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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 6, 2013

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549



FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  36-4316614
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

One Edwards Way
Irvine, California 92614
Telephone: (949) 250-2500
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)

Aimee S. Weisner
Corporate Vice President and General Counsel
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
One Edwards Way
Irvine, California 92614
Telephone: (949) 250-2500
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)



Copy to:

John-Paul Motley
O'Melveny & Myers LLP
400 S. Hope Street
Los Angeles, California 90071
Telephone: (213) 430-6000



Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

           If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.     o

           If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.     ý

           If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o

           If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o

           If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.     ý

           If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.     o

           Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  ý   Accelerated filer  o   Non-accelerated filer  o
(Do not check if a
smaller reporting company)
  Smaller reporting company  o



CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

               
 
Title of Each Class of Securities
to be Registered

  Amount to be
Registered(1)

  Proposed Maximum
Offering Price Per
Unit(1)

  Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering
Price(1)

  Amount of
Registration Fee(2)

 

Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share

               
 

Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share

               
 

Depositary Shares(3)

               
 

Debt Securities

               
 

Warrants

               
 

Purchase Contracts

               
 

Units

               
 

Total

               

 

(1)
Omitted pursuant to General Instruction II.E to Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"). An unspecified and indeterminate aggregate initial offering price and number or amount of the securities of each identified class is being registered for possible offering in primary offerings from time to time at indeterminate prices. The proposed maximum offering price per security will be determined from time to time by the registrant in connection with, and at the time of, offering by the registrant of the securities registered hereby. Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable on exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities or that are offered in units. Securities may be denominated in U.S. dollars or the equivalent thereof in foreign currency or currency units.

(2)
In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee.

(3)
Depositary shares will represent fractional interests in preferred stock registered hereby. No separate consideration will be received for the depositary shares.

   


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PROSPECTUS

LOGO

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Depositary Shares
Debt Securities
Warrants
Purchase Contracts
Units

        From time to time, we may offer to sell the securities described in this prospectus separately or together in any combination, in one or more classes or series, in amounts, at prices and on terms that we will determine at the time of the offering.

        This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to the offered securities. We will provide the specific terms of the securities to be offered in one or more supplements to this prospectus. Prospectus supplements may also add, update or change information in this prospectus.

        The specific plan of distribution for any securities to be offered will be provided in a prospectus supplement. We may offer and sell the securities directly, through agents we select from time to time or to or through underwriters or dealers we select, or through a combination of these methods. If we use any agents, underwriters or dealers to sell the securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement.

        Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under the symbol "EW." Each prospectus supplement will indicate if the securities offered thereby will be listed on any securities exchange.

        You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the documents we incorporate by reference, before you invest in our securities. This prospectus may not be used to offer and sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering.



         Investing in any of our securities involves a high degree of risk. Please read carefully the section entitled "Risk Factors" on page 4 of this prospectus and the "Risk Factors" section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

         Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.



The date of this prospectus is September 6, 2013


Table of Contents


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 
  Page  

About This Prospectus

    1  

Where You Can Find More Information

    1  

Information We Incorporate by Reference

    2  

Forward-Looking Statements

    3  

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

    4  

Risk Factors

    4  

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

    5  

Use of Proceeds

    5  

Description of Capital Stock

    6  

Description of Debt Securities

    11  

Description of Warrants

    23  

Description of Purchase Contracts

    24  

Description of Units

    25  

Plan of Distribution

    26  

Legal Matters

    28  

Experts

    28  

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

        This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), using a "shelf" registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add to, update or change the information contained in this prospectus.

        As permitted under the rules of the SEC, this prospectus incorporates important business information about Edwards Lifesciences Corporation that is contained in documents that we file with the SEC, but that are not included in or delivered with this prospectus. You may obtain copies of these documents, without charge, from the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov , as well as other sources. See "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Information We Incorporate by Reference."

        We are responsible only for the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making offers to sell the securities described in this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation.

        Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the heading "Information We Incorporate by Reference." You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

        References in this prospectus to the terms "we," "us," "our," "the Company" or other similar terms mean Edwards Lifesciences Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries and "Edwards" means Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, unless we state otherwise or the context indicates otherwise.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

        We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file with the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549. You may obtain further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Our SEC filings are also available to the public at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . These documents may also be accessed on our website at www.edwards.com . Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and you should not consider information contained on our website to be part of this prospectus.

        This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the SEC and this prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. The full registration statement, including exhibits thereto, may be obtained from the SEC or us as indicated above. Forms of any indenture or other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are

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filed as exhibits to the registration statement or will be filed through an amendment to our registration statement on Form S-3 or under cover of a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated into this prospectus by reference. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters.


INFORMATION WE INCORPORATE BY REFERENCE

        The SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later information filed with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

        We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the following documents and information (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):

        We also incorporate by reference each of the documents that we file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), on or after the date of this prospectus and prior to the completion of the offerings under this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. We will not, however, incorporate by reference in this prospectus any documents or portions thereof that are not deemed "filed" with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of our Current Reports on Form 8-K after the date of this prospectus unless, and except to the extent, specified in such Current Reports.

        We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus (or a notice of registration in lieu thereof) is delivered, a copy of any of these filings (other than an exhibit to these filings, unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into the filing requested) at no cost, upon a request to us by writing or telephoning us at the following address and telephone number:

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
Attn: Secretary
One Edwards Way
Irvine, California 92614
Telephone Number: (949) 250-2500

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference, contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. These statements include, among other things, any predictions of earnings, revenues, expenses or other financial items; plans or expectations with respect to development activities, clinical trials or regulatory approvals; any statements of plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning our future operations, financial condition and prospects; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. These statements can sometimes be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may," "believe," "will," "expect," "project," "estimate," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "goal," "continue," "seek," "pro forma," "forecast," "intend," "guidance," "optimistic," "aspire," "confident," and other forms of these words or similar words or expressions or the negative thereof.

        We caution you that any forward-looking statements made in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated herein and therein by reference are not guarantees of future performance and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our results or future business, financial condition, results of operations or performance to differ materially from our historical results or experiences or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements contained or incorporated in this prospectus. We urge you to carefully review the disclosures we make concerning risks and other factors that may affect our business and operating results, including those made under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, as such risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC, including subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in any prospectus supplement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of the statement.

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EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

        Edwards Lifesciences Corporation is focused on developing technologies that treat structural heart disease and critically ill patients. A pioneer in the development and commercialization of heart valve products, we are the world's leading manufacturer of tissue heart valves and repair products used to replace or repair a patient's diseased or defective heart valve. We are also a global leader in hemodynamic monitoring systems used to measure a patient's cardiovascular function in the hospital setting.

        The products and technologies we provide to treat advanced cardiovascular disease and critically ill patients are categorized into three main areas: Surgical Heart Valve Therapy; Transcatheter Heart Valves; and Critical Care. Our Surgical Heart Valve Therapy portfolio is comprised primarily of tissue heart valves and heart valve repair products for the surgical replacement or repair of a patient's heart valve. The portfolio also includes a diverse line of cardiac surgery systems used during minimally invasive surgical procedures, and cannulae, embolic protection devices and other products used during cardiopulmonary bypass. Our Transcatheter Heart Valves portfolio includes technologies designed to treat heart valve disease using catheter-based approaches as opposed to open surgical techniques. Our Critical Care products include pulmonary artery catheters, disposable pressure transducers and advanced monitoring systems. Our Critical Care portfolio also includes a line of balloon catheter-based vascular products, surgical clips and inserts.

        Our principal executive offices are located at One Edwards Way, Irvine, California 92614, our telephone number is (949) 250-2500 and our website is www.edwards.com . You should not consider information contained on our website or that can be accessed through our website to be part of this prospectus.


RISK FACTORS

        Investing in any of our securities involves risk. Before making an investment decision, in addition to the other information contained in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should carefully consider any risk factors set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as the same may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future. See "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Information We Incorporate by Reference." The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our operations. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, results of operations and financial condition could suffer. In that case, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose part of your investment.

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

        The following table sets forth our historical ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated.

 
   
  Year Ended December 31,  
 
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
2013
 
 
  2012   2011   2010   2009   2008  

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges(1)

    103.5     81.0     81.2     99.9     100.4     23.0  

(1)
Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges is computed by dividing, (i) income before income taxes plus fixed charges and distributed income of equity investees, by (ii) fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of interest expense and amortized premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness.

        There was no preferred stock outstanding for any of the periods shown above. Accordingly, the ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends was identical to the ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each period.


USE OF PROCEEDS

        Unless otherwise specified in any prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes. Pending any specific application, we may temporarily invest funds in short-term investments, including marketable securities.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

        This section summarizes rights of our capital stock, certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our "certificate of incorporation") and our bylaws, as amended and restated (our "bylaws"), and certain provisions of applicable law. The following description is only a summary and does not purport to be complete and is qualified by reference to our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Authorized Capitalization

        Our authorized capital stock consists of:

        As of June 30, 2013, 125,383,146 shares of our common stock were issued and 112,179,692 shares of our common stock were outstanding, and no shares of our preferred stock were issued and outstanding. As of June 30, 2013, we also had approximately 8,982,177 shares of our common stock reserved to be issued upon exercise of outstanding stock options and restricted stock units granted to employees and directors.

Common Stock

        The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights with respect to the election of directors. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available assets. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of all debts and other liabilities and any amounts due to any holders of preferred stock. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights. No redemption or sinking fund provisions apply to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock which we may issue. All of our outstanding shares of common stock are, and all shares of common stock offered hereby will be, when issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

Preferred Stock

        Our board of directors has the authority, without stockholder approval, to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of our preferred stock in one or more series and to determine, with respect to any such series, the powers, preferences and rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, including, without limitation, voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series and the designation thereof.

        Our board of directors can issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock with voting and conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock and reduce the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments or payments upon liquidation. Such issuance could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock. The issuance of preferred stock or even the ability to issue preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change of control or other corporate action.

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        As of June 30, 2013, no shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding. All shares of preferred stock offered hereby will, when issued, be fully paid and non-assessable and, unless otherwise stated in a prospectus supplement relating to the series of preferred stock being offered, will not have any preemptive or similar rights. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement relating to the class or series of preferred stock being offered the specific terms of each series of our preferred stock, including the price at which the preferred stock may be purchased, the number of shares of preferred stock offered, and the terms, if any, on which the preferred stock may be convertible into common stock or exchangeable for other securities.

Depositary Shares

        We may, at our option, elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock rather than full shares of preferred stock. If we exercise this option, we will issue to the public receipts for depositary shares, and each of these depositary shares will represent a fraction of a share of a particular series of preferred stock, which fraction will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

        The shares of any series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares will be deposited under a deposit agreement between us and a bank or trust company selected by us. The depositary will have its principal office in the United States and a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. Subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, each owner of a depositary share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of preferred stock underlying the depositary share, to all of the rights and preferences of the preferred stock underlying that depositary share. Those rights may include dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights.

