package or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case, if, but only if, such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished herein or in writing to the Company by such Underwriter specifically for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or of the Disclosure Package. The Company acknowledges that the statements set forth in [__________________] constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Disclosure Package.
(c)
In case any action shall be brought, based upon the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, against any party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to either of the two preceding paragraphs, such party (hereinafter called the indemnified party) shall promptly notify the party or parties against whom indemnity shall be sought hereunder (hereinafter called the indemnifying party) in writing, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action or, if it so elects, to assume (in conjunction with any other indemnifying party) the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party and the payment of all fees and expenses. If the indemnifying party shall elect not to assume the defense of any such action, the indemnifying party shall reimburse the indemnified party for the reasonable fees and expenses of any counsel retained by such indemnified party. Such indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action in which the defense has been assumed by the indemnifying party and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel has been specifically authorized by the indemnifying party or (ii) the named parties to any such action (including any impleaded parties) include each of such indemnified party and the indemnifying party and such indemnified party shall have been advised by such counsel that a conflict of interest between the indemnifying party and such indemnified party may arise and for this reason it is not desirable for the same counsel to represent both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys for such indemnified party (plus any local counsel retained by such indemnified party in its reasonable judgment)). The indemnified party shall be reimbursed for all such fees and expenses as they are incurred. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its consent, but if any such action is settled with the consent of the indemnifying party or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity has or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding.
(d)
If the indemnification provided for under subsections (a) or (b) in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Underwriters from the offering of the Notes or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the offering (after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) to the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by any of the Underwriters and such 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 9(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. The amount paid or payable to an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9(d) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
SECTION 10.
Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations
. Any other provision of this Underwriting Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) the indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 9 of, and the representations and warranties and other agreements of the Company contained in, this Underwriting Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company or its directors or officers, or any person referred to in Section 9 hereof and (ii) acceptance of and payment for the Notes, and (b) the indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 9 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any termination of this Underwriting Agreement.
SECTION 11.
Default of Underwriters
. If any Underwriter shall fail or refuse (otherwise than for some reason sufficient to justify, in accordance with the terms hereof, the cancellation or termination of its obligations hereunder) to purchase and pay for the principal amount of Notes that it has agreed to purchase and pay for hereunder, and the aggregate principal amount of Notes that such defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes, the other Underwriters shall be obligated to purchase the Notes that such defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed or refused to purchase; provided that in no event shall the principal amount of Notes that such Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to Schedule I hereof be increased pursuant to this Section 11 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of Notes without written consent of such Underwriter. If such Underwriter shall fail or refuse to purchase Notes and the aggregate principal amount of Notes with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes, the Company shall have the right (a) to require the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase and pay for the respective principal amount of Notes that they had severally agreed to purchase hereunder, and, in addition, the principal amount of Notes that the defaulting Underwriter shall have so failed to purchase up to a principal amount thereof equal to one-ninth of the respective principal amount of Notes that such non-defaulting Underwriters have otherwise agreed to purchase hereunder, and/or (b) to procure one or more other members of FINRA (or, if not members of FINRA, who are foreign banks, dealers or institutions not registered under the Exchange Act and who agree in making sales to comply with FINRA’s Conduct Rules), to purchase, upon the terms herein set forth, the principal amount of Notes that such defaulting Underwriter had agreed to purchase, or that portion thereof that the remaining Underwriters shall not be obligated to purchase pursuant to the foregoing clause (a). In the event the Company shall exercise its rights under clause (a) and/or (b) above, the Company shall give written notice thereof to the Underwriters within 24 hours (excluding any Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday) of the time when the Company learns of the failure or refusal of any Underwriter to purchase and pay for its respective principal amount of Notes, and thereupon the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding three business days, as the Company shall determine. In the event the Company shall be entitled to but shall not elect (within the time period specified above) to exercise its rights under clause (a) and/or (b), the Company shall be deemed to have elected to terminate this Underwriting Agreement. In the absence of such election by the Company, this Underwriting Agreement will, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and the non-defaulting Underwriters, terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting party except as otherwise provided in paragraph (h) of Section 6 and in Section 10 hereof. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default under this Underwriting Agreement.
SECTION 12.
Termination
. This Underwriting Agreement shall be subject to termination by written notice from the Representatives to the Company, if (a) after the execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, (i) trading in the securities of the Company or generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on the New York Stock Exchange by the New York Stock Exchange LLC, the Commission or other governmental authority, (ii) minimum or maximum ranges for prices shall have been generally established on the New York Stock Exchange by the New York Stock Exchange LLC, the Commission or other governmental authority, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York shall have been declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearing services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) there shall have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any calamity or crisis that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse, or (v) any material adverse change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere shall have occurred and (b) in the case of any of the events specified in clauses (a)(i) through (v), such event singly or together with any other such event makes it, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, impracticable to market, sell or deliver the Notes. This Underwriting Agreement shall also be subject to termination, upon notice by the Representatives as provided above, if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the subject matter of any amendment or supplement (prepared by the Company) to the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (except for information relating solely to the manner of public offering of the Notes or to the activity of the Underwriters or to the terms of any debt securities of the Company other than the Notes) filed or issued after the Applicable Time by the Company shall have materially impaired the marketability of the Notes. Any termination hereof, pursuant to this Section 12, shall be without liability of any party to any other party, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (h) of Section 6 and in Section 10 hereof.
SECTION 13.
Miscellaneous
. THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE PARTIES TO THIS UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT SHALL, PURSUANT TO NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW SECTION 5-1401, BE GOVERNED BY THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW PRINCIPLES THAT MIGHT CALL FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE LAW OF ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. This Underwriting Agreement shall become effective when a fully executed copy hereof is delivered to the Representatives by the Company. This Underwriting Agreement may be executed in any number of separate counterparts, each of which, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original and all of which, taken together, shall constitute but one and the same agreement. This Underwriting Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the Company and each of the Underwriters and, with respect to the provisions of Section 9 hereof, each director, officer and other person referred to in Section 9 hereof, and the respective successors of each. Should any part of this Underwriting Agreement for any reason be declared invalid, such declaration shall not affect the validity of any remaining portion, which remaining portion shall remain in full force and effect as if this Underwriting Agreement had been executed with the invalid portion thereof eliminated. Nothing herein is intended or shall be construed to give to any other person, firm or corporation any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of any provision in this Underwriting Agreement. The term “successor” as used in this Underwriting Agreement shall not include any purchaser, as such, of any Notes from the Underwriters.
SECTION 14.
Notices
. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, if to the Underwriters, shall be mailed or delivered to the Representatives at the addresses set forth at the beginning of this Underwriting Agreement, to the attention of: [__________] (fax: [_____]) in the case of [__________]; [_____] (fax: [_____]) in the case of [_____]; or, if to the Company, shall be mailed or delivered to it at 639 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70113, Attention: Treasurer.
SECTION 15.
No Fiduciary Duty
. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the Underwriters are acting as principals and not as agents or fiduciaries of the Company and (b) its engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the issuance of the Notes is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgment in connection with the issuance of the Notes (irrespective of whether the Underwriters have advised or are currently advising the Company on related or other matters). Nothing in this Section 15 is intended to modify in any way the Underwriters’ obligations expressly set forth in this Underwriting Agreement.
SECTION 16.
Integration
.
This Underwriting Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
[
Signature page follows
]
Very truly yours,
Entergy Corporation
By: _____________________________
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date first above written:
[Name(s) of Underwriter(s)]
By: [Representative]
By: _____________________________
Name:
Title:
By: [Representative]
By: _____________________________
Name:
Title:
SCHEDULE I
Entergy Corporation
$[________] [___]% Senior Notes due [_______]
$[________] [___]% Senior Notes due [_______]
|
Names of Underwriters
|
|
Principal Amount of
[____] Notes
|
|
Principal Amount of
[____] Notes
|
|
[ ]
|
|
$
|
[ ]
|
|
|
$
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
|
[ ]
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
[ ]
|
|
|
$
|
[ ]
|
|
SCHEDULE II
Part A
–
Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package
|
·
|
Final Term Sheet relating to the 20[__] Notes attached to this Schedule II as Annex A (Issuer Free Writing Prospectus)
|
|
·
|
Final Term Sheet relating to the 20[__] Notes attached to this Schedule II as Annex B (Issuer Free Writing Prospectus)
|
Part B
–
Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Disclosure Package
|
·
|
[Electronic Road Show identified as [__________], available on www.[_____].com]
|
Part C
–
Additional Documents Incorporated by Reference
Part D
–
Additional Information
ANNEX A TO SCHEDULE II
Entergy
Corporation
$[________]
[___]% Senior Notes due [_______]
Final Terms and Conditions
[__________] [__], 20[__]
|
Issuer:
|
|
Entergy Corporation
|
|
|
|
|
|
Security Type:
|
|
Senior Notes (SEC Registered)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expected Ratings
(1)
:
|
|
[____] ([___] outlook) by Moody’s Investors Service
[____] ([___] outlook) by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade Date:
|
|
[__________] [__], 20[__]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Settlement Date (T+[_]):
|
|
[__________] [__], 20[__]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal Amount:
|
|
$[________]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coupon:
|
|
[____]%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coupon Payment Dates:
|
|
[_____] and [_____] of each year
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Payment Date:
|
|
[_____], 20[__]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final Maturity:
|
|
[_____], 20[__]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Optional Redemption Terms:
|
|
Make-whole call at any time [prior to [_____], 20[__]] at a discount rate
of Treasury plus [__] bps [and, thereafter, at par]
|
|
|
|
|
|
UST Benchmark:
|
|
[____]% due [_____], 20[__]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spread to UST Benchmark:
|
|
+[___] bps
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treasury Price:
|
|
[____]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treasury Yield:
|
|
[____]%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re-offer Yield:
|
|
[____]%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue Price to Public:
|
|
[____]%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net Proceeds Before Expenses:
|
|
$[________]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Joint Book-Running Managers:
|
|
[_____]
|
|
|
|
[_____]
|
|
|
|
[_____]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Co-Managers:
|
|
[_____]
|
|
|
|
[_____]
|
|
|
|
[_____]
|
|
|
|
|
|
CUSIP / ISIN:
|
|
[_______] / [_______]
|
___________________________
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1
A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.
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The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at
www.sec.gov
.
Alternatively, a copy of the prospectus for the offering can be obtained by calling (i) [_____] toll free at [_____], or (ii) [_____] toll free at [_____].
ANNEX B TO SCHEDULE II
Entergy
Corporation
$[________]
[___]% Senior Notes due [_______]
Final Terms and Conditions
[__________] [__], 20[__]
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Issuer:
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Entergy Corporation
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Security Type:
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Senior Notes (SEC Registered)
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Expected Ratings
(1)
:
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[____] ([___] outlook) by Moody’s Investors Service
[____] ([___] outlook) by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
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Trade Date:
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[__________] [__], 20[__]
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Settlement Date (T+[_]):
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[__________] [__], 20[__]
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Principal Amount:
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$[________]
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Coupon:
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[____]%
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Coupon Payment Dates:
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[_____] and [_____] of each year
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First Payment Date:
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[_____], 20[__]
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Final Maturity:
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[_____], 20[__]
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Optional Redemption Terms:
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Make-whole call at any time [prior to [_____], 20[__]] at a discount rate
of Treasury plus [__] bps [and, thereafter, at par]
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UST Benchmark:
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[____]% due [_____], 20[__]
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Spread to UST Benchmark:
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+[___] bps
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Treasury Price:
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[____]
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Treasury Yield:
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[____]%
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Re-offer Yield:
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[____]%
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Issue Price to Public:
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[____]%
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Net Proceeds Before Expenses:
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$[________]
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Joint Book-Running Managers:
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[_____]
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[_____]
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[_____]
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Co-Managers:
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[_____]
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[_____]
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[_____]
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CUSIP / ISIN:
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[_______] / [_______]
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___________________________
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1
A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.
|
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at
www.sec.gov
.
Alternatively, a copy of the prospectus for the offering can be obtained by calling (i) [_____] toll free at [_____], or (ii) [_____] toll free at [_____].
EXHIBIT A
[Letterhead of Entergy Services, Inc.]
[__________] [__], 20[__]
[Name(s) of Underwriter(s)]
c/o [Name(s) of Representative(s)]
[
Address(es) of Representative(s)
]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I, together with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, of New York, New York, have acted as counsel for Entergy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale to you, pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated [__________] [__], 20[__] (the “Underwriting Agreement”), between the Company and you, of $[________] aggregate principal amount of its [___]% Senior Notes due [_______], 20[__] (the “20[__] Notes”) and $[________] aggregate principal amount of its [___]% Senior Notes due [_______], 20[__] (together with the 20[__] Notes, the “Notes”), issued pursuant to the Company’s Indenture, dated as of [__________], 20[__], with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”) (including the terms of the Notes established in separate Officer’s Certificates dated the date hereof, the “Indenture”). This opinion is rendered to you at the request of the Company pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Underwriting Agreement. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
In my capacity as such counsel, I have either participated in the preparation of or have examined and am familiar with: (a) the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Company’s By-laws; (b) the Underwriting Agreement; (c) the Indenture; (d) the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and (e) the records of various corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, issuance and sale of the Notes by the Company and the execution and delivery by the Company of the Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement. I have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied myself as to such other matters as I have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. I have not examined the Notes, except specimens thereof, and I have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.
