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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 24, 2022

 

 

FIRST FOUNDATION INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware 001-36461 20-8639702

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification Number)

 

200 Crescent Court, Suite 1400    
Dallas, Texas   75201
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(469) 638-9636

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)   Name of each exchange on which registered
         
Common Stock   FFWM   NASDAQ Global Market

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company ¨

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

 

The disclosures below under Item 8.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K are also responsive to Item 2.03 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and are hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03.

 

Item 8.01 Other Events.

 

Pursuant to the previously announced offering of $150 million aggregate principal amount of 3.50% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2032 (the “Notes”) issued by First Foundation Inc. (the “Company”), the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, entered into an Indenture dated as of January 24, 2022 (the “Base Indenture”) and a First Supplemental Indenture dated as of January 24, 2022 to the Base Indenture (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), providing for the issuance of the Notes.

 

The Notes initially will bear interest at a rate of 3.50% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 1 and August 1 of each year, commencing on August 1, 2022. The last interest payment date for the fixed rate period will be February 1, 2027. From and including February 1, 2027 to, but excluding February 1, 2032 or the date of earlier redemption, the Notes will bear interest at a floating rate per annum equal to the Benchmark rate (which is expected to be Three-Month Term SOFR), each as defined in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, plus 204 basis points, payable quarterly in arrears on February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1 of each year, commencing on May 1, 2027. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Benchmark rate is less than zero, the Benchmark rate will be deemed to be zero.

 

The Company may redeem the Notes at such times and on such terms provided for in the Indenture.

 

The Base Indenture and the Supplemental Indenture (including the form of Notes) are filed as Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

The above-mentioned offering was made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239396) filed by the Company. A copy of the opinion of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP relating to the legality of the Notes is filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

On January 24, 2022, the Company issued a press release announcing the closing of its offering of the Notes. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.   Description
4.1   Indenture, dated January 24, 2022, between First Foundation Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee.
4.2   First Supplemental Indenture, dated January 24, 2022, between First Foundation Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee.
4.3   Form of 3.50% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2032 (included in Exhibit 4.2).
5.1   Opinion of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP.
23.1   Consent of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
99.1   Press Release dated January 24, 2022.
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

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

 

  FIRST FOUNDATION INC.
   
Date: January 24, 2022  By: /s/ KEVIN L. THOMPSON
    Kevin L. Thompson
   

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.1

 

FIRST FOUNDATION INC.

 

TO

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, Trustee

 

Indenture

 

Dated as of January 24, 2022

 

SUBORDINATED DEBT SECURITIES

 

 

 

 

CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS INDENTURE RELATING

TO SECTIONS 3.10 THROUGH 3.18, INCLUSIVE,

OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939:

 

TRUST INDENTURE
ACT SECTION
  INDENTURE
SECTION
ss. 310 (a)(1)   6.09
  (a) (2)   6.09
  (a) (3)   Not Applicable
  (a) (4)   Not Applicable
  (a)(5)   6.09
  (b)   6.08
  (c)   Not Applicable
ss. 311 (a)   6.13
  (b)   6.13
ss. 312 (a)   7.01
  (b)   7.02
  (c)   7.02
ss. 313 (a)   7.03
  (b)   7.03
  (c)   7.03
  (d)   7.04
ss. 314 (a)   7.04
  (a)(4)   10.04
  (b)   Not Applicable
  (c)(1)   1.02
  (c)(2)   1.02
  (c)(3)   Not Applicable
  (d)   Not Applicable
  (e)   1.02
  (f)   Not Applicable
ss. 315 (a)   6.01
  (b)   6.02
  (c)   6.01
  (d)   6.01
  (e)   5.14
ss. 316 (a)   1.06
  (a)(1)(A)   5.02
  (a)(1)(B)   5.13
  (a)(2)   Not Applicable
  (b)   5.08
  (c)   1.04
ss. 317 (a)(1)   5.03
  (a)(2)   5.04
  (b)   10.03
ss. 318 (a)   1.07
  (b)   Not Applicable
  (c)   1.07

 

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

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE One DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION 1
  Section 1.01   Definitions 1
  Section 1.02   Compliance Certificates and Opinions 8
  Section 1.03   Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee 8
  Section 1.04   Acts of Holders; Record Dates 9
  Section 1.05   Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company 11
  Section 1.06   Notice to Holders; Waiver 11
  Section 1.07   Conflict with Trust Indenture Act 11
  Section 1.08   Effect of Headings and Table of Contents 12
  Section 1.09   Successors and Assigns 12
  Section 1.10   Separability Clause 12
  Section 1.11   Benefits of Indenture 12
  Section 1.12   Governing Law; Waiver of Trial by Jury 12
  Section 1.13   Legal Holidays 12
ARTICLE Two SECURITY FORMS 13
  Section 2.01   Forms Generally 13
  Section 2.02   Form of Face of Security 13
  Section 2.03   Form of Reverse of Security 15
  Section 2.04   Form of Legend for Global Securities 19
  Section 2.05   Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication 20
  Section 2.06   Securities Issuable in the Form of a Global Security 20
ARTICLE Three THE SECURITIES 22
  Section 3.01   Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series 22
  Section 3.02   Denominations 25
  Section 3.03   Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating 25
  Section 3.04   Temporary Securities 26
  Section 3.05   Registration; Registration of Transfer and Exchange 27
  Section 3.06   Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities 28
  Section 3.07   Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved 28
  Section 3.08   Persons Deemed Owners 29
  Section 3.09   Cancellation 31
  Section 3.10   Computation of Interest 31
  Section 3.11   CUSIP Numbers 31
  Section 3.12   Further Issuances 31
ARTICLE Four SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE 32
  Section 4.01   Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture 32
  Section 4.02   Application of Trust Money 33

 

-i-

 

 

 

ARTICLE Five REMEDIES 33
  Section 5.01   Events of Default 33
  Section 5.02   Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment 34
  Section 5.03   Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee 35
  Section 5.04   Trustee May File Proofs of Claim 35
  Section 5.05   Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities 36
  Section 5.06   Application of Money Collected 36
  Section 5.07   Limitation on Suits 37
  Section 5.08   Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest or to Convert 37
  Section 5.09   Restoration of Rights and Remedies 37
  Section 5.10   Rights and Remedies Cumulative 38
  Section 5.11   Delay or Omission Not Waiver 38
  Section 5.12   Control by Holders 38
  Section 5.13   Waiver of Past Defaults 38
  Section 5.14   Undertaking for Costs 39
  Section 5.15   Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws 39
ARTICLE Six THE TRUSTEE 39
  Section 6.01   Certain Duties and Responsibilities 39
  Section 6.02   Notice of Defaults 40
  Section 6.03   Certain Rights of Trustee 41
  Section 6.04   Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities 43
  Section 6.05   May Hold Securities 43
  Section 6.06   Money Held in Trust 43
  Section 6.07   Compensation and Reimbursement 43
  Section 6.08   Conflicting Interests 44
  Section 6.09   Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility 44
  Section 6.10   Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor 45
  Section 6.11   Acceptance of Appointment by Successor 46
  Section 6.12   Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business 47
  Section 6.13   Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company 47
  Section 6.14   Appointment of Authenticating Agent 47
ARTICLE Seven HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY 49
  Section 7.01   Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders 49
  Section 7.02   Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders 49
  Section 7.03   Reports by Trustee 50
  Section 7.04   Reports by Company 50
ARTICLE Eight CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE 50
  Section 8.01   Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms 50
  Section 8.02   Successor Substituted 51
ARTICLE Nine SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES 51
  Section 9.01   Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders 51
  Section 9.02   Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders 52
  Section 9.03   Execution of Supplemental Indentures 53
  Section 9.04   Effect of Supplemental Indentures 54
  Section 9.05   Conformity with Trust Indenture Act 54
  Section 9.06   Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures 54
  Section 9.07   Notice to Holders 54

 

-ii-

 

 

ARTICLE Ten COVENANTS 54
  Section 10.01 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest 54
  Section 10.02   Maintenance of Office or Agency 54
  Section 10.03   Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust 55
  Section 10.04   Statement by Officers as to Default 56
  Section 10.05   Existence 56
  Section 10.06   Maintenance of Properties 56
  Section 10.07   Payment of Taxes and Other Claims 57
  Section 10.08   Waiver of Certain Covenants 57
  Section 10.09   Calculation of Original Issue Discount 57
ARTICLE Eleven REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES 57
  Section 11.01   Applicability of Article 57
  Section 11.02   Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee 58
  Section 11.03   Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed 58
  Section 11.04   Notice of Redemption 58
  Section 11.05   Deposit of Redemption Price 60
  Section 11.06   Securities Payable on Redemption Date 60
  Section 11.07   Securities Redeemed in Part 60
ARTICLE Twelve SINKING FUNDS 61
  Section 12.01   Applicability of Article 61
  Section 12.02   Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities 61
  Section 12.03   Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund 61
ARTICLE Thirteen DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE 62
  Section 13.01   Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance 62
  Section 13.02   Defeasance and Discharge 62
  Section 13.03   Covenant Defeasance 62
  Section 13.04   Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance 64
  Section 13.05   Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions 65
  Section 13.06   Reinstatement 65
ARTICLE Fourteen SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES 66
  Section 14.01   Securities Subordinate to Senior Indebtedness 66
  Section 14.02   Payment Over of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc 66
  Section 14.03   Prior Payment to Senior Indebtedness Upon Acceleration of Securities 67
  Section 14.04   No Payment When Senior Indebtedness in Default 68
  Section 14.05   Payment Permitted in Certain Situations 68
         Section 14.06   Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Indebtedness 68

 

-iii-

 

 

  Section 14.07   Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights 69
  Section 14.08   Trustee to Effectuate Subordination 69
  Section 14.09   No Waiver of Subordination Provisions 69
  Section 14.10   Notice to Trustee 70
  Section 14.11   Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent 71
  Section 14.12   Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Persons 71
  Section 14.13   Rights of Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Person; Preservation of Trustee’s Rights 71
  Section 14.14   Article Applicable to Paying Agents 72
  Section 14.15   Securities to Rank Pari Passu with All Other Securities; Payment of Proceeds in Certain Cases 72
  Section 14.16   Certain Conversions Deemed Payment 73
ARTICLE Fifteen CONVERSION OF SECURITIES 74
  Section 15.01   Applicability of Article 74
  Section 15.02   Conversion Privilege and Conversion Price 74
  Section 15.03   Exercise of Conversion Privilege 74
  Section 15.04   Fractions of Shares 75
  Section 15.05   Adjustment of Conversion Price 75
  Section 15.06   Notice of Adjustments of Conversion Price 77
  Section 15.07   Notice of Certain Corporate Action 78
  Section 15.08   Company to Reserve Common Stock 78
  Section 15.09   Taxes on Conversions 79
  Section 15.10   Covenant as to Common Stock 79
  Section 15.11   Cancellation of Converted Securities 79
  Section 15.12   Provisions in Case of Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets 79
  Section 15.13   Responsibility of Trustee 80

 

-iv-

 

 

 

INDENTURE, dated as of January 24, 2022 between First Foundation Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the “Company”), having its principal office at 200 Crescent Court, Suite 1400, Dallas, Texas 75201, and U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association duly organized and existing under the laws of the United States, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).

 

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

 

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured subordinated debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (herein called the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as in this Indenture provided.

 

All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

 

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as follows:

 

ARTICLE One
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION

 

Section 1.01      Definitions.

 

For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

 

(1)            the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;

 

(2)            all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;

 

(3)            all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the date of such computation in the United States;

 

(4)            unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article” or a “Section” refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be, of this Indenture; and

 

(5)            the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

 

-1-

 

 

“Act”, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 1.04.

 

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

 

“Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.14 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of one or more series.

 

“Bank” means (i) any institution which accepts deposits that the depositor has a legal right to withdraw on demand and engages in the business of making commercial loans, and (ii) any trust company.

 

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that board.

 

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Business Day”, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close or on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is closed.

 

“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.

 

“Common Stock” includes any stock of any class of the Company that has no preference in respect of dividends or of amounts payable in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company and that is not subject to redemption by the Company. However, subject to the provisions of Section 15.12, shares issuable on conversion of Securities shall include only shares of the class designated as Common Stock of the Company at the date of this instrument or shares of any class or classes resulting from any reclassification or reclassifications thereof and that have no preference in respect of dividends or of amounts payable in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company and that are not subject to redemption by the Company; provided that if at any time there shall be more than one such resulting class, the shares of each such class then so issuable shall be substantially in the proportion that the total number of shares of such class resulting from all such reclassifications bears to the total number of shares of all such classes resulting from all such reclassifications.

 

-2-

 

 

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.

 

“Company Request” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time this Indenture shall be principally administered, which office at the date of the execution of this instrument is located at 633 West Fifth Street, 24th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention: B. Scarbrough (First Foundation Base Indenture), or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Company).

 

“corporation” means a corporation, association, company, joint-stock company or business trust.

 

“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.03.

 

“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 3.07.

 

“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.02.

 

“Depositary” means, unless otherwise specified by the Company pursuant to Sections 2.06 or 3.01, with respect to Securities of any series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, or any successor thereto registered under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statue or regulation.

 

“Entitled Persons” means any Person entitled to payment pursuant to the terms of “Other Financial Obligations.”

 

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.

 

“Excess Proceeds” has the meaning specified in Section 14.15(c).

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

 

“Expiration Date” has the meaning specified in Section 1.04.

 

“Final Conversion Date”, when used with respect to any Security, means the last day on which such Security shall be convertible into Common Stock.

 

“Foreign Government Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 13.04.

 

-3-

 

 

“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of the Securities of any series which is executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee to the Depository or pursuant to the Depository’s instruction, all in accordance with this Indenture and pursuant to a Company Order, which shall be registered as to principal and interest in the name of the Depository or its nominee.

  

“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.

 

“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed and as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, including, for all purposes of this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term “Indenture” shall also include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 3.01.

 

“Initial Conversion Date”, when used with respect to any Security, means the first day on which such Security shall be convertible into Common Stock.

 

“Initial Conversion Price”, when used with respect to any Security, means the price at which the Common Stock shall be delivered upon conversion of such Security, prior to any adjustment of such price as provided herein.

 

“Interest”, when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.

 

“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

 

“Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

 

“Junior Securities” has the meaning specified in Section 14.16.

 

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

 

“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee. One of the officers signing an Officers’ Certificate given pursuant to Section 10.04 shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of the Company.

 

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for the Company, and who shall be acceptable to the Trustee.

 

-4-

 

 

“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02.

  

“Other Financial Obligations” means, unless otherwise determined with respect to any series of Securities pursuant to Section 3.01, whether outstanding on the date of the Indenture or thereafter created, incurred or assumed, all obligations of the Company to make payment pursuant to the terms of financial instruments such as (i) securities contracts and foreign currency exchange contracts, (ii) derivative instruments, such as swap agreements (including interest rate and currency and foreign exchange rate swap agreements), cap agreements, floor agreements, collar agreements, interest rate agreements, foreign exchange rate agreements, options, commodity futures contracts and commodity options contracts and (iii) financial instruments similar to those set forth in (i) or (ii) above; provided, however, that Other Financial Obligations shall not include (A) obligations on account of Senior Indebtedness and (B) obligations on account of indebtedness for money borrowed ranking pari passu with or subordinate to the Securities.

 

“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

 

(1)            Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

 

(2)            Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;

 

(3)            Securities as to which Defeasance has been effected pursuant to Section 13.02; and

 

(4)            Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 3.06 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company; provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given, made or taken any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action hereunder as of any date, (A) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof which would be due and payable as of such date upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof to such date pursuant to Section 5.02, (B) if, as of such date, the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of a Security is not determinable, the principal amount of such Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount as specified or determined as contemplated by Section 3.01, (C) the principal amount of a Security denominated in one or more foreign currencies or currency units which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined as of such date in the manner provided as contemplated by Section 3.01, of the principal amount of such Security (or, in the case of a Security described in clause (A) or (B) above, of the amount determined as provided in such clause), and (D) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.

 

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“Paying Agent” means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

 

“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

 

“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, means the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of that series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 3.01.

 

“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.06 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.

 

“Redemption Date”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

 

“Redemption Price”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

 

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 3.01.

 

“Responsible Officer”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any trust officer or assistant trust officer or any other officer in the corporate trust department of the Trustee having direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter relating to this Indenture, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

 

“Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

 

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“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.

 

“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.05.

 

“Senior Indebtedness” means the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on (a) all indebtedness of the Company (including indebtedness of others guaranteed by the Company), other than the Securities, which is (i) for money borrowed or (ii) evidenced by a note or similar instrument given in connection with the acquisition of any businesses, properties or assets of any kind, and (b) amendments, renewals, extensions, modifications or refundings of any such indebtedness, unless in any case in the instrument creating or evidencing any such indebtedness or pursuant to which the same is outstanding it is provided that such indebtedness is not superior in right of payment to the Securities or is to rank pari passu with or subordinate to the Securities.

 

“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Company pursuant to Section 3.07.

 

“Stated Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.

 

“Subsidiary” means a corporation more than 50% of the outstanding voting stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, “voting stock” means stock which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.

 

“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this Indenture was executed; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.

 

“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.

 

“U.S. Government Obligation” has the meaning specified in Section 13.04.

 

“Vice President”, when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president”.

 

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Section 1.02      Compliance Certificates and Opinions.

 

Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust Indenture Act. Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of an Officers’ Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in this Indenture.

 

Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (except for certificates provided for in Section 10.04) shall include:

 

(1)            a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

 

(2)            a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

 

(3)            a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

 

(4)            a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

 

Section 1.03      Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

 

In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

 

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.

 

Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

 

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Section 1.04      Acts of Holders; Record Dates.

  

(a)            Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed (either manually or by electronic transmission which is transmitted through the facilities of the Depositary) by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 6.01) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.

 

(b)            The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.

 

(c)            The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.

 

(d)            Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

 

(e)            The Company may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to give, make or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders of Securities of such series, provided that the Company may not set a record date for, and the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, the giving or making of any notice, declaration, request or direction referred to in the next paragraph. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to take the relevant action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Company from setting a new record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this Section 1.04(e) shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company, at its own expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Trustee in writing and to each Holder of Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 1.06.

 

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(i)            The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any notice of an Event of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 5.02, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 5.07(2) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 5.12, in each case with respect to Securities of such series. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to join in such notice, declaration, request or direction, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Trustee from setting a new record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Company in writing and to each Holder of Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 1.06.

 

(f)            With respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which sets such record dates may designate any day as the “Expiration Date” and from time to time may change the Expiration Date to any earlier or later day; provided that no such change shall be effective unless notice of the proposed new Expiration Date is given to the other party hereto in writing, and to each Holder of Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 1.06, on or prior to the existing Expiration Date. If an Expiration Date is not designated with respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which set such record date shall be deemed to have initially designated the 90th day after such record date as the Expiration Date with respect thereto, subject to its right to change the Expiration Date as provided in this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Expiration Date shall be later than the 90th day after the applicable record date.