        The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued under a deposit agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to those persons purchasing the fractional shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares, in accordance with the terms of the offering. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement relating to the depositary shares all material terms of the deposit agreement, the depositary shares and the depositary receipts.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaw Provisions

        Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain certain provisions that may make it more difficult to acquire control of us by means of a tender offer, open market purchase, proxy fight or otherwise. These provisions and certain provisions of Delaware law are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids.

        These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and its policies and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of us. The provisions also are intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and, as a consequence, could deprive stockholders of opportunities to realize takeover premiums for their shares.

        Set forth below is a summary of the relevant provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and certain applicable sections of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. For additional information we refer you to the provisions of our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and those sections of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute

        We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any

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interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date that such person or entity became an interested stockholder, unless:

        The application of Section 203 may limit the ability of stockholders to approve a transaction that they may deem to be in their best interests. In addition, Section 203 makes it more difficult for an interested stockholder to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period, although the stockholders may, by adopting an amendment to our certificate of incorporation or bylaws, elect not to be governed by this section, effective 12 months after adoption.

        In general, Section 203 defines "business combination" as:

        In general, Section 203 defines an "interested stockholder" as any person that is:

        Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not exclude us from the restrictions imposed under Section 203. We anticipate that the provisions of Section 203 may encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if a majority of the directors then in office approve either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder.

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Our Board of Directors

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that the number of directors may be fixed from time to time by the board of directors, subject to the rights of holders of shares of any series of preferred stock to elect additional directors under specific circumstances. The size of our board of directors is currently fixed at eight directors. We currently have a classified board that is divided into three classes, with one class of directors being elected at each annual stockholder meeting for a three year term. However, beginning with our 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, successors to the class or classes of directors whose term expires in that year shall be elected for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders. From and after our 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, a director elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for a term expiring at the next annual meeting of stockholders, such that our board of directors will be declassified following our 2016 annual meeting of stockholders. Each elected director holds office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, unless he or she resigns, dies, retires or is removed.

        Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not authorize cumulative voting with regard to the election of directors.

Removal of Directors; Vacancies

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that, prior to our 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, directors may only be removed from office for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of our issued and outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote for the election of such director. However, from and after our 2016 annual meeting of stockholders, any director may be removed from office at any time, with or without cause, upon the affirmative vote of at least a majority of our issued and outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote for the election of such director.

        Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that any vacancy in our board of directors may be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, though less than a quorum, or by our sole remaining director. Each director so elected shall hold office until his successor is duly elected and qualified.

Special Meetings of Stockholders

        Our bylaws provide that special meetings of the stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called only (i) by the chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer or the secretary, and shall be called by the chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer or the secretary upon a request in writing therefor, stating the purpose or purposes thereof, delivered to the chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer or the secretary, signed by a majority of the directors or (ii) by resolution adopted by a majority of our board of directors. Our bylaws limit the business that may be transacted at the special meeting to only those matters relating to the purpose or purposes set forth in the notice of the meeting.

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominees

        Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to make nominations of candidates for election as directors, or to bring other business before an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, must provide timely notice of their intent in writing. To be timely, a stockholder's notice must be delivered to and received at our principal executive offices not less than 75 days nor more than 100 days prior to the meeting. However, in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 30 days after the first anniversary date of the preceding year's annual meeting, or in the event of a special meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, a stockholder's notice must be delivered to our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 10 th  day following the earlier of the date on which such notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or

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such public disclosure of the date of the meeting was made. Our bylaws also specify certain requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder's notice. These provisions may restrict the ability of our stockholders to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders or to make nominations for directors at our annual meeting or any special meeting of stockholders.

Blank Check Preferred Stock

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors can issue, without stockholder approval, up to 50,000,000 shares of our preferred stock in one or more series and to determine, with respect to any such series, the powers, preferences and rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, including, without limitation, voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series and the designation thereof.

Stockholder Action by Written Consent

        Our certificate of incorporation provides that all actions requiring the vote or consent of stockholders must be taken at a regular or special meeting of stockholders and cannot be taken by written consent without a meeting.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

        Computershare is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

Listing

        Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "EW."

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

        The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer in one or more series under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

        We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be exclusively obligations of Edwards and not those of our subsidiaries and therefore the debt securities will be structurally subordinate to the debt and liabilities of any of our subsidiaries.

        The debt securities will be issued under an indenture dated as of September 6, 2013 between us and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee. The indenture is subject to, and governed by, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete and is qualified by reference to the indenture, which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. You should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you.

General

        We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth in an officer's certificate or a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to that series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet), including the following terms, if applicable:

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        We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.

        If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and the foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Transfer and Exchange

        Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, as the depositary, or a nominee of the depositary (we will refer to any such debt security as a "global debt security"), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificate as a "certificated debt security") as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth below, global debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.

        Certificated Debt Securities.     You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.

        You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of and any premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.

        Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System.     Each global debt security will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the depositary, and registered in the name of the depositary or a nominee of the depositary. Beneficial interests in global debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form unless (i) the depositary has notified us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for that global debt security or has ceased to be qualified to act as such as required by the indenture and we fail to appoint a successor depositary within 90 days of such event, (ii) we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have those securities represented by one or more global securities or (iii) any other circumstances shall exist, in addition to or in lieu of those described above, as may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless and until a global debt security is exchanged for certificated debt securities under the limited circumstances described in the previous sentence, a global debt security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.

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Certain Covenants

        The following restrictive covenants will apply to each series of debt securities issued under the indenture, unless otherwise specified in the resolutions or supplemental indenture establishing the terms of those debt securities. See "—Certain Definitions" below for the definition of certain of the defined terms used herein.

Limitations on Liens

        We will not, nor will we permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee any Debt if such Debt is secured by a Lien upon any Restricted Property or on the capital stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, without, in any such case, effectively providing that the debt securities will be secured equally and ratably by such Lien with such secured Debt; provided, however, that this restriction will not apply to:

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        The indenture further provides that we and any Restricted Subsidiary may, without securing the debt securities, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee secured Debt which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions; provided that, if after giving effect to such Debt, the aggregate of such secured Debt then outstanding (not including secured Debt permitted under the foregoing exceptions) plus the aggregate amount of Attributable Debt outstanding in respect of sale and leaseback transactions entered into pursuant to the fourth bullet under "—Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions" below, does not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as stated on Edwards' most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet preceding the date of determination.

Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions

        We will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any sale and leaseback transaction with respect to any Restricted Property, except a lease for a period (including extensions or renewals at our option or the option of a Restricted Subsidiary) of three years or less. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into a sale and leaseback transaction if:

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Certain Definitions

        Set forth below are certain of the defined terms used in the indenture.

        "Attributable Debt" means, in respect of a sale and leaseback transaction, as of any particular time, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in the terms of the lease involved in such sale and leaseback transaction, as determined in good faith by us) of the obligation of the lessee thereunder for rental payments (excluding, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee, whether or not designated as rent or additional rent, on account of maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or similar charges or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or similar charges) during the remaining term of such lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended).

        "Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means the total amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other items deductible from the gross book value of specific asset amounts) after deducting (1) all current liabilities (excluding the amount of those which are by their terms extendable or renewable at the option of the obligor to a date more than 12 months after the date as of which the amount is being determined) and (2) all customer lists, computer software, licenses, patents, patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, goodwill, capitalized research and development costs and other like intangibles, treasury stock and unamortized debt discount and expense, and all other like intangible assets, all as stated on Edwards' most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet preceding the date of determination and determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

        "Debt" means any and all of the obligations of a Person for money borrowed which in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles would be reflected on the balance sheet of such Person as a liability as of the date the Debt is to be determined.

        "Lien" means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) on or with respect to any property.

        "Person" means an individual, a corporation, a company, a voluntary association, a partnership, a trust, a joint venture, a limited liability company, an unincorporated organization, or a government or any agency, instrumentality or political subdivision thereof.

        "Restricted Property" means, as to any particular series of notes, any manufacturing facility or plant owned, or leased, by Edwards or a Restricted Subsidiary and located within the United States, including Puerto Rico, the gross book value (including related land, machinery and equipment without deduction of any depreciation reserves) of which is not less than 1% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as stated on Edwards' most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet preceding the date of determination, other than any such manufacturing facility or plant which the board of directors reasonably determines is not material to the operation of Edwards' business and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

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        "Restricted Subsidiary" means a Subsidiary (as defined below) (i) which is a "significant subsidiary" as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the U.S. federal securities laws or (ii) which owns a Restricted Property; provided, however, that the term shall not include any Subsidiary which is solely or primarily engaged in the business of providing or obtaining financing for the sale or lease of products sold or leased by us or any Subsidiary.

        "Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the outstanding shares or other interests having the power to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person or one or more of the Subsidiaries of such Person. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to Subsidiary or Subsidiaries herein shall refer to our Subsidiaries.

        "United States" means the United States of America (including the States thereof and the District of Columbia), its territories and possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

        The indenture generally provides that we may not consolidate with or merge into, or directly or indirectly sell, transfer or convey, including by lease, all or substantially all of our assets and the assets of our Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to another entity, unless: (i) the resulting, surviving or transferee entity (A) is a corporation, limited liability corporation, partnership or trust organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and (B) assumes by a supplemental indenture all our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture, (ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction no Event of Default (as defined herein) and no circumstances which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing, and (iii) we shall have delivered to the trustee an officers' certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture comply with the indenture.

Events of Default

         "Event of Default" means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:

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        No event of default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an event of default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain events of default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.

        If an event of default with respect to any series of debt securities at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an event of default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization), then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an event of default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal amount (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by written notice to us and the trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration of acceleration and its consequences if all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of those discount securities upon the occurrence of an event of default.

        The indenture provides that the trustee will be under no obligation to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing that duty or exercising that right or power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.

        No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:

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        Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, and any interest on, that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such holder.

        The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture from our principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer. If a default or event of default occurs and is continuing with respect to the debt securities of any series and if it is actually known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each holder of the debt securities of that series notice of a default or event of default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such default or event of default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any default or event of default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.

Modification and Waiver

        We and the trustee may modify and amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of one or more series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:

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        We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:

        Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series, by written notice to the trustee, waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture or the debt securities with respect to that series. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of that series, waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or any interest on, any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities

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of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.

Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture

        The indenture shall cease to be of further effect with respect to a series of debt securities when either:

        In each case, we will also pay all other sums payable by us under the indenture with respect to the debt securities of that series and deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel and an officers' certificate, each stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge with respect to the debt securities of that series have been complied with.

Defeasance

        Legal Defeasance.     The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.

        This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.

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        Defeasance of Certain Covenants.     The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:

        The conditions include:

Governing Law

        The indenture and any debt securities issued thereunder will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York (without regard to the conflicts of law provisions other than Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law).