In my examination, I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to me as originals, the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to me as copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. In making my examination of documents and instruments executed or to be executed by persons other than the Company, I have assumed that each such other person had the requisite power and authority to enter into and perform fully its obligations thereunder, the due authorization by each such other person for the execution, delivery and performance thereof by such person, and the due execution and delivery by or on behalf of such person of each such document and instrument. In the case of any such other person that is not a natural person, I have also assumed, insofar as is relevant to the opinions set forth below, that each such other person is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which such other person was created, and is duly qualified and in good standing in each other jurisdiction where the failure to be so qualified could reasonably be expected to have a material effect upon the ability of such other person to execute, deliver and/or perform such other person’s obligations under any such document or instrument. I have further assumed that each document, instrument, agreement, record and certificate reviewed by me for purposes of rendering the opinions expressed below has not been amended by oral agreement, conduct or course of dealing of the parties thereto, although I have no knowledge of any facts or circumstances that could give rise to such amendment.
As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, I have relied upon statements in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and upon certificates and representations of officers of the Company (including but not limited to those contained in the Underwriting Agreement and certificates delivered at the closing of the sale of the Notes) and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein.
Whenever my opinions herein with respect to the existence or absence of facts are stated to be to my knowledge or awareness, I intend to signify that no information has come to my attention or the attention of any other attorneys acting for or on behalf of the Company or any of its affiliates that have participated in the negotiation of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or in the preparation of this opinion letter that would give me, or them, actual knowledge that would contradict such opinions. However, except to the extent necessary in order to give the opinions hereinafter expressed, neither I nor they have undertaken any independent investigation to determine the existence or absence of such facts, and no inference as to knowledge of the existence or absence of such facts (except to the extent necessary in order to give the opinions hereinafter expressed) should be assumed.
My opinion in paragraph (1) below, insofar as it relates to the good standing of the Company under Delaware law, is given exclusively in reliance upon a certification of the Secretary of State of Delaware, upon which I believe I am justified in relying. A copy of such certification has been provided to you.
Subject to the foregoing and to the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, I am of the opinion that:
(1)
The Company is duly organized and validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the necessary corporate power and authority to conduct the business that it is described as conducting in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to own and operate the properties owned and operated by it in such business.
(2)
The Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and is a legal, valid and binding instrument of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, receivership, fraudulent transfer, preference, moratorium, reorganization or other similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights and by general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, and (ii) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought; and the Indenture is qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and no proceedings to suspend such qualification have been instituted or, to my knowledge, threatened by the Commission.
(3)
The Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, receivership, fraudulent transfer, preference, moratorium, reorganization or other similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights and by general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, and (ii) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(4)
The statements made in the Basic Prospectus as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (together with the other information in the Disclosure Package) and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Senior Notes,” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the documents referred to therein, or of the benefits purported to be afforded by such documents, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such documents and of such benefits in all material respects.
(5)
The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(6)
Except as to the financial statements and other financial, statistical or accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein, upon which I do not express an opinion, the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective under the Securities Act, and the Prospectus, at the time it was filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), complied as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and (except with respect to the Statement of Eligibility upon which I do not express an opinion) the Trust Indenture Act, and the applicable instructions, rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or pursuant to said instructions, rules and regulations are deemed to comply therewith; and, with respect to the documents or portions thereof filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 (except as to the financial statements and other financial, statistical or accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein, upon which I do not express an opinion), such documents or portions thereof, on the date filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the applicable instructions, rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or pursuant to said instructions, rules and regulations are deemed to comply therewith; the Registration Statement automatically became effective under the Securities Act on the date that it was filed by the Company with the Commission thereunder; and, to my knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose are pending or threatened under Section 8(d) of the Securities Act.
(5) No approval, authorization, consent or other order of any governmental body (other than under the Securities Act or the Trust Indenture Act, which have been duly obtained) under the federal law of the United States of America, the law of the State of New York or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware that in my experience is normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Agreement, but without my having made any special investigation with respect to any other law (including charters, ordinances, bylaws and other laws enacted by political subdivisions of the State of New York) and other than any state securities or “blue sky” laws or the antifraud laws of any jurisdiction, as to which I express no opinion, is legally required to permit the issuance and sale of the Notes by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; and no further approval, authorization, consent or other order of any governmental body is legally required to permit the performance by the Company of its obligations with respect to the Notes or under the Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement.
(6) The issuance and sale by the Company of the Notes and the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture (a) will not violate any provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance on or security interest in any of the assets of the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries pursuant to the provisions of, any mortgage, indenture, contract, agreement or other undertaking known to me (having made due inquiry with respect thereto) to which the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries is a party or which purports to be binding upon the Company or any of its Principal Subsidiaries or upon any of their respective assets, and (b) will not violate any provision of any law or regulation applicable to the Company or, to my knowledge (having made due inquiry with respect thereto), any provision of any order, writ, judgment or decree of any governmental instrumentality applicable to the Company (except that various consents of, and filings with, governmental authorities may be required to be obtained or made, as the case may be, in connection or compliance with the provisions of the securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction).
In connection with the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, I have had discussions with certain of the officers, employees, and representatives of the Company and Entergy Services, Inc., with other counsel for the Company, and with the independent registered public accountants of the Company who audited certain of the financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. I have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied myself as to such other matters as I have deemed necessary in order to render this statement of belief. Based on my review of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the above-mentioned discussions, although I have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements included or incorporated by reference therein and take no responsibility therefor (except to the extent such statements relate to me or as expressly set forth in paragraph (4) above), no facts have come to my attention that cause me to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, as of the latest date as of which any part of the Registration Statement relating to the Notes became, or is deemed to have become, effective under the Securities Act in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) the Prospectus, as of its date or at the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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. I do not express any opinion or belief as to (a) the financial statements or other financial, statistical or accounting information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (b) the Statement of Eligibility, or (c) the information contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Senior Notes—Book-Entry Only Issuance—The Depository Trust Company” or (d) the assessments of or reports on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
I am a member of the Bar of the State of Louisiana, and this opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States of America. As to all matters of New York law, I have relied (without independent inquiry), with your approval, upon the opinion of even date herewith addressed to you of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP of New York, New York.
This opinion is solely for your benefit in connection with the Underwriting Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereunder, and it may not be relied upon in any manner by any other person or for any other purpose, without my prior written consent.
Very truly yours,
Mark G. Otts, Esq.
Senior Counsel–Corporate and Securities
EXHIBIT B
[Letterhead of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP]
[__________] [__], 20[__]
[Name(s) of Underwriter(s)]
c/o [Name(s) of Representative(s)]
[
Address(es) of Representative(s)
]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We, together with Mark G. Otts, Esq., Senior Counsel–Corporate and Securities of Entergy Services, Inc., have acted as counsel for Entergy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale to you, pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated [__________] [__], 20[__] (the “Underwriting Agreement”), between the Company and you, of $[________] aggregate principal amount of its [___]% Senior Notes due [_______], 20[__] (the “20[__] Notes”) and $[________] aggregate principal amount of its [___]% Senior Notes due [_______], 20[__] (together with the 20[__] Notes, the “Notes”), issued pursuant to the Company’s Indenture, dated as of [__________], 20[__], with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”) (including the terms of the Notes established in separate Officer’s Certificates dated the date hereof, the “Indenture”). This opinion is rendered to you at the request of the Company pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Underwriting Agreement. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement
In our capacity as such counsel, we have either participated in the preparation of, or have examined and are familiar with: (a) the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Company’s By-Laws; (b) the Underwriting Agreement; (c) the Indenture; (d) the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and (e) the records of various corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, issuance and sale of the Notes by the Company and the execution and delivery by the Company of the Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement. As to questions of fact material to the opinions expressed herein, we have relied upon representations and certifications of officers of the Company (including but not limited to those contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and certificates delivered at the closing of the sale of the Notes) and appropriate public officials without independent verification of such matters except as otherwise described herein. We have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity to the originals of the documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have not examined the Notes, except specimens thereof, and we have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery thereof.
Subject to the foregoing and to the further exceptions and qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:
(1)
The Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and is a legal, valid and binding instrument of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, receivership, fraudulent transfer, preference, moratorium, reorganization or other similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights and by general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, and (ii) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought; and the Indenture is qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and no proceedings to suspend such qualification have been instituted or, to our knowledge, threatened by the Commission.
(2)
The Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, receivership, fraudulent transfer, preference, moratorium, reorganization or other similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights and by general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, and (ii) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(3)
The statements made in the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (together with the other information in the Disclosure Package), and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Senior Notes,” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the documents referred to therein, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such documents in all material respects.
(4)
The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(5)
Except as to the financial statements and other financial, statistical or accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein, upon which we do not express an opinion, the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective under the Securities Act, and the Prospectus, at the time it was filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), complied as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and (except with respect to the Statement of Eligibility, upon which we do not express an opinion) the Trust Indenture Act, and the applicable instructions, rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or pursuant to said instructions, rules and regulations are deemed to comply therewith; and, with respect to the documents or portions thereof filed with the Commission by the Company pursuant to the Exchange Act, and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, such documents or portions thereof (except as to the financial statements and other financial, statistical or accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein, upon which we do not express an opinion), on the date filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the applicable instructions, rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or pursuant to said instructions, rules and regulations are deemed to comply therewith; the Registration Statement automatically became effective under the Securities Act on the date that it was filed by the Company with the Commission thereunder; and, to our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose are pending or threatened under Section 8(d) of the Securities Act.
(6)
No approval, authorization, consent or other order of any governmental body (other than under the Securities Act or the Trust Indenture Act, which have been duly obtained) under the federal law of the United States of America, the law of the State of New York or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware that in our experience is normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Agreement, but without our having made any special investigation with respect to any other law (including charters, ordinances, bylaws and other laws enacted by political subdivisions of the State of New York) and other than any state securities or “blue sky” laws or the antifraud laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion, is legally required to permit the issuance and sale of the Notes by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; and no further approval, authorization, consent or other order of any governmental body is legally required to permit the performance by the Company of its obligations with respect to the Notes or under the Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement.
(7)
The Company is not, and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company will not be, an “investment company,” or an entity “controlled” by an investment company, as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
In passing upon the forms of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, we necessarily assume the correctness, completeness and fairness of the statements made by the Company and information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and take no responsibility therefor, except insofar as such statements relate to us and as set forth in paragraph (3) above. In connection with the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, we have had discussions with certain officers, employees and representatives of the Company and Entergy Services, Inc., with other counsel for the Company and with the independent registered public accountants of the Company who audited certain of the financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. We have also examined or caused to be examined such other documents and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters as we have deemed necessary in order to render this statement of belief. Based on our review of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the above-mentioned discussions, although we have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements included or incorporated by reference therein and take no responsibility therefor (except to the extent such statements relate to us or as expressly set forth in paragraph (3) above), no facts have come to our attention that cause us to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, as of the latest date as of which any part of the Registration Statement relating to the Notes became, or is deemed to have become, effective under the Securities Act in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) the Prospectus, as of its date or at the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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. We do not express any opinion or belief as to (a) the financial statements or other financial, statistical or accounting information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (b) the Statement of Eligibility, (c) the information contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Senior Notes—Book-Entry Only Issuance—The Depository Trust Company” or (d) the assessments of or reports on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
This opinion is limited to the law of the States of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States of America.
This opinion is solely for your benefit in connection with the Underwriting Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereunder and it may not be relied upon in any manner by any other person or for any other purpose, without our prior written consent, except that Mark G. Otts, Esq., Senior Counsel–Corporate and Securities of Entergy Services, Inc. may rely on this opinion as to all matters of New York law in rendering his opinion required to be delivered under the Underwriting Agreement.
Very truly yours,
MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP
EXHIBIT C
[Letterhead of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP]
[__________] [__], 20[__]
[Name(s) of Underwriter(s)]
c/o [Name(s) of Representative(s)]
[
Address(es) of Representative(s)
]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as your counsel in connection with your several purchases from Entergy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement dated [__________] [_], 20[__] between you and the Company (the “Agreement”), of $[_________] aggregate principal amount of the Company’s [__]% Senior Notes due [__________], 20[__] (the “20[__] Notes”) and $[_________] aggregate principal amount of the Company’s [__]% Senior Notes due [__________], 20[__] (together with the 20[__] Notes, the “Securities”). The Securities are being issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of [__________], 20[__] between Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), and the Company (including the terms of the Securities established in separate Officer’s Certificates dated the date hereof, the “Indenture”). This letter is delivered to you pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Agreement.
We have reviewed (a) the Agreement, (b) the Indenture, (c) the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-[_____]) (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company to register the Securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) (including the Prospectus dated [__________] [__], 2010 contained therein (the “Base Prospectus”), which is deemed to incorporate by reference the Incorporated Documents referred to below), (d) the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, Subject to Completion, dated [__________] [__], 20[__], relating to the offer and sale of the Securities (as so supplemented, the “Preliminary Prospectus”) filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act, which also incorporates by reference the Incorporated Documents, (e) the Company’s Pricing Term Sheets dated [__________] [_], 20[__] relating to the final terms of the Securities each filed by the Company with the Commission as an “issuer free writing prospectus” pursuant to Rule 433 under the Securities Act (the “Term Sheets”), (f) the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement dated [__________] [_], 20[__], relating to the offer and sale of the Securities (as so supplemented, the “Final Prospectus”) filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) under the Securities Act, which also incorporates by reference the Incorporated Documents, and (g) the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20[__], as amended (the “Annual Report”), the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended [_____], 20[__] and [_____], 20[__] (the “Quarterly Reports”) and the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K dated [_____], 20[__] and [_____], 20[__] (such Current Reports, together with the Annual Report and the Quarterly Reports, the “Incorporated Documents”), in each case filed by the Company with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). We have also reviewed such other agreements, documents, records, certificates and materials, and have satisfied ourselves as to such other matters, as we have considered relevant or necessary for purposes of this letter. We have not reviewed any of the certificates representing the Securities, except specimens thereof.