 

(g)            Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal amount.

 

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Section 1.05      Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.

  

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

 

(1)            the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office.

 

(2)            the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company.

 

Section 1.06      Notice to Holders; Waiver.

 

Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary (with a copy to the Trustee), not later than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any), prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

 

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.

 

Section 1.07      Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

 

If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.

 

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Section 1.08      Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

 

The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

Section 1.09      Successors and Assigns.

 

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

 

Section 1.10      Separability Clause.

 

In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

Section 1.11      Benefits of Indenture.

 

Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder, the holders of Senior Indebtedness subject to Section 14.15, Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

 

Section 1.12      Governing Law; Waiver of Trial by Jury.

 

This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York. This Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required or deemed to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provision.

 

EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE, AND EACH HOLDER OF A SECURITY BY ITS ACCEPTANCE THEREOF, HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.

 

Section 1.13      Legal Holidays.

 

In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security or the last date on which a Holder has the right to convert his Securities shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities (other than a provision of any Security which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section)) payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) or conversion of the Securities need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, or on such last day for conversion, provided that no interest shall accrue with respect to such payment for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be.

 

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ARTICLE Two
SECURITY FORMS

 

Section 2.01      Forms Generally.

 

The Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form set forth in this Article, or in such other form as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary therefor or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 3.03 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

 

The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

 

Section 2.02      Form of Face of Security.

 

[If the Security is an Original Issue Discount Security, insert - FOR PURPOSES OF SECTION 1273 OF THE UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED, THE ISSUE PRICE OF THIS SECURITY IS ___% OF ITS PRINCIPAL AMOUNT AND THE ISSUE DATE IS  .]

 

[Insert any additional legends required by the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder.] THIS NOTE IS NOT A SAVINGS ACCOUNT OR DEPOSIT AND IS NOT INSURED BY THE ISSUER, ANY OF THE ISSUER’S AFFILIATES, THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE DEPOSIT INSURANCE FUND, OR ANY OTHER FEDERAL GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.

 

FIRST FOUNDATION INC.

 

CUSIP No.

 

No.    $

 

First Foundation Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of Delaware (herein called the “Company”, which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to  , or registered assigns, the principal sum of   Dollars on   [if the Security is to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert - , and to pay interest thereon from   or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually on   and   in each year, commencing   at the rate of ___% per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the   or   (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Company, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture].

 

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[If the Security is not to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert - The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a default in the payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption or at Stated Maturity and in such case the overdue principal and any overdue premium shall bear interest at the rate of ___% per annum (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), from the dates such amounts are due until they are paid or made available for payment. Interest on any overdue principal or premium shall be payable on demand.]

 

Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and [if applicable, insert - any such] interest on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in   [insert applicable Place of Payment] in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts [if applicable, insert - ; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register].

 

[Interest on this Security shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.]

 

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

 

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

 

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

 

Dated:

 

FIRST FOUNDATION INC.

 

By:

 

Attest:

 

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Section 2.03      Form of Reverse of Security.

 

This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of   (herein called the “Indenture”, which term shall have the meaning assigned to it in such instrument), between the Company and ________________________________________, as trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), and reference is hereby made to the Indenture for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof [, limited in aggregate principal amount to [$]  ].

 

[If applicable, insert - The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 days’ notice by mail, [if applicable, insert - (1) on   in any year commencing with the year ___and ending with the year ___through operation of the sinking fund for this series at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount, and (2)] at any time [if applicable, insert - on or after  , ___], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the following Redemption Prices (expressed as percentages of the principal amount): If redeemed [if applicable, insert on or before  , ___%, and if redeemed] during the 12-month period beginning   of the years indicated,

 

Year   Redemption Price   Year   Redemption Price
             

 

and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to___% of the principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption [if applicable, insert - (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise)] with accrued interest to the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.]

 

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[If applicable, insert - Subject to and in compliance with the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Security is entitled, at his option, at any time on or after the opening of business on the Initial Conversion Date and on or before the close of business on the Final Conversion Date, or in case this Security or a portion hereof is called for redemption, then in respect of this Security or such portion hereof until and including, but (unless the Company defaults in making the payment due upon redemption) not after, the close of business on the Redemption Date, to convert this Security (or any portion of the principal amount hereof which is $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof), at the principal amount hereof, or of such portion, into fully paid and non-assessable shares (calculated as to each conversion to the nearest 1/100 of a share) of Common Stock of the Company at the Initial Conversion Price (or at the current adjusted conversion price if an adjustment has been made as provided in the Indenture) by surrender of this Security, duly endorsed or assigned to the Company or in blank, to the Company at its office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, accompanied by written notice to the Company that the Holder hereof elects to convert this Security, or if less than the entire principal amount hereof is to be converted, the portion hereof to be converted, and, in case such surrender shall be made during the period from the close of business on any Regular Record Date next preceding any Interest Payment Date (unless this Security or the portion thereof being converted has been called for redemption on a Redemption Date within such period), also accompanied by payment in New York Clearing House or other funds acceptable to the Company of an amount equal to the interest payable on such Interest Payment Date on the principal amount of this Security then being converted. Subject to the aforesaid requirement for payment in the case of a conversion after the Regular Record Date next preceding any Interest Payment Date and on or before such Interest Payment Date, to the right of the Holder of this Security (or any Predecessor Security) of record at such Regular Record Date to receive an installment of interest (with certain exceptions provided in the Indenture), no payment or adjustment is to be made on conversion for interest accrued hereon or for dividends on the Common Stock issued on conversion. No fractions of shares or scrip representing fractions of shares will be issued on conversion, but instead of any fractional interest the Company shall pay a cash adjustment as provided in the Indenture. The conversion price is subject to adjustment as provided in the Indenture. In addition, the Indenture provides that in case of certain consolidations or mergers to which the Company is a party or the transfer of substantially all of the assets of the Company, the Indenture shall be amended, without the consent of any Holders of Securities, so that this Security, if then outstanding, will be convertible thereafter, during the period this Security shall be convertible as specified above, only into the kind and amount of securities, cash and other property receivable upon the consolidation, merger or transfer by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock into which this Security might have been converted immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or transfer (assuming such holder of Common Stock failed to exercise any rights of election and received per share the kind and amount received per share by a plurality of non-electing shares), assuming, if such consolidation, merger or transfer is prior to the Initial Conversion Date, that is Security were convertible at the time of such consolidation, merger or transfer at the Initial Conversion Price specified above as adjusted from the date of establishment of the Initial Conversion Price to such time pursuant to the Indenture.]

 

[If applicable, insert - The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 days’ notice by mail, (1) on   in any year commencing with the year   and ending with the year ___through operation of the sinking fund for this series at the Redemption Prices for redemption through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table below, and (2) at any time [if applicable, insert - on or after  .], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the Redemption Prices for redemption otherwise than through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table below: If redeemed during the 12-month period beginning   of the years indicated,

 

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      Redemption Price for Redemption   Redemption Price for Redemption  
      Through Operation   Otherwise than Through Operation  
  Year   of the Sinking Fund   of the Sinking Fund  
             

 

and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to ___% of the principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) with accrued interest to the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.]

 

[If applicable, insert - Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not, prior to ___, redeem any Securities of this series as contemplated by [if applicable, insert - clause (2) of] the preceding paragraph as a part of, or in anticipation of, any refunding operation by the application, directly or indirectly, of moneys borrowed having an interest cost to the Company (calculated in accordance with generally accepted financial practice) of less than ___% per annum.]

 

[If applicable, insert - The sinking fund for this series provides for the redemption on   in each year beginning with the year ___and ending with the year ___of [if applicable, insert - not less than $  (“mandatory sinking fund”) and not more than] $  aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series. Securities of this series acquired or redeemed by the Company otherwise than through [if applicable, insert - mandatory] sinking fund payments may be credited against subsequent [if applicable, insert - mandatory] sinking fund payments otherwise required to be made [if applicable, insert - , in the inverse order in which they become due].]

 

[If the Security is subject to redemption of any kind, insert - In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]

 

The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of a Security, by its acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that, to the extent and in the manner set forth in Article Fourteen of the Indenture, the indebtedness represented by the Securities and the payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on each and all of the Securities are hereby expressly made subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations.

 

[If applicable, insert - The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of [the entire indebtedness of this Security] [or] [certain restrictive covenants and Events of Default with respect to this Security] [, in each case] upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.]

 

[If the Security is not an Original Issue Discount Security, insert - If an Event of Default (defined in the Indenture as certain events involving the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company) with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. There is no right of acceleration of the payment of principal of the Securities of this series upon a default in the payment of [an installment of principal of (or premium, if any) or] interest on such Securities or in the performance of any covenant of the Company in the Indenture or in such Securities.]

 

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[If the Security is an Original Issue Discount Security, insert - If an Event of Default (defined in the Indenture as certain events involving the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company) with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, an amount of principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. Such amount shall be equal to - insert formula for determining the amount. Upon payment (i) of the amount of principal so declared due and payable and (ii) of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest (in each case to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), all of the Company’s obligations in respect of the payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall terminate. There is no right of acceleration of the payment of principal of the Securities of this series upon a default in the payment of [an installment of principal of (or premium, if any) or] interest on such Securities or in the performance of any covenant of the Company in the Indenture or in such Securities.]

 

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

 

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed. [If applicable, insert - or to convert this Security as provided in the Indenture.]

 

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

 

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The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $  and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

 

No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

 

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

 

All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

 

This Security shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York.

 

Section 2.04      Form of Legend for Global Securities.

 

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for the Securities evidenced thereby, every Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

 

[If the Security is a Global Security, insert - Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation (the “Depositary”), to the Company or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in such other name as is requested by an authorized representative of the Depositary, ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.

 

UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR THE INDIVIDUAL SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY, THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.]

 

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Section 2.05      Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.

 

The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:

 

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

Dated:

 

  U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee 
   
  By:  
    Authorized Signatory

 

Section 2.06      Securities Issuable in the Form of a Global Security.

 

(a)            If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 3.01 that the Securities of a particular series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 3.03 and the Company Order delivered to the Trustee thereunder, authenticate and deliver, such Global Security or Securities, which (i) shall represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of, the Outstanding Securities of such series to be represented by such Global Security or Securities, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities or its nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Securities represented hereby, this Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such success Depositary.”

 

(b)            Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.06 or of Section 3.05, unless the terms of a Global Security expressly permit such Global Security to be exchanged in whole or in part for individual Securities, a Global Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the manner provided in Section 3.05, only to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary for such Global Security, or to a successor Depositary for such Global Security selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in a Global Security shall not be entitled to receive physical delivery of the Securities represented by such Global Security and will not be considered the Holders thereof for any purpose under this Indenture.

 

(c)            (i) If at any time the Depositary for a Global Security notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time the Depositary for the Securities for such series shall no longer be eligible or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, the Company shall appoint a successor Depositary with respect to such Global Security. If a successor Depositary for such Global Security is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Company’s election pursuant to Section 3.01(16) shall no longer be effective with respect to such Global Security and the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities of such series in exchange for such Global Security, will authenticate and deliver individual Securities of such series of like tenor and terms in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security in exchange for such Global Security.

 

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(ii)            The Company may at any time and in its sole discretion determine that the Securities of any series issued or issuable in the form of one or more Global Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Securities. In such event the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities of such series in exchange in whole or in part for such Global Security, will authenticate and deliver individual Securities of such series of like tenor and terms in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Global Security or Securities representing such series in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

 

(iii)            A Global Security will also be exchangeable if there shall have occurred or be continuing an Event of Default or an event which, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series represented by such Global Security. In such event the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Securities of such series in exchange in whole or in part for such Global Security, will authenticate and deliver individual Securities of such series of like tenor and terms in definitive form in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Global Security or Securities representing such series in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

 

(iv)            If specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to Securities issued or issuable in the form of a Global Security, the Depositary for such Global Security may surrender such Global Security in exchange in whole or in part for individual Securities of such series of like tenor and terms in definitive form on such terms as are acceptable to the Company and such Depositary. Thereupon the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, without service charge, (1) to each Person specified by such Depositary a new Security or Securities of the same series of like tenor and terms and of any authorized denominations as requested by such Person or the Depositary in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security; and (2) to such Depositary a new Global Security of like tenor and terms and in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of Securities delivered to Holders thereof.

 

(v)            In any exchange provided for in any of the preceding four paragraphs, the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver individual fully registered Securities in authorized denominations. Upon the exchange of a Global Security for individual Securities, such Global Security shall be cancelled by the Trustee. Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.06 shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, pursuant to the instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee in writing. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.

 

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(vi)            Members in and participants of the Depositary shall have no rights under the Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by a Depositary, and such Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee, from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by a Depositary or impair, as between a Depositary and its members and participants, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of any Security of the series represented by such Global Security, including, without limitation, the granting of proxies or other authorization of participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.

 

ARTICLE Three
THE SECURITIES

 

Section 3.01      Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.

 

The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

 

The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and, subject to Section 3.03, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in an Officers’ Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:

 

(1)            the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from Securities of any other series);

 

(2)            any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 9.06 or 11.07 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 3.03, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);

 

(3)            the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be payable, if other than the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;

 

(4)            the date or dates on which the principal of any Securities of the series is payable;

 

(5)            the rate or rates at which any Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which any such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for any such interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;

 

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(6)            the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable;

 

(7)            the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

 

(8)            the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase any Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

 

(9)            if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which any Securities of the series shall be issuable;

 

(10)            if the amount of principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index or pursuant to a formula, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;

 

(11)            if other than the currency of the United States of America, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in the currency of the United States of America for any purpose, including for purposes of the definition of “Outstanding” in Section 1.01;

 

(12)            if the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the Company or the Holder thereof, in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or any premium or interest on such Securities as to which such election is made shall be payable, the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made and the amount so payable (or the manner in which such amount shall be determined);

 

(13)            if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of any Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02;

 

(14)            if the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of any Securities of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the Stated Maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the principal amount of such Securities as of any such date for any purpose thereunder or hereunder, including the principal amount thereof which shall be due and payable upon any Maturity other than the Stated Maturity or which shall be deemed to be Outstanding as of any date prior to the Stated Maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount shall be determined);

 

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(15)            if applicable, that the Securities of the series, in whole or any specified part, shall be defeasible pursuant to Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 or both such Sections and, if other than by a Board Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to defease such Securities shall be evidenced;

 

(16)            if applicable, that any Securities of the series shall be issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the respective Depositaries for such Global Securities, the form of any legend or legends which shall be borne by any such Global Security in addition to or in lieu of that set forth in Section 2.04 and any circumstances in which any such Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and any transfer of such Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name or names of Persons other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof;

 

(17)            any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 5.02;

 

(18)            any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Article Ten which applies to Securities of the series;

 

(19)            if applicable, that the Securities of the series shall be convertible pursuant to Article Fifteen, and the Initial Conversion Price, the Initial Conversion Date, the Final Conversion Date and any other terms relating to the conversion of the Securities as provided herein; and

 

(20)            any other terms of the series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 9.01(5)).

 

All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 3.03) set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officers’ Certificate referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto. All securities of any one series need not be issued at one time and, unless otherwise provided, a series may be reopened for issuances of additional securities of such series.

 

Unless otherwise specifically provided with respect to the Securities of a series, at the option of the Company, interest on the Securities of any series that bears interest may be paid by mailing a check to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register.

 

If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officers’ Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.

 

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Section 3.02      Denominations.

 

The Securities of each series shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons and only in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 3.01. In the absence of any such specified denomination with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.

 

Section 3.03      Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.

 

The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its President or one of its Vice Presidents attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual, facsimile or electronic.

 

Securities bearing the manual, facsimile or electronic signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.

 

At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. If the form or terms of the Securities of the series have been established by or pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions as permitted by Sections 2.01 and 3.01, in authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive in addition to any Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel required to be furnished to the Trustee pursuant to Section 1.02, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating:

 

(1)            if the form of such Securities has been established by or pursuant to Board Resolution as permitted by Section 2.01, that such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;

 

(2)            if the terms of such Securities have been established by or pursuant to Board Resolution as permitted by Section 3.01, that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;

 

(3)            that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles;

 

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(4)            that all laws and requirements in respect of the execution and delivery of such Securities have been complied with; and

 

(5)            that all conditions precedent under the Indenture relating to the issuance, authentication and delivery of such securities have been complied with.

 

If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.01 and of the preceding paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Officers’ Certificate otherwise required pursuant to Section 3.01 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the authentication of each Security of such series if such documents are delivered at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security of such series to be issued.

 

Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

 

No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by manual signature, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 3.09, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.

 

Section 3.04      Temporary Securities.

 

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.

 

If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for that series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series and tenor.

 

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Section 3.05      Registration; Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

 

The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office and in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.

 

Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of a series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.

 

At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

 

All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

 

Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

 

No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 3.04, 9.06 or 11.07 not involving any transfer.

 

If the Securities of any series (or of any series and specified tenor) are to be redeemed in part, the Company shall not be required (A) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of that series (or of that series and specified tenor, as the case may be) during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of any such Securities selected for redemption under Section 11.03 and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (B) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

 

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None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Securities Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the Depositary’s records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a Global Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

 

Section 3.06      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 (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and 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, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

 

Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.

 

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

 

Section 3.07      Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

 

Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.

 

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Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (1) or (2) below:

 

(1)            The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Company shall fix or cause to be fixed to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Company or the Trustee, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be given to each Holder of Securities of such series in the manner set forth in Section 1.06, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (2).

 

(2)            The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.

 

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

 

Section 3.08      Persons Deemed Owners.

 

Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.07) any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

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In the case of any convertible Security which is converted after any Regular Record Date and on or prior to the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (other than any Security whose Maturity is prior to such Interest Payment Date), interest whose Stated Maturity is on such Interest Payment Date shall be payable on such Interest Payment Date notwithstanding such conversion, and such interest (whether or not punctually paid or duly provided for) shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on such Regular Record Date. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the immediately preceding sentence, in the case of any convertible Security which is converted, interest whose Stated Maturity is after the date of conversion of such Security shall not be payable.

 

No holder of any beneficial interest in any Global Security held on such holder’s behalf by a Depositary shall have any rights under this Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and such Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the owner of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall impair, as between a Depositary and such holders of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary as Holder of any Security.