Concerning our Relationship with the Trustee

        Wells Fargo Bank, National Association will act as trustee under the indenture. Wells Fargo Bank, National Association is a lender to us under our syndicated credit facility, and also provides from time to time other services to us in the ordinary course of business.

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

        We may issue warrants to purchase debt securities, preferred stock, common stock or other securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities. Warrants sold with other securities may be attached to or separate from the other securities. We will issue warrants under one or more warrant agreements between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, that we will name in the prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

        The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms may include some or all of the following:

        The description in the prospectus supplement will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable form of warrant agreement, including a form of warrant certificate, which will describe the terms of the series of warrants being offered and which will be filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

        We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of debt or equity securities issued by us or securities of third parties, a basket of such securities, an index or indices of such securities, or any combination thereof, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. The following description summarizes the general features of the purchase contracts that we may offer under this prospectus. While the features we have summarized below will generally apply to any future purchase contracts we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any purchase contracts that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The specific terms of any purchase contracts may differ from the description provided below as a result of negotiations with third parties in connection with the issuance of those purchase contracts, as well as for other reasons. Because the terms of any purchase contracts we offer under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below, you should rely solely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if that summary is different from the summary in this prospectus.

        We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the form of any purchase contract that we may offer under this prospectus before the sale of the related purchase contract. We urge you to read any applicable prospectus supplement related to specific purchase contracts being offered, as well as the complete instruments that contain the terms of the securities that are subject to those purchase contracts. Certain of those instruments, or forms of those instruments, have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplements to those instruments or forms may be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.

        We may issue purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and for us to sell to holders, a specific or variable number of our, or an unaffiliated entity's, securities at a future date or dates. Alternatively, the purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specific or varying number of our securities.

        If we offer any purchase contracts, certain terms of that series of purchase contracts will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following:

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

        We may issue units comprising two or more securities described in this prospectus in any combination. For example, we might issue units consisting of a combination of debt securities and warrants to purchase common stock. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the units that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. The particular terms of the units and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the units so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

        Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit also is the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. Units will be issued pursuant to the terms of a unit agreement, which may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time or at any time before a specified date. A copy of the forms of the unit agreement and the unit certificate relating to any particular issue of units will be filed with the SEC each time we issue units, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you.

        The prospectus supplement relating to any particular issuance of units will describe the terms of those units, including, to the extent applicable, the following:

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

        We may sell the securities registered hereunder from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods or through underwriters or dealers, through agents and/or directly to one or more purchasers. The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:

        Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in a prospectus supplement.

        If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.

        If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we, or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for which they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.

        Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, the maximum amount of underwriting compensation, including underwriting discounts and commissions, to be paid in connection with any offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus may not exceed 8% of the aggregate principal amount of securities offered. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.

        The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. To facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or

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purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

        If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, underwriters or other persons acting as agents may be authorized to solicit offers by institutions or other suitable purchasers to purchase the securities at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement, pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in the prospectus supplement. These purchasers may include, among others, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions. Delayed delivery contracts will be subject to the condition that the purchase of the securities covered by the delayed delivery contracts will not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which the purchaser is subject. The underwriters and agents will not have any responsibility with respect to the validity or performance of these contracts.

        We may engage in at-the-market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of common stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of our common stock. In addition, we may loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

        The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

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LEGAL MATTERS

        Certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the securities will be passed upon for us by O'Melveny & Myers LLP.


EXPERTS

        The financial statements and management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2012 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

        The following is a statement of the estimated expenses, to be paid solely by the registrant, of the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby:

SEC registration fee

  $        *

Trustee's fees and expenses

           **

Transfer agent and registrar fees

           **

Printing expenses

           **

Accounting fees and expenses

           **

Rating agency fees

           **

Legal fees and expenses

           **

Miscellaneous expenses

           **
       

Total

  $        **
       

*
Because the amount to be registered consists of an unspecified amount of the securities as may from time to time be offered at indeterminate prices, in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of the registration fee.

**
These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

        Section 145(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL") provides, in relevant part, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person's conduct was unlawful. Under Section 145(b) of the DGCL, such eligibility for indemnification may be further subject to the adjudication of the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought.

        Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides that a corporation may in its certificate of incorporation eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director except for liability: (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL (pertaining to certain prohibited acts including unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful purchase or redemption of the corporation's capital stock); or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. Our certificate of incorporation eliminates such personal liability of our directors under such terms.

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        Our certificate of incorporation requires us to provide indemnification to each person who serves as an officer or director, and each person who serves or may have served at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, from any liability incurred as a result of such service to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, and we may advance such person's related expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

        In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers, and we maintain directors' and officers' liability insurance under which our directors and officers are insured against loss (as defined in the policy) as a result of certain claims brought against them in such capacities.

Item 16.    Exhibits.

        A list of exhibits included as part of this registration statement is set forth in the Exhibit Index and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 17.    Undertakings.

(a)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i)
To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii)
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii)
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

    provided, however , that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included by post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

    (2)
    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

    (3)
    To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

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    (4)
    That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

    (i)
    Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

    (ii)
    Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

    (5)
    That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

    (i)
    Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

    (ii)
    Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

    (iii)
    The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

    (iv)
    Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b)
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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(c)
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Irvine, California, on the 6th day of September, 2013.

    EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

 

 

By:

 

/s/ MICHAEL A. MUSSALLEM

Michael A. Mussallem
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


POWER OF ATTORNEY

        Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Michael A. Mussallem, Thomas M. Abate, Aimee S. Weisner and Denise E. Botticelli, or each of them individually, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full powers of substitution and resubstitution, for and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and any subsequent registration statement we may hereafter file with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 to register additional securities in connection with this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them individually, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature
 
Title
 
Date

 

 

 

 

 
/s/ MICHAEL A. MUSSALLEM

Michael A. Mussallem
  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)   September 6, 2013

/s/ THOMAS M. ABATE

Thomas M. Abate

 

Corporate Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

September 6, 2013

/s/ MIKE R. BOWLIN

Mike R. Bowlin

 

Director

 

September 6, 2013

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Signature
 
Title
 
Date

 

 

 

 

 
/s/ JOHN T. CARDIS

John T. Cardis
  Director   September 6, 2013

/s/ ROBERT A. INGRAM

Robert A. Ingram

 

Director

 

September 6, 2013

/s/ WILLIAM J. LINK, PH.D.

William J. Link, Ph.D.

 

Director

 

September 6, 2013

/s/ BARBARA J. MCNEIL, M.D., PH.D.

Barbara J. McNeil, M.D., Ph.D.

 

Director

 

September 6, 2013

/s/ DAVID E.I. PYOTT

David E.I. Pyott

 

Director

 

September 6, 2013

/s/ WESLEY W. VON SCHACK

Wesley W. von Schack

 

Director

 

September 6, 2013

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number
  Description
  1.1 * Form of Underwriting Agreement
        
  4.1   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation ("Edwards") dated May 16, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 in Edwards' Form 8-K dated May 17, 2013)
        
  4.2   Bylaws of Edwards (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 in Edwards' Form 8-K dated May 17, 2013)
        
  4.3   Specimen Form of Certificate Representing the Common Stock of Edwards (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 in Edwards' Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 001-15525))
        
  4.4 * Form of Certificate of Designation of Preferred Stock
        
  4.5   Indenture, dated as of September 6, 2013, between Edwards and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee.
        
  4.6 * Form of Global Note
        
  4.7 * Form of Warrant Agreement and Warrant Certificate
        
  4.8 * Form of Deposit Agreement
        
  4.9 * Form of Purchase Contract
        
  4.10 * Form of Unit Agreement and Unit Certificate
        
  5.1   Opinion of O'Melveny & Myers LLP
        
  12.1   Calculation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
        
  23.1   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
        
  23.2   Consent of O'Melveny & Myers LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1 filed herewith)
        
  24.1   Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto)
        
  25.1   Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility under Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of Trustee under the Indenture

*
To be filed either by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement.



Exhibit 4.5

 

 

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

 


 

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of September 6, 2013

 


 

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

 

Trustee

 

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

ARTICLE I.                              DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

1

 

 

 

Section 1.1.

Definitions

1

Section 1.2.

Other Definitions

5

Section 1.3.

Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act

6

Section 1.4.

Rules of Construction

6

 

 

 

ARTICLE II.                         THE SECURITIES

7

 

 

 

Section 2.1.

Issuable in Series

7

Section 2.2.

Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities

7

Section 2.3.

Denominations; Provision for Payment

9

Section 2.4.

Execution and Authentication

10

Section 2.5.

Registrar and Paying Agent

10

Section 2.6.

Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust

11

Section 2.7.

Securityholder Lists

11

Section 2.8.

Transfer and Exchange

12

Section 2.9.

Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities

12

Section 2.10.

Outstanding Securities

13

Section 2.11.

Treasury Securities

13

Section 2.12.

Temporary Securities

14

Section 2.13.

Cancellation

14

Section 2.14.

Defaulted Interest

14

Section 2.15.

Global Securities

14

Section 2.16.

CUSIP Numbers

16

 

 

 

ARTICLE III.                    REDEMPTION

16

 

 

 

Section 3.1.

Notice to Trustee

16

Section 3.2.

Selection of Securities to be Redeemed

16

Section 3.3.

Notice of Redemption

16

Section 3.4.

Effect of Notice of Redemption

17

Section 3.5.

Deposit of Redemption Price

18

Section 3.6.

Securities Redeemed in Part

18

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV.                     COVENANTS

18

 

i



 

Section 4.1.

Payment of Principal and Interest

18

Section 4.2.

Reports by Company

19

Section 4.3.

Compliance Certificate

19

Section 4.4.

Stay, Extension and Usury Laws

19

Section 4.5.

Corporate Existence

20

Section 4.6.

Limitations on Liens

20

Section 4.7.

Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions

22

 

 

 

ARTICLE V.                          SUCCESSORS

23

 

 

 

Section 5.1.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

23

Section 5.2.

Successor Person Substituted

23

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI.                     DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

24

 

 

 

Section 6.1.

Events of Default

24

Section 6.2.

Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment

25

Section 6.3.

Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee

26

Section 6.4.

Trustee May File Proofs of Claim

27

Section 6.5.

Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities

27

Section 6.6.

Application of Money Collected

27

Section 6.7.

Limitation on Suits

28

Section 6.8.

Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest

29

Section 6.9.

Restoration of Rights and Remedies

29

Section 6.10.

Rights and Remedies Cumulative

29

Section 6.11.

Delay or Omission Not Waiver

29

Section 6.12.

Control by Holders

29

Section 6.13.

Waiver of Past Defaults

30

Section 6.14.

Undertaking for Costs

30

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII.                TRUSTEE

31

 

 

 

Section 7.1.

Duties of Trustee

31

Section 7.2.

Rights of Trustee

32

Section 7.3.

Individual Rights of Trustee

33

Section 7.4.

Trustee’s Disclaimer

33

Section 7.5.

Notice of Defaults

34

 

ii



 

Section 7.6.

Reports by Trustee to Holders

34

Section 7.7.