In such review, we have assumed the accuracy and completeness of all agreements, documents, records, certificates and other materials submitted to us, the conformity with the originals of all such materials submitted to us as copies (whether or not certified and including facsimiles), the authenticity of the originals of such materials and all materials submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of all signatures and the legal capacity of all natural persons. In delivering this letter, we have relied, without independent verification, as to factual matters, on certificates and other written or oral notices or statements of governmental and other public officials and of officers and other representatives of the Company and on representations made by the Company in the Agreement. We have relied upon a certificate of the Trustee as to the authentication and delivery of the Securities.
On the basis of the assumptions and subject to the qualifications and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:
|
1.
|
The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.
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2.
|
The Securities have been duly authorized, executed and issued by the Company and, upon payment therefor pursuant to the Agreement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, and the Securities will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
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3.
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The Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
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4.
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The Registration Statement automatically became effective under the Securities Act on the date it was filed by the Company with the Commission thereunder and, to our knowledge, (a) no stop order with respect thereto has been issued and (b) no proceedings therefor are pending or threatened under Section 8 of the Securities Act.
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5.
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The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and, to our knowledge, no proceedings to suspend such qualification have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.
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6.
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No Governmental Approval (as defined below) under the federal law of the United States of America, the law of the State of New York or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware that in our experience is normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Agreement, but without our having made any special investigation with respect to any other law (including charters, ordinances, bylaws and other laws enacted by political subdivisions of the State of New York) and other than any state securities or “blue sky” laws or the antifraud laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion, is required to permit the issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company pursuant to the Agreement (other than those Governmental Approvals that have been previously obtained or made).
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Our opinions in paragraphs 1 and 2 above are subject to and limited by the effect of (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance and transfer, receivership, conservatorship, arrangement, moratorium and other similar laws affecting or relating to the rights of creditors generally, (b) general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and (c) requirements of reasonableness, good faith, materiality and fair dealing and the discretion of the court before which any matter may be brought. In addition, our opinion in paragraph 1 above is subject to and limited by, in the case of indemnities, a requirement that an indemnity provision will not be read to impose obligations upon indemnitors that are neither disclosed at the time of its execution nor reasonably within the scope of its terms and the overall intention of the parties at the time of its making.
With respect to our opinions in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 above, we have assumed that the Company is duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the law of the State of Delaware. With respect to our opinions in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, we have assumed that (a) the execution and delivery of, and the performance of the Company’s obligations under, the Indenture and the Securities by the Company do not and will not (i) violate the Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws of the Company, (ii) require any Governmental Approval (other than the Governmental Approvals that are the subject of our opinion in paragraph 6 above) or (iii) violate or conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under, (A) any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Affiliate (as defined below) is a party or by which the Company or any Affiliate or any of its properties may be bound, (B) any Governmental Approval, (C) any order, decision, judgment or decree that may be applicable to the Company or any Affiliate or any of its properties or (D) any law (other than the law of the State of New York, the federal law of the United States of America and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware), (b) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and is the valid and legally binding agreement of and enforceable against, the Trustee, (c) there are no agreements, understandings or negotiations between the parties not set forth in the Indenture or the Securities that would modify the terms thereof or the rights and obligations of the parties thereunder and (d) all parties to the transaction referred to herein will act in accordance with, and will refrain from taking any action that is forbidden by, the terms and conditions of the Indenture and the Securities. As used in this paragraph, (x) “Governmental Approval” means any authorization, consent, approval or license (or the like) of, exemption (or the like) from, registration or filing (or the like) with, or report or notice (or the like) to, any governmental unit, agency, commission, department or other authority that may be applicable to the Company or any Affiliate or any of its properties and (y) “Affiliate” means any person or entity that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company.
Whenever we qualify a statement in this letter with the words “to our knowledge”, it indicates that, in the course of our representation of you in connection with the transaction referred to herein, no information that would give us current actual knowledge of the inaccuracy of such statement has come to the attention of the lawyers in this firm who have rendered legal services in connection with the transaction referred to herein. Please be advised that only Jeffrey J. Delaney, William Wong and Karl C. Schaub have been so involved. We have not made any independent investigation to determine the accuracy of any such statement, except as expressly described herein, and any limited inquiry undertaken by us during the preparation of this letter should not be regarded as such an investigation. No inference as to our knowledge of any matters bearing on the accuracy of such statement should be drawn from our representation of you in other matters in which such lawyers are not involved.
In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, we had conferences with certain officers and other representatives of and counsel for the Company, with Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accountants who audited certain of the financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, and with your representatives, during which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus were discussed. We did not participate in the preparation by the Company of the Incorporated Documents or the selection of information contained therein or omitted therefrom by the Company; however, we reviewed drafts of the Annual Report and the Quarterly Reports prior to the time they were filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act. Based on our review of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents and our discussions in the conferences described above:
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(a)
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the statements set forth under the caption “Description of Senior Notes” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus (together with, in the case of the Preliminary Prospectus, the statements set forth in the Term Sheets), to the extent that such statements purport to constitute summaries of the terms of the Securities and the Indenture, are accurate in all material respects;
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(b)
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each of the Registration Statement, at the date the Registration Statement became effective under the Securities Act, and the Final Prospectus, at the time it was filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) under the Securities Act, appeared on its face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and
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(c)
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although we have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus and take no responsibility therefor (except to the extent that such statements relate to us or as set forth in clause (a) above), no facts have come to our attention that cause us to believe that:
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(i)
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the Registration Statement (including the information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B(f) under the Securities Act), at the most recent effective date of the part of the Registration Statement relating to the Securities determined pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Securities Act, and when read together with the Incorporated Documents, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
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(ii)
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the Preliminary Prospectus, at [___] p.m., New York City time, on the date of the Agreement and when read together with the Term Sheets and the Incorporated Documents, 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; or
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(iii)
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the Final Prospectus, at its date or the date hereof and when read together with the Incorporated Documents, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, we express no opinion or belief in clause (b) or (c) above as to (i) the financial statements and other financial, statistical and accounting information contained or incorporated by reference in or omitted from the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, (ii) the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 of the Trustee filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or (iii) the assessments of or reports on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus. In addition, in passing on each of the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus in clause (b) above, we have necessarily assumed the correctness and completeness of the statements made by the Company therein and in connection with the Company’s preparation thereof.
Our opinions set forth in this letter are limited to the federal law of the United States of America, the law of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in each case as in effect on the date hereof, and we express no opinion as to the law of any other jurisdiction. We have no responsibility or obligation to update this letter or to take into account changes in law, facts or any other developments of which we may later become aware.
This letter is delivered only to you by us as your counsel solely for your benefit in connection with the transaction contemplated by the Agreement and may not be used, circulated, furnished, quoted or otherwise referred to or relied upon for any other purpose or by any other person or entity (including by any person or entity that acquires any of the Securities from any of you) for any purpose without our prior written consent.
Very truly yours,
PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP
Exhibit 4.01
__________________________________________
ENTERGY CORPORATION
TO
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
Trustee
__________________
Indenture
(For Unsecured Debt Securities)
Dated as of September 1, 2010
__________________________________________
-i-
ENTERGY CORPORATION
Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939
and Indenture (For Unsecured Debt Securities) dated as of September 1, 2010
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Trust Indenture Act Section
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Indenture Section
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§310(a)(1)
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909
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(a)(2)
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909
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(a)(3)
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914
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(a)(4)
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Not Applicable
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(b)
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908, 910
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§311(a)
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913
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(b)
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913
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(c)
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Not Applicable
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§312(a)
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1001
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(b)
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1001
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(c)
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1001
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§313(a)
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1002
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(b)(1)
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Not Applicable
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(b)(2)
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1002
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(c)
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1002
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(d)
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|
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1002
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§314(a)
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1002
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(a)(4)
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606
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(b)
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Not Applicable
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(c)(1)
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102
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(c)(2)
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102
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(c)(3)
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Not Applicable
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(d)
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Not Applicable
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(e)
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102
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§315(a)
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901, 903
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(b)
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902
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(c)
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901
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(d)
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|
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901
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(e)
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814
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§316(a)
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812, 813
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(a)(1)(A)
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802, 812
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(a)(1)(B)
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813
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(a)(2)
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Not Applicable
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(b)
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808
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§317(a)(1)
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803
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(a)(2)
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804
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(b)
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|
603
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§318(a)
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|
107
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INDENTURE
, dated as of September 1, 2010, between
ENTERGY CORPORATION
, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the “Company”), having its principal office at 639 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70113, and
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
, a national banking association, having its principal corporate trust office at 625 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).
RECITAL 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 (herein called the “Securities”), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued in one or more series as contemplated herein; and all acts necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company have been performed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in Article One of this Indenture.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of any series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE ONE
Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application
SECTION 101.
Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;
(b)
all terms used herein without definition which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, as in effect on the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;
(c)
all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in the United States at the date of such computation or, at the election of the Company from time to time, at the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture; provided, however, that in determining generally accepted accounting principles applicable to the Company, effect shall be given, to the extent required, to any order, rule or regulation of any administrative agency, regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and
(d)
the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
Certain terms, used principally in Article Nine, are defined in that Article.
“
Act
”, when used with respect to any Holder of a Security, has the meaning specified in Section 104.
“
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 through one or more intermediaries, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “
controlling
” and “
controlled
” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“
Authenticating Agent
” means any Person (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 915 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate one or more series of Securities or Tranche thereof.
“
Authorized Officer
” means the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, or any other officer, manager or agent of the Company duly authorized by a Board Resolution to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.
“
Board of Directors
” means either the board of directors, the board of managers or similar governing body of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.
“
Board Resolution
” means a copy of a resolution or resolutions certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
“
Business Day
”, when used with respect to a Place of Payment or any other particular location specified in the Securities or this Indenture, means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, which is not a day on which banking institutions or trust companies in such Place of Payment or other location are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed or which is not a day on which the Corporate Trust Office is closed for business, except as may be otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301.
“
Commission
” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or, if at any time after the date of execution and delivery of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body, if any, 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 an Authorized Officer and delivered to the Trustee.
“
Corporate Trust Office
” means the office of the Trustee in the Place of Payment for Securities, which office at the date of execution and delivery of this Indenture is located at 45 Broadway, New York, New York 10006, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time, with the consent of the Company, by notice to the Holders and the Company; provided that copies of all notices and any other documents delivered to the Corporate Trust Office shall also be sent to the Trustee pursuant to the requirements of Section 105.
“
corporation
” means a corporation, association, company, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, joint stock company or business trust, and references to “corporate” and other derivations of “corporation” herein shall be deemed to include appropriate derivations of such entities.
“
Defaulted Interest
” has the meaning specified in Section 307.
“
Discount Security
” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 802. “Interest” with respect to a Discount Security means interest, if any, borne by such Security at a Stated Interest Rate.
“
Dollar
” or “
$
” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
“
Eligible Obligations
” means:
(a)
with respect to Securities denominated in Dollars, Government Obligations or, if specified pursuant to Section 301 with respect to any Securities, other Investment Securities; or
(b)
with respect to Securities denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, such other obligations or instruments as shall be specified with respect to such Securities, as contemplated by Section 301.
“
Event of Default
” has the meaning specified in Section 801.
“
Government Obligations
” means securities which are (a) (i) direct obligations of the United States where the payment or payments thereunder are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States where the timely payment or payments thereunder are unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States or (b) depository receipts issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act, which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) as custodian with respect to any such Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of or other amount with respect to any such Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of or other amount with respect to the Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
“
Governmental Authority
” means the government of the United States or of any state or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia or of any county, municipality or other political subdivision of any of the foregoing, or any department, agency, authority or other instrumentality of any of the foregoing.
“
Holder
” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.
“
Indenture
” means this instrument as originally executed and delivered and as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof (each, a “
supplemental indenture
”), including, for all purposes of this instrument 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 provisions or terms of particular series of Securities established in any Officer’s Certificate, Board Resolution or Company Order delivered pursuant to Sections 201, 301, 303 and 1207.
“
Interest Payment Date
”, when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“
Investment Securities
”
means any of the following obligations or securities on which neither the Company, any other obligor on the Securities nor any Affiliate of either is the obligor: (a) Government Obligations; (b) interest bearing deposit accounts (which may be represented by certificates of deposit) in any national or state bank (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) or savings and loan association which has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (c) bankers’ acceptances drawn on and accepted by any commercial bank (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) which has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (d) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, any State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing, which are rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (e) bonds or other obligations of any agency or instrumentality of the United States; (f) corporate debt securities which are rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (g) repurchase agreements with respect to any of the foregoing obligations or securities with any banking or financial institution (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) which has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (h) securities issued by any regulated investment company (including any investment company for which the Trustee or any Paying Agent is the advisor), as defined in Section 851 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor section of such Code or successor federal statute, provided that the portfolio of such investment company is limited to obligations or securities of the character and investment quality contemplated in clauses (a) through (f) above and repurchase agreements which are fully collateralized by any of such obligations or securities; and (i) any other obligations or securities which may lawfully be purchased by the Trustee in its capacity as such.
“
Maturity
”, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as provided in such Security or in this Indenture, whether at the Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, upon call for redemption or otherwise.