 

None of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Security Registrar shall have any responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner in a Global Security or other Person with respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depositary or its nominee or of any agent member, with respect to any ownership interest in the Securities or with respect to the delivery to any agent member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary) of any notice (including any notice of redemption) or the payment of any amount, under or with respect to such Securities. All notices and communications to be given to the Holders and all payments to be made to Holders under the Securities and this Indenture shall be given or made only to or upon the order of the registered holders (which shall be the Depositary or its nominee in the case of the Global Security). The rights of beneficial owners in the Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary subject to the applicable procedures. The Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Security Registrar shall be entitled to rely and shall be fully protected in relying upon information furnished by the Depositary with respect to its members, participants and any beneficial owners. The Trustee, the Paying Agent and the Security Registrar shall be entitled to deal with the Depositary, and any nominee thereof, that is the registered holder of any Global Security for all purposes of this Indenture relating to such Global Security (including the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest and additional amounts, if any, and the giving of instructions or directions by or to the owner or holder of a beneficial ownership interest in such Global Security) as the sole holder of such Global Security and shall have no obligations to the beneficial owners thereof.

 

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None of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Security Registrar shall have any responsibility or liability for any acts or omissions of the Depository with respect to such Global Security, for the records of any such Depositary, including records in respect of beneficial ownership interests in respect of any such Global Security, for any transactions between the Depository and any agent member or between or among the Depositary, any such agent member and/or any holder or owner of a beneficial interest in such Global Security, or for any transfer or beneficial interests in any such Global Security.

 

Section 3.09      Cancellation.

 

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or conversion or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures.

 

Section 3.10      Computation of Interest.

 

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

 

Section 3.11      CUSIP Numbers.

 

The Company, in issuing the Securities, may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use) and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notice 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 any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the “CUSIP” numbers.

 

Section 3.12      Further Issuances.

 

The Company may from time to time without the consent of the Holders of Securities of any series affected create and issue further Securities of such series having the same terms and conditions as the Securities of such series in all respects (or in all respects except for the payment of interest of the Securities of such series (i) scheduled and paid prior to the date of issuance of the additional Securities of such series or (ii) payable on the first Interest Payment Date following such issuance) so that such further issues shall be consolidated and form a single series with the outstanding Securities of any series. Any further Securities forming a single series with the outstanding Securities of any series may be constituted by the Indenture or any supplement to this Indenture.

 

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ARTICLE Four
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

 

Section 4.01      Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

 

This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of conversion, registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute such instruments reasonably requested by the Company acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

 

(1)            either

 

(A)            all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.06 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 10.03) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

 

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

 

(i)            have become due and payable, or

 

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

 

(iii)            are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and the Company, in the case of (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose money in an amount sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;

 

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

 

(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ 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 or the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 6.07, the obligations of the Company to any Authenticating Agent under Section 6.14 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.02 and the last paragraph of Section 10.03 shall survive. The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture.

 

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Section 4.02      Application of Trust Money.

 

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.03, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01 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 any premium and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee. All monies deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01 (and held by it or the Paying Agent) for the payment of Securities subsequently converted shall be returned to the Company upon Company Request.

 

Money deposited and held in trust pursuant to this Section 4.02 shall not be subject to claims of the holders of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Persons under Article Fourteen.

 

ARTICLE Five
REMEDIES

 

Section 5.01      Events of Default.

 

“Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be occasioned by the provisions of Article Fourteen or be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):

 

(1)            the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable Federal or State law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days;

 

(2)            the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable Federal or State law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in furtherance of any such action; or

 

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(3)            default in (i) the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of such series as and when the same shall become due and payable either at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise or (ii) any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series;

 

(4)            default in the payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Securities of such series as and when the same shall become due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 90 days;

 

(5)            failure on the part of the Company duly to observe or perform any other of the covenants or agreements on the part of the Company contained in the Securities or in this Indenture for a period of 90 days after the date on which written notice of such failure, requiring the Company to remedy the same, shall have been given to the Company by the Trustee, or to the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that series at the time Outstanding; or

 

(6)            any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that series.

 

Section 5.02      Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

 

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs, the principal amount of all the Securities of that series (or, if any Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified by the terms thereof) shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable.

 

At any time after such acceleration with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by 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 a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, may rescind and annul such acceleration and its consequences if:

 

(1)            the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

 

(A)            all overdue interest on all Securities of that series,

 

(B)            the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and

 

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(C)            all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel;

 

and

 

(2)            all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13.

 

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

Section 5.03      Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

 

The Company covenants that, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Sections 5.01(3) or (4), the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and any premium and interest 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 shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

 

If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series 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.

 

Section 5.04      Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

 

In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise, to take any and all actions authorized under the such proceeding or otherwise, to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such proceeding. In particular, the Trustee shall be authorized (i) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal (and premium, if any) and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities in accordance with the terms thereof 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, expense, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and (ii) 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, if the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to the Trustee for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.07.

 

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No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided, however, that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors’ or other similar committee.

 

Section 5.05      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 5.06      Application of Money Collected.

 

Any money or distributable collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article and any money or other distributable in respect of the Company’s obligation under this Indenture after the occurrence of an Event of Default 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 distributable on account of principal or any premium or interest, upon presentation of 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 the Trustee under Section 6.07; and

 

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

 

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Section 5.07      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

 

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

 

(2)            the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written request to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

 

(3)            such Holder or Holders have offered, and, if requested, provided to the Trustee indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

 

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

 

(5)            no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series; it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.

 

Section 5.08      Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest or to Convert.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.07) interest on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and, if applicable, to convert such Security in accordance with Article Fifteen, to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and right to convert, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

 

Section 5.09      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.

 

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Section 5.10      Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

 

Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 3.06, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

 

Section 5.11      Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

 

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of 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 5.12      Control by Holders.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(3)            such direction is not unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders (it being understood that the Trustee shall not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any such direction is unduly prejudicial to any other Holder).

 

Section 5.13      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

 

(1)            in the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of such series, or

 

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(2)            in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.

 

Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

Section 5.14      Undertaking for Costs.

 

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

 

Section 5.15      Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.

 

The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

 

ARTICLE Six
THE TRUSTEE

 

Section 6.01      Certain Duties and Responsibilities.

 

(a)            Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,

 

(1)            the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee (it being understood that the permissive rights of the Trustee shall not be construed as duties); and

 

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(2)            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 certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

 

(b)            In case an Event of Default with respect to Securities of a particular series shall have occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise with respect to the Securities of such series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

 

(c)            No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(1)            this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of Subsection (a) of this Section;

 

(2)            the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

 

(3)            the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any 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; and

 

(4)            no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

 

(d)            Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

 

Section 6.02      Notice of Defaults.

 

Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default hereunder actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of Securities of such series, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, notice of such default hereunder, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment with respect to Securities of such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders of Securities of such series; and provided, further, that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 5.01(5) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series.

 

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Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel will be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

 

The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any 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 an Event of Default is received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Notes and this Indenture.

 

Section 6.03      Certain Rights of Trustee.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 6.01:

 

(1)            the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

 

(2)            any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, and any resolution of the Board of Directors shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

 

(3)            whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate;

 

(4)            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;

 

(5)            the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

 

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(6)            the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;

 

(7)            the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;

 

(8)            the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture;

 

(9)            the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any 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 an Event of Default is received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture, unless the Trustee has received notice of such Event of Default pursuant to Section 10.04 hereof;

 

(10)            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;

 

(11)            the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded;

 

(12)            the Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the execution of the trusts and powers under this Indenture;

 

(13)            anything in this Indenture notwithstanding, in no event shall the Trustee be liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to loss of profit), even if the Trustee has been advised as to the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action; and

 

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(14)            the Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control, including, without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fire; flood; terrorism; wars and other military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions; loss or malfunctions of utilities, computer (hardware or software) or communication services; any act or provision of any present of future law or regulation or governmental authority, the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or telex or other wire; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority and governmental action.

 

Section 6.04      Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.

 

The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

 

Section 6.05      May Hold Securities.

 

The Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 6.08 and 6.13, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.

 

Section 6.06      Money Held in Trust.

 

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.

 

Section 6.07      Compensation and Reimbursement.

 

The Company agrees

 

(1)            to pay to the Trustee (acting in any capacity hereunder) from time to time such compensation as shall be agreed in writing between the Company and the Trustee for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

 

(2)            except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee (acting in any capacity hereunder) upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or willful misconduct; and

 

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(3)            to indemnify each of the Trustee (acting in any capacity hereunder) and any predecessor Trustee and their officers, agents, directors and employees for, and to hold them harmless against, any and all loss, liability, damage, claim or expense, including taxes (other than taxes based on the income of the Trustee) incurred without gross negligence or willful misconduct on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts and the performance of its duties and/or the exercise of its rights hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim (whether against the Company, a Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder or in connection with enforcing the Provisions of this Section 6.07.

 

The Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities as to all property and funds held by it hereunder for any amount owing it or any predecessor Trustee pursuant to this Section 6.07, except with respect to funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities.

 

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(1) or Section 5.01(2), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.

 

The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture and the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee.

 

Section 6.08      Conflicting Interests.

 

If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture.

 

Section 6.09      Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

 

There shall at all times be one (and only one) Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of each series, which may be Trustee hereunder for Securities of one or more other series. Each Trustee shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act to act as such, and has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If any such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section and to the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

 

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Section 6.10      Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

 

(a)            No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11.

 

(b)            The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 6.11 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

 

(c)            The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee and to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of removal, the Trustee being removed may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

 

(d)            If at any time:

 

(1)            the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 6.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or

 

(2)            the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.09 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or

 

(3)            the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation, then, in any such case, (A) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (B) subject to Section 5.14, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.

 

(e)            If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 6.11, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.

 

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(f)            The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series to all Holders of Securities of such series in the manner provided in Section 1.06. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

 

The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture.

 

Section 6.11      Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

 

(a)            In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges (including fees and expenses of its agents and counsel), execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.

 

(b)            In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of fees and expenses of its agents and counsel, duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.

 

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(c)            Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in the first or second preceding paragraph, as the case may be.

 

(d)            No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

 

Section 6.12      Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

 

Any organization or other entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any organization or other entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any organization or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee (including the administration of this Indenture), shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such organization or other entity shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

 

Section 6.13      Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

 

If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).

 

Section 6.14      Appointment of Authenticating Agent.

 

The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer, partial conversion or partial redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 3.06, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.

  

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Any organization or other entity into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any organization or other entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any organization or other entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent (including under this Indenture), shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such organization or other entity shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

 

An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall give notice of such appointment in the manner provided in Section 1.06 to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.

 

The Company agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section.

 

If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form.

 

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This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

                                                                                                                                  ,

 

As Trustee

 

By ,

As Authenticating Agent

 

By 

Authorized Signatory

 

ARTICLE Seven
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY

 

Section 7.01      Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.

 

The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:

 

(1)            semi-annually, not later than 10 calendar days after each Regular Record Date in each year, a list for each series of Securities, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of Securities of each series as of the preceding Regular Record Date, and

 

(2)            at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; excluding from any such list names and addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar.

 

Section 7.02      Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.

 

The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.01 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 7.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.

 

The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act.

 

Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.

 

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Section 7.03      Reports by Trustee.

  

(a)            Within 60 days after May 15 of each year commencing with the year 2023, the Trustee shall transmit to all Holders of Securities of each series, as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, and to any other Persons specified in Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act, a brief report dated as of such May 15, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

(b)            A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon which the Securities of any series are listed, with the Commission and with the Company. The Company will notify the Trustee when the Securities of any series are listed on any stock exchange.

 

Section 7.04      Reports by Company.

 

The Company shall file with the Trustee and the Commission, and transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to such Act; provided that any such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is so required to be filed with the Commission; provided, however, that the public filing of any such information with the Commission shall satisfy the requirement hereunder to file or otherwise deliver such information with the Trustee or the Holders.

 

Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive or actual notice or knowledge 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 Officers’ Certificates). The Trustee shall have no obligation to monitor or determine whether or not such information, documents or reports have been filed with the Commission or the contents of such filings.

 

ARTICLE Eight
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE

 

Section 8.01      Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.

 

The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless:

 

(1)            the corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation, partnership or trust, shall be organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia and shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on all the Securities and the performance or observance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed and, if applicable, shall have provided for conversion rights in accordance with Section 15.12;

 

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(2)            immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and

 

(3)            the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

 

Section 8.02      Successor Substituted.

 

Upon any consolidation of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, any other Person or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 8.01, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor Person shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.

 

ARTICLE Nine
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

 

Section 9.01      Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.

 

Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

 

(1)            to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities; or

 

(2)            to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

 

(3)            to add any additional Events of Default for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such additional Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such additional Events of Default are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series); or

 

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(4)            to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form; or

  

(5)            to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture in respect of one or more series of Securities, provided that any such addition, change or elimination (A) shall neither (i) apply to any Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (ii) modify the rights of the Holder of any such Security with respect to such provision or (B) shall become effective only when there is no such Security Outstanding; or

 

(6)            to secure the Securities; or

 

(7)            to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.01 and 3.01; or

 

(8)            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, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.11;

 

(9)            to make provision with respect to the conversion rights of Holders pursuant to the requirements of Section 15.12, if applicable; or

 

(10)            to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture, provided that such action pursuant to this clause (10) shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect.

 

Notwithstanding any provision in this Indenture or otherwise, the rights of Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations under this Indenture and otherwise in respect of the Securities or any series of the Securities may, at any time and from time to time, be modified in any respect or eliminated without the consent of any Entitled Person in respect of Other Financial Obligations.

 

Section 9.02      Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.

 

With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby:

 

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(1)            change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security or any other Security which would be due and payable upon an acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02, or change any Place of Payment where, or the coin or currency in which, any Security or any premium or interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or modify the provisions of this Indenture with respect to the subordination of the Securities in a manner adverse to the Holders, or adversely affect the right to convert any Security as provided in Article Fifteen (except as permitted by Section 9.01(9); or

  

(2)            reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture; or

 

(3)            modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 5.13 or Section 10.08, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby; provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section and Section 10.08, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 6.11 and 9.01(8).

 

A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.

 

It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

 

Section 9.03      Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

 

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.

 

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Section 9.04      Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

  

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

 

Section 9.05      Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.

 

Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

Section 9.06      Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

 

Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.

 

Section 9.07      Notice to Holders.

 

After any supplemental indenture under this Article become effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders a notice briefly describing such supplemental Indenture (with a copy to the Trustee); provided, however, that the failure to give such notice to all Holders, or any defect therein, shall not impair or affect the validity of such supplemental indenture.

 

ARTICLE Ten
COVENANTS

 

Section 10.01      Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.

 

The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of that series in accordance with the terms of the Securities and this Indenture.

 

Section 10.02      Maintenance of Office or Agency.

 

(a)            The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, where convertible securities may be surrendered for conversion and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands provided, that the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall not be a place of service of legal process on the Company.

 

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(b)            The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

 

Section 10.03      Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.

 

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any of the Securities of that series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and any premium and interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

 

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount, such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

 

The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will (1) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent and (2) during the continuance of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series) in the making of any payment in respect of the Securities of that series, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums held in trust by such Paying Agent for payment in respect of the Securities of that series.

 

The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

 

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Subject to applicable abandoned property law, any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

  

Upon any Event of Default pursuant to Section 5.01(1) or (2), the Trustee shall automatically be Paying Agent for the Securities.

 

Section 10.04      Statement by Officers as to Default.

 

The Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, an Officers’ Certificate, stating whether or not to the best knowledge of the signers thereof the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided hereunder) and, if the Company shall be in default, specifying all such defaults and the nature and status thereof of which they may have knowledge.

 

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, as soon as possible and in any event within five days after the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any Event of Default or an event which, with notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the details of such Event of Default and the action which the Company proposes to take with respect thereto.

 

Section 10.05      Existence.

 

Subject to Article Eight, 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 the rights (charter and statutory) and franchises of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right or franchise 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 that the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

 

Section 10.06      Maintenance of Properties.

 

The Company will cause all properties used or useful in the conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the business carried on in connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all times; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from discontinuing the operation or maintenance of any of such properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business or the business of any Subsidiary and not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.

  

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Section 10.07      Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.

 

The Company will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, (1) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed upon the Company or any Subsidiary or upon the income, profits or property of the Company or any Subsidiary, and (2) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon the property of the Company or any Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.

 

Section 10.08      Waiver of Certain Covenants.

 

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of such series, the Company may, with respect to the Securities of any series, omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in any covenant provided pursuant to Section 3.01(18), 9.01(2) or 9.01(7) for the benefit of the Holders of such series or in any of Sections 10.05 to 10.07 inclusive if before the time for such compliance the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

 

Section 10.09      Calculation of Original Issue Discount.

 

The Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (i) a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on Outstanding Securities as of the end of such year and (ii) such other specific information relating to such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

ARTICLE Eleven
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES

 

Section 11.01      Applicability of Article.

 

Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for such Securities) in accordance with this Article.

 

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Section 11.02      Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee. 

 

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for such Securities. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of the Securities of any series (including any such redemption affecting only a single Security), the Company shall, at least 10 days prior to the Redemption Date but not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed, of the conditions precedent to such redemption (if any), and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction.

 

Section 11.03      Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.

 

If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed (unless all the Securities of a specified tenor are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 10 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate (but subject to compliance with the rules of any securities exchange on which the securities of such series may be listed) and which may provide for the selection for redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such series, provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. If less than all the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 10 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.

 

The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption as aforesaid and, in case of any Securities selected for partial redemption as aforesaid, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

 

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.

 

Section 11.04      Notice of Redemption.

 

Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed not less than 10 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at his address appearing in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary (with a copy to the Trustee).

 

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All notices of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed (including CUSIP number) and shall state:

  

(1)            the Redemption Date,

 

(2)            the Redemption Price,

 

(3)            if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any such Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed,

 

(4)            that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date (unless the Company defaults in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest),

 

(5)            the conversion price, the date on which the right to convert the Securities to be redeemed will terminate and the place or places where such Securities may be surrendered for conversion,

 

(6)            any conditions precedent to such redemption in reasonable detail;

 

(7)            the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price, and

 

(8)            that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case.

 

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company provided that the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least five Business Days before notice of redemption is required to be sent or caused to be sent to Holders pursuant to this Section 11.04 (unless a shorter period shall be agreed to by the Trustee), an Officers’ Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding paragraph in the form of such notice.

 

If any notice of redemption of Securities is subject to one or more conditions precedent, any such redemption may be rescinded in whole and not in part at any time prior to the close of business on the Business Day prior to the Redemption Date if the Company delivers an Officers’ Certificate to the Trustee describing the failure of the condition in reasonable detail and rescinding the redemption. The Company shall promptly provide a copy of such Officers’ Certificate to the Holders in the same manner in which the notice of redemption was given. At the Company’s written request given at least three (3) Business Days before such notice is to be sent (or such shorter time as shall be acceptable to the Trustee), the Trustee shall give such notice in the Company’s name and at the Company’s expense.

 

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Section 11.05      Deposit of Redemption Price.