Compensation and Indemnity

34

Section 7.8.

Replacement of Trustee

35

Section 7.9.

Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.

36

Section 7.10.

Eligibility; Disqualification

36

Section 7.11.

Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company

36

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII.           SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

36

 

 

 

Section 8.1.

Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture

36

Section 8.2.

Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification

37

Section 8.3.

Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series

38

Section 8.4.

Covenant Defeasance

39

Section 8.5.

Repayment to Company

40

Section 8.6.

Reinstatement

41

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX.                     AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

41

 

 

 

Section 9.1.

Without Consent of Holders

41

Section 9.2.

With Consent of Holders

42

Section 9.3.

Limitations

42

Section 9.4.

Compliance with Trust Indenture Act

43

Section 9.5.

Revocation and Effect of Consents

43

Section 9.6.

Notation on or Exchange of Securities

44

Section 9.7.

Trustee Protected

44

 

 

 

ARTICLE X.                          MISCELLANEOUS

44

 

 

 

Section 10.1.

Trust Indenture Act Controls

44

Section 10.2.

Notices

44

Section 10.3.

Communication by Holders with Other Holders

45

Section 10.4.

Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent

46

Section 10.5.

Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion

46

Section 10.6.

Rules by Trustee and Agents

46

Section 10.7.

Legal Holidays

46

Section 10.8.

No Recourse Against Others

47

Section 10.9.

Counterparts

47

Section 10.10.

Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver

47

Section 10.11.

No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements

47

 

iii



 

Section 10.12.

Successors

47

Section 10.13.

Severability

48

Section 10.14.

Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.

48

Section 10.15.

Securities in a Foreign Currency

48

Section 10.16.

Judgment Currency

48

Section 10.17.

Force Majeure

49

Section 10.18.

U.S.A. Patriot Act

49

 

 

 

ARTICLE XI.                     SINKING FUNDS

49

 

 

 

Section 11.1.

Applicability of Article

49

Section 11.2.

Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities

50

Section 11.3.

Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund

50

 

iv



 

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

 

Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and
Indenture, dated as of September 6, 2013

 

§ 310(a)(1)

 

 

7.10

(a)(2)

 

 

7.10

(a)(3)

 

 

Not Applicable

(a)(4)

 

 

Not Applicable

(a)(5)

 

 

7.10

(b)

 

 

7.10

§ 311(a)

 

 

7.11

(b)

 

 

7.11

§ 312(a)

 

 

2.7

(b)

 

 

10.3

(c)

 

 

10.3

§ 313(a)

 

 

7.6

(b)(1)

 

 

7.6

(b)(2)

 

 

7.6

(c)(1)

 

 

7.6

(d)

 

 

7.6

§ 314(a)

 

 

4.2, 4.3, 10.5

(b)

 

 

Not Applicable

(c)(1)

 

 

10.4

(c)(2)

 

 

10.4

(c)(3)

 

 

Not Applicable

(d)

 

 

Not Applicable

(e)

 

 

10.5

(f)

 

 

Not Applicable

§ 315(a)

 

 

7.1

(b)

 

 

7.5

(c)

 

 

7.1

(d)

 

 

7.1

(e)

 

 

6.14

§ 316(a)

 

 

2.11

(a)(1)(A)

 

 

6.12

(a)(1)(B)

 

 

6.13

(b)

 

 

6.8

§ 317(a)(1)

 

 

6.3

(a)(2)

 

 

6.4

(b)

 

 

2.6

§ 318(a)

 

 

10.1

 


Note:  This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.

 

v



 

Indenture dated as of September 6, 2013 between EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (“ Company ”), and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association (“ 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 issued under this Indenture.

 

ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

 

Section 1.1.                                  Definitions .

 

Affiliate ” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under 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 or Paying Agent.

 

Attributable Debt ” means, in respect of a Sale and Leaseback Transaction, as of any particular time, the present value (discounted at the rate of interest implicit in the terms of the lease involved in such Sale and Leaseback Transaction, as determined in good faith by the Company) of the obligation of the lessee thereunder for rental payments (excluding, however, any amounts required to be paid by such lessee, whether or not designated as rent or additional rent, on account of maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or similar charges or any amounts required to be paid by such lessee thereunder contingent upon the amount of sales, maintenance and repairs, insurance, taxes, assessments, water rates or similar charges) during the remaining term of such lease (including any period for which such lease has been extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended).

 

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 certification and delivered to the Trustee.

 

Business Day ” means, for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday or any day, including a legal holiday, on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close in The City of New York (or in connection with any payment, the place of payment).

 



 

Capital Stock ” of any person means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of the equity of such person.

 

Certificated Securities ” means definitive Securities in registered non-global certificated form.

 

Company ” means the party named as such above until a successor, which duly assumes the obligations under this Indenture, replaces it and thereafter means the successor.

 

Company Order ” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by an Officer.

 

Consolidated Net Tangible Assets ” means the total amount of assets (less applicable reserves and other items deductible from the gross book value of specific asset amounts) after deducting (a) all current liabilities (excluding the amount of those which are by their terms extendable or renewable at the option of the obligor to a date more than 12 months after the date as of which the amount is being determined) and (b) all customer lists, computer software, licenses, patents, patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, goodwill, capitalized research and development costs and other like intangibles, treasury stock and unamortized debt discount and expense, and all other like intangible assets, all as stated on the Company’s most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet preceding the date of determination and determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Corporate Trust Office ” means the corporate trust office of the Trustee at which at any time this Indenture shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, 707 Wilshire Blvd., 17 th  Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017, Attention: Corporate Trust Services Administration, and, with respect to Securities presented for conversion, registration of transfer and exchange, such office shall mean the office or agency of the Trustee located at 608 Second Avenue South, N9303-121, Minneapolis, MN 55479, Attn:  Corporate Trust Operations, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the corporate trust office of any successor Trustee at which this Indenture shall be administered (or such other address as a successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).

 

Debt ” means any and all of the obligations of a person for money borrowed which in accordance with GAAP would be reflected on the balance sheet of such person as a liability as of the date the Debt is to be determined.

 

Default ” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

 

Depositary ” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depositary for such Series by the Company, which Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of such Series.

 

2



 

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.

 

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.

 

Foreign Government Obligations ” means, with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.

 

GAAP ” means accounting principles generally accepted in The United States of America, which are in effect as of the date of application thereof.

 

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 Depositary for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.

 

Holder ” or “ Securityholder ” means a person in whose name a Security is registered on the books of the Registrar.

 

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 ” means, with respect to any Security, any interest on such Security, and with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, interest payable after Maturity.

 

Lien ” means any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) on or with respect to any property.

 

Maturity ,” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.

 

3


 

Officer ” means the Chief Executive Officer, President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and any Corporate Vice President of the Company.

 

Officer’s Certificate ” means a certificate signed by any Officer (or any person designated in writing by an Officer of the Company as authorized to execute and deliver Officer’s Certificates) and delivered to the Trustee.

 

Opinion of Counsel ” means a written opinion of legal counsel.  The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company. Opinions of Counsel required to be delivered under this Indenture may have qualifications customary for opinions of the type required.

 

person ” means any individual, corporation, company, voluntary association, partnership, trust, joint venture, limited liability company, unincorporated organization or government or any agency, instrumentality or political subdivision thereof.

 

principal ” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on the Security.

 

Responsible Officer ” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office having direct responsibility for administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

 

Restricted Property ” means, as to any particular Series of Securities, any manufacturing facility or plant owned, or leased, by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary and located within the United States, including Puerto Rico, the gross book value (including related land, machinery and equipment without deduction of any depreciation reserves) of which is not less than 1% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets as stated on the Company’s most recent publicly available consolidated balance sheet preceding the date of determination, other than any such manufacturing facility or plant which the Board of Directors reasonably determines is not material to the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

Restricted Subsidiary ” means a Subsidiary (a) which is a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the U.S. federal securities laws or (b) which owns a Restricted Property; provided , however , that the term shall not include any Subsidiary which is solely or primarily engaged in the business of providing or obtaining financing for the sale or lease of products sold or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

Sale and Leaseback Transaction ” means an arrangement whereby the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary now owns or hereafter acquires Restricted Property, sells or transfers it to a person and contemporaneously leases it back from the person.

 

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities ” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

 

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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, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security is due and payable.

 

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any person, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the outstanding shares of Capital Stock or other interests having the power to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of such person, or a combination thereof.

 

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 or include each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.

 

United States ” or “ U.S. ” means The United States of America (including the states thereof and the District of Columbia), its territories and possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.

 

U.S. Government Obligations ” means securities which are direct obligations of, or guaranteed by, The United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

 

Section 1.2.                                  Other Definitions .

 

 

 

DEFINED IN

TERM

 

SECTION

 

 

 

Bankruptcy Law

 

6

.1

Custodian

 

6

.1

Event of Default

 

6

.1

 

5



 

Judgment Currency

 

10

.16

Legal Holiday

 

10

.7

mandatory sinking fund payment

 

11

.1

New York Banking Day

 

10

.16

optional sinking fund payment

 

11

.1

Paying Agent

 

2

.5

Registrar

 

2

.5

Required Currency

 

10

.16

successor person

 

5

.1

 

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 and any successor obligor upon the Securities.

 

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;

 

(b)                                  an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

 

(c)                                   or ” is not exclusive;

 

(d)                                  words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and

 

(e)                                   provisions apply to successive events and transactions.

 

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ARTICLE II.
THE SECURITIES

 

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 or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate establishing the terms of such Series. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture establishing the terms thereof 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 this 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 (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2.1 and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2.2 through 2.2.23) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate:

 

2.2.1.                                           the title (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series) and ranking (including the terms of any subordination provisions) of the Series;

 

2.2.2.                                           the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;

 

2.2.3.                                           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 2.8, 2.9, 2.12, 3.6 or 9.6);

 

2.2.4.                                           the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;

 

2.2.5.                                           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 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, 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;

 

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2.2.6.                                           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 delivered, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;

 

2.2.7.                                           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 must be redeemed or may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

 

2.2.8.                                           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;

 

2.2.9.                                           the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;

 

2.2.10.                                    if other than denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

 

2.2.11.                                    the forms of the Securities of the Series and whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities;

 

2.2.12.                                    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;

 

2.2.13.                                    the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or 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;

 

2.2.14.                                    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;

 

2.2.15.                                    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;

 

2.2.16.                                    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 commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;

 

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2.2.17.                                    the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Securities of the Series;

 

2.2.18.                                    any addition to, deletion of 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;

 

2.2.19.                                    any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants set forth in Articles IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series;

 

2.2.20.                                    any Depositaries, trustees, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;

 

2.2.21.                                    the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any Securities of such Series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price, the conversion or exchange period, the securities or other property into which the Securities will be convertible, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, at the option of the Holders thereof or at the option of the Company, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange if such Series of Securities are redeemed;

 

2.2.22.                                    whether any of the Company’s direct or indirect Subsidiaries will guarantee the Securities of that Series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees; and

 

2.2.23.                                    any other terms of the Series (which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series), including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that Series.