“
Officer’s Certificate
” means a certificate signed by an Authorized Officer and delivered to the Trustee.
“
Opinion of Counsel
” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for the Company, or an individual who is an employee of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company, and who shall be acceptable to the Trustee.
“
Outstanding
”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(a)
Securities theretofore paid, redeemed, canceled or delivered to the Security Registrar for cancellation;
(b)
Securities deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture in accordance with Section 701 (whether or not the Company’s indebtedness in respect thereof shall be satisfied and discharged for any other purpose) or deemed to have been paid in accordance with the terms of the Securities; and
(c)
Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 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 and the Company that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser or purchasers in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether or not the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Securities Outstanding under this Indenture, or the Outstanding Securities of any series or Tranche, have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or whether or not a quorum is present at a meeting of Holders of Securities,
(x) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor (unless the Company, such Affiliate or such obligor owns all Securities Outstanding under this Indenture, or (except for the purposes of actions to be taken by Holders of (i) more than one series voting as a class under Section 812 or (ii) more than one series or more than one Tranche, as the case may be, voting as a class under Section 1202) all Outstanding Securities of each such series and each such Tranche, as the case may be, determined without regard to this clause (x)) 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 or upon any such determination as to the presence of a quorum, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded; provided, however, that 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; and
(y) the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 802;
provided, further, that, in the case of any Security the principal of which is payable from time to time without presentment or surrender, the principal amount of such Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding at any time for all purposes of this Indenture shall be the original principal amount thereof less the aggregate amount of principal thereof theretofore paid.
“
Paying Agent
” means any Person, including the Company, authorized by the Company to pay the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Securities on behalf of the Company.
“
Periodic Offering
” means an offering of Securities of a series from time to time any or all of the specific terms of which Securities, including without limitation the rate or rates of interest, if any, thereon, the Stated Maturity or Maturities thereof and the redemption provisions, if any, with respect thereto, are to be determined by the Company or its agents upon the issuance of such Securities.
“
Person
” means any individual, corporation, joint venture, trust or unincorporated organization or any Governmental Authority.
“
Place of Payment
”, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, means the place or places, specified as contemplated by Section 301, at which, subject to Section 602, principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of such series or Tranche are payable.
“
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 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed (to the extent lawful) 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, exclusive of accrued and unpaid interest.
“
Regular Record Date
” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 301.
“
Required Currency
” has the meaning specified in Section 311.
“
Responsible Officer
”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means an officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee (or any similar or successor group of the Trustee), including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, trust officer or assistant trust officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
“
Securities
” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“
Securities Act
” means, as of any time, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor statute, as in effect at such time.
“
Security Register
” and “
Security Registrar
” have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.
“
Special Record Date
” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.
“
Stated Interest Rate
” means a rate (whether fixed or variable) at which an obligation by its terms is stated to bear simple interest. Any calculation or other determination to be made under this Indenture by reference to the Stated Interest Rate on a Security shall be made without regard to the effective interest cost to the Company of such Security and without regard to the Stated Interest Rate on, or the effective cost to the Company of, any other indebtedness in respect of which the Company’s obligations are evidenced or secured in whole or in part by such Security.
“
Stated Maturity
”, when used with respect to any obligation or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date on which the principal of such obligation or such installment of principal or interest is stated to be due and payable (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension).
“
Tranche
” means a group of Securities which are of the same series but may have different terms relative to other Tranches of such group of Securities, including principal amount, date of issuance, Stated Interest Rate, Stated Maturity and Regular Record Date.
“
Trust Indenture Act
” means, as of any time, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or any successor statute, as in effect at such time.
“
Trustee
” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have become such with respect to one or more series of Securities pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, 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.
“
United States
” means the United States of America, its territories, its possessions and other areas subject to its political jurisdiction.
SECTION 102.
Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall, if requested by the Trustee, furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that in the opinion of the Authorized Officer executing such Officer’s Certificate all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action (including any covenants compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:
(a)
a statement that each Person signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(b)
a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(c)
a statement that, in the opinion of each such Person, such Person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such Person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(d)
a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 103.
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which such officer’s certificate or opinion are 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. Any Opinion of Counsel may be rendered, insofar as it relates to matters of New York law, in reliance on an opinion of New York counsel, which may be an opinion contemporaneously delivered to a third party or parties and shall expressly permit such reliance.
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, or two or more Persons are each required to make, give or execute any such application, request, consent, certificate, statement, opinion or other instrument, any such applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Whenever, subsequent to the receipt by the Trustee of any Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or other document or instrument, a clerical, typographical or other inadvertent or unintentional error or omission shall be discovered therein, a new document or instrument may be substituted therefor in corrected form with the same force and effect as if originally filed in the corrected form and, irrespective of the date or dates of the actual execution and/or delivery thereof, such substitute document or instrument shall be deemed to have been executed and/or delivered as of the date or dates required with respect to the document or instrument for which it is substituted. Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, if any such corrective document or instrument indicates that action has been taken by or at the request of the Company which could not have been taken had the original document or instrument not contained such error or omission, the action so taken shall not be invalidated or otherwise rendered ineffective but shall be and remain in full force and effect, except to the extent that such action was a result of willful misconduct or bad faith. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Securities issued under the authority of such defective document or instrument shall nevertheless be the valid obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of this Indenture equally and ratably with all other Outstanding Securities, except as aforesaid.
SECTION 104.
Acts of Holders.
(a)
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, 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 or, alternatively, may be embodied in and evidenced by the record of Holders voting in favor thereof, either in person or by proxies duly appointed in writing, at any meeting of Holders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article Thirteen, or a combination of such instruments and any such record. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments and any such record (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments and so voting at any such meeting. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 901) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section. The record of any meeting of Holders shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 1306.
(b)
The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing 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 or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof or may be proved in any other manner which the Trustee and the Company deem sufficient. 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 Trustee may in any instance require further proof with respect to any of the matters referred to in this Section.
(c)
The principal amount (except as otherwise contemplated in clause (y) of the first proviso to the definition of Outstanding) and serial numbers of Securities held by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security Register.
(d)
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act of a Holder shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
(e)
Until such time as written instruments shall have been delivered to the Trustee with respect to the requisite percentage of principal amount of Securities for the action contemplated by such instruments, any such instrument executed and delivered by or on behalf of a Holder may be revoked with respect to any or all of such Securities by written notice by such Holder or any subsequent Holder, proven in the manner in which such instrument was proven.
(f)
Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, authenticated and delivered after any Act of Holders may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any action taken by such Act of Holders. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to such action may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche.
(g)
If the Company shall solicit from Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite percentage of the Outstanding Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities shall be computed as of the record date.
SECTION 105.
Notices, etc. to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, 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, the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company, or the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder, shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and delivered personally to an officer or other responsible employee of the addressee at the applicable location set forth below or at such other location as such party may from time to time designate by written notice, or transmitted by facsimile transmission or other direct written electronic means to such telephone number or other electronic communications address as the parties hereto shall from time to time designate by written notice, or transmitted by certified or registered mail, charges prepaid, to the applicable address set forth below or to such other address as either party hereto may from time to time designate by written notice:
If to the Trustee, to:
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
Corporate Trust Services
625 Marquette Ave., 11th Floor
MAC N9311-110
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479
Attention: Richard Prokosch
If to the Company, to:
Entergy Corporation
639 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Attention: Vice President and Treasurer
Telephone: (504) 576-4363
Telecopy: (504) 576-4455
Any communication contemplated herein shall be deemed to have been made, given, furnished and filed if personally delivered, on the date of delivery, if transmitted by facsimile transmission or other direct written electronic means, on the date of receipt, and if transmitted by certified or registered mail, on the date of receipt.
SECTION 106.
Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver.
Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given, and shall be deemed given, to Holders if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at the address of such Holder 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 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 to Holders by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder. 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.
Any notice required by this Indenture may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event otherwise to be specified therein, 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.
SECTION 107.
Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If (a) any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by, or is otherwise governed by, any of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, such other provision shall control; and (b) if any provision hereof otherwise conflicts with the Trust Indenture Act, the Trust Indenture Act shall control unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities.
SECTION 108.
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 hereof.
SECTION 109.
Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company and Trustee shall bind their respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
SECTION 110.
Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or 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 thereby.
SECTION 111.
Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, their successors hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
SECTION 112.
Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor statute), except to the extent that the law of any other jurisdiction shall be mandatorily applicable.
SECTION 113.
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 in Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or in the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or Company Order which establishes the terms of the Securities of such series or Tranche, 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, and in the same amount, as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, as the case may be, and, if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day.
SECTION 114.
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 ANY OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
SECTION 115.
Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable, nor shall the Company be responsible or liable to the Trustee, for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, and nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God; it being understood that the Trustee or the Company, as the case may be, shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
SECTION 116.
USA Patriot Act.
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account. The Company agrees that it will provide the Trustee with information about the Company as the Trustee may reasonably request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act.
ARTICLE TWO
Security Forms
SECTION 201.
Forms Generally.
The definitive Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form or forms thereof established in the supplemental indenture establishing such series or in a Board Resolution establishing such series, in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to such supplemental indenture or Board Resolution or in a Company Order as contemplated by Section 303(b), 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 notations, legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with applicable law, the rules of any securities exchange or depository, including The Depository Trust Company, or other clearing corporation or securities intermediary, automated quotation system, agreements to which the Company is subject, or usage, or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities. If the form or forms of Securities of any series are established in a Board Resolution or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or a Board Resolution, such Board Resolution and Officer’s Certificate, if any, shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 303(b) for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 or clause (g) of Section 1201, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons. The definitive Securities shall be produced in such manner as shall be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof.
SECTION 202.
Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the form set forth below:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated:
____________________________________________
as Trustee
By:__________________________________________
Authorized Signatory
ARTICLE THREE
The Securities
SECTION 301.
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 from time to time in one or more series. Subject to the last paragraph of this Section, prior to the authentication and delivery of Securities of any series there shall be established by specification in a supplemental indenture or in a Board Resolution, in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or a Board Resolution or in a Company Order as contemplated by Section 303(b):
(a)
the title of the Securities of such series (which shall distinguish the Securities of such series from Securities of all other series);
(b)
any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such 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 such series pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 406 or 1206 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
(c)
the Person or Persons (without specific identification) to whom interest on Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable on any Interest Payment Date, if other than the Persons in whose names such Securities (or one or more Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;
(d)
the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, is payable or any formulary or other method or other means by which such date or dates shall be determined, by reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture or otherwise (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension);
(e)
the rate or rates at which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall bear interest, if any (including the rate or rates at which overdue principal shall bear interest, if different from the rate or rates at which such Securities shall bear interest prior to Maturity, and, if applicable, the rate or rates at which overdue premium or interest shall bear interest, if any), or any formulary or other method or other means by which such rate or rates shall be determined, by reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture or otherwise; the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue; the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date, if any, for the interest payable on such Securities on any Interest Payment Date; the right of the Company, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of any such extension as contemplated by Section 312; and the basis of computation of interest, if other than as provided in Section 310;
(f)
the place or places at which and/or methods (if other than as provided elsewhere in this Indenture) by which (1) the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable, (2) registration of transfer of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected, (3) exchanges of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected and (4) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, and this Indenture may be served; the Security Registrar and any Paying Agent or Agents for such series or Tranche; and if such is the case, that the principal of such Securities shall be payable without presentment or surrender thereof;
(g)
the period or periods within which, or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company and any restrictions on such redemptions, including but not limited to a restriction on a partial redemption by the Company of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, resulting in delisting of such Securities from any national exchange;
(h)
the obligation or obligations, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase or repay the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, pursuant to any sinking fund or other mandatory redemption provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and applicable exceptions to the requirements of Section 404 in the case of mandatory redemption or redemption at the option of the Holder;
(i)
the denominations in which Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be issuable if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
(j)
the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable (if other than in Dollars) and the manner in which the equivalent of the principal amount thereof in Dollars is to be determined for any purpose, including for the purpose of determining the principal amount deemed to be Outstanding at any time;
(k)
if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in a coin or currency other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made;
(l)
if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, or are to be payable at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in securities or other property, the type and amount of such securities or other property, or the formulary or other method or other means by which such amount shall be determined, and the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, any such election may be made;
(m)
if the amount payable in respect of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be determined with reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined to the extent not established pursuant to clause (e) of this paragraph;
(n)
if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 802;
(o)
any Events of Default, in addition to those specified in Section 801, or any exceptions to those specified in Section 801, with respect to the Securities of such series, and any covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, in addition to those set forth in Article Six, or any exceptions to those set forth in Article Six;
(p)
the terms, if any, pursuant to which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company or any other Person;
(q)
the obligations or instruments, if any, which shall be considered to be Eligible Obligations in respect of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, whether Eligible Obligations include Investment Securities with respect to Securities of such series, and any additional or alternative provisions for the reinstatement of the Company’s indebtedness in respect of such Securities after the satisfaction and discharge thereof as provided in Section 701;
(r)
if the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be issued in global form, (i) any limitations on the rights of the Holder or Holders of such Securities to transfer or exchange the same or to obtain the registration of transfer thereof, (ii) any limitations on the rights of the Holder or Holders thereof to obtain certificates therefor in definitive form in lieu of global form, (iii) any form of legend or legends to be borne on such global Security, (iv) the depository for such global Security, and (v) any and all other matters incidental to such Securities;
(s)
if the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be issuable as bearer securities, any and all matters incidental thereto which are not specifically addressed in a supplemental indenture as contemplated by clause (g) of Section 1201;
(t)
to the extent not established pursuant to clause (r) of this paragraph, any limitations on the rights of the Holders of the Securities of such Series, or any Tranche thereof, to transfer or exchange such Securities or to obtain the registration of transfer thereof; and if a service charge will be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, the amount or terms thereof;
(u)
any exceptions to Section 113, or variation in the definition of Business Day, with respect to the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof;
(v)
any collateral security, assurance or guarantee for the Securities of such series;
(w)
any rights or duties of another Person to assume the obligations of the Company with respect to the Securities of such series (whether as joint obligor, primary obligor, secondary obligor or substitute obligor) and any rights or duties to discharge and release any obligor with respect to the Securities of such series or the Indenture to the extent related to such series; and
(x)
any other terms of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture.
With respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the supplemental indenture hereto or the Board Resolution which establishes such series, or the Officer’s Certificate pursuant to such supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, as the case may be, may provide general terms or parameters for Securities of such series and provide either that the specific terms of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be specified in a Company Order or that such terms shall be determined by the Company or its agents in accordance with procedures specified in a Company Order as contemplated by clause (b) of Section 303.
Unless otherwise provided with respect to a series of Securities as contemplated in Section 301(b), without the consent of any Holder, the aggregate principal amount of a series of Securities may be increased and additional Securities of such series may be issued up to the maximum aggregate principal amount authorized (if any) with respect to such series as increased.
SECTION 302.
Denominations.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 303.
Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, the Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer and may have the corporate seal of the Company affixed thereto or reproduced thereon attested by any other Authorized Officer or by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company. The signature of any or all of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at the time of execution Authorized Officers or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary 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.
The Trustee shall authenticate and deliver Securities of a series, for original issue, at one time or from time to time in accordance with the Company Order referred to below, upon receipt by the Trustee of:
(a)
the instrument or instruments establishing the form or forms and terms of such series, as provided in Sections 201 and 301;
(b)
a Company Order requesting the authentication and delivery of such Securities and, to the extent that the terms of such Securities shall not have been established in a supplemental indenture or in a Board Resolution, or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or a Board Resolution, all as contemplated by Sections 201 and 301, either (i) establishing such terms or (ii) in the case of Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, specifying procedures, acceptable to the Trustee, by which such terms are to be established (which procedures may provide, to the extent acceptable to the Trustee, for authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or any agent or agents thereof, which oral instructions are to be promptly confirmed electronically or in writing), in either case in accordance with the instrument or instruments establishing the terms of the Securities of such series delivered pursuant to clause (a) above;
(c)
the Securities of such series, executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer;
(d)
an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:
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(i)
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the form or forms of such Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
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(ii)
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the terms of such Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
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(iii)
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such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will have been duly issued under this Indenture and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits provided by this Indenture, and enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement, to laws relating to or affecting generally the enforcement of creditors’ rights, including, without limitation, bankruptcy and insolvency laws and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);
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provided, however, that, with respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive such Opinion of Counsel only once at or prior to the time of the first authentication of such Securities (provided that such Opinion of Counsel addresses the authentication and delivery of all Securities of such series) and that in lieu of the opinions described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above such Opinion of Counsel may, alternatively, state that:
(x) when the terms of such Securities shall have been established pursuant to a Company Order or Orders or pursuant to such procedures (acceptable to the Trustee) as may be specified from time to time by a Company Order or Orders, all as contemplated by and in accordance with the instrument or instruments delivered pursuant to clause (a) above, such terms will have been duly authorized by the Company and will have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(y) such Securities, when (1) authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in accordance with this Indenture, (2) issued and delivered by the Company and (3) paid for, all as contemplated by and in accordance with the aforesaid Company Order or Orders, as the case may be, will have been duly issued under this Indenture and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture, and enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement, to laws relating to or affecting generally the enforcement of creditors’ rights, including, without limitation, bankruptcy and insolvency laws, and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
With respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the authorization by the Company of any of such Securities, the form, terms thereof and the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability thereof, and compliance of the authentication and delivery thereof with the terms and conditions of this Indenture, upon the Opinion of Counsel and other documents delivered pursuant to Sections 201 and 301 and this Section, as applicable, at or prior to the time of the first authentication of Securities of such series unless and until such opinion or other documents have been superseded or revoked or expire by their terms. In connection with the authentication and delivery of Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume that the Company’s instructions to authenticate and deliver such Securities do not violate any applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Company.
If the form or terms of the Securities of any series have been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, an Officer’s Certificate or a Company Order as permitted by Sections 201, 301 or 303(b), the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issuance of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will materially or adversely 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.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, 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 herein executed by the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent by manual signature, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder to the Company, or any Person acting on its behalf, but shall never have been issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 309 together with a written statement (which need not comply with Section 102 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) stating that such Security has never been issued and sold by the Company, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits hereof.
SECTION 304.
Global or Temporary Securities.
The Company may issue some or all of the Securities in temporary or permanent global form. The Company may issue a global Security only to a depository, including The Depository Trust Company, or other clearing corporation or securities intermediary, or its nominee. A depository or its nominee may transfer a Security in global form only to a nominee of a depository or to a successor depository, but upon request of such depository, the Company shall deliver non-global Securities in exchange for global Securities. A global Security shall represent the amount of Securities specified in the global Security. A global Security may have variations that the depository requires or that the Company considers appropriate for such a security, including grids for increasing or decreasing the principal amount of such Security. Beneficial owners of part or all of a global Security are subject to the rules of the depository as in effect from time to time. The Company, the Trustee and any Registrar and any Paying Agent shall not be responsible or liable for any acts or omissions of a depository, for any depository records of beneficial ownership interests, for any transactions between the depository and beneficial owners, for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may use temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall deliver definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities. Until exchanged in full as hereinabove provided, temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of the same series and Tranche and of like tenor authenticated and delivered hereunder.
SECTION 305.
Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
The Company shall cause to be kept in each office designated pursuant to Section 602, with respect to the Securities of each series, a register (all registers kept in accordance with this Section being 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 of such series, or any Tranche thereof, and the registration of transfer thereof. The Company shall designate one Person to maintain the Security Register for the Securities of each series on a consolidated basis, and such Person is referred to herein, with respect to such series, as the “Security Registrar.” Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may designate one or more of its offices as an office in which a register with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall be maintained, and the Company may designate itself the Security Registrar with respect to one or more of such series. The Security Register shall be open for inspection by the Trustee and the Company at all reasonable times.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of such series or Tranche at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 602 in a Place of Payment for such series or Tranche, 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 and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, any Security of such series or Tranche may be exchanged at the option of the Holder, for one or more new Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any 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.
All Securities delivered upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be 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, the Trustee or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed or shall be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee or the Security Registrar, as the case may be, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, no service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 406 or 1206 not involving any transfer.
The Company shall not be required to execute or to provide for the registration of transfer of or the exchange of (a) Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the date notice is to be given identifying the serial numbers of the Securities of such series or Tranche called for redemption, (b) any Security during the 15 days before an Interest Payment Date or (c) any Security selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
SECTION 306.
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same series and Tranche, 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 (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the ownership of and the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or indemnity as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and Tranche, and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other reasonable expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) in connection therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone other than the Holder of such new Security, and any such new Security shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of such series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
SECTION 307.
Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, 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; provided, that, any interest payable at Maturity shall be paid to the Person to whom the principal of such Security is payable.
Subject to Section 312, 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 (herein called “Defaulted Interest”), other than at Maturity, shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the related Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (a) or (b) below:
(a)
The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a date (herein called 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 on or prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust (and at the request of the Company, invested or reinvested in Government Obligations designated by the Company and maturing on or before the Special Record Date fixed by the Trustee, any interest accruing on such Government Obligations to be promptly paid over to the Company as received free and clear of any lien) for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall promptly cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of such series at the address of such Holder 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 Special Record Date therefor 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.
(b)
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 and Section 305, 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 308.
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 absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Sections 305 and 307) interest, if any, on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
SECTION 309.
Cancellation by Security Registrar.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Security Registrar, be delivered to the Security Registrar and, if not theretofore canceled, shall be promptly canceled by the Security Registrar. The Company may at any time deliver to the Security Registrar for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever or which the Company shall not have issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Security Registrar. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All canceled Securities held by the Security Registrar shall be disposed of in accordance with the customary practices of the Security Registrar at the time in effect (subject to any record retention requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), and the Security Registrar shall not be required to destroy any such certificates. The Security Registrar shall promptly deliver a certificate of disposition to the Trustee and the Company unless, by a Company Order, similarly delivered, the Company shall direct that canceled Securities be returned to it. The Security Registrar shall promptly deliver evidence of any cancellation of a Security in accordance with this Section 309 to the Trustee and the Company.
SECTION 310.
Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months and for any period shorter than a full month, on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed in such period.
SECTION 311.
Payment to Be in Proper Currency.
In the case of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, denominated in any currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency (the “Required Currency”), except as otherwise specified with respect to such Securities as contemplated by Section 301, the obligation of the Company to make any payment of the principal thereof, or the premium or interest thereon, shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender by the Company, or recovery by the Trustee, in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the Trustee timely holding the full amount of the Required Currency then due and payable. If any such tender or recovery is in a currency other than the Required Currency, the Trustee may take such actions as it considers appropriate to exchange such currency for the Required Currency. The costs and risks of any such exchange, including without limitation the risks of delay and exchange rate fluctuation, shall be borne by the Company, the Company shall remain fully liable for any shortfall or delinquency in the full amount of Required Currency then due and payable, and in no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable therefor except in the case of its negligence or willful misconduct.
SECTION 312.
Extension of Interest Payment.
The Company shall have the right at any time, so long as the Company is not in default in the payment of interest on the Securities of any series hereunder, to extend interest payment periods on all Securities of one or more series, if so specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities and upon such terms as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any exercise of the right to extend interest payment periods pursuant to this Section, and such notice shall describe the Securities to which such extension relates and the Interest Payment Date for such Securities following such extension.
ARTICLE FOUR
Redemption of Securities
SECTION 401.
Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series or Tranche) in accordance with this Article.
SECTION 402.
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall, at least 45 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee in writing of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of such Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities (a) prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture or (b) pursuant to an election of the Company which is subject to a condition specified in the terms of such Securities, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction or condition.
SECTION 403.
Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche not previously called for redemption, by such method as shall be provided for any particular series, or, in the absence of any such provision, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to any authorized denomination for Securities of such series or Tranche) of the principal amount of Securities of such series or Tranche of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such series or Tranche; provided, however, that if, as indicated in an Officer’s Certificate, the Company shall have offered to purchase all or any principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding of any series, or any Tranche thereof, and less than all of such Securities as to which such offer was made shall have been tendered to the Company for such purchase, the Trustee, if so directed by Company Order, shall select for redemption all or any principal amount of such Securities which have not been so tendered.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Security Registrar in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected to be redeemed in part, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.
SECTION 404.
Notice of Redemption.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided in Section 106 to the Holders of the Securities to be redeemed not less than 30 days prior to the Redemption Date.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, all notices of redemption shall state:
(a)
the Redemption Date,
(b)
the Redemption Price (if known),
(c)
if less than all the Securities of any series or Tranche are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Securities to be redeemed and the portion of the principal amount of any Security to be redeemed in part,
(d)
that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date, will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,
(e)
the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any, unless it shall have been specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities that such surrender shall not be required,
(f)
that the redemption is for a sinking or other fund, if such is the case,
(g)
the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if any, assigned to such Securities; provided, however, that such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, in which case none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have any liability in respect of the use of any CUSIP, ISIN or other similar number or numbers on such notices, and the redemption of such Securities shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers, and
(h)
such other matters as the Company shall deem desirable or appropriate.
Unless otherwise specified with respect to any Securities in accordance with Section 301, with respect to any notice of redemption of Securities at the election of the Company, unless, upon the giving of such notice, such Securities shall be deemed to have been paid in accordance with Section 701, such notice may state that such redemption shall be conditional upon the receipt by the Paying Agent or Agents for such Securities, on or prior to the date fixed for such redemption, of money sufficient to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on such Securities and that if such money shall not have been so received such notice shall be of no force or effect and the Company shall not be required to redeem such Securities. In the event that such notice of redemption contains such a condition and such money is not so received, the redemption shall not be made and within a reasonable time thereafter notice shall be given, in the manner in which the notice of redemption was given, that such money was not so received and such redemption was not required to be made, and the Paying Agent or Agents for the Securities otherwise to have been redeemed shall promptly return to the Holders thereof any of such Securities which had been surrendered for payment upon such redemption.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company, and any notice of non-satisfaction of a condition for redemption as aforesaid, shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company. Notice of mandatory redemption of Securities shall be given by the Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company.
SECTION 405.
Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, and the conditions, if any, set forth in such notice having been satisfied, the Securities or portions thereof so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless, in the case of an unconditional notice of redemption, the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any) such Securities or portions thereof, if interest-bearing, shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with such notice, such Security or portion thereof shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that no such surrender shall be a condition to such payment if so specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Security; and provided, further, that except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Security, any installment of interest on any Security the Stated Maturity of which installment is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holder of such Security, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the related Regular Record Date according to the terms of such Security and subject to the provisions of Section 307.
SECTION 406.
Securities Redeemed in Part.
Upon the surrender of any Security which is to be redeemed only in part at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), 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 Tranche, of any authorized denomination requested by such Holder and of like tenor and in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE FIVE
Sinking Funds
SECTION 501.
Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series or Tranche.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment”, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 502. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of the series or Tranche in respect of which it was made as provided for by the terms of such Securities.
SECTION 502.
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (a) may deliver to the Trustee Outstanding Securities (other than any previously called for redemption) of a series or Tranche in respect of which a mandatory sinking fund payment is to be made and (b) may apply as a credit Securities of such series or Tranche which have been redeemed 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, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of such mandatory sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series; provided, however, that no Securities shall be applied in satisfaction of a mandatory sinking fund payment if such Securities shall have been previously so applied. Securities so applied 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 mandatory sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
SECTION 503.
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 45 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying:
(a)
the amount of the next succeeding mandatory sinking fund payment for such series or Tranche;
(b)
the amount, if any, of the optional sinking fund payment to be made together with such mandatory sinking fund payment;
(c)
the aggregate sinking fund payment;
(d)
the portion, if any, of such aggregate sinking fund payment which is to be satisfied by the payment of cash; and
(e)
the portion, if any, of such aggregate sinking fund payment which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of such series or Tranche pursuant to Section 502 and stating the basis for such credit and that such Securities have not previously been so credited, and the Company shall also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered.
If the Company shall have not delivered such Officer’s Certificate and, to the extent applicable, all such Securities, the next succeeding sinking fund payment for such series or Tranche shall be made entirely in cash in the amount of the mandatory sinking fund payment. 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 403 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 404. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 405 and 406.
ARTICLE SIX
Covenants
SECTION 601.
Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company shall pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of each series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
SECTION 602.
Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for the Securities of each series, or any Tranche thereof, an office or agency where payment of such Securities shall be made, where the registration of transfer or exchange of such Securities may be effected and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of each such office or agency and prompt notice to the Holders of any such change in the manner specified in Section 106. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency in respect of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, payment of such Securities shall be made, registration of transfer or exchange thereof may be effected and notices and demands in respect thereof may be served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent for all such purposes in any such event.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies with respect to the Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, for any or all of the foregoing purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of such series or Tranche, no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency for such purposes in each Place of Payment for such Securities in accordance with the requirements set forth above. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee, and prompt notice to the Holders in the manner specified in Section 106, of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, any office or agency required by this Section may be maintained at an office of the Company, in which event the Company shall perform all functions to be performed at such office or agency.
SECTION 603.
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 the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on any of such Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor on such Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on such Securities, deposit with such Paying Agents sums sufficient (without duplication) to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due, such sums to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by it so to act.
The Company shall cause each Paying Agent for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, other than the Company or 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 shall:
(a)
hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(b)
give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor upon such Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities; and
(c)
at any time during the continuance of any such failure, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent and furnish to the Trustee such information as it possesses regarding the names and addresses of the Persons entitled to such sums.
The Company may at any time 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, if so stated in a Company Order delivered to the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of Article Seven; 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 and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal and premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or, if then held by the Company, shall be discharged from such trust; and, upon such payment or discharge, the Holder of such Security shall, as an unsecured general creditor and not as a Holder of an Outstanding Security, look only to the Company for payment of the amount so due and payable and remaining unpaid, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such payment to the Company, may at the expense of the Company cause to be mailed, on one occasion only, notice to such Holder that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be paid to the Company.
SECTION 604.
Corporate Existence.
Subject to the rights of the Company under Article Eleven, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence as a corporation and preserve and keep in full force and effect its licenses, rights and franchises which are, in the judgment of the Company, necessary to carry on its business.
SECTION 605.
Maintenance of Properties.
The Company will maintain and keep, or cause to be maintained and kept, its properties in good repair, working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), and from time to time make or cause to be made all repairs, renewals, replacements and improvements, which are, in the judgment of the Company needful and proper, and in each case to the extent such properties are not obsolete and are necessary to carry on its business.
SECTION 606.
Annual Officer’s Certificate as to Compliance.
Not later than December 1 in each year, commencing the first December 1 after the first issuance of Securities pursuant to this Indenture, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate which need not comply with Section 102, executed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, as to such officer’s knowledge of the Company’s compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture, such compliance to be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture, and making any other statements as may be required by the provisions of Section 314(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 607.
Waiver of Certain Covenants.
The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in (a) Section 602 or any additional covenant or restriction specified with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, as contemplated by Section 301, if before the time for such compliance the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series and Tranches with respect to which compliance with Section 602 or such additional covenant or restriction is to be omitted shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition and (b) Section 604 or 605 (if applicable to all series of Securities Outstanding) or Article Eleven if before the time for such compliance the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of Securities Outstanding under this Indenture shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition; but, in the case of (a) or (b), no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
ARTICLE SEVEN
Satisfaction and Discharge
SECTION 701.
Satisfaction and Discharge of Securities.
Any Security or Securities, or any portion of the principal amount thereof, shall be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture, and the entire indebtedness of the Company in respect thereof shall be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged, if there shall have been irrevocably deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company), in trust:
(a)
money in an amount which shall be sufficient, or
(b)
in the case of a deposit made prior to the Maturity of such Securities or portions thereof, Eligible Obligations, which shall not contain provisions permitting the redemption or other prepayment thereof at the option of the issuer thereof, the principal of and the interest on which when due, without any regard to reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which, together with the money, if any, deposited with or held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent, shall be sufficient, or
(c)
a combination of (a) or (b) which shall be sufficient,
to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on such Securities or portions thereof on or prior to Maturity; provided, however, that in the case of the provision for payment or redemption of less than all the Securities of any series or Tranche, such Securities or portions thereof shall have been selected by the Trustee as provided herein and, in the case of a redemption, the notice requisite to the validity of such redemption shall have been given or irrevocable authority shall have been given by the Company to the Trustee to give such notice, under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee; and provided, further, that the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee and such Paying Agent:
(x) if such deposit shall have been made prior to the Maturity of such Securities, a Company Order stating that the money and Eligible Obligations deposited in accordance with this Section shall be held in trust, as provided in Section 703; and
(y) an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the deemed payment and, if the Officer’s Certificate described in clause (z) below shall have been delivered, satisfaction and discharge of such Securities have been complied with; and
(z) if the Company intends such deposit to satisfy and discharge its indebtedness in respect of such Securities or portions thereof prior to the Maturity of such Securities or portion thereof, an Officer’s Certificate stating the Company’s intention that, upon delivery of such Officer’s Certificate, its indebtedness in respect of such Securities or portions thereof will have been satisfied and discharged as contemplated in this Section.
Upon the deposit of money or Eligible Obligations, or both, in accordance with this Section, together with the documents required by clauses (x), (y) and (z) above, the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Request, acknowledge in writing that the Security or Securities or portions thereof with respect to which such deposit was made are deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture and that the entire indebtedness of the Company in respect thereof has been satisfied and discharged as contemplated in this Section. In the event that all of the conditions set forth in the preceding paragraph shall have been satisfied in respect of any Securities or portions thereof except that, for any reason, the Officer’s Certificate specified in clause (z) shall not have been delivered, such Securities or portions thereof shall nevertheless be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture, and the Holders of such Securities or portions thereof shall nevertheless be no longer entitled to the benefits of this Indenture or of any of the covenants of the Company under Article Six (except the covenants contained in Sections 602 and 603) or any other covenants made in respect of such Securities or portions thereof as contemplated by Section 301, but the indebtedness of the Company in respect of such Securities or portions thereof shall not be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged prior to Maturity for any other purpose, and the Holders of such Securities or portions thereof shall continue to be entitled to look to the Company for payment of the indebtedness represented thereby; and, upon Company Request, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing that such Securities or portions thereof are deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture.
If payment at Stated Maturity of less than all of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is to be provided for in the manner and with the effect provided in this Section, the Trustee shall select such Securities, or portions of principal amount thereof, in the manner specified by Section 403 for selection for redemption of less than all the Securities of a series or Tranche.
In the event that Securities which shall be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, and, if such is the case, in respect of which the Company’s indebtedness shall have been satisfied and discharged, all as provided in this Section do not mature and are not to be redeemed within the 60 day period commencing with the date of the deposit of moneys or Eligible Obligations, as aforesaid, the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, give a notice, in the same manner as a notice of redemption with respect to such Securities, to the Holders of such Securities to the effect that such deposit has been made and the effect thereof.
Notwithstanding that any Securities shall be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, as aforesaid, the obligations of the Company and the Trustee in respect of such Securities under Sections 304, 305, 306, 404, 503 (as to notice of redemption), 602, 603, 907 and 915 and this Article Seven shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.
The Company shall pay, and shall indemnify the Trustee or any Paying Agent with which Eligible Obligations shall have been deposited as provided in this Section against, any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against such Eligible Obligations or the principal or interest received in respect of such Eligible Obligations, including, but not limited to, any such tax payable by any entity deemed, for tax purposes, to have been created as a result of such deposit.
Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) if, at any time after a Security would be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, and, if such is the case, the Company’s indebtedness in respect thereof would be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged, pursuant to this Section (without regard to the provisions of this paragraph), the Trustee or any Paying Agent, as the case may be, (i) shall be required to return the money or Eligible Obligations, or combination thereof, deposited with it as aforesaid to the Company or its representative under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or (ii) is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article with respect to any Securities by reason of any order or judgment of any court or Governmental Authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, such Security shall thereupon be deemed retroactively not to have been paid and any satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect thereof shall retroactively be deemed not to have been effected, and such Security shall be deemed to remain Outstanding and (b) any satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect of any Security shall be subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 603.
SECTION 702.
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter expressly provided), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(a)
no Securities remain Outstanding hereunder;
(b)
the Company has paid or caused to be paid, or made provision acceptable to the Trustee for payment of, all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(c)
the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with;
provided, however, that if, in accordance with the last paragraph of Section 701, any Security, previously deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, shall be deemed retroactively not to have been so paid, this Indenture shall thereupon be deemed retroactively not to have been satisfied and discharged, as aforesaid, and to remain in full force and effect, and the Company shall execute and deliver such instruments as the Trustee shall reasonably request to evidence and acknowledge the same.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as aforesaid, the obligations of the Company and the Trustee under Sections 304, 305, 306, 404, 503 (as to notice of redemption), 602, 603, 907 and 915 and this Article Seven shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.
Upon satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as provided in this Section, the Trustee shall assign, transfer and turn over to the Company, subject to the lien provided by Section 907, any and all money, securities and other property then held by the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities other than money and Eligible Obligations held by the Trustee pursuant to Section 703 and shall execute and deliver to the Company such instruments as, in the judgment of the Company, shall be necessary, desirable or appropriate to effect or evidence the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
SECTION 703.
Application of Trust Money.
Neither the Eligible Obligations nor the money deposited pursuant to Section 701, nor the principal or interest payments on any such Eligible Obligations, shall be withdrawn or used for any purpose other than, and shall be held in trust for, the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities or portions of principal amount thereof in respect of which such deposit was made, all subject, however, to the provisions of Section 603; provided, however, that, so long as there shall not have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default, any cash received from such principal or interest payments on such Eligible Obligations, if not then needed for such purpose, shall, to the extent practicable and upon Company Request and delivery to the Trustee of the documents referred to in clause (y) in the first paragraph of Section 701, be invested in Eligible Obligations of the type described in clause (b) in the first paragraph of Section 701 maturing at such times and in such amounts as shall be sufficient, together with any other moneys and the proceeds of any other Eligible Obligations then held by the Trustee, to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on such Securities or portions thereof on and prior to the Maturity thereof, and interest earned from such reinvestment shall be paid over to the Company as received, free and clear of any trust, lien or pledge under this Indenture except the lien provided by Section 907; and provided, further, that, so long as there shall not have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default, any moneys held in accordance with this Section on the Maturity of all such Securities in excess of the amount required to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, then due on such Securities shall be paid over to the Company free and clear of any trust, lien or pledge under this Indenture except the lien provided by Section 907; and provided, further, that if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, moneys to be paid over to the Company pursuant to this Section shall be held until such Event of Default shall have been waived or cured.
At any time before or after depositing any money or Eligible Obligations with the Trustee under this Article, the Company may by written notice to the Trustee (1) irrevocably waive any or all of its rights to any residual interest in such money or Eligible Obligations, including any interest earned or excess amounts, (2) instruct the Trustee to sell or purchase Eligible Obligations or otherwise invest money or proceeds held in trust pursuant to this section, (3) provide investment advice to the Trustee with respect to such money or Eligible Obligations, (4) provide to the Trustee instructions or advice of counsel for the Company as to matters arising in connection with the Trustee’s servicing of the trust established pursuant to this section with respect to such money or Eligible Obligations, or (5) irrevocably waive any or all of its rights to any involvement with such money, Eligible Obligations or the trust established pursuant to this section.]
ARTICLE EIGHT
Events of Default; Remedies
SECTION 801.
Events of Default.
“Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events:
(a)
failure to pay interest, if any, on any Security of such series within 30 days after the same becomes due and payable; provided, however, that a valid extension of the interest payment period by the Company as contemplated in Section 312 of this Indenture shall not constitute a failure to pay interest for this purpose; or
(b)
failure to pay the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security of such series at its Maturity; or
(c)
failure to perform or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in the performance of which or breach of which is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with or which has expressly been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more series of Securities other than such series) 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 33% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder, unless the Trustee, or the Trustee and the Holders of a principal amount of Securities of such series not less than the principal amount of Securities the Holders of which gave such notice, as the case may be, shall agree in writing to an extension of such period prior to its expiration; provided, however, that the Trustee, or the Trustee and the Holders of such principal amount of Securities of such series, as the case may be, shall be deemed to have agreed to an extension of such period if corrective action is initiated by the Company within such period and is being diligently pursued and written notice of the initiation of such corrective action is given to the Trustee within such period; or
(d)
the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (1) 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 (2) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition by one or more Persons other than the Company seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official for the Company or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order shall have remained unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days; or
(e)
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 a 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 similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the authorization of such action by the Board of Directors; or
(f)
any other Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series as shall have been specified in the terms thereof as contemplated by Section 301(o).