  

Prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 10.03) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date other than any convertible Securities called for redemption on that date which have been converted prior to the date of such deposit.

 

If any convertible Security called for redemption is converted, any money deposited with the Trustee or with any Paying Agent or so segregated and held in trust for the redemption of such Security shall (subject to any right of the Holder of such Security or any Predecessor Security to receive interest as provided in the last paragraph of Section 3.07) be paid to the Company upon Company Request or, if then held by the Company, shall be discharged from such trust.

 

Section 11.06      Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

 

Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 3.07.

 

If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.

 

Section 11.07      Securities Redeemed in Part.

 

Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series and of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

 

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ARTICLE Twelve
SINKING FUNDS

 

Section 12.01      Applicability of Article.

 

The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of any series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for such Securities.

 

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of any Securities is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment”, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of such Securities is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of any Securities, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 12.02. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities as provided for by the terms of such Securities.

 

Section 12.02      Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.

 

The Company (1) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other than any previously called for redemption) and (2) may apply as a credit Securities of a series which have been converted pursuant to Article Fifteen or which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to any Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as and to the extent provided for by the terms of such Securities; provided that the Securities to be so credited have not been previously so credited. The Securities to be so credited shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price, as specified in the Securities so to be redeemed, for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.

 

Section 12.03      Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.

 

Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for such Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, 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 Securities pursuant to Section 12.02 and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 45 days prior to each such sinking fund payment date, the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.03 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 11.04. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 11.06 and 11.07.

 

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ARTICLE Thirteen
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

 

Section 13.01      Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

 

The Company may elect, at its option at any time, to have Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, as the case may be, designated pursuant to Section 3.01 as being defeasible pursuant to such Section 13.02 or 13.03, in accordance with any applicable requirements provided pursuant to Section 3.01 and upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article. Any such election shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for such Securities.

 

Section 13.02      Defeasance and Discharge.

 

Upon the Company’s exercise of its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, as the case may be, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations, with respect to such Securities as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 13.04 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by such Securities and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute such instruments reasonably requested by and prepared by the Company acknowledging the same), subject to the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (1) the rights of Holders of such Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 13.04 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities when payments are due, (2) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 10.02 and 10.03, (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (4) this Article. Subject to compliance with this Article, the Company may exercise its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option (if any) to have Section 13.03 applied to such Securities.

 

Section 13.03      Covenant Defeasance.

 

Upon the Company’s exercise of its option (if any) to have this Section applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, as the case may be, (1) the Company shall be released from its obligations under any Section applicable to such Securities that are determined pursuant to Section 3.01 to be subject to this provision) and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Section 5.01(5) (with respect to any Section applicable to such Securities that are determined pursuant to Section 3.01 to be subject to this provision) shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to such Securities, the Company may omit to comply with (and no Event of Default shall arise out of such non-compliance with) and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section or Article, whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or Article or by reason of any reference in any such Section or Article to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities shall be unaffected thereby.

 

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Section 13.04      Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.

 

The following shall be the conditions to the application of Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 to any securities or any series of Securities, as the case may be:

 

(1)            The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee which satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 6.09 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefits of the Holders of such Securities, (A) in the case of Securities denominated in a foreign currency, money in such foreign currency or Foreign Government Obligations of the foreign government or governments issuing such foreign currency which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, such foreign currency in an amount or (B) in the case of Securities denominated in U.S. dollars, U.S. dollars or U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, U.S. dollars in an amount, or (C) a combination of money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations (as applicable), in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities on the respective Stated Maturities, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and such Securities. As used herein, “U.S. Government Obligation” means (x) any security which is (i) a direct obligation of the United States of America for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged or (ii) an obligation of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case (i) or (ii), is not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and (y) any depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act) as custodian with respect to any U.S. Government Obligation which is specified in clause (x) above and held by such bank for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt, or with respect to any specific payment of principal of or interest on any U.S. Government Obligation which is so specified and held, 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 depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal or interest evidenced by such depositary receipt. As used herein, “Foreign Government Obligation” means any security denominated in a foreign currency which is (i) a direct obligation of a foreign government or governments for the payment of which the full faith and credit of such foreign government or governments is pledged or (ii) an obligation of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of such foreign government or governments the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such foreign government, which, in either case (i) or (ii) is not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.

 

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(2)            In the event of an election to have Section 13.02 apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, as the case may be, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (x) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (y) since the date of this instrument, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case (x) or (y) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.

 

(3)            In the event of an election to have Section 13.03 apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, as the case may be, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.

 

(4)            The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that neither such Securities nor any other Securities of the same series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will be delisted as a result of such deposit.

 

(5)            No event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to such Securities or any other Securities shall have occurred and be continuing (A) at the time of such deposit or, (B) with regard to any such event specified in Sections 5.01(3) and (4), at any time during the period ending on the 123rd day after the date of such deposit or, if longer, ending on the day following the expiration of the longest preference period applicable to the Company in respect of such deposit (it being understood that the condition in this clause (B) is a condition subsequent and shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period).

 

(6)            Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act (assuming all Securities are in default within the meaning of such Act).

 

(7)            Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.

 

(8)            Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act unless such trust shall be registered under such Act or exempt from registration thereunder.

 

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(9)            The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.

 

Section 13.05      Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions.

 

Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.03, all money, U.S. Government Obligations and Foreign Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 13.06, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 13.04 in respect of any Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and any premium and interest, but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. Money, U.S. Government Obligations and Foreign Government Obligations so held in trust shall not be subject to the provisions of Article Fourteen.

 

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations or the Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 13.04 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.

 

Anything in this Article to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations or the Foreign Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 13.04 with respect to any Securities which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect the Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, as the case may be, with respect to such Securities.

 

Section 13.06      Reinstatement.

 

If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article with respect to any Securities by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the obligations under this Indenture and such Securities from which the Company has been discharged or released pursuant to Section 13.02 or 13.03 shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article with respect to such Securities, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 13.05 with respect to such Securities in accordance with this Article; provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any such Security following such reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights (if any) of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money so held in trust.

 

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ARTICLE Fourteen
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES

 

Section 14.01      Securities Subordinate to Senior Indebtedness.

 

The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of a Security, by his acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth in this Article, the indebtedness represented by the Securities and the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on each and all of the Securities are hereby expressly made subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness and, to the extent set forth in Section 14.15, of all Other Financial Obligations.

 

Section 14.02      Payment Over of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc.

 

In the event of (a) any insolvency or bankruptcy case or proceeding, or any receivership, liquidation, reorganization or other similar case or proceeding in connection therewith, relative to the Company or to its creditors, as such, or to its assets, or (b) any liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary and whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy, or (c) any assignment for the benefit of creditors or any other marshaling of assets and liabilities of the Company, then and in any such event the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on or in respect of all Senior Indebtedness, or provision shall be made for such payment in money or money’s worth, before the Holders of the Securities are entitled to receive any payment on account of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities, and to that end the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive, for application to the payment thereof, any payment or distribution of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, including any such payment or distribution which may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinated to the payment of the Securities, which may be payable or deliverable in respect of the Securities in any such case, proceeding, dissolution, liquidation or other winding up or event.

 

In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, the Trustee or the Holder of any Security shall have received any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, including any such payment or distribution which may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinated to the payment of the Securities, before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full or payment thereof provided for, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such payment or distribution, have been made known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or, as the case may be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment or distribution shall (to the extent in its possession, in the case of the Trustee) be paid over or delivered forthwith to the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee, agent or other Person making payment or distribution of assets of the Company for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid, to the extent necessary to pay all Senior Indebtedness in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders of Senior Indebtedness.

 

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For purposes of this Article only, the words “cash, property or securities” shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other corporation provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment which are subordinated in right of payment to all Senior Indebtedness which may at the time be outstanding to substantially the same extent as, or to a greater extent than, the Securities are so subordinated as provided in this Article. The consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the Company into, another Person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the conveyance or transfer of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to another Person upon the terms and conditions set forth in Article Eight shall not be deemed a dissolution, winding up, liquidation, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or marshaling of assets and liabilities of the Company for the purposes of this Section if the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer such properties and assets substantially as an entirety, as the case may be, shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions set forth in Article Eight.

 

Section 14.03      Prior Payment to Senior Indebtedness Upon Acceleration of Securities.

 

In the event that any Securities are declared due and payable before their Stated Maturity, then and in such event the holders of Senior Indebtedness outstanding at the time such Securities become so due and payable shall be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on or in respect of all Senior Indebtedness or provision shall be made for such payment in money or money’s worth, before the Holders of the Securities are entitled to receive any payment (including any payment which may be payable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinated to the payment of the Securities) by the Company on account of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the satisfaction of any sinking fund payment in accordance with Article Twelve by delivering and crediting pursuant to Section 12.02 Securities which have been acquired (upon redemption or otherwise) prior to such declaration of acceleration.

 

In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall make any payment to the Trustee or the Holder of any Security prohibited by the foregoing provisions of this Section, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such payment, have been made known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or, as the case may be, such Holder, then and in such event such (to the extent in its possession, in the case of the Trustee) payment shall be paid over and delivered forthwith to the Company.

 

The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any payment with respect to which Section 14.02 would be applicable.

 

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Section 14.04      No Payment When Senior Indebtedness in Default.

 

(a)            In the event and during the continuation of any default in the payment of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Senior Indebtedness beyond any applicable grace period with respect thereto, or in the event that any event of default with respect to any Senior Indebtedness shall have occurred and be continuing permitting the holders of such Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of the holders thereof) to declare such Senior Indebtedness due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have become due and payable, unless and until such event of default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist and such acceleration shall have been rescinded or annulled, or (b) in the event any judicial proceeding shall be pending with respect to any such default in payment or event of default, then no payment (including any payment which may be payable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinated to the payment of the Securities) shall be made by the Company on account of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the satisfaction of any sinking fund payment in accordance with Article Twelve by delivering and crediting pursuant to Section 12.02 Securities which have been acquired (upon redemption or otherwise) prior to such default in payment or event of default.

 

In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall make any payment to the Trustee or the Holder of any Security prohibited by the foregoing provisions of this Section, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such payment, have been made known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or, as the case may be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment shall (to the extent in its possession, in the case of the Trustee) be paid over and delivered forthwith to the Company.

 

The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any payment with respect to which Section 14.02 would be applicable.

 

Section 14.05      Payment Permitted in Certain Situations.

 

Nothing contained in this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in any of the Securities shall prevent (a) the Company, at any time except during the pendency of any case, proceeding, dissolution, liquidation or other winding up, assignment for the benefit of creditors or other marshaling of assets and liabilities of the Company referred to in Section 14.02 or under the conditions described in Section 14.03 or 14.04, from making payments at any time of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities or (b) the application by the Trustee of any money deposited with it hereunder to the payment of or on account of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities of any series or the retention of such payment by the Holder, if, at the time of such application by the Trustee, it did not have actual knowledge that such payment would have been prohibited by the provisions of this Article.

 

Section 14.06      Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Indebtedness.

 

Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated to the extent of the payments or distributions made to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness pursuant to the provisions of this Article to the rights of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness to receive payments and distributions of cash, property and securities applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities shall be paid in full. For purposes of such subrogation, no payments or distributions to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or securities to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article, and no payments over pursuant to the provisions of this Article to the holders of Senior Indebtedness by Holders of the Securities or the Trustee, shall, as among the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders of the Securities, be deemed to be a payment or distribution by the Company to or on account of the Senior Indebtedness.

 

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Section 14.07      Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights.

 

The provisions of this Article are and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities on the one hand and the holders of Senior Indebtedness (and, in the case of Section 14.15, Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations) on the other hand. Nothing contained in this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall (a) impair, as among the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness and other than Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations and the Holders of the Securities, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional (and which, subject to the rights under this Article of the holders of Senior Indebtedness and Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations, is intended to rank equally with all other general obligations of the Company), to pay to the Holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms; or (b) affect the relative rights against the Company of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness and Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations; or (c) prevent the Trustee or the Holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article of the holders of Senior Indebtedness and under Section 14.15 of Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations, to receive cash, property and securities otherwise payable or deliverable to the Trustee or such Holder.

 

Section 14.08      Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.

 

Each Holder of a Security by his acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on his behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided in this Article and appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.

 

Section 14.09      No Waiver of Subordination Provisions.

 

No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any non-compliance by the Company with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture, regardless of any knowledge thereof any such holder may have or be otherwise charged with.

 

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Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph, the holders of Senior Indebtedness (and Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations) may, at any time and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities, without incurring responsibility to the Holders of the Securities and without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in this Article or the obligations hereunder of the Holders of the Securities to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and Entitled Persons, in respect of Other Financial Obligations, do any one or more of the following: (i) change the manner, place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter, Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which Senior Indebtedness is or Other Financial Obligations are outstanding; (ii) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations; (iii) release any Person liable in any manner for the collection of Senior Indebtedness or Other Financial Obligations; and (iv) exercise or refrain from exercising any rights against the Company and any other Person.

 

Section 14.10      Notice to Trustee.

 

The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee of any fact known to the Company which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article or any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the Company or a holder of Senior Indebtedness or from any trustee therefor or from any Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations; and, prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts exist; provided, however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in this Section at least three Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any money may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal (and premium, if any) or interest on any security) then notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such money and to apply the same to the purpose for which such money was received and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it within three Business Days prior to such date.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee therefor) or an Entitled Person in respect of Other Financial Obligations to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee therefor) or an Entitled Person in respect of Other Financial Obligations. In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness or an Entitled Person in respect of Other Financial Obligations to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness or other Financial Obligations held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article, and if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment.

 

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Section 14.11      Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent.

 

Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, and the Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization, dissolution, winding up or similar case or proceeding is pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company and the Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article.

 

Section 14.12      Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Persons.

 

The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations and shall not be liable to any such holders or creditors if it shall in good faith mistakenly pay over or distribute to Holders of Securities or to the Company or to any other Person cash, property or securities to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations shall be entitled by virtue of this Article or otherwise.

 

Section 14.13      Rights of Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Person; Preservation of Trustee’s Rights.

 

The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article with respect to any Senior Indebtedness which may at any time be held by it and with respect to any Other Financial Obligations owed to the Trustee as an Entitled Person, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness or Entitled Person in respect of Other Financial Obligations, as the case may be, and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder or Entitled Person.

 

Nothing in this Article shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.07.

 

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Section 14.14      Article Applicable to Paying Agents.

 

In case at any time any Paying Agent other than the Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company and be then acting hereunder, the term “Trustee” as used in this Article shall in such case (unless the context otherwise requires) be construed as extending to and including such Paying Agent within its meaning as fully for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent were named in this Article in addition to or in place of the Trustee; provided, however, that this Section 14.14 shall not apply to the Company or any Affiliate of the Company if it or such Affiliate acts as Paying Agent.

 

Section 14.15      Securities to Rank Pari Passu with All Other Securities; Payment of Proceeds in Certain Cases.

 

(a)            Subject to the provisions of this Section and to any provisions established or determined with respect to Securities of any series pursuant to Section 3.01, the Securities shall rank pari passu in right of payment with all other Securities.

 

(b)            Upon the occurrence of any of the events specified in clauses (a), (b) and (c) of the first paragraph of Section 14.02, the provisions of that Section shall be given effect to determine the amount of cash, property or securities which may be payable or deliverable as between the holders of Senior Indebtedness, on the one hand, and the Holders of Securities, on the other hand.

 

(c)            If, after giving effect to the provisions of Section 14.02 and Section 14.06, any amount of cash, property or securities shall be available for payment or distribution in respect of the Securities (“Excess Proceeds”), and any Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations shall not have received payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on or in respect of such Other Financial Obligations (and provision shall not have been made for such payment in money or money’s worth), then such Excess Proceeds shall first be applied (ratably with any amount of cash, property or securities available for payment or distribution in respect of any other indebtedness of the Company that by its express terms provides for the payment over of amounts corresponding to Excess Proceeds to Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations) to pay or provide for the payment of the Other Financial Obligations remaining unpaid, to the extent necessary to pay all Other Financial Obligations in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations. Any Excess Proceeds remaining after the payment (or provision for payment) in full of all Other Financial Obligations shall be available for payment or distribution in respect of the Securities.

 

(d)            In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of subsection (c) of this Section, after the occurrence of any of the events specified in clauses (a), (b) and (c) of the first paragraph of Section 14.02, the Trustee or Holder of any Security shall have received any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, before Senior Indebtedness and all Other Financial Obligations are paid in full or payment thereof duly provided for, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such payment or distribution, have been made known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or, as the case may be, such Holder, then and in such event, subject to any obligation that the Trustee or such Holder may have pursuant to Section 14.02, such payment or distribution shall (to the extent in its possession, in the case of the Trustee) be paid over or delivered forthwith to the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee, agent or other Person making payment or distribution of assets of the Company for payment in accordance with subsection (c).

 

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(e)            Subject to the payment in full of all Other Financial Obligations, the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated (equally and ratably with the holders of all indebtedness of the Company that by its express terms provides for the payment over of amounts corresponding to Excess Proceeds to Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations and is entitled to like rights of subrogation) to the extent of the payments or distributions made to Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this Section to the rights of the Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations to receive payments and distributions of cash, property and securities applicable to the Other Financial Obligations until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities shall be paid in full. For purposes of such subrogation, no payments or distributions to Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations of any cash, property or securities to which Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Section, and no payments over pursuant to the provisions of this Section to Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations by Holders of Securities or the Trustee, shall, as among the Company, its creditors other than Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations and the Holders of Securities be deemed to be a payment or distribution by the Company to or on account of the Other Financial Obligations.

 

(f)            The provisions of subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this Section are and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities, on the one hand, and the Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations, on the other hand, after giving effect to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness, as provided in this Article. Nothing contained in subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this Section is intended to or shall affect the relative rights against the Company of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company other than Entitled Persons in respect of Other Financial Obligations.

 

Section 14.16      Certain Conversions Deemed Payment.

 

For purposes of this Article only, the issuance and delivery of junior securities upon conversion of Securities in accordance with Article Fifteen shall not be deemed to constitute a payment or distribution on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities, and (2) the payment, issuance or delivery of cash, property or securities (other than junior securities) upon conversion of a security shall be deemed to constitute payment on account of the principal of such Securities. For purposes of this Section, the term “junior securities” means (a) shares of any stock of any class of the Company and (b) securities of the Company which are subordinated in right of payment to all Senior Indebtedness and Other Financial Obligations which may be outstanding at the time of issuance or delivery of such securities to substantially the same extent as, or to a greater extent than, the Securities are so subordinated as provided in this Article. Nothing contained in this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair, as among the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders of the Securities, the right, which is absolute and unconditional, of the Holder of any convertible Security to convert such Security in accordance with Article Fifteen.