 

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 Officer’s Certificate referred to above.

 

Section 2.3.                                  Denominations; Provision for Payment .

 

The Securities of any Series shall be issuable, except as otherwise provided with respect to Securities of any Series pursuant to Section 2.2, as registered Securities in the denominations of two thousand Dollars ($2,000) or any integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. Unless otherwise provided with respect to Securities of any Series pursuant to Section 2.2, the principal of and the interest on the Securities of any Series, if any, thereon, shall by payable in Dollars at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2 with respect to any Securities of any Series, interest on the Securities of any Series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.

 

9



 

Section 2.4.                                  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 Officer’s Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order.  Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

 

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 Officer’s 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 7.1) shall be fully protected in conclusively relying on:  (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officer’s Certificate complying with Section 9.7 (with respect to the execution of supplemental indentures) and Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 9.7 (with respect to the execution of supplemental indentures) and Section 10.4.

 

The Trustee shall have the right, but not the obligation, 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 determines that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability.

 

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 2.5.                                  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, 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 ”).  The Registrar

 

10



 

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 or Paying Agent.  If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar or Paying Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations and surrenders 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 and surrenders.

 

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars or additional paying 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 or Paying Agent in each place so specified 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 or additional paying agent.  The term “ Registrar ” includes any co-registrar; and the term “ Paying Agent ” includes any additional paying agent.  The Company or any of its Affiliates may serve as Registrar or Paying Agent.

 

The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar and Paying Agent for each Series unless another Registrar or Paying Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.

 

Section 2.6.                                  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 Securities of that Series, and will notify the Trustee in writing 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 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.  Upon any bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding with respect to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Securities.

 

Section 2.7.                                  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 to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date 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.

 

11



 

Section 2.8.                                  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 2.12, 3.6 or 9.6).

 

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 2.9.                                  Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities .

 

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and 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 bond as may be required by each of them to hold itself and any of its agents harmless, then, in the absence of written notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon receipt of a Company Order 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.

 

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 2.9, 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 2.9 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

 

12



 

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 2.9 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 2.10.                           Outstanding Securities .

 

The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by the Registrar and those described in this Section 2.10 as not outstanding.

 

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.9, it ceases to be outstanding unless 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 on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

 

The Company may purchase or otherwise acquire the Securities, whether by open market purchases, negotiated transactions or otherwise.  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 2.11.                           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 any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in conclusively relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.  Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith shall not be disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to deliver any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver with respect to the Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.

 

13


 

Section 2.12.                           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 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 receipt of a Company Order 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 2.13.                           Cancellation .

 

The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation.  The Registrar and the Paying Agent, if not the Trustee, shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment.  The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement, conversion or cancellation and shall dispose of such canceled Securities (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act and the Trustee) in accordance with its customary procedures and deliver a certificate of such cancellation to the Company upon written request of the Company.  The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

Section 2.14.                           Defaulted Interest .

 

If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it may 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 the record date and payment date.  At least 10 days before the special record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid.  The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.

 

Section 2.15.                           Global Securities .

 

2.15.1.                                    Terms of Securities .  A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s 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 Depositary for such Global Security or Securities.

 

2.15.2.                                    Transfer and Exchange .  Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.8 of this Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.8 of this Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depositary for such Security or its nominee only if (a) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event or (b) the

 

14



 

Company determines in its sole discretion not to have such Securities represented by one or more Global Securities and executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable.  Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depositary 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 2.15.2, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depositary, by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.

 

2.15.3.                                    Legend .  Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

 

“THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY.  THIS SECURITY IS EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE ONLY IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.”

 

2.15.4.                                    Acts of Holders .  The Depositary, 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 this Indenture.

 

2.15.5.                                    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, which in the case of a Depositary therefor will be made in accordance with its applicable procedures.

 

2.15.6.                                    Consents, Declaration and Directions .  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 Depositary or by the applicable procedures of such Depositary 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.

 

15



 

Section 2.16.                           CUSIP Numbers .

 

The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.  The Trustee shall have no liability for any defect in the “CUSIP” numbers as they appear on any Security, notice or elsewhere.  The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.

 

ARTICLE III.
REDEMPTION

 

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 in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed.  The Company shall give the notice to the Trustee at least 45 days before the redemption date, unless a shorter period is satisfactory 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 hereto 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 in any manner that the Trustee deems fair and appropriate, including selecting by lot or other method, unless otherwise required by law or applicable stock exchange requirements, subject, in the case of Global Securities, to the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary; 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.  The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption.  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 Officer’s 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.

 

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The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:

 

(a)                                  the redemption date;

 

(b)                                  the redemption price and the amount of accrued interest, if any, to be paid;

 

(c)                                   the name and address of the Paying Agent and, if applicable, the conversion Agent;

 

(d)                                  for convertible Securities, the conversion price;

 

(e)                                   if any Global Security is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Global Security to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date upon surrender of such Global Security, the principal amount thereof will be decreased by the portion thereof redeemed pursuant thereto;

 

(f)                                    if any Certificated Security is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Security to be redeemed, and that, after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Certificated Security in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Certificated Security;

 

(g)                                   that Securities of the Series (or portion thereof) called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

 

(h)                                  that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date unless the Company defaults in the deposit of the redemption price;

 

(i)                                      the CUSIP number, if any, and state that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in the SEC’s notice or printed on the Securities; and

 

(j)                                     any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.

 

At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense, provided , however , that the Company has delivered to the Trustee, at least 15 days (unless a shorter time shall be acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the notice date, an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice.

 

Section 3.4.                                  Effect of Notice of Redemption .

 

Once notice of redemption is mailed 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.  Except as otherwise provided in the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution

 

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or Officer’s Certificate for a Series, a notice of redemption may not be conditional.  Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption which have been delivered by the Company to the Registrar for cancellation.  The Paying Agent shall return to the Company any money not required for that purpose.

 

Unless the Company shall default in the payment of Securities (and accrued interest) called for redemption, interest on such Securities shall cease to accrue after the redemption date.  Convertible Securities called for redemption shall cease to be convertible after the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the redemption date, unless the Company shall default in the payment of such Securities on the redemption date, in which event the Securities shall remain convertible until paid (together with accrued interest).

 

Failure to give notice of redemption, or any defect in such notice to the Holder of any Security of a Series designated for redemption, in whole or in part, shall not affect the sufficiency of any notice of redemption with respect to the Holder of any other Security of such Series.

 

Section 3.5.                                  Deposit of Redemption Price .

 

On or before 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on 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 Certificated Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Certificated Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered and concurrently cancel the surrendered Certificated Security.

 

ARTICLE IV.
COVENANTS

 

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 duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.  On or before 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the applicable payment date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of each Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.  Principal and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent holds in accordance with this Indenture on that date money sufficient to pay all principal and interest then due and the Paying Agent is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders on such date pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

 

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Section 4.2.                                  Reports by Company .

 

(a) As long as any Securities are outstanding, the Company shall file with the Trustee, and transmit to the Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to TIA § 314(a). All reports, information and documents referred to in this Section 4.2 will be deemed to be filed with the Trustee and transmitted to the Holders at the time such reports, information or documents are publicly filed with the SEC via the SEC’s EDGAR filing system (or any successor system), it being understood that the Trustee shall have no responsibility whatsoever to determine if such filings have been made.

 

(b)  Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under this Section 4.2 are for informational purposes only and shall not constitute a representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the reports, information and documents.  The Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing 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 4.3.                                  Compliance Certificate .

 

To the extent any Securities of a Series are outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officer’s Certificate (which need not contain the statements provided for in Section 10.4) from its principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer 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 Officer with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to such Officer signing such certificate, that to his or her knowledge the Company is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which the Officer has knowledge).  Such Officer’s Certificate need not include a reference to any non-compliance that has been fully cured prior to the date as of which such certificate speaks.

 

Section 4.4.                                  Stay, Extension and Usury Laws .

 

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it 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, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities; and the Company (to the extent 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, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

 

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Section 4.5.                                  Corporate Existence .

 

Subject to Article V, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and rights (charter and statutory); provided , however , that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.

 

Section 4.6.                                  Limitations on Liens.

 

The Company will not, nor will it permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee any Debt if such Debt is secured by a Lien upon any Restricted Property or on the Capital Stock or Debt of any Restricted Subsidiary, without, in any such case, effectively providing that the Securities will be secured equally and ratably with such secured Debt; provided , however , that this restriction will not apply to:

 

(a)                                  Liens existing on the date of this Indenture or Liens existing on property, shares of Capital Stock or Debt of any person at the time it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(b)                                  any Lien existing on property when acquired, constructed or improved and which Lien (i) secured or provided for the payment of all or any part of the acquisition costs of the property or the cost of construction or improvement thereof and (ii) is created prior to, at the same time as or within one year after, the completion of such acquisition, construction or improvement to the property, as the case may be;

 

(c)                                   Liens on property of a person existing at the time such person is merged into or consolidated with the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or at the time of a sale, lease or other disposition of the properties of a person as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(d)                                  any Lien arising by reason of deposits with, or the giving of any form of security to, any governmental agency or any body created or approved by law or governmental regulation;

 

(e)                                   Liens securing Debt of a Restricted Subsidiary owed to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary;

 

(f)                                    Liens for taxes, fees, assessments or other governmental charges which are not delinquent or remain payable without penalty, or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings;

 

(g)                                   carriers’, warehousemen’s, materialmen’s, repairmen’s, mechanics’, landlords’ and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business;

 

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(h)                                  Liens consisting of pledges or deposits required in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security legislation;

 

(i)                                      Liens on property securing (i) the non-delinquent performance of bids, trade contracts (other than for borrowed money), leases and statutory obligations, (ii) contingent obligations on surety and appeal bonds, and (iii) other non-delinquent obligations of a like nature; in each case, incurred in the ordinary course of business, provided that all such Liens under this sub-clause (i) in the aggregate would not (even if enforced) cause a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the operations, business, properties, liabilities (actual or contingent), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;

 

(j)                                     Liens securing obligations in respect of capital leases on assets subject to such leases; provided that such leases are otherwise permitted under Section 4.7 below;

 

(k)                                  Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit arising by operation of law under Section 5-118(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code;

 

(l)                                      Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provision relating to banker’s liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a creditor depository institution; provided that (i) such deposit account is not a dedicated cash collateral account and is not subject to restrictions against access by the Company in excess of those set forth by regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States, and (ii) such deposit account is not intended by the Company or any Subsidiary to provide collateral to the depository institution;

 

(m)                              Liens consisting of easements, rights-of-way, zoning restrictions, restrictions on the use of real property, and defects and irregularities in the title thereto, landlords’ liens and other similar liens and encumbrances none of which interfere materially with the use of the property covered thereby in the ordinary course of business and which do not, in the opinion of the Company, materially detract from the value of such properties; and

 

(n)                                  any extension, renewal or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals or replacements), in whole or in part, of any permitted Lien referred to in sub-clauses (a) through (m) of this Section 4.6, inclusive of any Lien existing at the date of this Indenture; provided that the obligation secured by such new Lien shall not extend beyond the property subject to the existing Lien and such obligation is not greater in amount than the obligations secured by the Lien extended, renewed or replaced (plus an amount in respect of reasonable financing fees and related transaction costs).