SECTION 802.
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default applicable to the Securities of any series but not applicable to other series of Outstanding Securities shall have occurred and be continuing, either the Trustee or the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series may then declare the principal amount (or, if any of the Securities of such series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms thereof as contemplated by Section 301) of all Securities of such series and interest accrued thereon to be due and payable immediately. If an Event of Default applicable to Outstanding Securities of more than one series shall have occurred and be continuing, either the Trustee or the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of all Securities then Outstanding of all such series (considered as one class), and not the Holders of the Securities of any one of such series, may declare the principal of all Securities of all such series and interest accrued thereon to be due and payable immediately. As a consequence of each such declaration (herein referred to as a declaration of acceleration) with respect to Securities of any series, the principal amount (or portion thereof in the case of Discount Securities) of such Securities and interest accrued thereon shall become due and payable immediately.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of any series shall have been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due shall have been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Event or Events of Default giving rise to such declaration of acceleration shall, without further act, be deemed to have been waived, and such declaration and its consequences shall, without further act, be deemed to have been automatically rescinded and annulled, if
(a)
the Company shall have paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay
(1)
all overdue interest on all Securities of such series then Outstanding;
(2)
the principal of and premium, if any, on any Securities of such series then Outstanding which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities;
(3)
to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest, if any, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities;
(4)
all amounts due to the Trustee under Section 907;
and
(b)
any other Event or Events of Default with respect to Securities of such series, other than the nonpayment of the principal of Securities of such series which shall have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, shall have been cured or waived as provided in Section 813.
No such waiver or rescission and annulment shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 803.
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
If an Event of Default described in clause (a) or (b) of Section 801 shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of the series with respect to which such Event of Default shall have occurred, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, and, to the extent permitted by law, interest on any overdue principal and interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 907.
If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series shall have occurred and be 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 herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
SECTION 804.
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,
(a)
to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for amounts due to the Trustee under Section 907) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(b)
to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amounts due it under Section 907.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
SECTION 805.
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 thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery 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 in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
SECTION 806.
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 premium, if any, or interest, if any, upon presentation of the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money shall have been collected and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First:
To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 907;
Second:
To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon the Securities for principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, 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, premium, if any, and interest, if any, respectively; and
Third:
To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
SECTION 807.
Limitation on Suits.
No Holder shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
(a)
such Holder shall have previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series;
(b)
the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series in respect of which an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, considered as one class, shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(c)
such Holder or Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(d)
the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(e)
no direction inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series in respect of which an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, considered as one class;
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 herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.
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SECTION 808.
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Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.
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Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Sections 307 and 312) interest, if any, 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 809.
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 shall have been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or shall have 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, and Trustee and such Holder shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and such Holder shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
SECTION 810.
Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided in the last paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred 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 hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
SECTION 811.
Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders 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 812.
Control by Holders of Securities.
If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing in respect of a series of Securities, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such 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, however, that if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing with respect to more than one series of Securities, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all such series, considered as one class, shall have the right to make such direction, and not the Holders of the Securities of any one of such series; and provided, further, that such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture. The Trustee may take any other action, deemed proper by the Trustee, which is not inconsistent with any such direction. Before proceeding to exercise any right or power hereunder at the direction of such Holders, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive from such Holders reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with any such direction.
SECTION 813.
Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of a majority in aggregate 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 hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default
(a)
in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security of such series, or
(b)
in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Section 1202 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any and all Events of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 814.
Undertaking for Costs.
The Company and the Trustee agree, and each Holder by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section 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 aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series in respect of which such suit may be brought, considered as one class, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date).
SECTION 815.
Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
ARTICLE NINE
The Trustee
SECTION 901.
Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
(a)
The Trustee undertakes to perform, with respect to Securities, such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. The Trustee shall have and be subject to all the duties and responsibilities specified with respect to an indenture trustee in the Trust Indenture Act and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. For purposes of Sections 315(a) and 315(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, the term “default” is hereby defined as an Event of Default which has occurred and is continuing.
(b)
No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(c)
In case an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(d)
No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct except that (1) this Section 901(d) shall not be construed to limit the effect of Section 901(a); (2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and (3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in 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, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Securities;
(e)
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Indenture to the contrary, the duties and responsibilities of the Trustee under this Indenture shall be subject to the protections, exculpations and limitations on liability afforded to an indenture trustee under the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, whether or not this Indenture is qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. For the purposes of Sections 315(b) and 315(d)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act, the term “responsible officer” is hereby defined as a Responsible Officer and the chairman or vice chairman of the board of directors, the chairman or vice chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the president, any vice president, the secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer any assistant treasurer, the cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant trust officer, the controller and any assistant controller of the Trustee, or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by a Responsible Officer or any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
(f)
Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.
SECTION 902.
Notice of Defaults.
The Trustee shall give notice of any default hereunder about which the Trustee shall have knowledge as set forth in Section 903(i) with respect to the Securities of any series to the Holders of Securities of such series in the manner and to the extent required to do so by the Trust Indenture Act, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security or in the payment of any sinking fund deposit with respect to any Security, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders of Securities of such series, and in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 801(c), no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 45 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section and clause (i) of Section 903, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default.
SECTION 903.
Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 901 and to the applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act:
(a)
the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting in good faith 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 reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b)
any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, or as otherwise expressly provided herein, and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(c)
whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by an Officer’s Certificate;
(d)
the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
(e)
the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any Holder pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holder 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 (subject to applicable legal requirements) be entitled to examine, during normal business hours, the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;
(g)
the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents, attorneys, custodians or nominees, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent, attorney, custodian or nominee appointed with due care by it hereunder; and the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be compensated, reimbursed, and indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder;
(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;
(i)
the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any default or Event of Default, or any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default, as the case may be, with respect to the Securities of any series for which it is acting as Trustee unless either (1) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge that such default or Event of Default, as the case may be, exists and constitutes a default or Event of Default under this Indenture or (2) written notice of such default or Event of Default, as the case may be, shall have been given in the manner provided in Section 105 hereof to the Trustee by the Company, any other obligor on such Securities or by any Holder of such Securities; and
(j)
the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by an officer or officers of the Trustee, unless it shall be conclusively determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
SECTION 904.
Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities (except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication) shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.
SECTION 905.
May Hold Securities.
Each of 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 908 and 913, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.
SECTION 906.
Money Held in Trust.
Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds, except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on or investment of any money received by it hereunder except as expressly provided herein or otherwise agreed in writing with, and for the sole benefit of, the Company.
SECTION 907.
Compensation and Reimbursement.
The Company shall
(a)
pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(b)
except as otherwise expressly provided herein, reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances reasonably 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 to the extent that any such expense, disbursement or advance may be attributable to the Trustee’s negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith; and
(c)
indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless from and against, any loss, liability or expense incurred by it (including reasonable fees and expenses of its counsel) including any agent capacity in which it acts arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder or the performance of its duties hereunder, 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 hereunder, except to the extent any such loss, liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith.
As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such other than property and funds held in trust under Section 703 (except as otherwise provided in Section 703). “Trustee” for purposes of this Section shall include any predecessor Trustee; provided, however, that the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 801(d) or Section 801(e), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
The provisions of this Section 907 shall survive the termination of this Indenture or the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee, the discharge of the Company’s obligations under Article Seven of this Indenture and/or the termination of this Indenture.
“
Trustee
” for purposes of this Section shall include any predecessor Trustee; provided, however, that the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.
SECTION 908.
Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee shall have or acquire any conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, it shall either eliminate such conflicting interest or resign to the extent, in the manner and with the effect, and subject to the conditions, provided in the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. For purposes of Section 310(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act and to the extent permitted thereby, the Trustee, in its capacity as trustee in respect of the Securities of any series, shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest arising from its capacity as trustee in respect of the Securities of any other series.
SECTION 909.
Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a corporation, organized and doing business under the laws of the United States, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State or District of Columbia authority and qualified and eligible under this Article and the Trust Indenture Act. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of such supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section and the Trust Indenture Act, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.
SECTION 910.
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 911.
(b)
The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 911 shall not have been delivered to the resigning Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
(c)
The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.
(d)
If at any time:
(1)
the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 908 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months, or
(2)
the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 909 or Section 310(a) of the Trust Indenture Act and shall fail to resign after written request therefor 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, (x) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities or (y) subject to Section 814, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder 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 Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause (other than as contemplated in clause (y) in Subsection (d) of this Section), 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 911. 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, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 911, 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 911, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of itself 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.
(f)
So long as no event which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and except with respect to a Trustee appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities pursuant to Subsection (e) of this Section, if the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee (i) a Board Resolution appointing a successor Trustee, effective as of a date specified therein, and (ii) an instrument of acceptance of such appointment, effective as of such date, by such successor Trustee in accordance with Section 911, the Trustee shall be deemed to have resigned as contemplated in Subsection (b) of this Section, the successor Trustee shall be deemed to have been appointed by the Company pursuant to Subsection (e) of this Section and such appointment shall be deemed to have been accepted as contemplated in Section 911, all as of such date, and all other provisions of this Section and Section 911 shall be applicable to such resignation, appointment and acceptance except to the extent inconsistent with this Subsection (f).
(g)
The Company (or, should the Company fail so to act promptly, the successor trustee at the expense of 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 all Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its corporate trust office.
SECTION 911.
Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
(a)
In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of all series, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of all sums owed to it, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.
(b)
In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver 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 all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee, upon payment of all sums owed to it, shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.
(c)
Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any instruments which fully vest in and confirm to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in Subsection (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d)
No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.
SECTION 912.
Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any Person into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such Person shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
SECTION 913.
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
If the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities (other than by reason of a relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act), the Trustee shall be subject to any and all applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company or such other obligor. For purposes of Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act (a) the term “cash transaction” shall have the meaning provided in Rule 11b-4 under the Trust Indenture Act, and (b) the term “self-liquidating paper” shall have the meaning provided in Rule 11b-6 under the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 914.
Co-trustees and Separate Trustees.
At any time or times, for the purpose of meeting the legal requirements of any applicable jurisdiction, the Company and the Trustee shall have power to appoint, and, upon the written request of the Trustee or of the Holders of at least 33% in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding, the Company shall for such purpose join with the Trustee in the execution and delivery of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper to appoint, one or more Persons approved by the Trustee either to act as co-trustee, jointly with the Trustee, or to act as separate trustee, in either case with such powers as may be provided in the instrument of appointment, and to vest in such Person or Persons, in the capacity aforesaid, any property, title, right or power deemed necessary or desirable, subject to the other provisions of this Section. If the Company does not join in such appointment within 15 days after the receipt by it of a request so to do, or if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee alone shall have power to make such appointment.
Should any written instrument or instruments from the Company be required by any co-trustee or separate trustee so appointed to more fully confirm to such co-trustee or separate trustee such property, title, right or power, any and all such instruments shall, on request, be executed, acknowledged and delivered by the Company.
Every co-trustee or separate trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, but to such extent only, be appointed subject to the following conditions:
(a)
the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered, and all rights, powers, duties and obligations hereunder in respect of the custody of securities, cash and other personal property held by, or required to be deposited or pledged with, the Trustee hereunder, shall be exercised solely, by the Trustee;
(b)
the rights, powers, duties and obligations hereby conferred or imposed upon the Trustee in respect of any property covered by such appointment shall be conferred or imposed upon and exercised or performed either by the Trustee or by the Trustee and such co-trustee or separate trustee jointly, as shall be provided in the instrument appointing such co-trustee or separate trustee, except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act is to be performed, the Trustee shall be incompetent or unqualified to perform such act, in which event such rights, powers, duties and obligations shall be exercised and performed by such co-trustee or separate trustee;
(c)
the Trustee at any time, by an instrument in writing executed by it, with the concurrence of the Company, may accept the resignation of or remove any co-trustee or separate trustee appointed under this Section, and, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee shall have power to accept the resignation of, or remove, any such co-trustee or separate trustee without the concurrence of the Company. Upon the written request of the Trustee, the Company shall join with the Trustee in the execution and delivery of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper to effectuate such resignation or removal. A successor to any co-trustee or separate trustee so resigned or removed may be appointed in the manner provided in this Section;
(d)
no trustee, co-trustee or separate trustee hereunder shall be personally liable by reason of any act or omission of any other trustee hereunder; and
(e)
any Act of Holders delivered to the Trustee shall be deemed to have been delivered to each such co-trustee and separate trustee.
SECTION 915.
Appointment of Authenticating Agent.
The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to the Securities of one or more series, or Tranche thereof, which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series or Tranche issued upon original issuance and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 306, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the 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, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.
The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section, and the Trustee shall be reimbursed for such payments, in accordance with, and subject to the provisions of, Section 907.
The provisions of Sections 308, 904 and 905 shall be applicable to each Authenticating Agent.