 

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ARTICLE Fifteen
CONVERSION OF SECURITIES

 

Section 15.01      Applicability of Article.

 

The Company may elect, at its option at any time, to have Section 15.02 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, as the case may be, designated pursuant to Section 3.01 as being convertible into Common Stock of the Company pursuant to such Section 15.02, in accordance with any applicable requirements provided pursuant to Section 3.01 and upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article. Any such election shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for such Securities.

 

Section 15.02      Conversion Privilege and Conversion Price.

 

Subject to and upon compliance with the provisions of this Article, at the option of the Holder thereof, any Security or any portion of the principal amount thereof which is an integral multiple of the authorized denomination thereof may be converted at the principal amount thereof, or of such portion thereof, into fully paid and nonassessable shares (calculated as to each conversion to the nearest 1/100 of a share) of Common Stock of the Company, at the conversion price for Securities of such series, determined as hereinafter provided, in effect at the time of conversion. Such conversion right shall commence at the opening of business on the Initial Conversion Date and expire at the close of business on the Final Conversion Date. In case a Security or portion thereof is called for redemption, such conversion right in respect of the Security or portion so called shall expire at the close of business on the Redemption Date, unless the Company defaults in making the payment due upon redemption.

 

The price at which shares of Common Stock shall be delivered upon conversion of Securities of a series (herein called the “conversion price” for Securities of such series) shall be initially the Initial Conversion Price for Securities of such series per share of Common Stock. The conversion price shall be adjusted in certain instances as provided in subsections (a), (b), (c), (d) and (g) of Section 15.05.

 

Section 15.03      Exercise of Conversion Privilege.

 

In order to exercise the conversion privilege, the Holder of any Security to be converted shall surrender such Security, duly endorsed or assigned to the Company or in blank, at any office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose pursuant to Section 10.02, accompanied by written notice to the Company at such office or agency that the Holder elects to convert such Security or, if less than the entire principal amount thereof is to be converted, the portion thereof to be converted. Securities surrendered for conversion during the period from the close of business on any Regular Record Date next preceding any Interest Payment Date to the opening of business on such Interest Payment Date shall (except in the case of Securities or portions thereof which have been called for redemption on a Redemption Date within such period) be accompanied by payment in legal tender or other funds acceptable to the Company of an amount equal to the interest payable on such Interest Payment Date on the principal amount of Securities being surrendered for conversion. Except as provided in the preceding sentence and subject to the last paragraph of Section 3.07, no payment or adjustment shall be made upon any conversion on account of any interest accrued on the Securities surrendered for conversion or on account of any dividends on the Common Stock issued upon conversion.

 

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Securities shall be deemed to have been converted immediately prior to the close of business on the day of surrender of such Securities for conversion in accordance with the foregoing provisions, and at such time the rights of the Holders of such Securities as Holders shall cease, and the Person or Persons entitled to receive the Common Stock issuable upon conversion shall be treated for all purposes as the record holder or holders of such Common Stock at such time. As promptly as practicable on or after the conversion date, the Company shall issue and shall deliver at such office or agency a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion, together with payment in lieu of any fraction of a share, as provided in Section 15.04. In the case of any Security of a series which is converted in part only, upon such conversion the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security or Securities of such series of authorized denominations in aggregate principal amount equal to the unconverted portion of the principal amount of such Security.

 

Section 15.04      Fractions of Shares.

 

No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of Securities. If more than one Security of a series shall be surrendered for conversion at one time by the same Holder, the number of full shares which shall be issuable upon conversion thereof shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series (or specified portions thereof) so surrendered. Instead of any fractional share of Common Stock which would otherwise be issuable upon conversion of any Security or Securities (or specified portion thereof), the Company shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of such fraction in an amount equal (computed to the nearest cent) to the same fraction of the market price per share of Common Stock (as determined by the Board of Directors or in any manner prescribed by the Board of Directors) at the close of business on the day of conversion.

 

Section 15.05      Adjustment of Conversion Price.

 

(a)            In case at any time after the date of establishment of the Initial Conversion Price with respect to Securities of a series the Company shall pay or make a dividend or other distribution in shares of Common Stock on any class of capital stock of the Company, the conversion price in effect at the opening of business on the day following the date fixed for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or other distribution shall be reduced by multiplying such conversion price by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at the close of business on the date fixed for such determination and the denominator shall be the sum of such number of shares and the total number of shares constituting such dividend or other distribution, such reduction to become effective immediately after the opening of business on the day following the date fixed for such determination. For the purposes of this paragraph, the number of shares of Common Stock at any time outstanding shall not include shares held in the treasury of the Company. The Company will not pay any dividend or make any distribution on shares of Common Stock held in the treasury of the Company.

 

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(b)            In case at any time after the date of establishment of the Initial Conversion Price with respect to Securities of a series the Company shall issue rights or warrants to all holders of its Common Stock entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock at a price per share less than the current market price per share (determined as provided in subsection (f) of this Section) of the Common Stock on the date fixed for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such rights or warrants, the conversion price in effect at the opening of business on the day following the date fixed for such determination shall be reduced by multiplying such conversion price by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at the close of business on the date fixed for such determination plus the number of shares of Common Stock which the aggregate of the offering price of the total number of shares of Common Stock so offered for subscription or purchase would purchase at such current market price and the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at the close of business on the dated fixed for such determination plus the number of shares of Common Stock so offered for subscription or purchase, such reduction to become effective immediately after the opening of business on the day following the date fixed for such determination. For the purposes of this subsection (b), the number of shares of Common Stock at any time outstanding shall not include shares held in the treasury of the Company. The Company will not issue any rights or warrants in respect of shares of Common Stock held in the treasury of the Company.

 

(c)            In case at any time after the date of establishment of the Initial Conversion Price with respect to Securities of a series outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be subdivided into a greater number of shares of Common Stock, the conversion price in effect at the opening of business on the day following the day upon which such subdivision becomes effective shall be proportionately reduced, and, conversely, in case outstanding shares of Common Stock shall each be combined into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock, the conversion price in effect at the opening of business on the day following the day upon which such combination becomes effective shall be proportionately increased, such reduction or increase, as the case may be, to become effective immediately after the opening of business on the day following the day upon which such subdivision or combination becomes effective.

 

(d)            In case at any time after the date of establishment of the Initial Conversion Price with respect to Securities of a series the Company shall, by dividend or otherwise, distribute to all holders of its Common Stock evidences of its indebtedness or assets (including securities, but excluding any rights or warrants referred to in subsection (b) of this Section, any dividend or distribution paid in cash out of the retained earnings of the Company and any dividend or distribution referred to in subsection (a) of this Section), the conversion price shall be adjusted so that the same shall equal the price determined by multiplying the conversion price in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the date fixed for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such distribution by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the current market price per share (determined as provided in subsection (f) of this Section) of the Common Stock on the date fixed for such determination less the then fair market value (as determined by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive and described in a Board Resolution filed with the Trustee) of the portion of assets or evidences of indebtedness so distributed applicable to one share of Common Stock and the denominator shall be such current market price per share of the Common Stock, such adjustment to become effective immediately prior to the opening of business on the day following the date fixed for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such distribution.

 

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(e)            The reclassification of Common Stock into securities other than Common Stock (other than any reclassification upon a consolidation or merger to which Section 15.02 applies) shall be deemed to involve (a) a distribution of such securities other than Common Stock to all holders of Common Stock (and the effective date of such reclassification shall be deemed to be “the date fixed for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such distribution” and “the date fixed for such determination” within the meaning of subsection (d) of this Section), and (b) a subdivision or combination, as the case may be, of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such reclassification into the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately thereafter (and the effective date of such reclassification shall be deemed to be “the day upon which such subdivision becomes effective” or “the day upon which such combination becomes effective”, as the case may be, and “the day upon which such subdivision or combination becomes effective” within the meaning of subsection (c) of this Section).

 

(f)            For the purpose of any computation under subsections (b) and (d) of this Section, the current market price per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices for the 30 consecutive Business Days selected by the Company commencing not less than 30 nor more than 45 Business Days before the day in question. The closing price for each day shall be the last reported sales price regular way or, in case no such reported sale takes place on such day, the average of the reported closing bid and asked prices regular way, in either case, on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Common Stock is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid and asked prices in the over-the-counter market as furnished by any New York Stock Exchange member firm selected from time to time by the Company for that purpose.

 

(g)            The Company may make such reductions in the conversion price, in addition to those required by subsections (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section, as it considers to be advisable in order that any event treated for Federal income tax purposes as a dividend of stock or stock rights shall not be taxable to the recipients.

 

Section 15.06      Notice of Adjustments of Conversion Price.

 

Whenever the conversion price is adjusted as herein provided:

 

(1)            the Company shall compute the adjusted conversion price in accordance with Section 15.05 and shall prepare a certificate signed by the Treasurer of the Company setting forth the adjusted conversion price and showing in reasonable detail the facts upon which such adjustment is based, and such certificate shall forthwith be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of Securities pursuant to Section 10.02; and

 

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(2)            a notice stating that the conversion price has been adjusted and setting forth the adjusted conversion price shall forthwith be required, and as soon as practicable after it is required, such notice shall be mailed by the Company to all Holders at their respective last addresses as they shall appear in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary (with a copy to the Trustee).

 

Section 15.07      Notice of Certain Corporate Action.

 

In case at any time after 20 Business Days preceding the Initial Conversion Date:

 

(1)            the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution) on its Common Stock payable otherwise than in cash out of its retained earnings; or

 

(2)            the Company shall authorize the granting to the holders of its Common Stock of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any other rights; or

 

(3)            of any reclassification of the Common Stock of the Company (other than a subdivision or combination of its outstanding shares of Common Stock), or of any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party and for which approval of any stockholders of the Company is required, or of the sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; or

 

(4)            of the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company; then the Company shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of Securities pursuant to Section 10.02, and shall cause to be mailed to all Holders at their respective last addresses as they shall appear in the Security Register or otherwise in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary (with a copy to the Trustee), at least 20 days (or 10 days in any case specified in clause (1) or (2) above) prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, rights or warrants, or, if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distribution, rights or warrants are to be determined, or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding up is expected to become effective, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding up.

 

Section 15.08      Company to Reserve Common Stock.

 

The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available, free from pre-emptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued Common Stock, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of Securities, the full number of shares of Common Stock then issuable upon the conversion of all outstanding Securities.

 

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Section 15.09      Taxes on Conversions.

 

The Company will pay any and all taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of shares of Common Stock on conversion of Securities pursuant hereto. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issue and delivery of shares of Common Stock in a name other than that of the Holder of the Security or Securities to be converted, and no such issue or delivery shall be made unless and until the Person requesting such issue has paid to the Company the amount of any such tax, or has established to the satisfaction of the Company that such tax has been paid.

 

Section 15.10      Covenant as to Common Stock.

 

The Company covenants that all shares of Common Stock which may be issued upon conversion of Securities will upon issue be fully paid and nonassessable and, except as provided in Section 15.09, the Company will pay all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issue thereof.

 

Section 15.11      Cancellation of Converted Securities.

 

All Securities delivered for conversion shall be delivered to the Trustee to be cancelled by or at the direction of the Trustee, which shall dispose of the same as provided in Section 3.09.

 

Section 15.12      Provisions in Case of Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets.

 

In case of any consolidation of the Company with, or merger of the Company into, any other Person, any merger of another Person into the Company (other than a merger which does not result in any reclassification, conversion, exchange or cancellation of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company) or any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, the Person formed by such consolidation or resulting from such merger or which acquires such assets, as the case may be, shall execute and deliver to the Trustee in accordance with Section 9.01(9) a supplemental indenture providing that the Holder of each Security then outstanding shall have the right thereafter, during the period such Security shall be convertible as specified in Section 15.02, to convert such Security only into the kind and amount of securities, cash and other property receivable upon such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company into which such Security might have been converted immediately prior to such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer, assuming such holder of Common Stock of the Company (i) is not a Person with which the Company consolidated or into which the Company merged or which merged into the Company or to which such sale or transfer was made, as the case may be (“constituent Person”), or an Affiliate of a constituent Person and (ii) failed to exercise his rights of election, if any, as to the kind or amount of securities, cash and other property receivable upon such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer (provided that if the kind or amount of securities, cash and other property receivable upon such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer is not the same for each share of Common Stock of the Company held immediately prior to such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer by others than a constituent Person or an Affiliate thereof and in respect of which such rights of election shall not have been exercised (“non-electing share”), then for the purpose of this Section the kind and amount of securities, cash and other property receivable upon such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer by each non-electing share shall be deemed to be the kind and amount so receivable per share by a plurality of the non-electing shares), and assuming, if such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer is prior to the Initial Conversion Date, that the Securities were convertible at the time of such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer at the initial conversion price specified in Section 15.02 as adjusted from the date of establishment of the Initial Conversion Price with respect to Securities of a series to such time pursuant to subsections (a), (b), (c), (d) and (g) of Section 15.05. Such supplemental indenture shall provide for adjustments which, for events subsequent to the effective date of such supplemental indenture, shall be as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the adjustments provided for in this Article. The above provisions of this Section shall similarly apply to successive consolidations, mergers, sales or transfers.

 

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Section 15.13      Responsibility of Trustee.

 

The Trustee shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder of a Security to make or cause to be made any adjustment of the conversion price, or to determine the price of Common Stock or any other security, whether any facts exist which may require any such calculation with respect to, or adjustment, or with respect to the nature or extent of any such adjustment when made, or with respect to any method employed, or herein or in any supplemental indenture provided to be employed, in making the same. The Trustee shall not be accountable with respect to the validity or value (or the kind or amount) of any shares of Common Stock or of any securities or property which may at any time be issued or delivered upon conversion of any Security; and the Trustee makes no representation with respect thereto. The Trustee shall not be responsible for any failure of the Company to issue, transfer or deliver any shares of Common Stock or stock certificates or other securities or property upon surrender of any Security for the purpose of conversion or to comply with any of the covenants of the Company contained in this Article Fifteen. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Trustee shall not be under any responsibility to determine the correctness of any provisions contained in any supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 5.12 relating either to the kind or amount of shares of stock or securities or property (including cash) receivable by Holders upon the conversion of their Securities after any event referred to in such Section 5.12 or to any adjustment to be made with respect thereto, but, subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, may accept (without any independent investigation) as conclusive evidence of the correctness of any such provisions, and shall be protected in conclusively relying upon, the Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel (which the Company shall be obligated to file with the Trustee prior to the execution of any such supplemental indenture) with respect thereto. Neither the Trustee nor any other agent acting under this Indenture (other than the Company, if acting in such capacity) shall have any obligation to make any calculation or to determine whether the Securities may be surrendered for conversion pursuant to this Indenture, or to notify the Company or the Depositary or any of the Holders if the Securities have become convertible pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

 

This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. All notices, approvals, consents, requests and any communications hereunder must be in writing (provided that any such communication sent to Trustee hereunder must be in the form of a document that is signed manually or by way of a digital signature provided by DocuSign (or such other digital signature provider as specified in writing to Trustee by the authorized representative), in English. Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of using digital signatures and electronic methods to submit communications to Trustee, including without limitation the risk of Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.

 

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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.

 

  FIRST FOUNDATION INC.
   
By: /s/ Kevin L. Thompson
  Name: Kevin L. Thompson
  Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
   
  U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
  as Trustee
   
By: /s/ Bradley E. Scarbrough
  Name: Bradley E. Scarbrough
Title: Vice President

 

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Exhibit 4.2

 

FIRST FOUNDATION INC., 

as Issuer

 

and

 

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, 

as Trustee

 

FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

Dated as of January 24, 2022

 

to

 

INDENTURE

 

Dated as of January 24, 2022

 

3.50% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Due 2032

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
     
ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS 1
Section 1.01. Relation to Base Indenture 1
Section 1.02. Definition of Terms 1
ARTICLE 2 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 2032 SERIES AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES 10
Section 2.01. Establishment of the Series of the Notes and Designation 10
Section 2.02. Maturity 10
Section 2.03. Form, Payment and Appointment 10
Section 2.04. Global Note 10
Section 2.05. Interest 11
Section 2.06. Subordination 14
Section 2.07. Events of Default; Acceleration 17
Section 2.08. No Sinking Fund 18
Section 2.09. No Conversion or Exchange Rights 18
Section 2.10. Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance 18
ARTICLE 3 REDEMPTION OF THE NOTES 18
Section 3.01. Optional Redemption 18
Section 3.02. Redemption of Special Events 18
Section 3.03. Notice to Trustee 19
Section 3.04. Partial Redemption 19
Section 3.05. Notice to Holders 19
ARTICLE 4 FORM OF NOTES 20
Section 4.01. Form of Notes 20
ARTICLE 5 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES 20
Section 5.01. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Holders 20
Section 5.02 Concerning the Trustee 21
ARTICLE 6 MISCELLANEOUS 21
Section 6.01. Ratification of Base Indenture 21
Section 6.02. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals 21
Section 6.03. New York Law To Govern 21
Section 6.04. Severability 21
Section 6.05. Counterparts 21
Section 6.06. Benefits of First Supplemental Indenture 22
Section 6.07. Conflict with Base Indenture 22
Section 6.08. Provisions of Trust Indenture Act Controlling 22
Section 6.09. Successors 22

 

 

 

THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “First Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of January 24, 2022, between FIRST FOUNDATION INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association duly organized and existing under the laws of the United States, as Trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”), under the Base Indenture (as hereinafter defined).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee have heretofore executed and delivered the Indenture, dated as of January 24, 2022 (the “Base Indenture” and, as hereby supplemented and amended, the “Indenture”), providing for the establishment from time to time of one or more series (each, a “Series”) of securities evidencing indebtedness of the Company (hereinafter called the “Securities”), and the issuance by the Company from time to time of Securities under the Indenture;

 

WHEREAS, Section 9.01(7) of the Base Indenture provides that the Company and the Trustee may enter into an indenture supplemental to the Base Indenture to establish a Series of Securities thereunder and the form and terms, provisions and conditions of Securities of such Series of Securities as permitted by Section 2.01 and Section 3.01 of the Base Indenture;

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3.01 of the Base Indenture, the Company desires to establish a new Series of Securities under the Indenture to be known as its “3.50% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Due 2032” (the “2032 Series”) and to establish and set the form and terms, provisions and conditions of the notes of the 2032 Series (the “Notes”), as provided in this First Supplemental Indenture and to provide for the initial issuance of Notes of the 2032 Series in the aggregate principal amount of $150,000,000; and

 

WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Trustee execute and deliver this First Supplemental Indenture; and the Company confirms all requirements necessary to make this First Supplemental Indenture a valid, binding and enforceable instrument in accordance with its terms, and to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in accordance with this Indenture, the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company, have been satisfied; and the execution and delivery of this First Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized in all respects.

 

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

 

ARTICLE 1

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01. Relation to Base Indenture. This First Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of, and amends and supplements, the Base Indenture as set forth herein.

 

Section 1.02. Definition of Terms. For all purposes of this First Supplemental Indenture:

 

(a) Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings set forth in the Base Indenture, provided that if the definition of a capitalized term defined in this First Supplemental Indenture conflicts with the definition of that capitalized term in the Base Indenture, the definition of that capitalized term in this First Supplemental Indenture shall control for purposes of this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes;

 

(b) a term defined anywhere in this First Supplemental Indenture has the same meaning throughout this First Supplemental Indenture;

 

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(c) the singular includes the plural and vice versa;

 

(d) headings are for convenience of reference only and do not affect interpretation;

 

(e) unless otherwise specified or unless the context requires otherwise, (i) all references in this First Supplemental Indenture to Sections refer to the corresponding Sections of this First Supplemental Indenture and (ii) the terms “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and any other word of similar import refer to this First Supplemental Indenture; and

 

(f) for purposes of this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes, the following terms have the meanings given to them in this Section 1.02:

 

2032 Series” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.14 of the Base Indenture to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate the Notes.

 

Base Indenture” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Benchmark” means, initially, Three-Month Term SOFR; provided that, if the Calculation Agent determines on or prior to the Reference Time for any Floating Rate Interest Period that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR or the then-current Benchmark, then “Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement for such Floating Rate Interest Period and any subsequent Floating Rate Interest Periods.

 

Benchmark Replacement” means the Interpolated Benchmark with respect to the then-current Benchmark, plus the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment for such Benchmark; provided that if (a) the Calculation Agent cannot determine the Interpolated Benchmark as of the Benchmark Replacement Date or (b) the then-current Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR and a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR (in which event no Interpolated Benchmark with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR shall be determined), then “Benchmark Replacement” means the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the Benchmark Replacement Date:

 

(1) Compounded SOFR;

 

(2) the sum of: (a) the alternate rate that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor and (b) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;

 

(3) the sum of: (a) the ISDA Fallback Rate and (b) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment; and

 

(4) the sum of: (a) the alternate rate that has been selected by the Calculation Agent as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark for the applicable Corresponding Tenor, giving due consideration to any industry-accepted rate as a replacement for the then-current Benchmark for Dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time, and (b) the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.

 

In the event the Calculation Agent on any determination date for an Interest Payment Date is required, but is unable, to determine Three-Month Term SOFR or other applicable Benchmark in accordance with at least one of the procedures described herein, and the Company does not make a determination of Three-Month SOFR in the Company’s sole discretion, Three-Month Term SOFR or other applicable Benchmark will be Three-Month Term SOFR or other applicable Benchmark as determined on the previous interest determination date.

 

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Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means the first alternative set forth in the order below that can be determined by the Calculation Agent as of the Benchmark Replacement Date:

 

(1) the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero), that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement;

 

(2) if the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement is equivalent to the ISDA Fallback Rate, then the ISDA Fallback Adjustment; and

 

(3) the spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by the Calculation Agent giving due consideration to any industry-accepted spread adjustment or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the replacement of the then-current Benchmark with the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for Dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time.

 

Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes” means, with respect to any Benchmark Replacement, any technical, administrative, or operational changes (including, without limitation, changes to the definition of “Floating Rate Interest Period,” timing and frequency of determining rates with respect to each Floating Rate Interest Period and making payments of interest, rounding of amounts or tenors, and other administrative matters) that the Calculation Agent determines may be appropriate to reflect the adoption of such Benchmark Replacement in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Calculation Agent determines that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Calculation Agent determines that no market practice for use of the Benchmark Replacement exists, in such other manner as the Calculation Agent determines is reasonably necessary).

 

Benchmark Replacement Date” means the earliest to occur of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:

 

(1) in the case of clause (1) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the relevant Reference Time in respect of any determination;

 

(2) in the case of clause (2) or (3) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the later of the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and the date on which the administrator of the Benchmark permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide the Benchmark; or

 

(3) in the case of clause (4) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event,” the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, if the event giving rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such determination.

 

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Benchmark Transition Event” means the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark:

 

(1) if the Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, (a) the Relevant Governmental Body has not selected or recommended a forward-looking term rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR, (b) the development of a forward-looking term rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR that has been recommended or selected by the Relevant Governmental Body is not complete or (c) the Company determines that the use of a forward-looking rate for a tenor of three months based on SOFR is not administratively feasible;

 

(2) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of the Benchmark announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide the Benchmark, permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide the Benchmark;

 

(3) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark, the central bank for the currency of the Benchmark, an insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for the Benchmark, a resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for the Benchmark or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority over the administrator for the Benchmark, which states that the administrator of the Benchmark has ceased or will cease to provide the Benchmark permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide the Benchmark; or

 

(4) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark announcing that the Benchmark is no longer representative.

 

Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions or trust companies in the City of New York, New York or any Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law, regulation, or executive order to close or remain closed or on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is closed.

 

Calculation Agent” means the Person appointed by the Company prior to the commencement of the Floating Rate Period (which may include the Company or any of its affiliates) to act in accordance with Section 2.05. The Company shall initially act as the Calculation Agent.

 

Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble unless and until a successor entity shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor entity.

 

Compounded SOFR” means the compounded average of SOFRs for the applicable Corresponding Tenor, with the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate being established by the Calculation Agent in accordance with:

 

(1) the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body for determining Compounded SOFR; provided that:

 

(2) if, and to the extent that, the Calculation Agent determines that Compounded SOFR cannot be determined in accordance with clause (1) above, then the rate, or methodology for this rate, and conventions for this rate that have been selected by the Calculation Agent giving due consideration to any industry-accepted market practice for Dollar-denominated floating rate securities at such time.

 

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For the avoidance of doubt, the calculation of Compounded SOFR shall exclude the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment and the spread specified in the definition thereof.

 

Corresponding Tenor” means (i) with respect to Term SOFR, three months, and (ii) with respect to a Benchmark Replacement, a tenor (including overnight) having approximately the same length (disregarding business day adjustment) as the applicable tenor for the then-current Benchmark.

 

DTC” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.03 hereof.

 

Existing Subordinated Notes” means the 6.00% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due June 30, 2030, assumed by the Company in connection with its acquisition of TGR Financial, Inc. on December 17, 2021.

 

Federal Reserve Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any successor regulatory authority with jurisdiction over bank holding companies.

 

First Supplemental Indenture” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Fixed Period Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a) hereof.

 

Fixed Rate Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a) hereof.

 

Floating Period Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(b) hereof.

 

Floating Rate Interest Period” means the period from and including the immediately preceding Floating Period Interest Payment Date in respect of which interest has been paid or duly provided for, to, but excluding, the applicable Floating Period Interest Payment Date or Maturity Date or Redemption Date, if applicable (except that the first Floating Rate Interest Period will commence on February 1, 2027).

 

Floating Rate Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(b) hereof.

 

FRBNY” means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

 

FRBNY’s Website” means the website of the FRBNY at http://www.newyorkfed.org, or any successor source.

 

Global Note” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.04 hereof.

 

Indenture” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

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Independent Bank Regulatory Counsel” means a law firm, a member of a law firm or an independent practitioner that is experienced in matters of federal bank holding company and banking regulatory law, including the laws, rules and guidelines of the Federal Reserve Board relating to regulatory capital, and shall include any Person who, under the standards of professional conduct then prevailing and applicable to such counsel, would not have a conflict of interest in representing the Company or the Trustee in connection with providing the legal opinion contemplated by the definition of the term “Tier 2 Capital Event.”

 

Independent Tax Counsel” means a law firm, a member of a law firm or an independent practitioner that is experienced in matters of federal income taxation law, including the deductibility of interest payments made with respect to corporate debt instruments, and shall include any Person who, under the standards of professional conduct then prevailing and applicable to such counsel, would not have a conflict of interest in representing the Company or the Trustee in connection with providing the legal opinion contemplated by the definition of the term “Tax Event.”

 

Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(b) hereof.

 

Interpolated Benchmark” with respect to the Benchmark means the rate determined by the Calculation Agent for the Corresponding Tenor by interpolating on a linear basis between: (1) the Benchmark for the longest period (for which the Benchmark is available) that is shorter than the Corresponding Tenor, and (2) the Benchmark for the shortest period (for which the Benchmark is available) that is longer than the Corresponding Tenor.

 

ISDA” means the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. or any successor.

 

ISDA Definitions” means the 2006 ISDA Definitions published by ISDA, as amended or supplemented from time to time, or any successor definitional booklet for interest rate derivatives published from time to time.

 

ISDA Fallback Adjustment” means the spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that would apply for derivatives transactions referencing the ISDA Definitions to be determined upon the occurrence of an index cessation event with respect to the Benchmark for the applicable tenor.

 

ISDA Fallback Rate” means the rate that would apply for derivatives transactions referencing the ISDA Definitions to be effective upon the occurrence of an index cessation date with respect to the Benchmark for the applicable tenor excluding the applicable ISDA Fallback Adjustment.

 

Maturity Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02 hereof.

 

Notes” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Optional Redemption” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.01 hereof.

 

Paying Agent” means any Person authorized by the Company, including the Company or an affiliate, to pay the principal of, or any premium or interest on, the Notes on behalf of the Company.

 

Redemption Date” means each date, if any, on which Notes are redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions of Section 3.01 or Section 3.02 hereof.

 

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Reference Time” with respect to any determination of the Benchmark means (i) if the Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, the time determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, and (ii) if the Benchmark is not Three-Month Term SOFR, the time determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes.

 

Relevant Governmental Body” means the Federal Reserve Board and/or the FRBNY, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board and/or the FRBNY or any successor thereto.

 

Securities” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Senior Indebtedness” means the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest, including interest accruing after the commencement of any bankruptcy proceeding relating to the Company, on, or substantially similar payments the Company makes in respect of the following categories of debt, whether that debt is outstanding on the date of execution of this First Supplemental Indenture or thereafter incurred, created or assumed:

 

(1) indebtedness evidenced by notes, debentures, bonds or other securities issued under the provisions of any indenture, fiscal agency agreement, debenture or note purchase agreement or other agreement, including any senior debt securities that may be offered, including by means of a base prospectus and one or more prospectus supplements;

 

(2) indebtedness for money borrowed or represented by purchase-money obligations, as defined below;

 

(3) indebtedness to general creditors;

 

(4) obligations as lessee under leases of property whether made as part of a sale and leaseback transaction to which the Company is a party or otherwise;

 

(5) indebtedness, obligations and liabilities of others in respect of which the Company is liable contingently or otherwise to pay or advance money or property or as guarantor, endorser or otherwise or which the Company has agreed to purchase or otherwise acquire and indebtedness of partnerships and joint ventures that is included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements;

 

(6) reimbursement and other obligations relating to letters of credit, bankers’ acceptances and similar obligations;

 

(7) obligations under various hedging arrangements and agreements, including interest rate and currency hedging agreements and swap and nonswap forward agreements;

 

(8) all of the Company’s obligations issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services, but excluding trade accounts payable and accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business; and

 

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(9) deferrals, renewals or extensions of any of the indebtedness or obligations described in the clauses above.

 

However, “Senior Indebtedness” excludes:

 

(1) any indebtedness, obligation or liability referred to in the definition of Senior Indebtedness above as to which, in the instrument creating, governing or evidencing that indebtedness, obligation or liability, it is expressly provided that such indebtedness, obligation or liability is not senior in right of payment to, is junior in right of payment to, or ranks equally in right of payment with, other specified types of indebtedness, obligations and liabilities of the Company, which other specified types of indebtedness, obligations and liabilities of the Company include the Notes;

 

(2) any indebtedness, obligation or liability that is subordinated to other of the Company’s indebtedness, obligations or liabilities to substantially the same extent as or to a greater extent than the Notes are subordinated;

 

(3) all obligations to trade creditors created or assumed by the Company in the ordinary course of business; and

 

(4) the Notes and any other securities issued pursuant to the Indenture, the Existing Subordinated Notes outstanding on the date of execution of this First Supplemental Indenture and, unless expressly provided in the terms thereof, any of the Company’s indebtedness to the Company’s subsidiaries.

 

As used above, the term “purchase-money obligations” means indebtedness, obligations evidenced by a note, debenture, bond or other instrument, whether or not secured by a lien or other security interest, issued to evidence the obligation to pay or a guarantee of the payment of, and any deferred obligation for the payment of, the purchase price of property but excluding indebtedness or obligations for which recourse is limited to the property purchased, issued or assumed as all or a part of the consideration for the acquisition of property or services, whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, but does not include any trade accounts payable.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Federal Reserve Board (or other competent regulatory agency or authority) promulgates any rule or issues any interpretation that defines general creditor(s), the main purpose of which is to establish criteria for determining whether the subordinated debt of a bank holding company is to be included in its capital, then the term “general creditors” as used in this definition of “Senior Indebtedness” in this First Supplemental Indenture will have the meaning as described in that rule or interpretation.

 

SOFR” means the secured overnight financing rate published by the FRBNY, as the administrator of the Benchmark (or any successor administrator), on the FRBNY’s Website.

 

Tax Event” shall mean the receipt by the Company of an opinion of Independent Tax Counsel to the effect that:

 

(1) an amendment to or change (including any announced prospective amendment or change) in any law, treaty, statute or code, or any regulation thereunder, of the United States or any of its political subdivisions or taxing authorities;

 

(2) a judicial decision, administrative action, official administrative pronouncement, ruling, regulatory procedure, regulation, notice or announcement, including any notice or announcement of intent to adopt or promulgate any ruling, regulatory procedure or regulation (any of the foregoing, an “administrative or judicial action”);

 

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(3) an amendment to or change in any official position with respect to, or any interpretation of, an administrative or judicial action or a law or regulation of the United States that differs from the previously generally accepted position or interpretation; or

 

(4) a threatened challenge asserted in writing in connection with an audit of the Company’s federal income tax returns or positions or a similar audit of any of its Subsidiaries, or a publicly known threatened challenge asserted in writing against any other taxpayer that has raised capital through the issuance of securities that are substantially similar to the Notes,

 

in each case, occurring or becoming publicly known on or after the date of original issuance of the Notes, has resulted in more than an insubstantial increase in the risk that the interest paid by the Company on the Notes is not, or within 90 days of receipt of such opinion of Independent Tax Counsel, will not be, deductible by the Company, in whole or in part, for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

Term SOFR” means the forward-looking term rate for the applicable Corresponding Tenor based on SOFR that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body.

 

Term SOFR Administrator” means any entity designated by the Relevant Governmental Body as the administrator of Term SOFR (or any successor administrator).

 

Three-Month Term SOFR” means the rate for Term SOFR for a tenor of three months that is published by the Term SOFR Administrator at the Reference Time for any Floating Rate Interest Period, as determined by the Calculation Agent after giving effect to the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions. All percentages used in or resulting from any calculation of Three-Month Term SOFR shall be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one-hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005% rounded up to 0.00001%.

 

Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions” means any determination, decision, or election with respect to any technical, administrative, or operational matter (including with respect to the manner and timing of the publication of Three-Month Term SOFR, or changes to the definition of “Floating Rate Interest Period,” timing and frequency of determining Three-Month Term SOFR with respect to each Floating Rate Interest Period and making payments of interest, rounding of amounts or tenors, and other administrative matters) that the Calculation Agent determines may be appropriate to reflect the use of Three-Month Term SOFR as the Benchmark in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if the Calculation Agent determines that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or if the Calculation Agent determines that no market practice for the use of Three-Month Term SOFR exists, in such other manner as the Calculation Agent determines is reasonably necessary).

 

Tier 2 Capital Event” shall mean the receipt by the Company of an opinion of Independent Bank Regulatory Counsel to the effect that, as a result of (a) any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the laws or any regulations thereunder of the United States or any rules, guidelines or policies of an applicable regulatory authority for the Company or (b) any official administrative pronouncement or judicial decision interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or change is effective or which pronouncement or decision is announced on or after the date of original issuance of the Notes, the Notes do not constitute, or within 90 days of the date of such opinion will not constitute, Tier 2 capital (or its then equivalent if the Company were subject to such capital requirement) for purposes of capital adequacy guidelines of the Federal Reserve Board (or any successor regulatory authority with jurisdiction over bank holding companies), as then in effect and applicable to the Company.

 

Trustee” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

U.S. Dollars” means such currency of the United States as at the time of payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

 

Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the Benchmark Replacement excluding the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.

 

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ARTICLE 2

 

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 2032 SERIES

 

AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES

 

Section 2.01. Establishment of the Series of the Notes and Designation.

 

(a) There is hereby authorized and established a Series of Securities designated as the “3.50% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Due 2032,” which Series of Securities is unsecured, subordinated to the Senior Indebtedness of the Company as provided herein and unlimited in the aggregate principal amount that may be issued. The Notes initially issued pursuant to the terms of the Indenture shall be in an aggregate principal amount of $150,000,000, which amount shall be set forth in a Company Order pursuant to Article Two of the Base Indenture, and the Trustee shall thereupon authenticate and deliver said Notes in accordance with such Company Order and the Indenture, including Section 2.06 of the Base Indenture. The Securities that are a part of such Series of Securities shall be in the form and have the terms, provisions and conditions as set forth in the Base Indenture, this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes in the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT A.

 

(b) The Company may, from time to time, without notice to, or the consent of, the holders of the Notes, issue additional Securities ranking equally with the Notes and identical to the Notes issued on the date hereof in all respects (except for the issue date, the offering price, the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date of such additional Securities and the first payment of interest following the issue date of such additional Securities) in order that such additional Securities may be consolidated and form a single series with the Notes and have the same terms as to status, redemption or otherwise as the Notes. However, any additional Securities of the series of which the Notes are a part that are issued and are not fungible with the outstanding Notes of such series for United States federal income tax purposes will be issued under one or more separate CUSIP numbers and ISIN numbers. No limit exists on the aggregate principal amount of the additional Securities of this series that the Company may issue in the future.

 

Section 2.02. Maturity. The date upon which the Notes shall become due and payable at final maturity, together with any accrued and unpaid interest then owing, is February 1, 2032 (the “Maturity Date”).

 

Section 2.03. Form, Payment and Appointment. Except as provided in Section 2.06 of the Base Indenture, the Notes will be issued only in book-entry form, will be represented by one or more Global Notes (as defined below) registered in the name of or held by The Depository Trust Company (and any successor organization thereto) (“DTC”) or its nominee. Principal or the redemption price, if any, of a Note shall be payable to the Person in whose name that Note is registered on the Maturity Date or Redemption Date, as the case may be, provided that the redemption price, if any, principal of and interest on the Notes represented by one or more Global Notes registered in the name of or held by DTC or its nominee will be payable in immediately available funds to DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered holder of such Global Notes. The principal of any certificated Notes will be payable at the Place of Payment set forth below.

 

The Notes shall have such other terms as are set forth in the form thereof attached hereto as EXHIBIT A, which is incorporated herein and made a part hereof.

 

The Security Registrar, Authenticating Agent, and Paying Agent for the Notes shall initially be the Trustee. The Company will appoint a Person to act as the Calculation Agent as provided under the definition of Calculation Agent and Section 2.05.

 

The Place of Payment for the Notes shall be an office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose, which shall initially be the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

 

The Notes will be issued and may be transferred only in minimum denominations of $1,000 or any amount in excess thereof that is an integral multiple of $1,000. The Company will pay principal of and interest on the Notes in U.S. Dollars.

 

Section 2.04. Global Note. The Notes shall be issued initially in the form of one or more fully registered global notes (each such global note, a “Global Note”) registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with DTC or its designated custodian or such other Depositary as any Authorized Officer of the Company may from time to time designate. Unless and until a Global Note is exchanged for definitive certificated Notes, such Global Note may be transferred, in whole but not in part, and any payments on the Notes shall be made, only to DTC or a nominee of DTC, or to a successor Depositary selected or approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary as provided in the Indenture.

 

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Section 2.05. Interest.

 

(a) From and including January 24, 2022, to, but excluding, February 1, 2027 (unless redeemed prior to such date pursuant to Section 3.02 hereof) (the “Fixed Rate Period”), the Notes will bear interest at a rate of 3.50% per year. During the Fixed Rate Period, interest on the Notes will accrue from and including January 24, 2022, and will be payable semiannually in arrears on February 1 and August 1 of each year during the Fixed Rate Period, commencing on August 1, 2022 (each such date, a “Fixed Period Interest Payment Date”). The interest payable on the Notes on any Fixed Period Interest Payment Date will be paid to the holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the 15th calendar day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the Fixed Period Interest Payment Date.

 

(b) From and including February 1, 2027, to, but excluding, the Maturity Date (unless redeemed prior to such date pursuant to Section 3.01 or Section 3.02 hereof) (the “Floating Rate Period”), the Notes will bear interest at a floating rate per year equal to the Benchmark plus 204 basis points. During the Floating Rate Period, interest on the Notes will accrue from and including February 1, 2027 and will be payable quarterly in arrears on February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1 of each year, commencing on May 1, 2027 (each such date, a “Floating Period Interest Payment Date” and, together with a Fixed Period Interest Payment Date, an “Interest Payment Date”). The interest payable on the Notes on any Floating Period Interest Payment Date will, except as noted in the immediately succeeding sentence, be paid to the holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the 15th calendar day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the Floating Period Interest Payment Date. However, interest that the Company pays on the Maturity Date will be paid to the Person to whom the principal will be payable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Benchmark is less than zero, then the Benchmark shall be deemed to be zero. The Calculation Agent will provide the Company, the Trustee and the Paying Agent with written notice of the interest rate in effect on the Notes promptly after the Reference Time (or such other date of determination for the applicable Benchmark) for each Floating Rate Interest Period.

 

(c) During the Fixed Rate Period, interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. During the Floating Rate Period, interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year and the actual number of days elapsed. Dollar amounts resulting from those calculations will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward.

 

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(d) If any Fixed Period Interest Payment Date for the Notes falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the Company will postpone the interest or principal payment to the next succeeding Business Day, but the payments made on such dates will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and the holders of the Notes will not be entitled to any further interest, principal or other payments with respect to such postponements. If any Floating Period Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the Company will postpone the interest payment or the payment of principal and interest at the Maturity Date to the next succeeding Business Day (and, with respect to the Maturity Date, no additional interest will accrue on the amount payable for the period from and after the Maturity Date) unless, with respect to a Floating Period Interest Payment Date only, such day falls in the next calendar month, in which case the Floating Period Interest Payment Date will instead be the immediately preceding day that is a Business Day, and interest will accrue to, but excluding, such Floating Period Interest Payment Date as so adjusted.

 

(e) The Company shall appoint a Calculation Agent prior to the commencement of the Floating Rate Period. The Company will act as the initial Calculation Agent. Absent manifest error, the Calculation Agent’s determination of the interest rate for any Floating Rate Interest Period will be binding and conclusive upon the holders of the Notes (including, for the avoidance of doubt, each beneficial owner), the Company (if the Company is not also the Calculation Agent) and the Trustee. The Trustee shall have no duty to confirm or verify any such calculation. By its acquisition of the Notes, each holder (including, for the avoidance of doubt, each beneficial owner) acknowledges, accepts, consents to and agrees to be bound by the Calculation Agent’s determination of the interest rate for each Floating Rate Interest Period, including the Calculation Agent’s determination of any Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes, Benchmark Replacement Date, Benchmark Replacement, Benchmark Replacement Adjustment, and Benchmark Transition Event, including as may occur without any prior notice from the Company or the Calculation Agent and without the need for the Company or the Calculation Agent to obtain any further consent from any holder of the Notes. The Calculation Agent’s determination of any interest rate, and its calculation of interest payments, for any Floating Rate Interest Period, will be maintained on file at the Calculation Agent’s principal offices, and will be made available by the Company to any holder of the Notes upon request, and the Calculation Agent will provide the Company, the Trustee and the Paying Agent with written notice of the interest rate in effect on the Notes promptly after the Reference Time (or such other date of determination for the applicable Benchmark).

 

(f) The Calculation Agent shall have all the rights, protections and indemnities afforded to the Trustee under the Indenture. The Company may remove the Calculation Agent at any time. If the Calculation Agent is unable or unwilling to act as Calculation Agent or is removed by the Company, the Company shall promptly appoint a replacement Calculation Agent. Neither the Trustee nor Paying Agent shall be under any duty to succeed to, assume or otherwise perform, any duties of the Calculation Agent, or to appoint a successor or replacement in the event of the Calculation Agent’s resignation or removal or to replace the Calculation Agent in the event of a default, breach or failure of performance on the part of the Calculation Agent with respect to the Calculation Agent’s duties and obligations under the Indenture. For the avoidance of doubt, if at any time there is no Calculation Agent appointed by the Company, then the Company shall be the Calculation Agent.

 

(g) Effect of Benchmark Transition Event.

 

(1) If the Calculation Agent determines that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred on or prior to the Reference Time in respect of any Floating Rate Interest Period during the Floating Rate Period, then the Benchmark Replacement will replace the then-current Benchmark for all purposes relating to the Notes during such Floating Rate Interest Period and all remaining Floating Rate Interest Periods. In connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement, the Calculation Agent will have the right to make Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time.

 

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(2) Notwithstanding anything set forth in Section 2.05(b) above, if the Calculation Agent determines on or prior to the relevant Reference Time that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Three-Month Term SOFR, then the provisions set forth in this Section 2.05(g) will thereafter apply to all determinations of the Benchmark used to calculate the interest rate on the Notes for each Floating Rate Interest Period.

 

(3) The Company and the Calculation Agent are expressly authorized to make certain determinations, decisions, and elections under the terms of the Notes, including with respect to the use of Three-Month Term SOFR as the Benchmark for the Floating Rate Period and under this Section 2.05(g). Any determination, decision, or election that may be made by the Company or by the Calculation Agent under the terms of the Notes, including any determination with respect to a tenor, rate, or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event, circumstance, or date and any decision to take or refrain from taking any action or any selection (A) will be conclusive and binding on the holders of the Notes, the Company (if the Company is not also making the decision) and the Trustee absent manifest error, (B) if made by the Company as Calculation Agent, will be made in the Company’s sole discretion, (C) if made by a Calculation Agent other than the Company, will be made after consultation with the Company, and the Calculation Agent will not make any such determination, decision, or election to which the Company reasonably objects and (D) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Indenture or the Notes, shall become effective without consent from the holders of the Notes or the Trustee or any other party. If the Calculation Agent fails to make any determination, decision, or election that it is required to make under the terms of the Notes, then the Company will make such determination, decision, or election on the same basis as described above. In connection with such determination, decision, or election, the Company shall be treated as the Calculation Agent for all purposes hereunder.

 

(4) The Company (or the Calculation Agent) shall notify the Trustee in writing (i) upon the occurrence of the Benchmark Transition Event or the Benchmark Replacement Date, and (ii) of any Benchmark Replacements, Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes after a Benchmark Transition Event.

 

(5) Neither the Trustee nor Paying Agent (i) shall be under any obligation (A) to monitor, determine or verify the unavailability or cessation of Three-Month Term SOFR (or other applicable Benchmark), or whether or when there has occurred, or to give notice to any other transaction party of the occurrence of, any Benchmark Transition Event or Benchmark Replacement Date, (B) to select, determine or designate any Benchmark Replacement, or other successor or replacement benchmark index, or whether any conditions to the designation of such a rate have been satisfied, or (C) to select, determine or designate any Benchmark Replacement Adjustment, or other modifier to any replacement or successor index, or (D) to determine whether or what Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions or Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes are necessary or advisable, if any, in connection with any of the foregoing, and in each such case under clauses (A) through (D) above shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon the selection, determination, and/or calculation thereof as provided by the Company or its Calculation Agent, as applicable, and (ii) shall be liable for any inability, failure or delay on its part to perform any of its duties set forth in the Indenture as a result of the unavailability of Three-Month Term SOFR (or other applicable Benchmark) and absence of a designated replacement Benchmark, including as a result of any inability, delay, error or inaccuracy on the part of any other transaction party, including without limitation the Calculation Agent, in providing any direction, instruction, notice or information required or contemplated by the terms of the Indenture and reasonably required for the performance of such duties. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely conclusively on all notices from the Company or the Calculation Agent regarding any Benchmark or Benchmark Replacement, including, without limitation, in regards to Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, a Benchmark Transition Event, Benchmark Replacement Date, and Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes. The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for the actions or omissions of the Calculation Agent, or any failure or delay in the performance of the Calculation Agent’s duties or obligations, nor shall it be under any obligation to monitor or oversee the performance of the Calculation Agent. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely conclusively on any determination made, and any instruction, notice, Officers’ Certificate or other instruction or information provided by the Calculation Agent without independent verification, investigation or inquiry of any kind.

 

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(6) If the then-current Benchmark is Three-Month Term SOFR, the Calculation Agent will have the right to establish the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions, and if any of the foregoing provisions concerning the calculation of the interest rate and interest payments during the Floating Rate Period are inconsistent with any of the Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions determined by the Calculation Agent, then the relevant Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions will apply. Furthermore, if the Calculation Agent determines that a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to the Three-Month Term SOFR at any time when any of the Notes are outstanding, then the foregoing provisions concerning the calculation of the interest rate and interest payments during the Floating Rate Period will be modified in accordance with this Section 2.05(g).

 

Section 2.06. Subordination.

 

(a) The Company, for itself, its successors and assigns, covenants and agrees, and each holder of Notes by the holder’s acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that the payment of the principal of and interest on each and all of the Notes is and will be expressly subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, subject to clause (j) of this Section 2.06, to the extent and in the manner described in this Section 2.06 and Section 14.01 of the Base Indenture. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the incurrence of Senior Indebtedness as well as the representative for such Senior Indebtedness.

 

(b) In the event of the insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation or other marshalling of the assets and liabilities of the Company (subject to the power of a court of competent jurisdiction to make other equitable provision reflecting the rights conferred upon the Senior Indebtedness and the holders thereof with respect to the Notes and the holders thereof by a lawful plan of reorganization under applicable bankruptcy law):

 

(i) the holders of all Senior Indebtedness shall first be entitled to receive payment in full in accordance with the terms of such Senior Indebtedness of the principal thereof and premium, if any, and interest due thereon (including interest accruing subsequent to the commencement of any proceeding for the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law now or hereafter in effect) before the holders of the Notes are entitled to receive any payment upon the principal of or interest on indebtedness evidenced by the Notes;

 

(ii) any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to which the holders of the Notes would be entitled except for the provisions of Section 14.01 of the Base Indenture and this Section 2.06, including any such payment or distribution that may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinated to the payment of the Notes, shall be paid by the liquidating trustee or agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, whether a bankruptcy trustee, a receiver or liquidating trustee or otherwise, directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or their representative or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which any instruments evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, in accordance with the priorities then existing among holders of Senior Indebtedness for payment of the aggregate amounts remaining unpaid on account of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest (including interest accruing subsequent to the commencement of any proceeding for the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law now or hereafter in effect) on the Senior Indebtedness held or represented by each, to the extent necessary to make payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid, after giving effect to any other concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness; it being understood that if the holders of the Notes shall fail to file a proper claim in the form required by any proceeding referred to in this subparagraph (ii) prior to 30 days before the expiration of the time to file such claim or claims, then the holders of Senior Indebtedness are hereby authorized to file an appropriate claim or claims for and on behalf of the holders of the Notes, in the form required in any such proceeding; and

 

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(iii) in the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, including any such payment or distribution that may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of any other indebtedness of the Company being subordinate to the payment of the Notes shall be received by the Trustee or holders of the Notes before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full, such payment or distribution shall be paid over to the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee, agent or other Person making payment of assets of the Company for all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid until all such Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.

 

Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the holders of the Notes shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of cash, property or securities of the Company applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until the principal of and interest on the Notes shall be paid in full and no such payments or distributions to holders of such Senior Indebtedness to which the holders of the Notes would be entitled except for the provisions of Section 14.01 of the Base Indenture and this Section 2.06, of cash, property or securities otherwise distributable to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall, as between the Company, its creditors, other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the holders of the Notes, be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or on account of the Senior Indebtedness. It is understood that the provisions of this Section 2.06 are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the holders of the Notes, on the one hand, and the holders of Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand. Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Section 2.06, the Trustee and the holders of the Notes shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction in which such proceeding for the insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation or other marshalling of the assets and liabilities of the Company is pending or upon a certificate of the liquidating trustee or agent or other Person making any distribution to the Trustee or to the holders of the Notes for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of the Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount hereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Section 2.06. In the absence of any such liquidating trustee, agent or other Person, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely upon a written notice by a Person representing itself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee or representative on behalf of such holder) as evidence that such Person is a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or is such a trustee or representative). With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Section 2.06, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Section 2.06 against the Trustee. The Trustee, however, shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness by reason of the execution of the Base Indenture, this First Supplemental Indenture, or any other supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 3.01 or Article Nine of the Base Indenture, and shall not be liable to any such holders if it shall mistakenly pay over or distribute to or on behalf of holders of the Notes or the Company monies or assets to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Section 2.06.

 

(c) In the event and during the continuation of any default in the payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Senior Indebtedness, beyond any applicable grace period, or if any event of default with respect to any Senior Indebtedness shall have occurred and be continuing, or would occur as a result of the payment referred to hereinafter, permitting the holders of such Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of the holders thereof) to accelerate the maturity thereof, then, unless and until such default or event of default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist, no payment or principal of or interest on the Notes, shall be made by the Company. The Trustee shall have no independent responsibility to determine whether such events exist that would prohibit a payment on the Notes and may rely solely on the Company or a written notice from the representative for Senior Indebtedness with respect to any such determinations.

 

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(d) Nothing contained in the Base Indenture, this First Supplemental Indenture, any other supplemental indenture entered into pursuant to Section 3.01 or Article Nine of the Base Indenture, or in any of the Notes shall: (i) impair, as between the Company, its creditors, other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and holders of the Notes, the obligations of the Company, which are unconditional and absolute, to make, or prevent the Company from making, at any time except as provided in clauses (b), (c), or (j) of this Section 2.06, payments of principal of, or interest (including interest accruing subsequent to the commencement of any proceeding for the bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar law now or hereafter in effect) on, the Notes, as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Notes; (ii) affect the relative rights of the Holders of the Notes and creditors of the Company other than the holders of the Senior Indebtedness; (iii) except as otherwise expressly provided in the Base Indenture, this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes with respect to the limitation on the rights of the Trustee and the holders of Notes, to accelerate the maturity of the Notes and pursue remedies upon such an acceleration, prevent the holder of any Notes or the Trustee from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default thereunder, subject to the rights, if any, under this Section 2.06 of the holders of Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the Company received upon the exercise of such remedy; or (iv) prevent the application by the Trustee or any Paying Agent of any monies deposited with it hereunder to the payment of or on account of the principal of, or interest on, the Notes or prevent the receipt by the Trustee or any Paying Agent of such monies, if, prior to the third Business Day prior to such deposit, the Trustee or such Paying Agent did not have written notice of any event prohibiting the making of such deposit by the Company.

 

(e) Each holder by his acceptance of any Notes authorizes and expressly directs the Trustee on such holder’s behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided in the Indenture, and appoints the Trustee such holder’s attorney-in-fact for such purposes, including, in the event of any termination, winding up, liquidation or reorganization of the Company (whether in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership, reorganization or similar proceedings or upon an assignment for the benefit of creditors by the Company, a marshalling of the assets and liabilities of the Company) tending toward the liquidation of the property and assets of the Company, the filing of a claim for the unpaid balance of the Notes in the form required in those proceedings.

 

The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the Company from making any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Notes pursuant to the provisions of this Section 2.06 or Section 14.10 of the Base Indenture. The Trustee shall not be charged with the knowledge of the existence of any default or event of default with respect to any Senior Indebtedness or of any other facts that would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received notice in writing at its Corporate Trust Office to that effect signed by an Officer of the Company, or by a holder of Senior Indebtedness or a trustee or agent thereof; and prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee shall, subject to Article Six of the Base Indenture, be entitled to assume that no such facts exist; provided that, if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in this Section 2.06 at least two Business Days prior to the date upon which, by the terms of the Indenture, any monies shall become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note), then, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive any monies from the Company and to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary that may be received by it on or after such prior date except for an acceleration of the Notes prior to such application. The foregoing shall not apply if the Paying Agent is the Company. The Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Person representing himself or itself to be a holder of any Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of, or agent of, such holder) to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of such Senior Indebtedness or a trustee or agent on behalf of any such holder. In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that any evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Section 2.06 or Article 16 of the Base Indenture, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Section 2.06 or Article Fourteen of the Base Indenture and, if such evidence is not furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending such evidence being furnished to the Trustee or a judicial determination that such Person has the right to receive such payment.

 

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(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 2.06 or any other provisions of the Indenture, neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall be charged with knowledge of the existence of any Senior Indebtedness or of any event that would prohibit the making of any payment or moneys to or by the Trustee or such Paying Agent, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall have received written notice thereof from the Company or from the holder of any Senior Indebtedness or from the representative of any such holder.

 

(g) The Trustee shall be entitled to all of the rights set forth in this Section 2.06 in respect of any Senior Indebtedness at any time held by it in its individual capacity to the extent set forth in Section 14.13 of the Base Indenture.