 

The Company and any Restricted Subsidiary may, without securing the Securities, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee secured Debt which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions; provided that, if after giving effect to such Debt, the aggregate of such secured Debt then outstanding (not including secured Debt permitted under the foregoing clauses

 

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(a) through (n)) plus the aggregate amount of Attributable Debt outstanding in respect of Sale and Leaseback Transactions entered into pursuant to sub-clause (d) of Section 4.7 below, does not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.

 

Section 4.7.                                  Limitations on Sale and Leaseback Transactions .

 

The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale and Leaseback Transaction with respect to any Restricted Property, except a lease for a period (including extensions or renewals at the Company’s option or the option of a Restricted Subsidiary) of three years or less. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may enter into a Sale and Leaseback Transaction if:

 

(a)                                  the lease is between the Company and a Restricted Subsidiary or between Restricted Subsidiaries;

 

(b)                                  the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary would, at the time of entering into such Sale and Leaseback Transaction, be entitled pursuant to sub-clauses (a) through (n) of Section 4.6 above, to incur Debt secured by a Lien on such Restricted Property involved in a principal amount at least equal to the Attributable Debt of such transaction without equally and ratably securing the Securities;

 

(c)                                   the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, during the 270 days following the effective date of the Sale and Leaseback Transaction, applies an amount equal to the greater of the net proceeds of such sale or transfer or the fair value of the Restricted Property that the Company or its Restricted Subsidiary lease in the Sale and Leaseback  Transaction to the voluntary retirement of the Securities or other Debt of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, provided that such Debt (i) ranks pari passu or senior to the Securities and (ii) by its terms matures at or is extendable or renewable at the option of the obligor thereon to a date more than 12 months from the date of the creation of such Debt; or

 

(d)                                  the Attributable Debt of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of such Sale and Leaseback Transaction and all other Sale and Leaseback Transactions involving Restricted Property (other than Sale and Leaseback Transactions as are permitted in sub-clauses (a) through (c) in this Section 4.7), plus the aggregate principal amount of Debt secured by Liens on Restricted Property then outstanding incurred pursuant to the last paragraph under Section 4.6 above, would not exceed 15% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets.

 

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ARTICLE V.
SUCCESSORS

 

Section 5.1.                                  Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets .

 

The Company may not consolidate with or merge into, or directly or indirectly sell, convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to, any other person (a “ successor person ”) unless:

 

(a)                                  (i) the Company is the surviving corporation or (ii) the successor person (if other than the Company) (A) is a corporation, limited liability corporation, partnership or trust organized under the laws of the United States; and (B) expressly assumes, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered by such person prior to or simultaneously with such consolidation, merger, sale or lease, the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture; and

 

(b)                                  immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have happened and be continuing.

 

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officer’s Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture comply with Section 5.1 of this Indenture.

 

Notwithstanding the above, any Subsidiary of the Company may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to the Company. Neither an Officer’s Certificate nor an Opinion of Counsel shall be required to be delivered in connection therewith.

 

Section 5.2.                                  Successor Person Substituted .

 

Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, conveyance, transfer, or lease of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor person formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, conveyance, transfer, or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture and the Securities with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; and, thereafter, the predecessor Company, in the case of a sale, conveyance or transfer (other than a lease), shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

 

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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 Officer’s Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:

 

(a)                                  failure to pay 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 (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the 30 th  day of such period);

 

(b)                                  failure to pay principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity;

 

(c)                                   failure to pay any sinking fund installment on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days;

 

(d)                                  default in the performance or breach of any covenant of the Company in this Indenture (other than defaults pursuant to sub-clauses (a) through (c) above or defaults related to a covenant that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder;

 

(e)                                   there occurs with respect to any Debt of the Company having an outstanding principal amount of $75,000,000 or more in the aggregate for all such Debt (i) an event of default that results in such Debt being due and payable prior to its scheduled maturity (after giving effect to any applicable grace period) or (ii) failure to make any payment when due (including any applicable grace period), which results in the acceleration of the maturity of such Debt, in each case without the acceleration having been rescinded, annulled or otherwise cured;

 

(f)                                    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,

 

(iii)                                consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, or

 

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(iv)                               makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;

 

(g)                                   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

 

(h)                                  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 Officer’s Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.18.

 

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 one Series of Securities issued under this Indenture will not necessarily be a default under another Series of Securities under this Indenture.

 

The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, within 30 days of becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officer’s Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

Section 6.2.                                  Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment .

 

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(f) or (g)) then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less 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(f) or (g) 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 and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by

 

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the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.

 

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default.

 

Section 6.3.                                  Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee .

 

The Company covenants that if

 

(a)                                  default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or

 

(b)                                  default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or

 

(c)                                   default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, if any, when and as due by the terms of a Security,

 

then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

 

If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

 

If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

 

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Section 6.4.                                  Trustee May File Proofs of Claim .

 

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relating to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

 

(a)                                  to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

 

(b)                                  to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same,

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.

 

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

 

Section 6.5.                                  Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities .

 

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

 

Section 6.6.                                  Application of Money Collected.

 

Any money or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of

 

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the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

 

First:                                                                      To the payment of all amounts due to the Trustee under this Indenture; and

 

Second:                                                     To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and

 

Third:                                                                To the Company.

 

Section 6.7.                                  Limitation on Suits .

 

No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

 

(a)                                  such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;

 

(b)                                  the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

 

(c)                                   such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by the Trustee in compliance with such request;

 

(d)                                  the Trustee has failed to institute any such proceeding for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity; and

 

(e)                                   no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series;

 

it being understood, intended and expressly covenanted by the Holder of every Security with every other Holder and the Trustee that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders of the applicable Series; provided , however , that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders.

 

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Section 6.8.                                  Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest .

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security has the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

 

Section 6.9.                                  Restoration of Rights and Remedies .

 

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

 

Section 6.10.                           Rights and Remedies Cumulative .

 

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.9, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise.  The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

 

Section 6.11.                           Delay or Omission Not Waiver .

 

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein.  Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

 

Section 6.12.                           Control by Holders .

 

The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that:

 

(a)                                  such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture;

 

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(b)                                  the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction;

 

(c)                                   subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability; and

 

(d)                                  prior to taking any action as directed under this Section 6.12, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

Section 6.13.                           Waiver of Past Defaults .

 

The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series ( provided , however , that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration).  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.

 

Section 6.14.                           Undertaking for Costs .

 

All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section 6.14 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).

 

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ARTICLE VII.
TRUSTEE

 

Section 7.1.                                  Duties of Trustee .

 

(a)                                  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 Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however , in the case of any such Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officer’s Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

 

(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 sub-clause (c) does not limit the effect of sub-clause (b) of this Section 7.1.

 

(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 in accordance with Section 6.12.

 

(d)                                  Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to sub-clauses (a), (b) and (c) of this Section 7.1.

 

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(e)                                   The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power.

 

(f)                                    The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it.  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 adequate indemnity against such risk is not assured to the Trustee in its satisfaction.

 

(h)                                  The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections and immunities as are set forth in sub-clauses (e), (f) and (g) of this Section 7.1 and in Section 7.2, each with respect to the Trustee.

 

Section 7.2.                                  Rights of Trustee .

 

(a)                                  The Trustee may conclusively rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) 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 shall be entitled to receive an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both.  The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in conclusive reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

 

(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 Depositary shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depositary.

 

(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 willful misconduct or negligence.

 

(e)                                   The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

 

(f)                                    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 security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

 

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(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 and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.

 

(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 a Responsible Officer of 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)                                      In no event shall the Trustee be liable to any person for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage.

 

(j)                                     The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so.

 

(k)                                  The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.

 

(l)                                      The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder.

 

(m)                              The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.

 

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.  However, the Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11 hereof.

 

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.

 

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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 actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default.  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 it 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 (commencing May 15, 2014), the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such reporting date, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA § 313.

 

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each national securities exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed.  The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing when Securities of any Series are listed on any national securities exchange or of any delisting thereof.

 

Section 7.7.                                  Compensation and Indemnity .

 

The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time 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 against any cost, expense, claim (whether asserted by the Company, a Holder or any other person) or liability (including the cost of defending itself), 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.  Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder, unless and to the extent that the Company is materially prejudiced thereby.  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 will not be unreasonably withheld.  This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.

 

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The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee or shareholder of the Trustee through willful misconduct or negligence.

 

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section 7.7, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, 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(f) or (g) 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 7.7 shall survive the termination of this Indenture or the resignation or removal of the Trustee.

 

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 7.8.

 

The Trustee may resign at any time 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 in writing.  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 or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.  Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

 

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 a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee at the expense of the Company.

 

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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.  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 for actions taken or omitted to be taken in accordance with its rights, powers and duties under this Indenture 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, if such successor corporation is eligible and qualified under Section 7.10.

 

Section 7.10.                           Eligibility; Disqualification .

 

This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2) and (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.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

 

Section 8.1.                                  Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture .

 

This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

 

(a)                                  either

 

(i)                                      all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.9) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

 

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(ii)                                   all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

 

(1)                                  have become due and payable, or

 

(2)                                  will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or

 

(3)                                  have been called for redemption or are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company;

 

and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount of money or U.S. Government Obligations sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be; and

 

(b)                                  the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

 

(c)                                   the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.

 

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to sub-clause (a) of this Section 8.1, the provisions of Sections 2.5, 2.8, 2.9, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.

 

Section 8.2.                                  Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification .

 

(a)                                  Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Sections 8.3 or 8.4.

 

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(b)                                  The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Sections 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.

 

(c)                                   The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Order any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Sections 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money were deposited or received.  This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held under this Indenture.

 

Section 8.3.                                  Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series .

 

Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2, to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in sub-clause (d) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, execute instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:

 

(a)                                  the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in sub-clause (d) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;

 

(b)                                  the provisions of Sections 2.5, 2.8, 2.9, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5; and

 

(c)                                   the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith;

 

provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

 

(d)                                  the Company shall have deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities: (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a

 

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Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms (and without reinvestment), will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;

 

(e)                                   such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

 

(f)                                    no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;

 

(g)                                   the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, 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 of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;

 

(h)                                  the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and

 

(i)                                      the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section 8.3 have been complied with.

 

Section 8.4.                                  Covenant Defeasance .

 

Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2 to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.6 and 4.7 as well as any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an

 

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Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2.18 and designated as an Event of Default shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

 

(a)                                  With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities: (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms (and without reinvestment), will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due;

 

(b)                                  Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

 

(c)                                   No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;

 

(d)                                  The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and 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 deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred;

 

(e)                                   The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and

 

(f)                                    The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section 8.4 have been complied with.