If an appointment with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall be made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternate certificate of authentication substantially in the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated:
________________________
As Trustee
By______________________
As Authenticating Agent
By______________________
Authorized Signatory
If all of the Securities of a series may not be originally issued at one time, and if the Trustee does not have an office capable of authenticating Securities upon original issuance located in a Place of Payment where the Company wishes to have Securities of such series authenticated upon original issuance, the Trustee, if so requested by the Company in writing (which writing need not comply with Section 102 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel), shall appoint, in accordance with this Section and in accordance with such procedures as shall be acceptable to the Trustee, an Authenticating Agent having an office in a Place of Payment designated by the Company with respect to such series of Securities.
ARTICLE TEN
Holders’ Lists and Reports by Trustee and Company
SECTION 1001.
Lists of Holders.
Semiannually, not later than June 1 and December 1 in each year, commencing June 1, 2011, and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee information as to the names and addresses of the Holders, and the Trustee shall preserve such information and similar information received by it in any other capacity and afford to the Holders access to information so preserved by it, all to such extent, if any, and in such manner as shall be required under the Trust Indenture Act; provided, however, that no such list need be furnished so long as the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar.
SECTION 1002.
Reports by Trustee and Company.
Within 60 days of May 15 of each year, commencing with the year 2011 the Trustee shall transmit to the Holders, the Commission and each securities exchange upon which any Securities are listed, a report, dated as of such date, with respect to any events and other matters described in Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, which may have occurred within the previous 12 months (but if no event has occurred within such period no report need be transmitted), in such manner and to the extent required by the Trust Indenture Act. The Trustee shall transmit to the Holders, the Commission and each securities exchange upon which any Securities are listed, and the Company shall file with the Trustee (within 30 days after filing with the Commission in the case of reports which pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act must be filed with the Commission and furnished to the Trustee) and transmit to the Holders, such other information, reports and other documents, if any, at such times and in such manner, as shall be required by the Trust Indenture Act. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the listing of any Securities on any securities exchange and of any delisting thereof.
Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder or set forth in any document establishing a series by specification pursuant to Section 301 (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).
ARTICLE ELEVEN
Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Other Transfer
SECTION 1101.
Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person, or convey or otherwise transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless
(a)
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 Person organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States, any State thereof 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 premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all Outstanding Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;
(b)
immediately after giving effect to 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 occurred and be continuing; and
(c)
the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, or other transfer or lease and such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transactions have been complied with.
SECTION 1102.
Successor Corporation Substituted.
Upon any consolidation by the Company with or merger by the Company into any other Person or any conveyance, or other transfer or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 1101, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person 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 herein, 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 Outstanding hereunder.
ARTICLE TWELVE
Supplemental Indentures
SECTION 1201.
Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company 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:
(a)
to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities, all as provided in Article Eleven; or
(b)
to add one or more covenants of the Company or other provisions for the benefit of all Holders or for the benefit of the Holders of, or to remain in effect only so long as there shall be Outstanding, Securities of one or more specified series, or one or more specified Tranches thereof, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or
(c)
to add any additional Events of Default with respect to all or any series of Securities Outstanding hereunder (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
(d)
to change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture or to add any new provision to this Indenture; provided, however, that if such change, elimination or addition shall adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series or Tranche Outstanding on the date of such supplemental indenture in any material respect, such change, elimination or addition shall become effective with respect to such series or Tranche only pursuant to the provisions of Section 1202 hereof or when no Security of such series or Tranche remains Outstanding; or
(e)
to provide collateral security for all but not part of the Securities; or
(f)
to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series or Tranche as contemplated by Sections 201 and 301; or
(g)
to provide for the authentication and delivery of bearer securities and coupons appertaining thereto representing interest, if any, thereon and for the procedures for the registration, exchange and replacement thereof and for the giving of notice to, and the solicitation of the vote or consent of, the holders thereof, and for any and all other matters incidental thereto; or
(h)
to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a separate or successor Trustee or co-trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 911(b); or
(i)
to provide for the procedures required to permit the Company to utilize, at its option, a noncertificated system of registration for all, or any series or Tranche of, the Securities; or
(j)
to change any place or places where (1) the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable, (2) all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, may be surrendered for registration of transfer, (3) all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, may be surrendered for exchange and (4) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, and this Indenture may be served; or
(k)
to amend and restate this Indenture, as originally executed and delivered and as it may have been subsequently amended, in its entirety, but with such additions, deletions and other changes as shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Securities of any series or Tranche in any material respect; or
(l)
to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other changes to the provisions hereof or to add other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture, provided that such other changes or additions shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series or Tranche in any material respect.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Trust Indenture Act as in effect at the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture or at any time thereafter shall be amended and
(x) if any such amendment shall require one or more changes to any provisions hereof or the inclusion herein of any additional provisions, or shall by operation of law be deemed to effect such changes or incorporate such provisions by reference or otherwise, this Indenture shall be deemed to have been amended so as to conform to such amendment to the Trust Indenture Act, and the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holders, enter into a supplemental indenture to effect or evidence such changes or additional provisions; or
(y) if any such amendment shall permit one or more changes to, or the elimination of, any provisions hereof which, at the date of the execution and delivery hereof or at any time thereafter, are required by the Trust Indenture Act to be contained herein, this Indenture shall be deemed to have been amended to effect such changes or elimination, and the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holders, enter into a supplemental indenture to evidence such amendment hereof.
SECTION 1202.
Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series then Outstanding under this Indenture, considered as one class, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into 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 modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under the Indenture; provided, however, that if there shall be Securities of more than one series Outstanding hereunder and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such series, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that if the Securities of any series shall have been issued in more than one Tranche and if the proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such Tranches, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all Tranches so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that no such supplemental indenture shall:
(a)
change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon (or the amount of any installment of interest thereon) or change the method of calculating such rate or reduce any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of a Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 802, or change the coin or currency (or other property), in which any Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity of any Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), without, in any such case, the consent of the Holder of such Security, or
(b)
reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the consent of the Holders of which is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of the Holders of which is required for any waiver of compliance with any provision of this Indenture or of any default hereunder and its consequences, or reduce the requirements of Section 1304 for quorum or voting, without, in any such case, the consent of the Holders of each Outstanding Security of such series or Tranche, or
(c)
modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 607 or Section 813 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, except to increase the percentages in principal amount referred to in this Section or such other Sections or to provide that other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby; 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 Sections 911(b), 914 and 1201(h).
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 the Holders of, or which is to remain in effect only so long as there shall be Outstanding, Securities of one or more particular series, or one or more Tranches thereof, 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 or Tranche.
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 thereof. A waiver by a Holder of such Holder’s right to consent under this Section shall be deemed to be a consent of such Holder.
SECTION 1203.
Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 901) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and such supplemental indenture will be enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to customary exceptions including exceptions with respect to laws relating to or affecting generally the enforcement of creditors’ rights, including, without limitation, bankruptcy and insolvency laws and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties, immunities or liabilities under this Indenture or otherwise.
SECTION 1204.
Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby. Any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article may restate this Indenture in its entirety, and, upon the execution and delivery thereof, any such restatement shall supersede this Indenture as theretofore in effect for all purposes.
SECTION 1205.
Conformity With Trust Indenture Act.
If, and only if, this Indenture becomes subject to the Trust Indenture Act, unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
SECTION 1206.
Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, 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, or any Tranche thereof, 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 or Tranche.
SECTION 1207.
Modification Without Supplemental Indenture.
If the terms of any particular series of Securities shall have been established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or Board Resolution as contemplated by Section 301, or in a Company Order as contemplated by Section 303(b), and not in a supplemental indenture, additions to, changes in or the elimination of any of such terms may be effected by means of a supplemental Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a Board Resolution or a supplemental indenture or supplemental Company Order and complying with the requirements of Section 104, as the case may be, delivered to, and accepted by, the Trustee; provided, however, that such supplemental Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or Company Order shall not be accepted by the Trustee or otherwise be effective unless all conditions set forth in this Indenture which would be required to be satisfied if such additions, changes or elimination were contained in a supplemental indenture shall have been appropriately satisfied. Upon the acceptance thereof by the Trustee, any such supplemental Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or Company Order shall be deemed to be a “supplemental indenture” for purposes of Section 1204 and 1206.
ARTICLE THIRTEEN
Meetings of Holders; Action Without Meeting
SECTION 1301.
Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called.
A meeting of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to this Article to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders of Securities of such series or Tranches.
SECTION 1302.
Call, Notice and Place of Meetings.
(a)
The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, for any purpose specified in Section 1301, to be held at such time and at such place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the Trustee shall determine, or, with the approval of the Company, at any other place. Notice of every such meeting, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given, in the manner provided in Section 106, not less than 21 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
(b)
If the Trustee shall have been requested to call a meeting of the Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, by the Company or by the Holders of 33% in aggregate principal amount of all of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, for any purpose specified in Section 1301, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have given the notice of such meeting within 21 days after receipt of such request or shall not thereafter proceed to cause the meeting to be held as provided herein, then the Company or the Holders of Securities of such series and Tranches in the amount above specified, as the case may be, may determine the time and the place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, or in such other place as shall be determined or approved by the Company, for such meeting and may call such meeting for such purposes by giving notice thereof as provided in Subsection (a) of this Section.
(c)
Any meeting of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, shall be valid without notice if the Holders of all Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranches are present in person or by proxy and if representatives of the Company and the Trustee are present, or if notice is waived in writing before or after the meeting by the Holders of all Outstanding Securities of such series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, or by such of them as are not present at the meeting in person or by proxy, and by the Company and the Trustee.
SECTION 1303.
Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings.
To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, a Person shall be (a) a Holder of one or more Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranches, or (b) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy for a Holder or Holders of one or more Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranches by such Holder or Holders. The only Persons who shall be entitled to attend any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series or Tranche shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel, any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.
SECTION 1304.
Quorum; Action.
The Persons entitled to vote a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the series and Tranches with respect to which a meeting shall have been called as hereinbefore provided, considered as one class, shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of Holders of Securities of such series and Tranches; provided, however, that if any action is to be taken at such meeting which this Indenture expressly provides may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority, in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, the Persons entitled to vote such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within one hour of the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of Holders of Securities of such series and Tranches, be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may be adjourned for such period as may be determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. In the absence of a quorum at any such adjourned meeting, such adjourned meeting may be further adjourned for such period as may be determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such adjourned meeting. Except as provided by Section 1305(e), notice of the reconvening of any meeting adjourned for more than 30 days shall be given as provided in Section 1302(a) not less than 10 days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of an adjourned meeting shall state expressly the percentage, as provided above, of the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches which shall constitute a quorum.
Except as limited by Section 1202, any resolution presented to a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present as aforesaid may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the series and Tranches with respect to which such meeting shall have been called, considered as one class; provided, however, that, except as so limited, any resolution with respect to any action which this Indenture expressly provides may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority, in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, may be adopted at a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a quorum is present as aforesaid by the affirmative vote of the Holders of such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class.
Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of Holders of Securities duly held in accordance with this Section shall be binding on all the Holders of Securities of the series and Tranches with respect to which such meeting shall have been held, whether or not present or represented at the meeting.
SECTION 1305.
Attendance at Meetings; Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings.
(a)
Attendance at meetings of Holders of Securities may be in person or by proxy; and, to the extent permitted by law, any such proxy shall remain in effect and be binding upon any future Holder of the Securities with respect to which it was given unless and until specifically revoked by the Holder or future Holder of such Securities before being voted.
(b)
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders of Securities in regard to proof of the holding of such Securities and of the appointment of proxies and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem appropriate. Except as otherwise permitted or required by any such regulations, the holding of Securities shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 104 and the appointment of any proxy shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 104. Such regulations may provide that written instruments appointing proxies, regular on their face, may be presumed valid and genuine without the proof specified in Section 104 or other proof.
(c)
The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders as provided in Section 1302(b), in which case the Company or the Holders of Securities of the series and Tranches calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by vote of the Persons entitled to vote a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series and Tranches represented at the meeting, considered as one class.
(d)
At any meeting each Holder or proxy shall be entitled to one vote for each $1 principal amount of Securities held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote, except as a Holder of a Security or proxy.
(e)
Any meeting duly called pursuant to Section 1302 at which a quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by Persons entitled to vote a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series and Tranches represented at the meeting, considered as one class; and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.
SECTION 1306.
Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings.
The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders or of their representatives by proxy and the principal amounts and serial numbers of the Outstanding Securities, of the series and Tranches with respect to which the meeting shall have been called, held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports of all votes cast at the meeting. A record of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was given as provided in Section 1302 and, if applicable, Section 1304. Each copy shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one such copy shall be delivered to the Company, and another to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.
SECTION 1307.
Action Without Meeting.
In lieu of a vote of Holders at a meeting as hereinbefore contemplated in this Article, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be made, given or taken by Holders by written instruments as provided in Section 104.
ARTICLE FOURTEEN
Immunity of Incorporators, Shareholders, Officers and Directors
SECTION 1401.
Liability Solely Corporate.
No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Securities or any part thereof, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, or of the indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under this Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, member, limited partner, officer, manager or director, as such, past, present or future of the Company or of any predecessor or successor of the Company (either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor of the Company), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that this Indenture and all the Securities are solely corporate obligations, and that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any incorporator, shareholder, member, limited partner, officer, manager or director, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor of the Company, either directly or indirectly through the Company or any predecessor or successor of the Company, because of the indebtedness hereby authorized or under or by reason of any of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or to be implied herefrom or therefrom, and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of the Securities.
_________________________
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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, all as of the day and year first above written.
ENTERGY CORPORATION
By:
Name:
Title:
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
Trustee
By:
Name:
Title: