UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): July 12, 2012
Dollar General Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Tennessee
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
001-11421
(Commission File Number) |
61-0502302
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
100 Mission Ridge
Goodlettsville, Tennessee (Address of principal executive offices) |
37072
(Zip Code) |
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (615) 855-4000
Not Applicable
Former name or former address, if changed since last report
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
1
ITEM 1.01 ENTRY INTO A MATERIAL DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT.
On July 12, 2012, Dollar General Corporation (the "Company") and certain of its subsidiaries, as guarantors (the "Subsidiary Guarantors"), completed the public offering of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company's 4.125% Senior Notes due 2017 (the "Notes"). The Notes have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), pursuant to the Company's shelf registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File No. 333-165800), as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated June 27, 2012, previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act.
The Notes were issued (and the guarantees delivered) pursuant to an indenture (the "Base Indenture"), dated as of July 12, 2012, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee (the "Trustee"), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 12, 2012, among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the Trustee (the "First Supplemental Indenture" and together with the Base Indenture, the "Indenture"). Copies of the Base Indenture and the First Supplemental Indenture are attached hereto as Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference. The descriptions of the Indenture and the Notes in this report are summaries and are qualified in their entirety by the terms of the Indenture and the form of Note attached hereto.
The Notes are unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Company and rank equally and ratably with the Company's other existing and future debt not expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes and are effectively subordinated to all of the Company's existing and future secured debt to the extent of the value of the collateral. The Notes are structurally subordinated to the claims of creditors of non-guarantor subsidiaries of the Company.
The Issuer will pay interest on the Notes semi-annually on January 15 and July 15, beginning January 15, 2013, to holders of record on the preceding January 1 and July 1, as the case may be. Interest will be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. The Notes will mature on July 15, 2017. The Company may redeem the Notes in whole or in part at any time and from time to time prior to their stated maturity at the redemption price equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed and (2) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of the principal and interest thereon to maturity (not including any portions of such payments of interest accrued as of the date of redemption) discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis plus a premium equal to the applicable treasury rate plus 50 basis points, plus the accrued interest thereon to the date of redemption. In the event of a change of control triggering event (as defined in the Indenture), the holders of the Notes may require the Company to purchase for cash all or a portion of their Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of such Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase. The Indenture also contains certain customary covenants, including limitations on the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries, with exceptions, to incur debt secured by a pledge of or a lien on the voting stock of its subsidiaries. The Indenture also provides for events of default which, if any of them occurs, would permit or require the principal of and accrued interest on the Notes to become or to be declared due and payable.
The net proceeds from the offering of the Notes, together with cash on hand, was used to redeem all of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Company's 11.875%/12.625% Senior Subordinated Toggle Notes due 2017 (the "Senior Subordinated Notes") and to pay related premium and accrued interest.
U.S. Bank National Association also served as trustee under the indenture governing the Company's Senior Subordinated Notes and an affiliate of U.S. Bank National Association acted as an underwriter for the Company's offering of the Notes for which they have received customary compensation.
2
ITEM 2.03 CREATION OF A DIRECT FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OR AN OBLIGATION UNDER AN OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENT.
The information provided in Item 1.01 of this report is incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03.
Only July 15, 2012, the Company redeemed all $450.7 million outstanding aggregate principal amount of its Senior Subordinated Notes at a redemption price of 105.938% of the principal amount thereof, together with accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the redemption date. The total redemption price was approximately $504.2 million including accrued interest of $26.8 million. The redemption was effected in accordance with the indenture governing the Senior Subordinated Notes pursuant to a notice dated June 15, 2012. The Company expects to record an aggregate of approximately $29 million of pretax non-operating losses for fiscal 2012 resulting from this redemption.
ITEM 9.01 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
3
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: July 17, 2012 | DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION | |||
|
|
By: |
|
/s/ Susan S. Lanigan Susan S. Lanigan Executive Vice President and General Counsel |
4
Exhibit No. | Description of Exhibit | ||
---|---|---|---|
4.1 | Indenture, dated as of July 12, 2012, between Dollar General Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. | ||
|
4.2 |
|
First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 12, 2012, among Dollar General Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors named therein, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. |
INDENTURE
Dated as of July 12, 2012
U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association
as Trustee
|
|
Page | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE |
1 | |||
Section 1.1. |
Definitions |
1 |
||
Section 1.2. |
Other Definitions |
4 | ||
Section 1.3. |
Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act |
4 | ||
Section 1.4. |
Rules of Construction |
4 | ||
|
|
5 |
||
Section 2.1. |
Issuable in Series |
5 |
||
Section 2.2. |
Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities |
5 | ||
Section 2.3. |
Execution and Authentication |
7 | ||
Section 2.4. |
Registrar and Paying Agent |
8 | ||
Section 2.5. |
Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust |
8 | ||
Section 2.6. |
Securityholder Lists |
9 | ||
Section 2.7. |
Transfer and Exchange |
9 | ||
Section 2.8. |
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities |
9 | ||
Section 2.9. |
Outstanding Securities |
10 | ||
Section 2.10. |
Treasury Securities |
10 | ||
Section 2.11. |
Temporary Securities |
10 | ||
Section 2.12. |
Cancellation |
11 | ||
Section 2.13. |
Defaulted Interest |
11 | ||
Section 2.14. |
Special Record Dates |
11 | ||
Section 2.15. |
Global Securities |
11 | ||
Section 2.16. |
CUSIP Numbers |
13 | ||
Section 2.17. |
Persons Deemed Owners |
13 | ||
|
|
13 |
||
Section 3.1. |
Notice to Trustee |
13 |
||
Section 3.2. |
Selection of Securities to be Redeemed |
13 | ||
Section 3.3. |
Notice of Redemption |
14 | ||
Section 3.4. |
Effect of Notice of Redemption |
14 | ||
Section 3.5. |
Deposit of Redemption Price |
15 | ||
Section 3.6. |
Securities Redeemed in Part |
15 | ||
|
|
15 |
||
Section 4.1. |
Payment of Principal and Interest |
15 |
||
Section 4.2. |
Additional Amounts |
15 | ||
Section 4.3. |
Maintenance of Office or Agency |
15 | ||
Section 4.4. |
SEC Reports |
16 | ||
Section 4.5. |
Compliance Certificate |
16 | ||
Section 4.6. |
Taxes |
17 | ||
Section 4.7. |
Stay, Extension and Usury Laws |
17 | ||
Section 4.8. |
Corporate Existence |
17 | ||
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|
17 |
||
Section 5.1. |
Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets |
17 |
||
Section 5.2. |
Successor Person Substituted |
18 |
i
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Page | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
ARTICLE VI. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES |
18 | |||
Section 6.1. |
Events of Default |
18 |
||
Section 6.2. |
Acceleration |
19 | ||
Section 6.3. |
Other Remedies |
20 | ||
Section 6.4. |
Waiver of Past Defaults |
20 | ||
Section 6.5. |
Control by Majority |
20 | ||
Section 6.6. |
Limitation on Suits |
20 | ||
Section 6.7. |
Rights of Holders of Securities to Receive Payment |
21 | ||
Section 6.8. |
Collection Suit by Trustee |
21 | ||
Section 6.9. |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
21 | ||
Section 6.10. |
Priorities |
22 | ||
Section 6.11. |
Undertaking for Costs |
22 | ||
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|
22 |
||
Section 7.1. |
Duties of Trustee |
22 |
||
Section 7.2. |
Rights of Trustee |
23 | ||
Section 7.3. |
Individual Rights of Trustee |
24 | ||
Section 7.4. |
Trustee's Disclaimer |
24 | ||
Section 7.5. |
Notice of Defaults |
24 | ||
Section 7.6. |
Reports by Trustee to Holders |
24 | ||
Section 7.7. |
Compensation and Indemnity |
25 | ||
Section 7.8. |
Replacement of Trustee |
25 | ||
Section 7.9. |
Successor Trustee by Merger, etc. |
26 | ||
Section 7.10. |
Eligibility; Disqualification |
26 | ||
Section 7.11. |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company |
26 | ||
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|
26 |
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Section 8.1. |
Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
26 |
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Section 8.2. |
Legal Defeasance and Discharge |
26 | ||
Section 8.3. |
Covenant Defeasance |
27 | ||
Section 8.4. |
Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance |
27 | ||
Section 8.5. |
Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions |
28 | ||
Section 8.6. |
Repayment to Company |
29 | ||
Section 8.7. |
Reinstatement |
29 | ||
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|
29 |
||
Section 9.1. |
Without Consent of Holders |
29 |
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Section 9.2. |
With Consent of Holders |
30 | ||
Section 9.3. |
Limitations |
31 | ||
Section 9.4. |
Compliance with Trust Indenture Act |
31 | ||
Section 9.5. |
Revocation and Effect of Consents |
32 | ||
Section 9.6. |
Notation on or Exchange of Securities |
32 | ||
Section 9.7. |
Trustee Protected |
32 | ||
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32 |
||
Section 10.1. |
Guarantees |
32 |
ii
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Page | ||
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ARTICLE XI. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE |
33 | |||
Section 11.1. |
Satisfaction and Discharge |
33 |
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Section 11.2. |
Application of Trust Money |
34 | ||
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34 |
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Section 12.1. |
Trust Indenture Act Controls |
34 |
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Section 12.2. |
Notices |
34 | ||
Section 12.3. |
Communication by Holders with Other Holders |
35 | ||
Section 12.4. |
Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent |
35 | ||
Section 12.5. |
Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion |
36 | ||
Section 12.6. |
Rules by Trustee and Agents |
36 | ||
Section 12.7. |
Legal Holidays |
36 | ||
Section 12.8. |
No Recourse Against Others |
36 | ||
Section 12.9. |
Counterparts |
36 | ||
Section 12.10. |
Governing Law; Waiver of Trial by Jury |
36 | ||
Section 12.11. |
No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements |
37 | ||
Section 12.12. |
Successors |
37 | ||
Section 12.13. |
Severability |
37 | ||
Section 12.14. |
Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. |
37 | ||
Section 12.15. |
Securities in a Foreign Currency |
37 | ||
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|
38 |
||
Section 13.1. |
Applicability of Article |
38 |
||
Section 13.2. |
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities |
38 | ||
Section 13.3. |
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund |
38 |
iii
Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and the Indenture
§ 310(a)(1) |
7.10 |
|
(a)(2) |
7.10 |
|
(a)(3) |
Not Applicable |
|
(a)(4) |
Not Applicable |
|
(a)(5) |
7.10 |
|
(b) |
7.10 |
|
(c) |
Not Applicable |
|
§ 311(a) |
7.11 |
|
(b) |
7.11 |
|
(c) |
Not Applicable |
|
§ 312(a) |
2.6 |
|
(b) |
12.3 |
|
(c) |
12.3 |
|
§ 313(a) |
7.6 |
|
(b)(1) |
Not Applicable |
|
(b)(2) |
Not Applicable |
|
(c)(1) |
7.6 |
|
(c)(2) |
7.6 |
|
(c)(3) |
Not Applicable |
|
(d) |
7.6 |
|
§ 314(a) |
4.4, 4.5 |
|
(b) |
Not Applicable |
|
(c)(1) |
12.4 |
|
(c)(2) |
12.4 |
|
(c)(3) |
Not Applicable |
|
(d) |
Not Applicable |
|
(e) |
12.5 |
|
(f) |
Not Applicable |
|
§ 315(a) |
7.1 |
|
(b) |
7.5 |
|
(c) |
7.1 |
|
(d) |
7.1 |
|
(e) |
6.11 |
|
§ 316(a) |
2.10 |
|
(a)(1)(A) |
6.5 |
|
(a)(1)(B) |
6.4 |
|
(b) |
6.7 |
|
(c) |
2.14, 9.5(d) |
|
§ 317(a)(1) |
6.8 |
|
(a)(2) |
6.9 |
|
(b) |
2.5 |
|
§ 318(a) |
12.1 |
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.
iv
Indenture dated as of July 12, 2012 between Dollar General Corporation, a Tennessee corporation ("Company"), and U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, as trustee ("Trustee").
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities (or applicable Series thereof) issued under this Indenture.
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Section 1.1. Definitions.
"Additional Amounts" means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.
"Affiliate" of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, "control" (including, with correlative meanings, the terms "controlled by" and "under common control with"), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.
"Agent" means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent.
"Authorized Newspaper" means a newspaper in an official language of the country of publication customarily published at least once a day for at least five days in each calendar week and of general circulation in the place in connection with which the term is used. If it shall be impractical in the opinion of the Trustee to make any publication of any notice required hereby in an Authorized Newspaper, any publication or other notice in lieu thereof that is made or given by the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice.
"Bearer" means anyone in possession from time to time of a Bearer Security.
"Bearer Security" means any Security, including any interest coupon appertaining thereto, that does not provide for the identification of the Holder thereof.
"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.
"Business Day" means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers' Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York or in the city where the Corporate Trust Office is located on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
"Capital Stock" means:
(1) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;
(2) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;
(3) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and
(4) any other interest or participation that confers on a person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing person, but excluding from all of
the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.
"Company" means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it pursuant to Article V hereof and thereafter means the successor.
"Company Order" means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers of the Company.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered.
"Default" means any event that is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
"Depository" means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, "Depository" as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depository with respect to the Securities of such Series.
"Discount Security" means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
"Dollars" and "$" means the currency of The United States of America.
"Equity Interests" means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"Foreign Currency" means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of The United States of America.
"GAAP" means, unless otherwise specified with respect to Securities of a particular Series, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, which are in effect as of the time when and for the period as to which such accounting principles are to be applied.
"Global Security" or "Global Securities" means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee.
"Government Securities" means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.
"Guarantor" means any person that issues a guarantee of the Securities, either on the Issue Date or after the Issue Date in accordance with the terms of this Indenture; provided, that upon the release and discharge of such person from its guarantee in accordance with this Indenture, such person shall cease to be a Guarantor.
"Holder" or "Securityholder" means a person in whose name a Security is registered or the holder of a Bearer Security.
"Indenture" means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.
"interest" when used with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
2
"Issue Date" means with respect to any Series of Securities the first date such Securities are issued under this Indenture.
"Lien" means any mortgage, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, lien or charge of any kind (including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement or lease in the nature thereof or any agreement to give any security interest).
"Maturity" when used with respect to any Security or installment of principal thereof, means the date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, notice of option to elect repayment or otherwise.
"Officer" means the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, any Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by two Officers, one of whom (in the case of an Officers' Certificate delivered under Section 4.5 hereof) must be the Company's principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer.
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion of legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.
"person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
"principal" of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.
"Responsible Officer" means, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility or be part of the group that has such responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
"SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor agency.
"Securities" means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
"Series" or "Series of Securities" means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.
"Stated Maturity" when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
"Subsidiary" of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.
3
"TIA" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, "TIA" means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.
"Trustee" means the person named as the "Trustee" in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter "Trustee" shall mean 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.
Section 1.2. Other Definitions.
TERM
|
DEFINED IN
SECTION |
|
---|---|---|
"Bankruptcy Law" |
6.1 | |
"Covenant Defeasance" |
8.3 | |
"Custodian" |
6.1 | |
"Depository Entity" |
9.5 | |
"Event of Default" |
6.1 | |
"Legal Defeasance" |
8.2 | |
"Legal Holiday" |
12.7 | |
"mandatory sinking fund payment" |
13.1 | |
"Market Exchange Rate" |
12.15 | |
"optional sinking fund payment" |
13.1 | |
"Paying Agent" |
2.4 | |
"Registrar" |
2.4 | |
"Service Agent" |
2.4 |
Section 1.3. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
"Commission" means the SEC.
"indenture securities" means the Securities.
"indenture security holder" means a Securityholder.
"indenture to be qualified" means this Indenture.
"indenture trustee" or "institutional trustee" means the Trustee.
"obligor" on the indenture securities means the Company, any successor obligor upon the Securities or a Guarantor.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.
Section 1.4. Rules of Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
4
(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(c) "or" is not exclusive;
(d) "will" shall be interpreted to express a command;
(e) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;
(f) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and
(g) references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act will be deemed to include substitute, replacement of successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.
Section 2.1. Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers' Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers' Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
Section 2.2. Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.
At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution or in a supplemental indenture or in an Officers' Certificate pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:
(a) the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);
(b) the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;
(c) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);
(d) whether the Securities rank as senior Securities, senior subordinated Securities or subordinated Securities or any combination thereof and the terms of any such subordination;
(e) the form and terms of any guarantee of any Securities of the series;
(f) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Securities of the series shall be exchanged for or converted into other securities of the Company or securities of another person;
(g) the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Securities of the Series;
(h) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;
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(i) the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any currency exchange rate, commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, or the method for determining the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
(j) the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a currency exchange rate, commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
(k) if other than the Corporate Trust Office, the place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;
(l) if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(m) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(n) if other than denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;
(o) the forms of the Securities of the Series in bearer or fully registered form (and, if in fully registered form, whether the Securities of the Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a Global Security or Securities, and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such Global Security or Securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual Securities);
(p) any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;
(q) the Trustee for the series of Securities, if other than the Trustee named on the first page hereof or its successors;
(r) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;
(s) any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;
(t) any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;
(u) if other than Dollars, the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be any Foreign Currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
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(v) if other than Dollars, the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be made;
(w) if payments of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;
(x) the securities exchange(s) on which the Securities of the Series will be listed, if any;
(y) additions or deletions to or changes in the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance;
(z) additions or deletions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture;
(aa) additions or deletions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of the Indenture both with and without the consent of holders of Securities of the Series issued under the Indenture; and
(bb) any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which terms may modify, supplement or delete any provision of this Indenture with respect to such Series; provided, however, that no such term may modify or delete any provision hereof if imposed by the TIA; and provided, further, that any modification or deletion of the rights, duties or immunities of the Trustee hereunder shall have been consented to in writing by the Trustee).
All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers' Certificate referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers' Certificate.
Section 2.3. Execution and Authentication.
Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers' Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers' Certificate.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers' Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.9.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers' Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities
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within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers' Certificate complying with Section 12.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 12.4.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice-presidents shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
Section 2.4. Registrar and Paying Agent.
The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment ("Paying Agent"), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange ("Registrar") and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served ("Service Agent"). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional service agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional service agent. The term "Registrar" includes any co-registrar; the term "Paying Agent" includes any additional paying agent; and the term "Service Agent" includes any additional service agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Trustee the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.
Section 2.5. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.
The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will promptly notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company
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or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent.
Section 2.6. Securityholder Lists.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish, or shall cause the Registrar to furnish, to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date, but in any event at least once every six months, and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.
Section 2.7. Transfer and Exchange.
Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar's request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Sections 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business fifteen days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.
Section 2.8. 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 make available for delivery in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
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In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 2.9. Outstanding Securities.
Subject to Section 2.10, the Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds as of 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the date of Maturity of Securities of a Series or on any day thereafter (in the case money is deposited by the Company following the date of Maturity) money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on such date of Maturity or on any such later date, as the case may be, then on and after such date of Maturity or such later date, as the case may be, such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of 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 6.2.
Section 2.10. Treasury Securities.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.11. Temporary Securities.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially
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in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon request shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary Securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.
Section 2.12. Cancellation.
The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange, replacement or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and deliver such canceled Securities to the Company, unless the Company otherwise directs; provided that the Trustee shall not be required to destroy such Securities. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.13. Defaulted Interest.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix such special record date and the related payment date. At least 15 days before such special record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states such special record date, the related payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.
Section 2.14. Special Record Dates.
(a) The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, set a record date for the purpose of determining the identity of Holders entitled to consent to any supplement, amendment or waiver permitted by this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, the Holders of such Series and Securities outstanding on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to consent to such supplement, amendment or waiver or revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date. No consent shall be valid or effective for more than 90 days after such record date unless consents from Holders of the principal amount of such Series and Securities required hereunder for such amendment or waiver to be effective shall have also been given and not revoked within such 90-day period.
(b) The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of any Series of Securities entitled to join in the giving or making of any notice of Default, any declaration of acceleration, any request to institute proceedings or any other similar direction. If a record date is fixed, the Holders of such Series and Securities outstanding on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to join in such notice, declaration, request or direction, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided, however, that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the date 90 days after such record date.
(c) To the extent reasonably practicable, the Company shall give the Trustee a 15-day advance written notice of any special record date set in accordance with this Section 2.14.
Section 2.15. Global Securities.
(a) Terms of Securities. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers' Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depository for such Global Security or Securities.
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(b) Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 of the Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 of the Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depository for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or if at any time such Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depository registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable (subject to the procedures of the Depository) or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security shall have happened and be continuing. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depository shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.
Except as provided in this Section 2.15(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.
(c) Legend. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
"Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation ("DTC"), New York, New York, to the issuer or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or such other entity as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co. has an interest herein."
"Transfer of this Global Security shall be limited to transfers in whole, but not in part, to DTC, to nominees of DTC or to a successor thereof or such successor's nominee and limited to transfers made in accordance with the restrictions set forth in the Indenture referred to herein."
(d) Acts of Holders. The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.
(e) Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.
(f) Consents, Declaration and Directions. Except as provided in Section 2.15(e), the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.
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Section 2.16. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use "CUSIP" and/or other similar security identifying numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use "CUSIP" numbers (and/or any such other security identifying numbers) in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
Section 2.17. 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 in the register kept by the Registrar as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and (subject to the record date provisions thereof) interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not any payment with respect to such Security shall 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. The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the bearer of a Bearer Security as the absolute owner thereof for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and interest on and any Additional Amounts with respect to, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not any payment with respect to such Security shall 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.
No holder of any beneficial interest in any Global Security held on its behalf by a Depository shall have any rights under this Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and such Depository may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
Section 3.1. Notice to Trustee.
The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 35 days before the redemption date (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee).
Section 3.2. Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officer's Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of the Series to be redeemed by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate.
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In the event of partial redemption, the Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption. The Trustee may select for redemption a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such Series; provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities of a Series called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities of that Series called for redemption.
Section 3.3. Notice of Redemption.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers' Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed and if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish on one occasion a notice in an Authorized Newspaper, except that redemption notices may be mailed more than 60 days prior to a redemption date if the notice is issued in connection with a defeasance of the Series of Securities or a satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture pursuant to Articles VIII or XI hereof.
The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:
(a) the redemption date;
(b) the redemption price (or if not then ascertainable, the manner of calculation thereof);
(c) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(d) that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(e) that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;
(f) the CUSIP number, if any; and
(g) any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.
Any notice of redemption may be given prior to the redemption thereof, any such redemption of notice may, at the Company's discretion, be subject to one or more conditions precedent, including, but not limited to, completion of a qualified equity offering or other corporation transaction. At the Company's request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company's name and at its expense.
Section 3.4. Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Once notice of redemption is mailed or published as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price specified in such notice. If money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on the Securities of a Series to be redeemed is deposited with the Trustee on or before the redemption date, on and after the redemption date interest will cease to accrue on the Securities of a Series (or such portions thereof) called for redemption and such Securities will cease to be outstanding. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date; provided that, unless otherwise specified with respect to such Securities pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the redemption date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities (or one or more predecessor Securities) registered at the close of business on the relevant record date therefor according to their terms and the terms of this Indenture.
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Section 3.5. Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.
Section 3.6. Securities Redeemed in Part.
Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
Section 4.1. Payment of Principal and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will pay or cause to be paid the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, the Securities of that Series on the dates and in the manner provided in such Securities. Principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on any Series of Securities will be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company or a Subsidiary thereof, holds as of 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the due date money deposited by the Company in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest then due.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue principal with respect to such Securities at the rate specified therefor in the Securities; it will pay interest (including post-petition interest in any proceeding under any Bankruptcy Law) on overdue installments of interest (without regard to any applicable grace period) at the same rate to the extent lawful.
Section 4.2. Additional Amounts.
If any Securities of a Series provide for the payment of Additional Amounts, the Company agrees to pay to the Holder of any such Security Additional Amounts as provided in or pursuant to this Indenture or such Securities. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of the principal of or interest on, or in respect of, any Security of any Series, such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of Additional Amounts provided by the terms of such Series established hereby or pursuant hereto to the extent that, in such context, Additional Amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to such terms, and express mention of the payment of Additional Amounts (if applicable) in any provision hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Amounts in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made.
Section 4.3. Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will maintain an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee for such Securities or an Affiliate of such Trustee, Registrar for such Securities or co-registrar) where such Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee for such Securities of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company fails to maintain any such required office or agency or fails to furnish such Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of such Trustee.
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The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where Holders of a Series of Securities may present or surrender such Securities for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee for such Series of Securities of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
With respect to each Series of Securities, the Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee for such Securities as one such office or agency of the Company in accordance with Section 2.4 hereof.
Section 4.4. SEC Reports.
Unless otherwise specified with respect to Securities of a particular Series pursuant to Section 2.2, the Company will, if and to the extent required under the TIA, so long as any securities of a particular Series are outstanding:
(a) make available to the Trustee and the Holders of Securities copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports which the Company may be required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, provided that for this purpose the filing with the SEC of such reports, information and documents shall be sufficient; or
(b) if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, make available to the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities (including by means of a public or private website), substantially similar periodic information (excluding exhibits) which would be required to be included in periodic reports on Form 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K (or any successor form or forms) under the Exchange Act within the time periods set forth in the applicable SEC rules and regulations as if the Company were a non-accelerated filer as defined in such applicable SEC rules and regulations, provided that in each case such information may be subject to exclusions if the Company in good faith determines that such excluded information would not to be material to the interests of the holders of any Series of Securities.
The delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee pursuant to this Section 4.4 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 (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer's Certificates).
Section 4.5. Compliance Certificate.
(a) The Company and each Guarantor of any Series of Securities (to the extent that such guarantor is so required under the TIA) shall deliver to the Trustee with respect to such Series, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, an Officers' Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (or, if a Default or Event of Default has occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments on account of the principal of or interest, if any, on the Series of Securities is prohibited or if such event has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
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(b) So long as any Series of Securities is outstanding, the Company will deliver to the Trustee with respect to such Series, forthwith upon any Officer becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers' Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 4.6. Taxes.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will pay, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to pay, prior to delinquency, all material taxes, assessments, and governmental levies except such as are contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of such Securities.
Section 4.7. Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not, and each Guarantor of such Securities will not, at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company and each such Guarantor (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, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee for such Securities, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.
Section 4.8. Corporate Existence.
Subject to Article V hereof, the Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and rights and franchises; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not obligate the Company to preserve any such right or franchise if the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of its business and that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to any Holder.
Section 5.1. Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it shall not, directly or indirectly: (a) consolidate or merge with or into another person (whether or not the Company is the surviving corporation) or (b) sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, in one or more related transactions, to another person, unless:
(i) the Company shall be the continuing entity, or the resulting, surviving or transferee person shall be a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of any domestic or foreign jurisdiction, and such successor person (if not the Company) shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, all the obligations of the Company under the Securities and this Indenture and, for each Security that by its terms provides for conversion, shall have provided for the right to convert such Security in accordance with its terms;
(ii) immediately after such transaction, no Default or Event of Default exists; and
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(iii) the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article V and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
This Section 5.1 will not apply to:
(1) a merger of the Company with an Affiliate solely for the purpose of reincorporating the Company in another jurisdiction; or
(2) any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, lease or other disposition of assets between or among the Company and its Subsidiaries.
Section 5.2. Successor Person Substituted.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.1 hereof, the successor person formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the "Company" shall refer instead to the successor person and not to the Company), 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; provided, however, that the predecessor Company shall not be relieved from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest on any Series of Securities except in the case of a sale of all of the Company's assets in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.1 hereof.
ARTICLE VI.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.1. Events of Default.
"Event of Default," wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers' Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
(a) default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(b) default in payment when due of the principal of, or premium, if any, on any Security of that Series; or
(c) default, for 90 days after receipt of written notice given by the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Securities of that Series then outstanding, in the performance or breach of any Covenant for the benefit of the holders of the Securities of that Series (other than a default referred to in clauses (a) and (b) above and other than a Covenant which has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of any Series of Securities other than that Series); or
(d) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(i) commences a voluntary case,
(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,
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(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,
(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or
(v) generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or
(e) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case,
(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or
(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or
(f) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers' Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.
The term "Bankruptcy Law" means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term "Custodian" means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
A Default under clause (d) above is not an Event of Default with respect to a particular Series of Securities until the Trustee notifies the Company, or the Holders of more than 25% in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of that Series notify the Company and the Trustee of the Default, and the Company does not cure the Default within 90 days after receipt of the notice. The notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a "Notice of Default." Such notice shall be given by the Trustee if so requested in writing by the Holders of more than 25% of the principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of that Series.
Section 6.2. Acceleration.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(e) or (f)) then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of more than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or (f) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
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Section 6.3. Other Remedies.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal of and, premium, if any, and interest on such Securities or to enforce the performance of any provision of such Securities or this Indenture.
The Trustee for such Securities may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of such Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of Securities in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
Section 6.4. Waiver of Past Defaults.
Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series by notice to the Trustee for such Securities may on behalf of the Holders of all of such Securities waive an existing Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities and its consequences hereunder, except a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, such Securities or in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article IX cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security of the Series affected; provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration of such Securities and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration, in accordance with Section 6.2. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.5. Control by Majority.
Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee for such Securities or exercising any trust or power conferred on it. However, the Trustee for any Series of Securities may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that such Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of such Securities or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability.
Section 6.6. Limitation on Suits.
A Holder of any Series of Securities may pursue a remedy with respect to this Indenture or such Securities only if:
(a) such Holder gives to the Trustee for such Securities written notice that an Event of Default with respect to such Series is continuing;
(b) Holders of more than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of such Series make a written request to the Trustee for such Securities to pursue the remedy;
(c) such Holder or Holders offer and, if requested, provide to the Trustee for such Securities security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to such Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;
(d) such Trustee does not comply with the request within 90 days after receipt of the request and the offer of security or indemnity; and
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(e) during such 90-day period, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of such Series do not give such Trustee a direction inconsistent with such request.
A Holder of any Series of Securities may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of such Series of Securities or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of Securities of such Series.
Section 6.7. Rights of Holders of Securities to Receive Payment.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security of any Series to receive payment of principal of and, premium, if any, and interest on such Securities, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Securities (including, if applicable, in connection with an offer to purchase), or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.8. Collection Suit by Trustee.
If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(a), (b) or (c) hereof with respect to Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee for such Securities is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount of principal of and, premium, if any, and interest remaining unpaid on, such Securities and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, overdue interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel.
Section 6.9. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
The Trustee for each Series of Securities is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of such Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders of the Securities for which it acts as trustee allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon such Securities), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder of such Securities to make such payments to such Trustee, and in the event that such Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such Holders, to pay to such Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due such Trustee under the Indenture. To the extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of such Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due such Trustee out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a Lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that such Holders may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize such Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder for which it acts as trustee any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of such Holder, or to authorize such Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any such Holder in any such proceeding.
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Section 6.10. Priorities.
If the Trustee of any Series of Securities collects any money pursuant to this Article VI, it shall pay out the money in the following order:
First : to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts due under the Indenture, including payment of all compensation, expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;
Second : to Holders of such Securities for amounts due and unpaid on such Securities for principal, premium, if any, and interest, 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, respectively; and
Third : to the Company or to such party as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct.
Subject to Section 2.14 hereof, the Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders of Securities pursuant to this Section 6.10.
Section 6.11. Undertaking for Costs.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against any Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder of a Security pursuant to Section 6.6 hereof, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any Series.
Section 7.1. Duties of Trustee.
(a) Subject to Section 7.2(h), if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise 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 such person's own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(i) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others.
(ii) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officers' Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officers' Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officers' Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.
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(ii) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(iii) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series.
(d) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraph (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.
(e) The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power at the request or direction of any Holder unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
(g) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, 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 is not reasonably assured to it.
(h) The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care as are set forth in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this Section with respect to the Trustee.
Section 7.2. Rights of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers' Certificate. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers' Certificate.
(c) The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depository shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depository.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee's conduct does not constitute negligence or bad faith.
(e) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(f) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any
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action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without negligence and in good faith and in reliance thereon.
(g) 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.
(h) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture.
(i) The Trustee shall not be required to provide any bond or surety with respect to the execution of these trusts and powers.
Section 7.3. Individual Rights of Trustee.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
Section 7.4. Trustee's Disclaimer.
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company's use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication of such Securities.
Section 7.5. Notice of Defaults.
If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, mail in the manner provided by in TIA § 313(c), notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as its corporate trust committee or a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.
Section 7.6. Reports by Trustee to Holders.
Within 60 days after May 15 in each year following the issuance of a Series of Securities under this Indenture, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, transmit by mail in accordance with TIA § 313(c), a brief report dated as of such May 15, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA § 313(a).
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed by the Trustee with the SEC and each stock exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed, if any. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange.
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Section 7.7. Compensation and Indemnity.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall agree upon in writing. The Trustee's compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee's agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee (including the cost of defending itself) against any loss, liability or expense, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it except as set forth in the next paragraph in the performance of its duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through negligence or bad faith.
To secure the Company's payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.4, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or (f) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture.
Section 7.8. Replacement of Trustee.
A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee's acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:
(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;
(c) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed with respect to the Securities of a Series or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such Series. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of such Series may appoint a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such Series to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
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If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, publish such notice on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company's obligations under Section 7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.
Section 7.9. Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.
If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee.
Section 7.10. Eligibility; Disqualification.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1) and (2) and does not violate the prohibitions in TIA § 310(a)(5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 310(b).
Section 7.11. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated.
ARTICLE VIII.
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 8.1. Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The Company may at any time elect to have either Section 8.2 or 8.3 hereof be applied to all outstanding Securities of any Series upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article VIII.
Section 8.2. Legal Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.2, the Company and each Guarantor, if any, of such Securities will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from its or their obligations with respect to all outstanding Securities of such Series (including the related guarantees, if any) on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, "Legal Defeasance"). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company and such Guarantors will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding Securities of such Series (including the related guarantees, if any), which will thereafter be deemed to be "outstanding" only for the purposes of Section 8.5 hereof and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (a) and (b) below, and to have satisfied all its or their other obligations under such Securities, such guarantees, if any, and this Indenture (and the Trustee for such Securities, on demand of and at the
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expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which will survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:
(a) the rights of Holders of outstanding Securities of such Series to receive payments in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Securities when such payments are due solely out of the trust referred to in Section 8.4 hereof;
(b) the Company's obligations with respect to such Securities under Article II hereof;
(c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee for such Securities hereunder and the Company's and the Guarantors', if any, obligations in connection therewith; and
(d) this Article VIII.
Subject to compliance with this Article VIII, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 8.2 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 8.3 hereof.
Section 8.3. Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.3, the Company and each of the Guarantors, if any, will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 hereof, be released from each of its or their obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7, Section 5.1, and covenants specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers' Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2, with respect to the outstanding Securities of the applicable Series on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 hereof are satisfied (hereinafter, "Covenant Defeasance"), and such Securities will thereafter be deemed not "outstanding" for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders of such Securities (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but will continue to be deemed "outstanding" for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Securities will not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Securities of such Series, the Company may omit to comply with and will have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.1 hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities will be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company's exercise under Section 8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.3, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 hereof, Section 6.1(c) hereof will not constitute an Event of Default.
Section 8.4. Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance under either Section 8.2 or 8.3 hereof with respect to Securities of any Series:
(a) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee for such Securities, in trust, solely for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm, or firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, the outstanding Securities of such Series on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company must specify whether such Securities are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular redemption date;
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(b) in the case of an election under Section 8.2 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Opinion of Counsel confirming that:
(1) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling; or
(2) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law,
in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, the Holders and beneficial owners of the outstanding Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(c) in the case of an election under Section 8.3 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Opinion of Counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, the Holders and beneficial owners of such Securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(d) no Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith);
(e) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound (other than that resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith);
(f) the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Officers' Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of such Securities over the other creditors of the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and
(g) the Company must deliver to the Trustee for such Securities an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel (which opinion of counsel may be subject to customary assumptions and exclusions), each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.
Section 8.5. Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to Section 8.6 hereof, all money and non-callable Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 8.5, the "Trustee") pursuant to Section 8.4 hereof in respect of the outstanding Securities of any Series will be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities
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of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.4 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Securities of the applicable Series.
Notwithstanding anything in this Article VIII to the contrary, the Trustee will deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by it as provided in Section 8.4 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm or firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion delivered under Section 8.4 hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
Section 8.6. Repayment to Company.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Series of Securities and remaining unclaimed for one year after such principal, premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) will be discharged from such trust; and the Holders of such Securities will thereafter be permitted to look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, will thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in an Authorized Newspaper, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which will not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
Section 8.7. Reinstatement.
If, in connection with a Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any Dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section 8.5, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company's and any applicable Guarantors' obligations under this Indenture and the applicable Securities and the guarantees will be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.2 or 8.3 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.5; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of principal of or interest on any such Securities following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company will be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE IX.
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS
Section 9.1. Without Consent of Holders.
Notwithstanding Section 9.2 of this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
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(b) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(c) to provide for the assumption of the Company's obligations to the Holders of the Securities by a successor to the Company pursuant to Article V hereof;
(d) to add any additional Events of Default with respect to all or any Series of Securities outstanding hereunder;
(e) to secure the Securities pursuant to the requirements of any covenant on liens in respect of such series of Securities or otherwise;
(f) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture, or to add any new provision to this Indenture, in respect of one or more series of Securities; provided, however, that any such change, elimination or addition (A) shall neither (i) apply to any Security outstanding on the date of such indenture supplemental hereto nor (ii) modify the rights of the Holder of any such Security with respect to such provision in effect prior to the date of such indenture supplemental hereto or (B) shall become effective only when no Security of such series remains outstanding;
(g) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders of Securities or that does not adversely affect the Holders' rights hereunder in any material respect;
(h) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(i) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;
(j) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee;
(k) to add an additional Guarantor or obligor under this Indenture; or
(l) to conform any provision of this Indenture, the Securities of any Series or any related guarantees or security documents to the description of such Securities contained in the Company's prospectus, prospectus supplement, offering memorandum or similar document with respect to the offering of the Securities of such Series to the extent that such description was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision in the Indenture, such Securities or any related guarantees or security documents.
Upon the request of the Company and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 12.4 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company in the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee will not be obligated to enter into such amended or supplemental indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 9.2. With Consent of Holders.
The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except
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as provided in Section 6.4, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. Upon the request of the Company and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders of Securities as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 12.4 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company in the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture unless such amended or supplemental indenture directly affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but will not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture.
After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall promptly mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby and, if any Bearer Securities affected thereby are outstanding, publish on one occasion in an Authorized Newspaper, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.
Section 9.3. Limitations.
Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not (with respect to any Securities held by a non-consenting Holder):
(a) change the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(b) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security;
(c) reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;
(d) reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;
(e) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
(f) make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;
(g) make any change in Sections 6.4, 6.7 or 9.3; or
(h) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security.
Section 9.4. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.
Every amendment or supplement to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in an amended or supplemental indenture that complies with the TIA as then in effect.
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Section 9.5. Revocation and Effect of Consents.
(a) Until an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder's Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder subject to Section 9.5(d) may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective.
(b) An amendment, supplement or waiver effective in accordance with its terms will thereafter bind every Holder.
(c) For purposes of this Indenture, the consent of the Holder of a Global Security shall be deemed to include any consent delivered by any member of, or participant in, any Depository, any nominees thereof and their respective successors and assigns, or such other depository institution hereinafter appointed by the Company ("Depository Entity") by electronic means in accordance with the Automated Tender Offer Procedures system or other customary procedures of, and pursuant to authorization by, such Depository Entity.
(d) The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the last sentence of the immediately preceding paragraph, those persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those persons, shall be entitled to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date. The Company shall inform the Trustee of the fixed record date, if applicable.
(e) Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder's Security.
Section 9.6. Notation on or Exchange of Securities.
The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment, supplement or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.
Section 9.7. Trustee Protected.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article IX or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) 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.
Section 10.1. Guarantees.
Any Series of Securities may be guaranteed by one or more of the Guarantors. The terms and the form of any such guarantee will be established in the manner contemplated by Section 2.2 for that particular Series of Securities.
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ARTICLE XI.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 11.1. Satisfaction and Discharge.
This Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to a Series of Securities issued hereunder, when:
(a) either:
(i) all such Securities that have been authenticated, except lost, stolen or destroyed Securities that have been replaced or paid and Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) all such Securities that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the mailing of a notice of redemption or otherwise or will become due and payable within one year and the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption;
(b) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith) and the deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material instrument to which the Company or any Guarantor of such Securities is a party or by which the Company or any such Guarantor is bound (other than a breach, violation or default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith);
(c) the Company or any Guarantor of such Securities has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and
(d) the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee for such Securities under this Indenture to apply the deposited money toward the payment of such Securities at maturity or on the redemption date, as the case may be.
In addition, the Company must deliver an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee for such Securities stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied, and all fees and expenses of the Trustee shall have been paid.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, if money has been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (ii) of clause (a) of this Section 11.1, the provisions of Sections 11.2 and 8.6 hereof will survive. In addition, nothing in this Section 11.1 will be deemed to discharge those provisions of Section 7.7 hereof, that, by their terms, survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
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Section 11.2. Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of Section 8.6 hereof, all money or Government Securities deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 11.1 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities with respect to with such deposit was made and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as such Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section 11.1 hereof by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company's and any applicable Guarantor's obligations under this Indenture and the applicable Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 11.1 hereof; provided that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
Section 12.1. Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.
Section 12.2. Notices.
Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and (a) delivered in person, (b) mailed by first-class mail or overnight mail, (c) sent by overnight air courier with next Business Day delivery or (d) delivered electronically (in .pdf or similar format) if, in case of electronic notices, receipt is confirmed:
if to the Company:
Dollar
General Corporation
100 Mission Ridge
Goodlettsville, Tennessee 37072
Telephone No.: (615) 855-4000
Facsimile No.: (615) 855-5172
Attention: Susan Lanigan
With
a copy to:
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Facsimile No.: (212) 455-2502
Attention: Joseph H. Kaufman
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if to the Trustee:
U.S.
Bank National Association
150 Fourth Avenue North, 2nd Floor
Nashville, Tennessee 37219
Telephone No.: (615) 251-0733
Facsimile No.: (615) 251-0737
Attention: Wally Jones
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders) will be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier for next Business Day delivery; and when receipt is confirmed, if delivered electronically.
Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar and, if any Bearer Securities are outstanding, published in an Authorized Newspaper, unless otherwise provided with respect to the applicable Series. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.
In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.
If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
Where the Indenture provides for notice of any event to a Holder of a Global Security, such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depository for such Global Security (or its designee), pursuant to the applicable procedures of the Depository, not later than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any), prescribed for the giving of such notice.
Section 12.3. Communication by Holders with Other Holders.
Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).
Section 12.4. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(a) an Officers' Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(b) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
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Section 12.5. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to Section 4.5 hereof and TIA § 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e) and shall include:
(a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(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 such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 12.6. Rules by Trustee and Agents.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
Section 12.7. Legal Holidays.
Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers' Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a "Legal Holiday" is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
Section 12.8. No Recourse Against Others.
No past, present or future director, officer, stockholder or employee, as such, of the Company or any successor corporation shall have any liability for any obligation of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the execution of this Indenture and the issue of the Securities.
Section 12.9. Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
Section 12.10. Governing Law; Waiver of Trial by Jury.
THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES AND ANY GUARANTEES OF THE SECURITIES. 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 OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED THEREBY.
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Section 12.11. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other indenture, loan or debt or other agreement of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of any other person. Any such indenture, loan or debt or other agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
Section 12.12. Successors.
All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
Section 12.13. Severability.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 12.14. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.
The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Section 12.15. Securities in a Foreign Currency.
Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers' Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in a coin or currency other than Dollars, then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount at the Market Exchange Rate at such time. For purposes of this Section 12.15, "Market Exchange Rate" shall mean the noon Dollar buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of that currency as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. If such Market Exchange Rate is not available for any reason with respect to such currency, the Trustee shall use, in its sole discretion and without liability on its part, such quotation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as of the most recent available date, or quotations from one or more major banks in The City of New York or in the country of issue of the currency in question or such other quotations as the Trustee, upon consultation with the Company, shall deem appropriate. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
All decisions and determinations of the Trustee regarding the Market Exchange Rate or any alternative determination provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be in its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, to the extent permitted by law, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company and all Holders.
37
Section 13.1. Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article XIII shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a "mandatory sinking fund payment" and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an "optional sinking fund payment." If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 13.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.
Section 13.2. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (a) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (b) apply as a credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officers' Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 13.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.
Section 13.3. Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers' Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 13.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution,
38
Officers' Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) 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 3.2 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 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.
39
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
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DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION | |||||
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By: |
/s/ Wade Smith
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Name: | Wade Smith | ||||
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Title: | Vice President and Treasurer | ||||
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U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
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|||||
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By: |
/s/ Wally Jones
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||||
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Name: | Wally Jones | ||||
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Title: | Vice President |
40
FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Dated as of July 12, 2012
Supplementing that Certain
INDENTURE
Dated as of July 12, 2012
among
DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION, as Issuer,
THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN, as Subsidiary Guarantors
and
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association, as Trustee
4.125% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2017
|
|
Page | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
ARTICLE I. |
||||
DEFINITIONS |
||||
SECTION 1.1. |
Certain Terms Defined in this Indenture |
1 |
||
SECTION 1.2. |
Definitions |
1 |
||
ARTICLE II. |
||||
FORM AND TERMS OF THE NOTES |
||||
SECTION 2.1. |
Form and Dating |
5 |
||
SECTION 2.2. |
Certain Terms of the Notes |
7 |
||
SECTION 2.3. |
Optional Redemption |
7 |
||
SECTION 2.4. |
Offer to Repurchase Upon a Change of Control Triggering Event |
8 |
||
SECTION 2.5. |
Limitation on Liens |
9 |
||
SECTION 2.6. |
Events of Default |
9 |
||
ARTICLE III. |
||||
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES |
||||
SECTION 3.1. |
Subsidiary Guarantee |
10 |
||
SECTION 3.2. |
Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability |
11 |
||
SECTION 3.3. |
Execution and Delivery |
12 |
||
SECTION 3.4. |
Subrogation |
12 |
||
SECTION 3.5. |
Benefits Acknowledged |
12 |
||
SECTION 3.6. |
Release of Subsidiary Guarantees |
12 |
||
SECTION 3.7. |
Additional Subsidiary Guarantees |
13 |
||
ARTICLE IV. |
||||
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE |
||||
SECTION 4.1. |
Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
13 |
||
SECTION 4.2. |
Legal Defeasance and Discharge |
13 |
||
SECTION 4.3. |
Covenant Defeasance |
14 |
||
SECTION 4.4. |
Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance |
14 |
||
SECTION 4.5. |
Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions |
15 |
||
SECTION 4.6. |
Repayment to Company |
16 |
||
SECTION 4.7. |
Reinstatement |
16 |
i
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|
Page | ||
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ARTICLE V. |
||||
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE |
||||
SECTION 5.1. |
Satisfaction and Discharge |
16 |
||
SECTION 5.2. |
Application of Trust Money |
17 |
||
ARTICLE VI. |
||||
MISCELLANEOUS |
||||
SECTION 6.1. |
Relationship with Indenture |
18 |
||
SECTION 6.2. |
Trust Indenture Act Controls |
18 |
||
SECTION 6.3. |
Governing Law |
18 |
||
SECTION 6.4. |
Counterparts |
18 |
||
SECTION 6.5. |
Severability |
18 |
||
SECTION 6.6. |
Ratification |
18 |
||
SECTION 6.7. |
Headings |
18 |
||
SECTION 6.8. |
Effectiveness |
18 |
||
EXHIBIT AForm of 4.125% Senior Notes due 2017
|
ii
This First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 12, 2012, by and among DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Tennessee (the " Company "), the Subsidiary Guarantors listed on the signature pages hereto and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a duly organized and existing national banking association under the laws of the United States, as trustee (the " Trustee ").
WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee are parties to that certain Indenture, dated as of July 12, 2012 (the " Base Indenture "), as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 12, 2012 (this " First Supplemental Indenture ," and together with the Base Indenture, this " Indenture "), providing for the issuance by the Company of an unlimited number of series of Securities from time to time;
WHEREAS, the Base Indenture provides that the Securities of a series shall be in the form and shall have such terms and provisions as may be established in one or more supplemental indentures thereto;
WHEREAS, the Company has determined to issue a series of senior Securities under this Indenture designated as the Company's "4.125% Senior Notes due 2017" (hereinafter called the " Notes ") pursuant to the terms of this First Supplemental Indenture and substantially in the form as set forth in Exhibit A hereto, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture and this First Supplemental Indenture; and
WHEREAS, the Company, by action duly taken, has authorized the execution of this Supplemental Indenture and the issuance of the Notes;
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the promises stated herein and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the parties hereto hereby enter into this First Supplemental Indenture, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders, as follows:
SECTION 1.1. Certain Terms Defined in this Indenture.
For purposes of this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes, all capitalized terms used but not defined herein or therein, as applicable, shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in this Indenture. For the avoidance of doubt, references to any "Section" of the "Indenture" refer to such Section of the Base Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this First Supplemental Indenture.
SECTION 1.2. Definitions.
For the benefit of the Holders, Section 1.1 of the Base Indenture shall be amended by adding or substituting, as applicable, the following new definitions:
" ABL Facility " means that certain Amended and Restated ABL Credit Agreement, dated as of March 15, 2012, with total commitments equal to $1.2 billion as of the Issue Date, among the Company, as parent borrower, certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company, as subsidiary borrowers, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as administrative agent, and the other lending institutions from time to time party thereto, including any guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, restatements, refunding or refinancing thereof and any indentures, notes, debentures or credit facilities or commercial paper facilities with banks or other institutional lenders or investors that replace, refund or refinance all or any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder, including any such replacement, refunding or refinancing facility or indenture that increases the amount borrowable thereunder or alters the maturity thereof.
" Authorized Newspaper " means a newspaper in an official language of the country of publication customarily published at least once a day for at least five days in each calendar week and of general circulation in the place in connection with which the term is used. If it shall be impractical in the opinion of the Trustee to make any publication of any notice required hereby in an Authorized Newspaper, any publication or other notice in lieu thereof that is made or given by the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient publication of such notice.
" Capital Stock " means:
(a) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock;
(b) in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;
(c) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and
(d) any other interest or participation that confers on a person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing person, but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.
" Change of Control " means the occurrence of any of the following: (1) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any "Person" (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) other than the Company or one of its Subsidiaries; (2) the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation) the result of which is that any "Person" (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the then outstanding number of shares of the Company's voting stock; (3) the first day on which a majority of the members of the Company's Board of Directors are not Continuing Directors; or (4) the adoption of a plan relating to the Company's liquidation or dissolution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction will not be deemed to involve a Change of Control if (1) the Company becomes a wholly owned Subsidiary of a holding company that has agreed to be bound by the terms of this Indenture and (2) the holders of the voting stock of such holding company immediately following that transaction are substantially the same as the holders of the Company's voting stock immediately prior to that transaction.
" Change of Control Triggering Event " means, with respect to the Notes, the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Rating Event, with respect to the Notes.
" Comparable Treasury Issue " means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Notes.
" Comparable Treasury Price " means, with respect to any redemption date, (1) the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (2) if the Company obtains fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations.
" Continuing Directors " means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who (1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the Issue Date; or (2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such
2
nomination or election (either by a specific vote or by approval of the Company's proxy statement in which such member was named as a nominee for election as a director, without objection to such nomination).
" Disqualified Equity Interests " of any Person means any class of Equity Interests of such Person that, by its terms, or by the terms of any related agreement or of any security into which it is convertible, puttable or exchangeable, is, or upon the happening of any event or the passage of time would be, required to be redeemed by such Person, whether or not at the option of the holder thereof, or matures or is mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise, in whole or in part, on or prior to the date which is 91 days after the final maturity date of the Notes.
" Domestic Subsidiary " means any of the Company's Subsidiaries which is organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia.
" Equity Interests " means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).
" Global Notes " means, individually and collectively, each of the Notes in the form of global Securities registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
" Government Securities " means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.
" Independent Investment Banker " means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.
" Investment Grade Rating " means a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody's and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, and the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any replacement Rating Agency or Rating Agencies.
" Issue Date " means July 12, 2012.
" Moody's " means Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
" Person " means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, joint stock company, business trust, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity, or a government or political subdivision or agency thereof.
" Qualified Equity Offering " means a public or private offering of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests) of the Company generating gross proceeds to the Company of at least $50,000,000.
" Rating Agencies " means (1) Moody's and S&P; and (2) if either Moody's or S&P ceases to rate the Notes or fails to make a rating of the Notes publicly available for reasons outside of the Company's control, a "nationally recognized statistical rating organization" within the meaning of Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act, selected by the Company (as certified by a Board Resolution) as a replacement agency for Moody's or S&P, or both of them, as the case may be.
" Rating Event " means, with respect to the Notes, (x) to the extent the Notes were rated with an Investment Grade Rating prior to the Relevant Period (as defined below), such Notes are rated below an Investment Grade Rating by both of the Rating Agencies on any date from the date of the public notice of an arrangement that could result in a Change of Control until the end of the 60-day period following public notice of the occurrence of the Change of Control (which 60-day period shall be extended so long as the rating of the Notes is under publicly announced consideration for possible downgrade by any of the Rating Agencies (the " Relevant Period ")) or (y) to the extent the Notes were not rated with an Investment Grade Rating by both of the Rating Agencies prior to the Relevant
3
Period and the ratings of such Notes are downgraded by both of the Rating Agencies during the Relevant Period; provided that, in the case of each of clause (x) or (y), a Rating Event otherwise arising by virtue of a particular reduction in rating shall not be deemed to have occurred in respect of a particular Change of Control (and thus shall not be deemed a Rating Event for purposes of the definition of Change of Control Triggering Event) if the Rating Agencies making the reduction in rating to which this definition would otherwise apply either (1) did not reduce the ratings of the Notes during the Relevant Period or (2) do not announce or publicly confirm that the reduction was the result, in whole or in part, of any event or circumstance comprised of or arising as a result of, or in respect of, the applicable Change of Control (whether or not the applicable Change of Control shall have occurred at the time of the Rating Event).
" Reference Treasury Dealers " means (1) Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and their respective successors; provided, however, that if either of the foregoing shall cease to be a primary U.S. Government securities dealer (a "Primary Treasury Dealer"), the Company shall substitute another nationally recognized investment banking firm that is a Primary Treasury Dealer, and (2) two other Primary Treasury Dealers selected by the Company.
" Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations " means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Company, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third business day preceding such redemption date.
" Senior Credit Facilities " means the ABL Facility and the Term Loan Credit Facility.
" S&P " means Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
" Significant Subsidiary " means a Subsidiary (treated for purposes of this definition on a consolidated basis together with its Subsidiaries) which meets any of the following conditions:
(a) the Company's and the Company's other Subsidiaries' investments in and advances to the Subsidiary exceed ten percent of the total assets of the Company and the Company's Subsidiaries consolidated as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year;
(b) the Company's and the Company's other Subsidiaries' proportionate share of the total assets (after intercompany eliminations) of the Subsidiary exceeds ten percent of the total assets of the Company and the Company's Subsidiaries consolidated as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year; or
(c) the Company's and the Company's other Subsidiaries' equity in the income from continuing operations before income taxes, extraordinary items and cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles of the Subsidiary exceeds ten percent of such income of the Company and the Company's Subsidiaries consolidated for the most recently completed fiscal year.
" Subsidiary " of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of capital stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof.
" Subsidiary Guarantee " means the guarantee of each Subsidiary of the Company pursuant to the terms hereof.
4
" Term Loan Credit Facility " means that certain Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 30, 2012, with total commitments equal to $1.964 billion as of the Issue Date, among the Company, as borrower, Citicorp North America, N.A. as administrative agent, and the other financial institutions from time to time party thereto, including any guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements, modifications, extensions, renewals, restatements, refunding or refinancing thereof and any indentures, notes, debentures or credit facilities or commercial paper facilities with banks or other institutional lenders or investors that replace, refund or refinance all or any part of the loans, notes, other credit facilities or commitments thereunder, including any such replacement, refunding or refinancing facility or indenture that increases the amount borrowable thereunder or alters the maturity thereof.
" Treasury Rate " means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to a maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.
" Voting Stock " means capital stock the holders of which have general voting power under ordinary circumstances to elect at least a majority of the Board of Directors of a corporation; provided that, for the purpose of such definition, Capital Stock which carries only the right to vote conditioned on the occurrence of an event shall not be considered Voting Stock whether or not such event shall have occurred.
SECTION 1.3. Other Definitions.
TERM
|
DEFINED IN
SECTION |
|
---|---|---|
"Additional Notes" |
2.2 | |
"Change of Control Offer" |
2.4 | |
"Change of Control Payment" |
2.4 | |
"Change of Control Payment Date" |
2.4 | |
"Covenant Defeasance" |
4.3 | |
"Depository" |
2.1 | |
"Legal Defeasance" |
4.2 | |
"Maturity Date" |
2.2 |
ARTICLE II.
FORM AND TERMS OF THE NOTES
SECTION 2.1. Form and Dating.
The Notes and the Trustee's certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. The Notes shall be executed on behalf of the Company by two of the officers of the Company specified in Section 2.3 of this Indenture. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rules or usage. Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication.
The terms and notations contained in the Notes shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture; and the Company and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this First Supplemental Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby; provided that, to the extent of any inconsistency between the terms and provisions in this Indenture and those contained in the Notes, this Indenture shall govern.
(a) Global Notes. The Notes designated herein shall be issued initially in the form of one or more fully-registered permanent global Securities, which shall be held by the Trustee as
5
custodian for The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York (the " Depositary "), and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the Depositary's nominee, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided. The aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and the Depositary or its nominee as hereinafter provided.
Unless and until the Global Notes are exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Notes represented thereby pursuant to Section 2.15 of this Indenture, such Global Notes may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to its nominee or by its nominee to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any of its nominees to a successor depositary or any nominee of such successor depositary. Upon the occurrence of the events specified in Section 2.15 of this Indenture in relation thereto, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Order for authentication, authenticate and deliver, Notes in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Notes in exchange for such Global Note.
(b) Book-Entry Provisions. This Section 2.1(b) shall apply only to the Global Notes deposited with or on behalf of the Depositary.
The Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with this Section 2.1(b), authenticate and deliver the Global Notes that shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary and shall be held by the Trustee as custodian for the Depositary.
Participants of the Depositary shall have no rights either under this Indenture or with respect to any Global Notes. The Depositary shall be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global Note for all purposes under this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its participants, the operation of customary practices of such Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of an owner of a beneficial interest in the Global Notes.
(c) Definitive Notes. Definitive Notes issued in physical, certificated form, registered in the name of the beneficial owner thereof, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto, but without including the text referred to therein as applying only to Global Notes. Except as provided above in subsection (a), owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificated Notes.
(d) Transfer and Exchange of the Notes. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes shall be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with this Indenture and the procedures of the Depositary therefor. Beneficial interests in the Global Notes may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Global Notes.
(e) Paying Agent and Registrar. The Company appoints the Trustee as the initial Paying Agent of the Company for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on, the Notes, and the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee be, and hereby is, designated as the office or agency where the Notes may be presented for payment and where notices to or demands upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this First Supplemental Indenture and this Indenture pursuant to which the Notes are to be issued may be made. The Company appoints the Trustee as the initial Security Registrar with respect to the Notes.
6
SECTION 2.2. Certain Terms of the Notes.
The following terms relating to the Notes are hereby established:
(a) Title. The Notes shall constitute a series of senior Securities having the title "4.125% Senior Notes due 2017."
(b) Principal Amount. The aggregate principal amount of the Notes that may be initially authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration of, transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Notes pursuant to Sections 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 and 9.6 of this Indenture) shall be FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($500,000,000). The Company may, from time to time, without the consent of the Holders, issue and sell additional Notes (" Additional Notes ") ranking equally and ratably with the Notes in all respects (other than the issue date, and to the extent applicable, issue price, initial date of interest accrual and the initial interest payment date of such Additional Notes). Any such Additional Notes shall be consolidated with and form a single series with the Notes for all purposes under this Indenture.
(c) Ranking. The Notes shall constitute senior unsecured indebtedness of the Company and shall rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future senior indebtedness of the Company but, to the extent of the value of the collateral, will be effectively senior to all of the Company's unsecured senior indebtedness and, to the extent of the collateral, will be effectively subordinated to the Company's indebtedness under the Senior Credit Facilities.
(d) Maturity Date. The entire outstanding principal of the Notes shall be payable on July 15, 2017 (the " Maturity Date ").
(e) Interest Rate. The rate at which the Notes shall bear interest shall be 4.125% per annum, computed on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of twelve 30-day months; the date from which interest shall accrue on the Notes shall be July 12, 2012, or the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for; the Interest Payment Dates for the Notes shall be the 15th day of January and July of each year, commencing on January 15, 2013; the interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date, will be paid, in immediately available funds, to the Persons in whose names the Notes (or one or more predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the 1st day of January and June (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Payment of principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, the Notes will be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee or such other office or agency of the Company as may be designated for such purpose, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that each installment of interest, premium, if any, and principal on the Notes may at the Company's option be paid in immediately available funds by wire transfer to an account maintained by the payee located in the United States.
(h) Sinking Fund. The Notes are not subject to any sinking fund.
SECTION 2.3. Optional Redemption.
(a) Applicability of Article III. The provisions of Article III of the Base Indenture shall apply to the Notes, as supplemented by Sections 2.3(b) and (c) below.
(b) Make Whole Redemption. The Notes shall be redeemable, for cash, in whole or in part, at the Company's option, at any time and from time to time at a redemption price equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to redeemed and (2) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of the principal and interest thereon to
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maturity (not including any portions of such payments of interest accrued as of the date of redemption) discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate, plus 50 basis points, plus the accrued interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of redemption.
(c) Redemption from Proceeds of Qualified Equity Offerings. Prior to July 15, 2015, the Company may, with the net proceeds of one or more Qualified Equity Offerings, redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes (including Additional Notes, if any) at a redemption price equal to 104.125% of the principal amount of the Notes, plus the applicable accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date; provided that at least 65% of the principal amount of the Notes issued under this First Supplemental Indenture (including Additional Notes, if any) remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of any such redemption (excluding Notes held by the Company or its Subsidiaries) and that such redemption occurs within 90 days following the closing of any such Qualified Equity Offering.
SECTION 2.4. Offer to Repurchase Upon a Change of Control Triggering Event.
If a Change of Control Triggering Event occurs with respect to the Notes, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem the Notes as described in Section 2.3 or exercised its option to satisfy and discharge this Indenture as set forth in Article V hereof, Holders shall have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any part in an integral multiple of $1,000 of their Notes (provided that no Note will be purchased in part if the remaining principal amount of such Note would be less than $2,000) pursuant to the offer described below (the " Change of Control Offer "). In the Change of Control Offer, the Company shall offer payment in cash equal to 101% of the then outstanding aggregate principal amount of Notes subject to such offer, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes repurchased, to, but excluding, the date of purchase (the " Change of Control Payment "). Within 30 days following any Change of Control Triggering Event, or, at the Company's option, prior to any Change of Control, but after the public announcement of the Change of Control, the Company shall mail a notice to Holders describing the transaction or transactions that constitute or may constitute the Change of Control Triggering Event and offering to repurchase the Notes on the date specified in the notice, which date will be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed (the " Change of Control Payment Date "), pursuant to the procedures described herein and in such notice. The notice shall, if mailed prior to the date of consummation of the Change of Control, state that the offer to purchase is conditioned on the Change of Control Triggering Event occurring on or prior to the payment date specified in the notice. The Company must comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a result of a Change of Control Triggering Event. To the extent that the provisions of any securities laws or regulations conflict with the Change of Control provisions herein, the Company shall only be required to comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations under the Change of Control provisions of this Indenture by virtue of such conflicts.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to make a Change of Control Offer upon the occurrence of a Change of Control Triggering Event if a third party makes such an offer in the manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for a Change of Control Offer made by the Company and the third party repurchases all Notes properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer. In addition, the Company will not repurchase any Notes if there has occurred and is continuing on the Change of Control Payment Date an Event of Default under this Indenture, other than a Default in the payment of the Change of Control Payment upon a Change of Control Triggering Event.
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On the Change of Control Payment Date, the Company shall to the extent lawful (i) accept for payment all Notes or portions thereof properly tendered pursuant to the Change of Control Offer; (ii) deposit with the Paying Agent an amount equal to the Change of Control Payment in respect of all Notes or portions thereof Notes properly tendered; and (iii) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Trustee the Notes properly accepted together with an Officers' Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being purchased.
The Paying Agent will promptly mail to each Holder who has properly tendered Notes the applicable Change of Control Payment, and the Trustee will promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) to each Holder a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of any Notes surrendered; provided that each new Note will be in a principal amount of $2,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000.
SECTION 2.5. Limitation on Liens.
(a) The Company shall not, and the Company shall not permit any Subsidiary to, incur, issue, assume or guarantee any indebtedness for money borrowed if such indebtedness is secured by a pledge of, lien on or security interest in any shares of Voting Stock of any Significant Subsidiary, whether such Voting Stock is now owned or is hereafter acquired, without providing that the Notes (together with, if the Company shall so determine, any other indebtedness or obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary ranking equally with the Notes and then existing or thereafter created) shall be secured equally and ratably with such indebtedness. The foregoing limitation shall not apply to indebtedness secured by a pledge of, lien on or security interest:
(1) in any shares of Voting Stock of any corporation at the time it becomes a Significant Subsidiary; and
(2) incurred under the Senior Credit Facilities in an amount not to exceed (x) the total committed availability thereunder as of the Issue Date plus (y) the uncommitted amounts available under any incremental facilities thereunder as of the Issue Date.
SECTION 2.6. Events of Default.
(a) Applicability of Section 6.1. Section 6.1 of the Base Indenture shall apply to the Notes, as supplemented by Sections 2.6(b), (c), (d), and (e) below; provided that this Section 2.6 shall not become part of the terms of any other series of Securities.
Each of the following will constitute an "Event of Default" with respect to the Notes:
(b) default after the expiration of the grace period in the payment of principal when due, or resulting in acceleration of, other indebtedness (other than non-recourse debt) of the Company or any Significant Subsidiaries, for borrowed money or the payment of which is guaranteed by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary if the aggregate principal amount with respect to which the default or acceleration has occurred exceeds $75,000,000 and such indebtedness has not been discharged, or such default in payment or acceleration has not been cured or rescinded, prior to written notice of acceleration of the Notes;
(c) failure by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary to pay final judgment entered by a court or courts of competent jurisdiction aggregating in excess of $75,000,000, which judgments are not paid, discharged or stayed for a period of 60 days after such judgments become final and non-appealable, and in the event such judgment is covered by insurance, an enforcement proceeding has been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or decree which is not promptly stayed; or
(d) any Subsidiary Guarantee of any Significant Subsidiary shall for any reason cease to be, or shall for any reason be asserted in writing by such Subsidiary Guarantor or the Company not to
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be, in full force and effect and enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent contemplated or permitted by this Indenture.
(e) In the event of any Event of Default specified in Section 2.6(b), such Event of Default and all consequences thereof (excluding any resulting payment default, other than as result of acceleration of the Notes) shall be annulled, waived and rescinded, automatically and without any action by the Trustee or the Holders, if within 20 days after such Event of Default arose: (1) the indebtedness or guarantee that is the basis for such Event of Default has been discharged; (2) holders thereof have rescinded or waived acceleration, notice or action (as the case may be) giving rise to such Event of Default; or (3) the Default that is the basis for such Event of Default has been cured.
ARTICLE III.
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES
For the benefit of the Holders, the Base Indenture shall be amended by adding the following Article, provided that this Article III shall not become part of the terms of any other series of Securities:
SECTION 3.1. Subsidiary Guarantee.
(a) Subject to this Article III, each of the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guarantees on a senior basis to each Holder of a Note authenticate and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder, that (a) the principal of, interest, and premium, if any, on the Notes shall be promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of and interest on the Notes, if any, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder shall be promptly paid in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; and (b) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any such other obligations, that same shall be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceptance or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed or any performance so guaranteed for whatever reason, the Subsidiary Guarantors shall be joint and severally obliged to pay the same immediately. Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that this is a guarantee of payment and not a guarantee of collection.
(b) The Subsidiary Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor. Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenants that this Subsidiary Guarantee shall not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture.
(c) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or the Subsidiary Guarantors, any amount paid either to
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the Trustee or such Holder, this Subsidiary Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect.
(d) Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that it shall not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby. Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Subsidiary Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article VI hereof for the purposes of this Subsidiary Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article VI hereof, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Subsidiary Guarantors for the purpose of this Subsidiary Guarantee. The Subsidiary Guarantors shall have the right to seek contribution from any non-paying Subsidiary Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Subsidiary Guarantees.
(e) Each Subsidiary Guarantee shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective should any petition be filed by or against the Company for liquidation, reorganization, should the Company become insolvent or make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or should a receiver or trustee be appointed for all or any significant part of the Company's assets, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment and performance of the Notes are, pursuant to applicable law, rescinded or reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by any obligee on the Notes or Subsidiary Guarantees, whether as a "voidable preference," "fraudulent transfer" or otherwise, all as though such payment or performance had not been made. In the event that any payment or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned, the Notes shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be reinstated and deemed reduced only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.
(f) In case any provision of any Subsidiary Guarantee 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.
(g) The Subsidiary Guarantees shall rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future senior indebtedness of the Subsidiary Guarantor but, to the extent of the value of the collateral, will be effectively senior to all of the Subsidiary Guarantor's unsecured senior indebtedness and, to the extent of the collateral, will be effectively subordinated to the Subsidiary Guarantor's obligations under the Senior Credit Facilities. The Subsidiary Guarantees will be senior in right of payment to all existing and future subordinated indebtedness of each Subsidiary Guarantor. The Notes will be structurally subordinated to indebtedness and other liabilities of Subsidiaries of the Company that do not Guarantee the Notes.
(h) Each payment to be made by a Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of its Subsidiary Guarantee shall be made without set-off, counterclaim, reduction or diminution of any kind or nature.
SECTION 3.2. Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability.
Each Subsidiary Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Subsidiary Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Subsidiary Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Subsidiary Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of each Subsidiary Guarantor
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shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor that are relevant under such laws and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under this Article III, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Subsidiary Guarantee not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law. Each Subsidiary Guarantor that makes a payment under its Subsidiary Guarantee shall be entitled upon payment in full of all guaranteed obligations under this Indenture to a contribution from each other Subsidiary Guarantor in an amount equal to such other Subsidiary Guarantor's pro rata portion of such payment based on the respective net assets of all the Subsidiary Guarantors at the time of such payment determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
SECTION 3.3. Execution and Delivery.
To evidence its Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in Section 3.1 hereof, each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby agrees that this Indenture shall be executed on behalf of such Subsidiary Guarantor by an authorized officer.
Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby agrees that its Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in Section 3.1 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the absence of the endorsement of any notation of such Subsidiary Guarantee on the Notes.
If an Officer whose signature is on this Indenture no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Note, the Subsidiary Guarantee shall be valid nevertheless.
The delivery of any Note by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, shall constitute due delivery of the Subsidiary Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Subsidiary Guarantors.
SECTION 3.4. Subrogation.
Each Subsidiary Guarantor shall be subrogated to all rights of Holders against the Company in respect of any amounts paid by any Subsidiary Guarantor pursuant to the provisions of Section 3.1 hereof; provided that, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, no Subsidiary Guarantor shall be entitled to enforce or receive any payments arising out of, or based upon, such right of subrogation until all amounts then due and payable by the Company under this Indenture or the Notes shall have been paid in full.
SECTION 3.5. Benefits Acknowledged.
Each Subsidiary Guarantor acknowledges that it will receive direct and indirect benefits from the financing arrangements contemplated by this Indenture and that the guarantee and waivers made by it pursuant to its Subsidiary Guarantee are knowingly made in contemplation of such benefits.
SECTION 3.6. Release of Subsidiary Guarantees.
A Subsidiary Guarantee by a Subsidiary Guarantor shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged, and no further action by such Subsidiary Guarantor, the Company or the Trustee is required for the release of such Subsidiary Guarantor's Subsidiary Guarantee, upon:
(a) the consummation of any transaction (whether involving a sale or other disposition of securities, a merger or otherwise) whereby the Subsidiary Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Company;
(b) the release or discharge of all guarantees by such Subsidiary Guarantor of the Senior Credit Facilities and such other guarantees of other indebtedness of the Company, if applicable, that resulted in the creation of such Subsidiary Guarantee; or
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(c) the exercise by the Company of its Legal Defeasance option or Covenant Defeasance option in accordance with Article IV hereof or the discharge of the Company's obligations under this Indenture in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.
SECTION 3.7. Additional Subsidiary Guarantees.
If, after the Issue Date, any of the Company's Domestic Subsidiaries becomes a borrower or guarantor under the Senior Credit Facilities or becomes a guarantor of other indebtedness of the Company in an aggregate principal amount in excess of $100,000,000, then, in each such case, the Company shall cause such Domestic Subsidiary to:
(a) execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which such Domestic Subsidiary shall unconditionally guarantee all of the Company's obligations under the Notes and this Indenture; and
(b) deliver to the Trustee one or more Opinions of Counsel that, subject to customary qualifications, such supplemental indenture (i) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Subsidiary and (ii) constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of such Subsidiary in accordance with its terms.
ARTICLE IV.
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
For the benefit of the Holders, the Base Indenture shall be amended by replacing Article VIII thereof in its entirety with this Article IV, provided that this Article IV shall not become part of the terms of any other series of Securities:
SECTION 4.1. Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The Company may, at its option and at any time, elect to have either Section 4. 2 or 4.3 hereof applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the conditions set forth below, in this Article IV.
SECTION 4.2. Legal Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 4.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 4.2, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 4.4 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from their obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes and Subsidiary Guarantees on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (" Legal Defeasance "). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantees shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees, which shall thereafter be deemed to be "outstanding" only for the purposes of Section 4.5 hereof and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in (a) and (b) below, and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Notes and this Indenture including that of the Subsidiary Guarantors (and the Trustee, on demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:
(a) the rights of Holders to receive payments in respect of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Notes when such payments are due solely out of the trust funds referred to below;
(b) the Company's obligations under Sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8 and 2.11 of the Base Indenture;
(c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee for such Notes under Article VII of the Base Indenture, and the Company's and the Subsidiary Guarantors', if any, obligations in connection therewith; and
(d) this Section 4.2.
Subject to compliance with this Article IV, the Company may exercise its option under Section 4.2 hereof.
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SECTION 4.3. Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company's exercise under Section 4.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 4.3, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 4.4 hereof, be released from their obligations under the covenants contained in Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 and 4.8 of the Base Indenture and 2.4, 2.5, and 3.6 hereof on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 4.4 hereof are satisfied (" Covenant Defeasance "), and the Notes shall thereafter be deemed not "outstanding" for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed "outstanding" for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes shall not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.1 of the Base Indenture, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company's exercise under Section 4.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 4.3 hereof, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 4.4 hereof, Section 2.6(b), (c) and (d) hereof and Section 6.1(c) of the Base Indenture shall not constitute Events of Default.
SECTION 4.4. Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to the application of either Section 4.2 or 4.3 hereof to the outstanding Notes:
(1) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, as trust funds, in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders, cash in Dollars, non-callable Government Securities or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm or firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of and interest on the Notes issued under this Indenture on the stated date for payment or on the redemption date, as the case may be, of such principal, installment of principal or of interest on such Notes and the Company must specify whether such Notes are being defeased to maturity or to a particular redemption date;
(2) in the case of an election under Section 4.2 hereof, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the Trustee confirming that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions,
(A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or
(B) since the Issue Date, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law,
in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders and beneficial owners of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(3) in the case of an election under Section 4.3 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that, subject to customary assumptions and exclusions, the Holders and beneficial owners of the Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S.
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federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(4) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith);
(5) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, the Senior Credit Facilities or any material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound (other than that resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith);
(6) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and
(7) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel (which Opinion of Counsel may be subject to customary assumptions and exclusions), each stating that the conditions provided for in, in the case of the Officers' Certificate, clauses (1) through (6) and, in the case of the Opinion of Counsel, clauses (2) and/or (3) and (5) of this Section 4.4 have been complied with.
SECTION 4.5. Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to Section 4.6 hereof, all money and non-callable Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.4 hereof in respect of the outstanding Notes will be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 4.4 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders.
Notwithstanding anything in this Article IV to the contrary, the Trustee will deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by it as provided in Section 4.4 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm or firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion delivered under Section 4.4 hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
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SECTION 4.6. Repayment to Company.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Notes and remaining unclaimed for one year after such principal, premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) will be discharged from such trust; and the Holders will thereafter be permitted to look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, will thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in an Authorized Newspaper, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which will not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
SECTION 4.7. Reinstatement.
If, in connection with a Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any Dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section 4.5, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company's and any Subsidiary Guarantors' obligations under this Indenture and the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees will be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 4.2 or 4.3 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 4.5; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of principal of or interest on any Notes following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company will be subrogated to the rights of the Holders to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE V.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
For the benefit of the Holders, the Base Indenture shall be amended by replacing Article XI thereof in its entirety with this Article V, provided that this Article V shall not become part of the terms of any other series of Securities:
SECTION 5.1. Satisfaction and Discharge.
This Indenture and the Subsidiary Guarantees will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to the Notes issued hereunder, when:
(a) either:
(i) all outstanding Notes that have been authenticated, except lost, stolen or destroyed Notes that have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) all outstanding Notes that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the mailing of a notice of redemption or otherwise or will become due and payable within one year or have been called for redemption under Section 2.3 hereof and the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders, cash in Dollars, non-callable Government Securities or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the
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entire indebtedness on such Notes not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption;
(b) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith) and the deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, the Senior Credit Facilities or any other material instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is a party or by which the Company or any such Subsidiary Guarantor is bound (other than a breach, violation or default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit or the grant of any lien securing such borrowing or any similar and simultaneous deposit relating to other indebtedness and, in each case, the granting of liens in connection therewith);
(c) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor of such Notes has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and
(d) the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee for such Notes under this Indenture to apply the deposited money toward the payment of such Notes at maturity or on the redemption date, as the case may be.
In addition, the Company shall deliver an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee for such Notes stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied, and all fees and expenses of the Trustee shall have been paid.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, if money has been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (ii) of clause (a) of this Section 5.1, the provisions of Section 4.6 and 5.2 hereof will survive. In addition, nothing in this Section 5.1 will be deemed to discharge those provisions of Section 7.7 of the Base Indenture that, by their terms, survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
SECTION 5.2. Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of Section 4.6 hereof, all money or Government Securities deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 5.1 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section 5.1 hereof by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company's and any applicable Subsidiary Guarantor's obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 5.1 hereof; provided that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
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SECTION 6.1. Relationship with Indenture.
The terms and provisions contained in the Base Indenture will constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this First Supplemental Indenture. However, to the extent any provision of the Base Indenture conflicts with the express provisions of this First Supplemental Indenture, the provisions of this First Supplemental Indenture will govern and be controlling. In all other respects, the Base Indenture is confirmed by the parties hereto as supplemented by the terms of this First Supplemental Indenture.
SECTION 6.2. Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this First Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in this First Supplemental Indenture by the Trust Indenture Act, the required provision shall control. If any provision of this First Supplemental Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this First Supplemental Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.
SECTION 6.3. Governing Law.
This First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
SECTION 6.4. Counterparts.
The parties may sign multiple counterparts of this First Supplemental Indenture. Each signed counterpart shall be deemed an original, but all of them together represent one and the same First Supplemental Indenture.
SECTION 6.5. Severability.
Each provision of this First Supplemental Indenture shall be considered separable and if for any reason any provision which is not essential to the effectuation of the basic purpose of this First Supplemental Indenture or the Notes 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 and a Holder shall have no claim therefor against any party hereto.
SECTION 6.6. Ratification.
The Base Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this First Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed. The Base Indenture and this First Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument. All provisions included in this First Supplemental Indenture supersede any conflicting provisions included in the Base Indenture, unless not permitted by law. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture, and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions of the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture.
SECTION 6.7. Headings.
The Section headings in this First Supplemental Indenture are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction thereof.
SECTION 6.8. Effectiveness.
The provisions of this First Supplemental Indenture shall become effective as of the date hereof.
[ Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank ]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this First Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
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DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION,
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By: |
/s/ Wade Smith
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Name: | Wade Smith | ||||
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Title: | Vice President and Treasurer | ||||
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U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a
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By: |
/s/ Wally Jones
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Name: | Wally Jones | ||||
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Title: | Vice President |
[ Signature Page to First Supplemental Indenture ]
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Subsidiary Guarantors: |
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DC FINANCIAL, LLC
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By: |
/s/ Wade Smith
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Name: | Wade Smith | ||||
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Title: | Treasurer | ||||
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DOLLAR GENERAL PARTNERS
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By: |
/s/ John Feray
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Name: | John Feray | ||||
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Title: | Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
[ Signature Page to First Supplemental Indenture ]
Form of 4.125% Senior Notes due 2017
[Include the following legend on each Note that is a Global Note:
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (" DTC "), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO. HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN. TRANSFER OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO DTC, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR'S NOMINEE AND LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO HEREIN.]
DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION
4.125% Senior Notes due 2017
REGISTERED No. |
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT: $500,000,000 |
CUSIP: 256677 AA3
DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION, a Tennessee corporation (herein called the " Company ," which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($500,000,000) on July 15, 2017 (the " Maturity Date ") (except to the extent redeemed or repaid prior to the Maturity Date) and to pay interest thereon from July 12, 2012 (the " Original Issue Date ") or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for at the rate of 4.125% per annum, on the 15th day of January and July (of each year each such date, an " Interest Payment Date "), commencing on January 15, 2013, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment.
(1) Payment of Interest. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or made available for payment, on any Interest Payment Date, will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid, in immediately available funds, to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the 1st day of January and July (whether or not a Business Day, as defined in the Indenture referred to herein), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date (the " Regular Record Date ").
(2) Place of Payment. Payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on this Note will be made at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee or such other office or agency of the Company as may be designated for such purpose, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that each installment of interest, premium, if any, and principal on this Note may at the Company's option be paid in immediately available funds by wire transfer to an account maintained by the payee located in the United States.
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(3) Time of Payment. In any case where any Interest Payment Date, the Maturity Date or any date fixed for redemption of the Notes shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any other provision of the Indenture or this Note), payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date, the Maturity Date or the date so fixed for redemption or repayment, as the case may be, and no interest shall accrue in respect of the delay.
(4) General. This Note is one of a duly authorized series of Securities of the Company, issued and to be issued in one or more series under an indenture (the " Base Indenture "), dated as of July 12, 2012, among the Company, U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, as trustee (herein called the " Trustee ," which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture with respect to the series of which this Note is a part), as supplemented by a First Supplemental Indenture thereto, dated as of June 12, 2012 (the " First Supplemental Indenture " and, together with the Base Indenture, the " Indenture "), among the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors named therein and the Trustee. Reference is hereby made to the Indenture for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered; provided that to the extent of any inconsistency between the terms and provisions in the Indenture and those contained in this Note, the Indenture shall govern. This Note is one of a duly authorized series of Securities designated as "4.125% Senior Notes due 2017" (collectively, the " Notes "), initially limited in aggregate principal amount to FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($500,000,000).
(5) Further Issuance. The Company may, from time to time, without the consent of the Holders, issue and sell additional Notes (" Additional Notes ") ranking equally and ratably with the Notes in all respects (other than the issue date, and to the extent applicable, issue price, initial date of interest accrual and initial interest payment date of such Additional Notes). Any such Additional Securities shall be consolidated with and form a single series with the Notes for all purposes under the Indenture.
(6) Ranking. The Notes shall constitute senior indebtedness of the Company and shall rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future senior indebtedness of the Company but, to the extent of the value of the collateral, will be effectively senior to all of the Company's unsecured senior indebtedness and, to the extent of the collateral, will be effectively subordinated to the Company's indebtedness under the Senior Credit Facilities.
(7) Events of Default. If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing, the principal of the Notes may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.
(8) Sinking Fund. The Notes are not subject to any sinking fund.
(9) Optional Redemption.
(A) The Notes shall be redeemable, for cash, in whole or in part, at the Company's option, at any time and from time to time at a redemption price equal to the greater of (1) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to redeemed and (2) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of the principal and interest thereon to maturity (not including any portions of such payments of interest accrued as of the date of redemption) discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate, plus 50 basis points, plus the accrued interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of redemption.
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(B) Redemption from Proceeds of Qualified Equity Offerings. Prior to July 15, 2015 the Company may, with the net proceeds of one or more Qualified Equity Offerings, redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes (including Additional Notes) at a redemption price equal to 104.125% of the principal amount of the Notes, plus the applicable accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date; provided that at least 65% of the principal amount of the Notes issued under the Indenture (including Additional Notes) remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of any such redemption (excluding Notes held by the Company or its Subsidiaries) and that such redemption occurs within 90 days following the closing of any such Qualified Equity Offering.
(10) Offer to Repurchase Upon a Change of Control Triggering Event. If a Change of Control Triggering Event occurs, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem the Notes as described above under "Optional Redemption" or has exercised its option to satisfy and discharge the Indenture under Article V thereof, Holders shall have the right to require the Company to offer to repurchase all or any part of their Notes for a price in cash equal to 101% of the then outstanding aggregate principal amount of Notes repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes repurchased, to, but not including, the date of purchase.
(11) Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance. The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of (a) the entire indebtedness of the Company on this Note and (b) certain restrictive covenants and the related Events of Default, in each case which provisions shall apply to this Note.
(12) Modification and Waivers; Obligations of the Company Absolute. The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities. Such amendment may be effected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes affected thereby. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all outstanding Securities, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture. Furthermore, provisions in the Indenture permit the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of individual series to waive on behalf of all of the Holders of Securities of such individual series certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver shall be conclusive and binding upon the Holder of this Note and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
(13) Limitation on Suits. As set forth in, and subject to, the provisions of the Indenture, no Holder of any Note will have any right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for any remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Notes, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes shall have made written request, and offered reasonable indemnity, to the Trustee to institute such proceedings as trustee, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes a
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direction inconsistent with such request and shall have failed to institute such proceeding within 60 days; provided, however, that such limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by the Holder hereof for the enforcement of payment of the principal of or interest on, this Note on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
(14) Registration of Transfer or Exchange. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations herein and therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the register of the Notes maintained by the Registrar upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer, at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and interest on this Note are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar, duly executed by the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations herein and therein set forth, the Notes are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations, as requested by the Holders surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Holder as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
(15) Defined Terms. All terms used in this Note, which are defined in the Indenture and are not otherwise defined herein, shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
(16) Governing Law. The Indenture and the Notes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
[ Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank ]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
Dated: July 12, 2012
DOLLAR GENERAL CORPORATION,
as Issuer |
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By: |
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Name: | Wade Smith | |||||
Title: | Vice President and Treasurer | |||||
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By: |
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Name: | John W. Feray | |||||
Title: | Senior Vice President |
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TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a
national banking association, as Trustee |
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By: |
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Name: | Wally Jones | |||||
Title: | Vice President |
Dated: July 12, 2012
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FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
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(Please
print or typewrite name and address,
including postal zip code, of assignee)
the within Note and all rights thereunder, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints
to transfer said Note on the books of the Trustee, with full power or substitution in the premises.
Dated: |
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NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within Note in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever. | ||
Signature of Guarantee |
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