 

Section 8.5.                                  Repayment to Company .

 

Subject to applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal or interest that remains unclaimed for two years after such principal or interest has become due and

 

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payable.  After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.

 

Section 8.6.                                  Reinstatement .

 

If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money deposited with respect to Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 8.1 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 obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series and under the Securities of such Series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.1 until such time as the Trustee or the Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.1; provided , however , that if the Company has made any payment of principal of 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 U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent after payment in full to the Holders.

 

ARTICLE IX.
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

 

Section 9.1.                                  Without Consent of Holders .

 

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 add guarantees with respect to any Series of Securities or secure any Series of Securities;

 

(b)                                  to surrender any of the Company’s rights or powers under this Indenture;

 

(c)                                   to add covenants or Events of Default for the benefit of the Securityholders of any Series of Securities;

 

(d)                                  to comply with the applicable rules or procedures of the Depositary;

 

(e)                                   to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, as described in the Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 10.4;

 

(f)                                    to comply with Article V;

 

(g)                                   to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;

 

(h)                                  to make any change that does not materially adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;

 

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(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 comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;

 

(l)                                      to comply with the rules or regulations of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which any of the Securities may be listed or traded; and

 

(m)                              to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall not be effective with respect to any outstanding Securities of any Series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture which is entitled to the benefit of such provision.

 

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 as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by written 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.  After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this Section 9.2 becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby, 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 or waiver may not:

 

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(a)                                  reduce the principal 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 or that Series;

 

(c)                                   reduce the principal of, 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 then 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 6.8 or 6.13 or this Section 9.3; or

 

(h)                                  waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security.

 

Section 9.4.                                  Compliance with Trust Indenture Act .

 

Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

 

Section 9.5.                                  Revocation and Effect of Consents .

 

Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a 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.

 

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 sub-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.

 

The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to give their consent or take any other action described above or required or permitted to be taken pursuant to this Indenture.  If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such

 

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record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those persons, shall be entitled to give such consent or to revoke any consent previously given or take any such action, 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.

 

Section 9.6.                                  Notation on or Exchange of Securities .

 

The Company or the Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment 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 or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in conclusively relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both complying with Section 10.4 and stating that the supplemental indenture is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to customary exceptions.  The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures upon delivery of such an Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel or both, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that, in its sole discretion, adversely affects its rights.

 

ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 10.1.                           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 10.2.                           Notices .

 

Any request, demand, 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 delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:

 

if to the Company:

 

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

One Edwards Way

Irvine, California 92614

Attention:                  Corporate Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Corporate Vice President, General Counsel

Telephone:            (949) 250-2500

 

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with a copy to:

 

O’Melveny & Myers LLP

400 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California 90071

Attention:                  Mark D. Peterson

John-Paul Motley

Telephone:            (213) 430-6000

 

if to the Trustee:

 

Wells Fargo Bank, National Association

707 Wilshire Blvd, 17 th  Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90017

Attention:                  Corporate Trust Services - Administrator for Edwards

Lifesciences Corporation

Telephone:            (213) 614-2588

 

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

 

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.  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.

 

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.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption) to a Holder of a Global Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given to the Depositary for such Security (or its designee) pursuant to the customary procedures of such Depositary.

 

Section 10.3.                           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).

 

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Section 10.4.                           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 Officer’s 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.

 

Section 10.5.                           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 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 10.6.                           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 10.7.                           Legal Holidays .

 

Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officer’s 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.

 

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Section 10.8.                           No Recourse Against Others .

 

A director, officer, employee or stockholder (past or present), as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.  Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability.  The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

Section 10.9.                           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.  The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes.  Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

 

Section 10.10.                    Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver .

 

THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES, INCLUDING ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE OR THE SECURITIES, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAWS PROVISIONS THEREOF OTHER THAN SECTION 5-1401 OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW).

 

EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

Section 10.11.                    No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements .

 

This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company.  Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

 

Section 10.12.                    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.

 

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Section 10.13.                    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 10.14.                    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 10.15.                    Securities in a Foreign Currency .

 

Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s 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 more than one currency, 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 determined by converting any such other currency into a currency that is designated upon issuance of any particular Series of Securities.  Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, such conversion shall be at the spot rate for the purchase of the designated currency as published in The Financial Times in the “Currency Rates” section (or, if The Financial Times is no longer published, or if such information is no longer available in The Financial Times, such source as may be selected in good faith by the Company) on any date of determination.  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 provided for in the preceding paragraph shall, in the absence of manifest error, to the extent permitted by law, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Trustee and all Holders.

 

Section 10.16.                    Judgment Currency .

 

The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series (the “ Required Currency ”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “ Judgment Currency ”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a Business Day, then the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at

 

48



 

which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the Business Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, or any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture.

 

Section 10.17.                    Force Majeure .

 

In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services, it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable best efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

 

Section 10.18.                    U.S.A. Patriot Act .

 

The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee.  The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

 

ARTICLE XI.
SINKING FUNDS

 

Section 11.1.                           Applicability of Article .

 

The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series if so provided by the terms of such Securities pursuant to Section 2.2 and 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

 

49



 

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 11.2.  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 11.2.                           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 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 the Securities of such Series (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 Officer’s 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 11.2, 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 11.3.                           Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund .

 

Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s 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 Officer’s 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 11.2, 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, Officer’s 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

 

50



 

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.

 

[ Signature page follows ]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION, as Issuer

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Tom Abate

 

 

Name:

Tom Abate

 

 

Its:

Corporate Vice President

 

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Maddy Hall

 

 

Name:

Maddy Hall

 

 

Its:

Vice President

 




Exhibit 5.1

 

 

BEIJING

BRUSSELS

CENTURY CITY

HONG KONG

JAKARTA†

LONDON

NEWPORT BEACH

400 South Hope Street

Los Angeles, California 90071-2899

 

telephone (213) 430-6000

facsimile (213) 430-6407

www.omm.com

 

SAN FRANCISCO

SEOUL

SHANGHAI

SILICON VALLEY

SINGAPORE

TOKYO

WASHINGTON, D.C.

 

OUR FILE NUMBER
237,480-023

 

September 6, 2013

 

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

One Edwards Way

Irvine, CA 92614

 

Re:                              Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as special counsel to Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “ Registration Statement ”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) on the date hereof under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”).  The Registration Statement relates to the offer and sale from time to time by the Company, pursuant to Rule 415 of the General Rules and Regulations of the Commission promulgated under the Securities Act, of an indeterminate amount of the following securities: (i) shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “ Common Stock ”); (ii) shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Preferred Stock ”), in one or more series; (iii) depositary shares of the Company representing fractional shares of our Preferred Stock (the “ Depositary Shares ”), to be evidenced by depositary receipts (the “ Depositary Receipts ”) issued under a deposit agreement (each, a “ Deposit Agreement ”) between the Company and a bank or trust company appointed prior to the issuance of the Depositary Shares; (iv) debt securities of the Company, in one or more series (the “ Debt Securities ”), to be issued pursuant to the indenture dated September 6, 2013 (the “ Base Indenture ”) between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “ Trustee ”), attached as Exhibit 4.5 to the Registration Statement, and one or more supplements or officer’s certificates to the Base Indenture establishing the terms of each series of Debt Securities (the “ Supplemental Indenture Documents ”); (v) warrants to purchase Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities or other securities (individually or collectively, the “ Warrants ”) to be issued pursuant to one or more warrant agreements (each, a “ Warrant Agreement ”) between the Company and a warrant agent to be appointed prior to the issuance of Warrants; (vi) purchase contracts of the Company for the purchase or sale of debt or equity securities issued by the Company or a third party, a basket of such securities, an index of such securities, or

 



 

any combination thereof (individually or collectively, the “ Purchase Contracts ”); and (vii) units consisting of two or more of the following securities in any combination: Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Depositary Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants and/or Purchase Contracts (the “ Units ”) to be issued pursuant to one or more unit agreements (each, a “ Unit Agreement ”) between the Company and a unit agent to be appointed prior to the issuance of the Units. The Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Depositary Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants, Purchase Contracts and Units are collectively referred to herein as the “ Securities .” The Base Indenture, Supplemental Indenture Documents, Deposit Agreements, Warrant Agreements, Purchase Contracts and Unit Agreements are collectively referred to herein as the “ Agreements.

 

In our capacity as counsel, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of those corporate and other records and documents as we considered appropriate including, without limitation:

 

(i)                                      the Registration Statement;

 

(ii)                                   the Base Indenture;

 

(iii)                                the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company as presently in effect (the “ Company’s Certificate of Incorporation ”);

 

(iv)                               the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company as presently in effect (the “ Company’s Bylaws ” and, together with the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the “ Company’s Organizational Documents ”); and

 

(v)                                  certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, relating to the registration of the issuance and sale of the Securities and related matters.

 

In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.  We have also assumed that New York law will be chosen to govern the Deposit Agreements, Warrant Agreements, Purchase Contracts and Unit Agreements and that such choice is a valid and legal provision.  To the extent that the Company’s obligations depend on the enforceability of any Agreement against the other parties to such Agreement, we have assumed that such Agreement is enforceable against such other parties. As to any facts material to the opinions expressed herein which were not independently established or verified, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company. In addition, we have obtained and relied upon those certificates of public officials we considered appropriate.

 

In connection with each of the opinions expressed below, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time of delivery of any Security, (i) the Registration Statement has been declared effective and such effectiveness has not been terminated or rescinded and the Base Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, (ii) a prospectus supplement describing each class or series of Securities offered pursuant to the Registration Statement, to the

 

2



 

extent required by applicable law and relevant rules and regulations of the Commission, will be timely filed with the Commission, (iii) the definitive terms of the issuance and sale of each class or series of Securities will have been duly established in accordance with the authorizing resolutions adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors (or an authorized committee thereof) and in conformity with the Company’s Organizational Documents and applicable law, (iv) the Company will issue and deliver the Securities in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and any Securities that consist of shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, including Common Stock or Preferred Stock which may be issued upon conversion or exercise of any other Securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock or Preferred Stock, will have been authorized and the requisite number of shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will have been reserved for issuance, in each case, within the limits of the then remaining authorized but unissued and unreserved amounts of such Common Stock or Preferred Stock, and (v) there has not occurred any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of such Security.  We have also assumed that none of the terms of any Security to be established after the date hereof, nor the issuance and delivery of such Security, nor the compliance by the Company with the terms of such Security will violate any applicable law or public policy or result in a violation of any provision of any instrument or agreement then binding upon the Company or any restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.

 

On the basis of such examination, our reliance upon the assumptions in this opinion and our consideration of those questions of law we considered relevant, and subject to the limitations and qualifications in this opinion, we are of the opinion that:

 

1.                                       When an issuance of Common Stock has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, upon issuance, delivery and payment therefor in an amount not less than the par value thereof and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the prospectus and applicable prospectus supplement(s) and by such corporate action, such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

2.                                       When a series of Preferred Stock has been duly established in accordance with the terms of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as may be duly amended, modified or replaced, and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and upon issuance, delivery and payment therefor in an amount not less than the par value thereof and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the prospectus and applicable prospectus supplement(s) and by such corporate action, such shares of such series of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

3.                                       With respect to any Depositary Shares offered under the Registration Statement (the “ Offered Depositary Shares ”), when (i) the shares of Preferred Stock relating to such Offered Depositary Shares have been duly authorized for issuance, (ii) the applicable Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) the Depositary Receipts representing the Offered Depositary Shares have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable Deposit Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement, and (iv) the terms of the Offered Depositary

 

3



 

Shares have been properly established in conformity with the terms of the applicable Deposit Agreement and applicable law, such Offered Depositary Shares will be validly issued and will entitle their holders to the rights specified in the applicable Deposit Agreement and Depositary Receipt.

 

4.                                       With respect to any series of Debt Securities offered under the Registration Statement (the “ Offered Debt Securities ”), when (i) the specific terms of the particular Offered Debt Securities have been duly established in accordance with the Base Indenture and applicable Supplemental Indenture Documents, (ii) the applicable Supplemental Indenture Documents to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Offered Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered by the Trustee and the Company, and (iii) the Offered Debt Securities have been duly authorized, authenticated, executed issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Base Indenture, as amended by the applicable Supplemental Indenture Documents, and the applicable underwriting or other agreement (including, in the case of “book-entry” Offered Debt Securities, such Debt Securities being entered under the names of the purchasers thereof on the books of a depositary) against payment therefor, such Offered Debt Securities will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally (including, without limitation, fraudulent conveyance laws), and by general principles of equity including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity.

 

5.                                       With respect to any Warrants offered under the Registration Statement (the “ Offered Warrants ”), when (i) the Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities or other Securities relating to such Offered Warrants have been duly authorized for issuance, (ii) the applicable Warrant Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto, and (iii) the Offered Warrants have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable Warrant Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Offered Warrants will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to creditors’ rights generally (including, without limitation, fraudulent conveyance laws) or by general principles of equity including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity.

 

6.                                       With respect to any Purchase Contracts offered under the Registration Statement (the “ Offered Purchase Contracts ”), when (i) the debt or equity securities underlying such Offered Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized for issuance, and (ii) the Offered Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable Purchase Contracts and the applicable underwriting or other agreement

 

4



 

against payment therefor, such Offered Purchase Contracts will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to creditors’ rights generally (including, without limitation, fraudulent conveyance laws) or by general principles of equity including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity.

 

7.                                       With respect to any Units offered under the Registration Statement (the “ Offered Units ”), when (i) the Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Depositary Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants or Purchase Contracts relating to such Offered Units have been duly authorized for issuance, (ii) the applicable Unit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto, and (iii) the Offered Units have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable Unit Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Offered Units will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to creditors’ rights generally (including, without limitation, fraudulent conveyance laws) or by general principles of equity including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity.

 

The law covered by this opinion is limited to the present law of the State of New York and the current General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.  We express no opinion as to the laws of any other jurisdiction and no opinion regarding the statutes, administrative decisions, rules, regulations or requirements of any county, municipality, subdivision or local authority of any jurisdiction.

 

This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement, the prospectus included in the Registration Statement or any prospectus supplement, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the Securities.

 

We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the prospectus constituting part of the Registration Statement.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

/s/ O’Melveny & Myers LLP

 

5




Exhibit 12.1

 

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

 

 

Six
Months
Ended
June 30,

 

Year ended December 31,

 

 

 

2013

 

2012

 

2011

 

2010

 

2009

 

2008

 

 

 

(Dollars in millions)

 

Earnings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before provision for income taxes

 

$

313.9

 

$

391.1

 

$

283.6

 

$

268.2

 

$

304.4

 

$

164.4

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed charges

 

3.1

 

4.9

 

3.5

 

2.7

 

3.1

 

7.5

 

Distributed income of equity investees

 

 

0.4

 

 

0.7

 

0.9

 

0.8

 

Earnings, as adjusted

 

$

317.0

 

$

396.4

 

$

287.1

 

$

271.6

 

$

308.4

 

$

172.7

 

Fixed charges :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

$

2.8

 

$

4.4

 

$

3.1

 

$

2.4

 

$

2.7

 

$

7.2

 

Amortized premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness

 

0.3

 

0.5

 

0.4

 

0.3

 

0.4

 

0.3

 

Fixed charges

 

$

3.1

 

$

4.9

 

$

3.5

 

$

2.7

 

$

3.1

 

$

7.5

 

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

 

103.5

 

81.0

 

81.2

 

99.9

 

100.4

 

23.0

 

 




Exhibit 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated February 28, 2013 relating to the financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Edwards Lifesciences Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.  We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

 

 

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

 

Irvine, California

 

September 5, 2013

 

 




Exhibit 25.1

 

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM T-1

 

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A

CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

 


 

o CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b) (2)

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

 

A National Banking Association

 

94-1347393

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or

 

(I.R.S. Employer

organization if not a U.S. national

 

Identification No.)

bank)

 

 

 

 

 

101 North Phillips Avenue

 

 

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

 

57104

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip code)

 

Wells Fargo & Company
Law Department, Trust Section

MAC N9305-175

Sixth Street and Marquette Avenue, 17 th  Floor

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479

(612) 667-4608

(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)

 


 

EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

36-4316614

(State or other jurisdiction of

 

(I.R.S. Employer

incorporation or organization)

 

Identification No.)

 

 

 

One Edwards Way

 

 

Irvine, California

 

92614

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip code)

 


 

Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

 

 

 



 

Item 1.          General Information.   Furnish the following information as to the trustee:

 

(a)                                  Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject.

 

Comptroller of the Currency

Treasury Department

Washington, D.C.

 

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Washington, D.C.

 

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

San Francisco, California 94120

 

(b)                                  Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

 

The trustee is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

 

Item 2.          Affiliations with Obligor.   If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

 

None with respect to the trustee.

 

No responses are included for Items 3-14 of this Form T-1 because the obligor is not in default as provided under Item 13.

 

Item 15.  Foreign Trustee.       Not applicable.

 

Item 16.  List of Exhibits.        List below all exhibits filed as a part of this Statement of Eligibility.

 

Exhibit 1.                                             A copy of the Articles of Association of the trustee now in effect.*

 

Exhibit 2.                                             A copy of the Comptroller of the Currency Certificate of Corporate Existence for Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, dated June 27, 2012.**

 

Exhibit 3.                                             A copy of the Comptroller of the Currency Certification of Fiduciary Powers for Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, dated December 21, 2011.**

 

Exhibit 4.                                             Copy of By-laws of the trustee as now in effect.***

 

Exhibit 5.                                             Not applicable.

 

Exhibit 6.                                             The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act.

 

Exhibit 7.                                             A copy of the latest report of condition of the trustee published pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority.

 

Exhibit 8.                                             Not applicable.

 

Exhibit 9.                                             Not applicable.

 



 


*                  Incorporated by reference to the exhibit of the same number to the trustee’s Form T-1 filed as exhibit 25 to the Form S-4 dated December 30, 2005 of file number 333-130784.

 

**  Incorporated by reference to the exhibit of the same number to the trustee’s Form T-1 filed as exhibit 25 to the Form S-3 dated January 23, 2013 of file number 333-186155.

 

*** Incorporated by reference to the exhibit of the same number to the trustee’s Form T-1 filed as exhibit 25 to the Form S-4 dated May 26, 2005 of file number 333-125274.

 



 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the trustee, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Los Angeles and State of California on the 14th day of August, 2013.

 

 

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Maddy Hall

 

Maddy Hall

 

Vice President

 



 

EXHIBIT 6

 

August 14, 2013

 

Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C.  20549

 

Gentlemen:

 

In accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents that reports of examination of the undersigned made by Federal, State, Territorial, or District authorities authorized to make such examination may be furnished by such authorities to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request therefor.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Maddy Hall

 

Maddy Hall

 

Vice President

 



 

EXHIBIT 7

 

Consolidated Report of Condition of

Wells Fargo Bank National Association

of 101 North Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,

at the close of business June 30, 2013, filed in accordance with 12 U.S.C. §161 for National Banks.

 

 

 

 

 

Dollar Amounts

 

 

 

 

 

In Millions

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:

 

 

 

 

 

Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin

 

 

 

$

17,427

 

Interest-bearing balances

 

 

 

119,728

 

Securities:

 

 

 

 

 

Held-to-maturity securities

 

 

 

0

 

Available-for-sale securities

 

 

 

217,652

 

Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:

 

 

 

 

 

Federal funds sold in domestic offices

 

 

 

85

 

Securities purchased under agreements to resell

 

 

 

24,809

 

Loans and lease financing receivables:

 

 

 

 

 

Loans and leases held for sale

 

 

 

23,419

 

Loans and leases, net of unearned income

 

754,323

 

 

 

LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses

 

13,809

 

 

 

Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance

 

 

 

740,514

 

Trading Assets

 

 

 

32,173

 

Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)

 

 

 

7,595

 

Other real estate owned

 

 

 

3,068

 

Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies

 

 

 

595

 

Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures

 

 

 

9

 

Intangible assets

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill

 

 

 

21,549

 

Other intangible assets

 

 

 

21,842

 

Other assets

 

 

 

54,073

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total assets

 

 

 

$

1,284,538

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

 

 

 

 

 

Deposits:

 

 

 

 

 

In domestic offices

 

 

 

$

924,162

 

Noninterest-bearing

 

247,984

 

 

 

Interest-bearing

 

676,178

 

 

 

In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs

 

 

 

87,482

 

Noninterest-bearing

 

614

 

 

 

Interest-bearing

 

86,868

 

 

 

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:

 

 

 

 

 

Federal funds purchased in domestic offices

 

 

 

13,062

 

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase

 

 

 

14,800

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Dollar Amounts

 

 

 

 

 

In Millions

 

Trading liabilities

 

 

 

17,166

 

Other borrowed money
(includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)

 

 

 

35,971

 

Subordinated notes and debentures

 

 

 

19,943

 

Other liabilities

 

 

 

33,096

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities

 

 

 

$

1,145,682

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EQUITY CAPITAL

 

 

 

 

 

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus

 

 

 

0

 

Common stock

 

 

 

519

 

Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)

 

 

 

102,952

 

Retained earnings

 

 

 

31,046

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income

 

 

 

3,291

 

Other equity capital components

 

 

 

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total bank equity capital

 

 

 

137,808

 

Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries

 

 

 

1,048

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total equity capital

 

 

 

138,856

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities, and equity capital

 

 

 

$

1,284,538

 

 

I, Timothy J. Sloan, EVP & CFO of the above-named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

 

 

 

 

Timothy J. Sloan

 

 

 

  EVP & CFO

 

We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this Report of Condition and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.

 

Michael Loughlin

Directors

John Stumpf

 

Avid Modjtabai