 

(h) The failure to make a payment pursuant to the Notes by reason of any provision in this Section 2.06 shall not be construed as preventing the occurrence of a default or any Event of Default.

 

(i) Nothing contained in this Section 2.06 shall apply to the claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.07 of the Base Indenture.

 

(j) The subordination provisions in this Section 2.06 or Article Fourteen of the Base Indenture do not apply to amounts due to the Trustee in its capacity as such pursuant to other sections of the Indenture, including Section 6.07 of the Base Indenture. Similarly, the Trustee shall be entitled to exercise its charging lien granted pursuant to Section 6.07 of the Base Indenture on any funds received before applicable of the subordination provisions of this Section 2.06.

 

Section 2.07. Events of Default; Acceleration. All of the Events of Default set forth in Section 5.01 of the Base Indenture will apply with respect to the Notes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, because the Company will treat the Notes as Tier 2 capital (or its then equivalent if the Company were subject to such capital requirement) for purposes of capital adequacy guidelines of the Federal Reserve Board as then in effect and applicable to the Company, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default other than an Event of Default set forth in Section 5.01(1) or Section 5.01(2) of the Base Indenture, neither the Trustee nor the holders of the Notes may accelerate the maturity of the Notes and make the principal of, and any accrued and unpaid interest on, the Notes, immediately due and payable. Solely with respect to the Notes, and not for the purposes of any other Securities, Section 5.01(1) and Section 5.01(2) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in their entirety with the following:

 

“(1)      a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall enter a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or for any substantial part of the property of the Company, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days;

 

(2)            the Company shall commence a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or shall consent to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, or shall consent to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or for any substantial part of the property of the Company, or shall make any general assignment for the benefit of creditors;”

 

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Section 2.08. No Sinking Fund. The Notes are not entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund.

 

Section 2.09. No Conversion or Exchange Rights. The Notes shall not be convertible into or exchangeable for any equity securities, other securities or other assets of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.

 

Section 2.10. Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance. Article Thirteen of the Base Indenture shall apply to the Notes.

 

ARTICLE 3

 

REDEMPTION OF THE NOTES

 

Section 3.01. Optional Redemption. The Notes shall not be redeemable prior to February 1, 2027, except as provided in Section 3.02. The Company may redeem the Notes, at its sole option, beginning with the Interest Payment Date of February 1, 2027 and on any Interest Payment Date thereafter, in whole or in part, from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, and any such redemption may be subject to the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent set forth in the applicable notice of redemption (an “Optional Redemption”). No such Optional Redemption of the Notes by the Company prior to the Maturity Date shall be made without the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board, to the extent that such approval is then required under the rules of the Federal Reserve Board. The Notes are not subject to repayment at the option of the holders of Notes.

 

Section 3.02. Redemption of Special Events. Other than in the case of an Optional Redemption, the Notes may not be redeemed by the Company prior to the Maturity Date, except the Company may, at its sole option, redeem the Notes at any time before the Maturity Date in whole, but not in part, upon or after the occurrence of a Tax Event, a Tier 2 Capital Event or if the Company is required to register as an investment company pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.), as amended. Any such redemption of the Notes will be at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, and any such redemption may be subject to the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent set forth in the applicable notice of redemption. Notwithstanding the foregoing, installments of interest on any Notes that are due and payable on Interest Payment Dates falling on or prior to the applicable Redemption Date will be payable on such Interest Payment Dates to the holders of the Notes at the close of business on the relevant record dates specified in Sections 2.05(a) and (b) above in accordance with the Notes and this Indenture. No such redemption of the Notes by the Company prior to the Maturity Date shall be made without the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board, to the extent that such approval is then required under the rules of the Federal Reserve Board.

 

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Section 3.03. Notice to Trustee. If the Company elects to redeem the Notes pursuant to the redemption provisions of Section 3.01 or Section 3.02, at least 15 days prior to the Redemption Date (unless a shorter notice shall be agreed to in writing by the Trustee) but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate setting forth (i) the applicable section of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall occur, (ii) the Redemption Date, (iii) the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed, (iv) the redemption price and (v) a Board Resolution.

 

Section 3.04. Partial Redemption. In the case of a redemption pursuant to Section 3.01, if less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed will be selected in accordance with the rules of the Depositary (or, in the case of any certificated Notes, by lot, on a pro rata basis or in such other manner the Trustee deems fair and appropriate unless otherwise required by law). The Trustee shall promptly notify in writing the Company of the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Notes selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. Notes and portions of Notes selected shall be in minimum amounts of $1,000 or integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof; no Notes of a principal amount of $1,000 or less shall be redeemed in part, except that if all of the Notes of a holder are to be redeemed, the entire outstanding amount of Notes held by such holder, even if not equal to $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, shall be redeemed. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption also apply to portions of Notes called for redemption.

 

Section 3.05. Notice to Holders. In the case of any redemption, at least 15 days but no more than 60 days before the Redemption Date, the Company shall send in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary, or if the Notes are not then global Securities the Company shall mail, or cause to be mailed, a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each holder of Notes to be redeemed at such holder’s registered address appearing on the register (with a copy to the Trustee). The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed (including the CUSIP and/or ISIN numbers thereof, if any) and shall state:

 

(a) the Redemption Date;

 

(b) the principal amount of the Notes that are being redeemed;

 

(c) each Place of Payment;

 

(d) the redemption price and accrued interest to the Redemption Date that is payable pursuant to Section 11.04 of the Base Indenture;

 

(e) if fewer than all outstanding Notes are to be redeemed, the portion of the principal amount of such Notes to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date and upon surrender of such Notes, if applicable, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion will be issued;

 

(f) the name and address of the Paying Agent;

 

(g) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

 

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(h) that unless the Company defaults in making the redemption payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the Redemption Date;

 

(i) if such notice is conditioned upon the satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, such conditions precedent;

 

(j) the applicable section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Notes called for redemption are being redeemed; and

 

(k) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP and/or ISIN numbers, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Notes.

 

The Company may state in the notice of redemption that another Person may make payment of the redemption price and perform its obligations with respect to redemption or purchase.

 

At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense; provided, that the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee, at least five Business Days prior to the requested date of delivery (or such shorter period as is satisfactory to the Trustee), a Company Request requesting that the Trustee give such notice and attaching a copy of such notice, which shall set forth the information to be stated in such notice as provided in this Article 3. If any condition precedent to a redemption has not been satisfied, the Company will provide written notice to the Trustee not less than two Business Days prior to the Redemption Date that such condition precedent has not been satisfied, that the notice of redemption is rescinded or delayed and that the redemption subject to the satisfaction of such condition precedent shall not occur or shall be delayed (or that such condition precedent is waived and such redemption shall occur or shall be delayed). The Trustee shall promptly send a copy of such notice to the holders of the Notes.

 

ARTICLE 4

 

FORM OF NOTES

 

Section 4.01. Form of Notes. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication thereon are to be substantially in the form attached as EXHIBIT A hereto, with such changes therein as the officer of the Company executing the Notes (by manual, electronic (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) or facsimile signature) may approve, such approval to be conclusively evidenced by such officer’s execution thereof. To the extent the terms and conditions of the Notes are not set forth herein, such terms and conditions of the Notes shall be as set forth in the form attached as EXHIBIT A hereto.

 

ARTICLE 5

 

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES

 

Section 5.01. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Holders. Solely with respect to the Notes, and not for the purposes of any other Securities, Section 9.01 of the Base Indenture shall be amended to (i) replace the period at the end of clause (10) thereof with “; or” and (ii) add a new clause (11) immediately after clause (10), which shall read as follows:

 

“(11) to implement in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and any supplemental indenture any Three-Month Term SOFR Conventions or any Benchmark Transition Event provisions after a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred (or in anticipation thereof).”

 

20

 

 

Section 5.02. Concerning the Trustee. Solely with respect to the Notes, Section 9.03 of the Base Indenture shall be amended by adding the following at the end of such section: “(including, without limitation, in connection with the adoption of any Benchmark Conforming Changes)”.

 

ARTICLE 6

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 6.01. Ratification of Base Indenture. Solely with respect to the Notes, the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this First Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and this First Supplemental Indenture shall be deemed part of the Base Indenture in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided.

 

Section 6.02. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals. The recitals contained herein and in the Notes, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as statements of the Company and not those of the Trustee, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this First Supplemental Indenture or of the Notes. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of the Notes or of the proceeds thereof.

 

Section 6.03. New York Law To Govern. THIS FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE AND EACH NOTE SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACT MADE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND FOR ALL PURPOSES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

Section 6.04. Severability. In case any provision in this First Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired by such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision.

 

Section 6.05. Counterparts. This First Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this First Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format (i.e., “.pdf” or “.tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this First Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original First Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronic format (i.e., “.pdf” or “.tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee is not under any obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by such Trustee pursuant to procedures approved by such Trustee. All notices, approvals, consents, requests and any communications hereunder must be in writing (provided that any such communication sent to Trustee hereunder must be in the form of a document that is signed manually or by way of a digital signature provided by DocuSign (or such other digital signature provider as specified in writing to Trustee by the authorized representative), in English. Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of using digital signatures and electronic methods to submit communications to Trustee, including without limitation the risk of Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.

 

21

 

 

Section 6.06. Benefits of First Supplemental Indenture. Nothing in this First Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties to this First Supplemental Indenture and their successors under this First Supplemental Indenture and the holders of the Notes from time to time, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this First Supplemental Indenture.

 

Section 6.07. Conflict with Base Indenture. If any provision of this First Supplemental Indenture relating to the Notes is inconsistent with any provision of the Base Indenture, such provision of this First Supplemental Indenture shall control.

 

Section 6.08. Provisions of Trust Indenture Act Controlling. This First Supplemental Indenture is subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of the Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions. If any provision of this First Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under the Trust Indenture Act to be a part of and govern this First Supplemental Indenture, the provision of the Trust Indenture Act shall control.

 

Section 6.09. Successors. All agreements of the Company in the Base Indenture, this First Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in the Base Indenture and this First Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors.

 

[REMAINDER OF PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK.]

 

22

 

 

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

 

  FIRST FOUNDATION INC.
     
  By: /s/ Kevin L. Thompson                
  Name: Kevin L. Thompson
  Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
     

 

 

 

   
     
  U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
     
  By: /s/ Bradley E. Scarbrough
  Name: Bradley E. Scarbrough
  Title: Vice President

 

[Signature Page to First Supplemental Indenture]

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

[Note: The following legend is to be placed at the beginning of any Global Note representing Notes.]

 

GLOBAL NOTE

 

THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO IN THIS SECURITY AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED HEREIN) OR ITS NOMINEE. THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED TO, OR REGISTERED OR EXCHANGED FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF, ANY PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE OR A SUCCESSOR OF SUCH DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR AND NO SUCH TRANSFER MAY BE REGISTERED, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE. EVERY SECURITY AUTHENTICATED AND DELIVERED UPON REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER OF, OR IN EXCHANGE FOR OR IN LIEU OF, THIS SECURITY SHALL BE A GLOBAL SECURITY SUBJECT TO THE FOREGOING, EXCEPT IN SUCH LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY (AS DEFINED HEREIN) OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE, OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

 

THIS SECURITY AND THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY EVIDENCED HEREBY (1) ARE NOT DEPOSITS WITH OR HELD BY THE COMPANY AND ARE NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL AGENCY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION AND (2) ARE SUBORDINATE IN RIGHT OF PAYMENT TO THE SENIOR INDEBTEDNESS (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE IDENTIFIED HEREIN) OF THE COMPANY.

 

FIRST FOUNDATION INC.

 

3.50% FIXED-TO-FLOATING RATE SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2032

 

No. 1 CUSIP:  32026V AA2  
     
$150,000,000 ISIN:  US32026VAA26  

 

First Foundation Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company,” which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of $150,000,000 U.S. DOLLARS (or such other amount as set forth in the Schedule of Increases or Decreases in the Note attached hereto) on February 1, 2032 (such date, the “Maturity Date”), unless redeemed prior to such Maturity Date, and to pay interest thereon as set forth below:

 

A-1

 

 

From and including January 24, 2022, to, but excluding, February 1, 2027 (unless redeemed prior to such date pursuant to Section 3.02 of the First Supplemental Indenture (as defined herein)) (the “Fixed Rate Period”), this note (this “Note”) will bear interest at a rate of 3.50% per year. During the Fixed Rate Period, interest on the Note will accrue from and including January 24, 2022, and will be payable semiannually in arrears on February 1 and August 1 of each year during the Fixed Rate Period, commencing on August 1, 2022 (each such date, a “Fixed Period Interest Payment Date”). The interest payable on the Note on any Fixed Period Interest Payment Date will, except as noted below, be paid to the holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the 15th calendar day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the Fixed Period Interest Payment Date.

 

From and including February 1, 2027, to, but excluding, the Maturity Date (unless redeemed prior to such date pursuant to Section 3.01 or Section 3.02 of the First Supplemental Indenture) (the “Floating Rate Period”), this Note will bear interest at a floating rate per year equal to the Benchmark, plus 204 basis points. During the Floating Rate Period, interest on the Note will accrue from and including February 1, 2027 and will be payable quarterly in arrears on February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1 of each year, commencing on May 1, 2027 (each such date, a “Floating Period Interest Payment Date” and, together with a Fixed Period Interest Payment Date, each an “Interest Payment Date”). The interest payable on the Note on any Floating Period Interest Payment Date will, except as noted below, be paid to the holder in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on the 15th calendar day (whether or not a Business Day) immediately preceding the Floating Period Interest Payment Date. However, interest that the Company pays on the Maturity Date will be paid to the Person to whom the principal will be payable.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Benchmark is less than zero, then the Benchmark shall be deemed to be zero.

 

Principal and interest on the Note will be payable by wire transfer in immediately available funds in U.S. Dollars at an office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose, which shall initially be the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.

 

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

 

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

 

(Signature page follows)

 

A-2

 

 

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

 

Dated: January 24, 2022 FIRST FOUNDATION INC.
                 
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  
     

 

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

 

This is one of the Securities of the Series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

Dated: January 24, 2022 U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
   
  By:        
     
    Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Note]

 

A-3

 

 

REVERSE OF NOTE

 

FIRST FOUNDATION INC.

 

3.50% FIXED-TO-FLOATING RATE SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2032

 

This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company of a series designated as the “3.50% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes Due 2032” (the “Notes”) initially issued in an aggregate principal amount of $150,000,000 on January 24, 2022. Such series of Securities has been established pursuant to, and is one of an unsecured indefinite number of series of subordinated debt securities of the Company issued or issuable under and pursuant to, the Indenture (the “Base Indenture”), dated as of January 24, 2022, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee), as supplemented and amended by the First Supplemental Indenture, between the Company and the Trustee, dated as of January 24, 2022 (the “First Supplemental Indenture” and the Base Indenture as supplemented and amended by the First Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”), to which Indenture and any other indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Persons in whose names Notes are registered on the Security Register from time to time and of the terms upon which the Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Note shall not be valid until the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on this Note. The terms, conditions and provisions of the Notes are those stated in the Indenture, those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act, and those set forth in this Note. To the extent that the terms, conditions and provisions of this Note modify, supplement or are inconsistent with those of the Indenture, then the terms, conditions and other provisions of the Indenture shall govern to the extent such terms, conditions and other provisions of this Note are not inconsistent with the terms, conditions and provisions made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act.

 

All capitalized terms used in this Note and not defined herein that are defined in the Base Indenture or the First Supplemental Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Base Indenture or the First Supplemental Indenture. If any capitalized term used in this Note and defined herein is also defined in the Base Indenture or the First Supplemental Indenture, in the event of any conflict in the meanings ascribed to such capitalized term, the definition of the capitalized term in this Note shall control. To the extent any provision of this Note conflicts with the express provisions of the Indenture, the provisions of the Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

 

The indebtedness of the Company evidenced by the Notes, including the principal thereof and interest thereon, is, to the extent and in the manner set forth in the First Supplemental Indenture, subordinate and junior in right of payment to obligations of the Company constituting the Senior Indebtedness (as defined in the First Supplemental Indenture) on the terms and subject to the terms and conditions as provided and set forth in Section 2.06 of the First Supplemental Indenture and shall rank pari passu in right of payment with all other Notes and with all other unsecured subordinated indebtedness of the Company issued under the Indenture and not by its terms subordinate and junior in right of payment to the promissory notes, bonds, debentures or other evidences of indebtedness of a type that includes the Notes. Each holder by his acceptance of this Note, agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions of the Indenture and authorizes and expressly directs the Trustee on such holder’s behalf to take such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided in the Indenture.

 

During the Fixed Rate Period, interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. During the Floating Rate Period, interest will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year and the actual number of days elapsed. Dollar amounts resulting from those calculations will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward.

 

If any Fixed Period Interest Payment Date for the Note or the date for the payment of principal for the Note occurring during the Fixed Rate Period falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the Company will postpone the interest or principal payment to the next succeeding Business Day, but the payments made on such dates will be treated as being made on the date that the payment was first due and the holder of the Note will not be entitled to any further interest, principal or other payments with respect to such postponements. If any Floating Period Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the Company will postpone the interest payment or the payment of principal and interest at the Maturity Date to the next succeeding Business Day (and, with respect to the Maturity Date, no additional interest will accrue on the amount payable for the period from and after the Maturity Date), unless, with respect to a Floating Period Interest Payment Date only, such day falls in the next calendar month, in which case the Floating Period Interest Payment Date will instead be the immediately preceding day that is a Business Day, and interest will accrue to, but excluding, such Floating Period Interest Payment Date as so adjusted.

 

A-4

 

 

The Notes are intended to be treated as Tier 2 capital (or its then equivalent if the Company were subject to such capital requirement) for purposes of capital adequacy guidelines of the Federal Reserve Board as then in effect and applicable to the Company. If an Event of Default with respect to Notes shall occur and be continuing, the principal and any accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes shall only become due and payable in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in Article Five of the Base Indenture and Section 2.07 of the First Supplemental Indenture. Accordingly, the holder of this Note has no right to accelerate the maturity of this Note in the event the Company fails to pay the principal of or interest on any of the Notes or fails to perform any other obligations under the Notes or in the Indenture that are applicable to the Notes.

 

The Notes may be redeemed by the Company as set forth in the Indenture.

 

The Notes are not entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund. The Notes shall not be convertible into or exchangeable for any equity securities, other securities or other assets of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

Article Thirteen of the Base Indenture shall be applicable to the Notes.

 

The Notes are issuable and may be transferred only in fully registered form without coupons, in minimum denominations of $1,000 or any amount in excess thereof that is an integral multiple of $1,000.

 

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

 

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

 

[This Security is a global note, represented by one or more permanent global certificates registered in the name of the nominee of The Depository Trust Company (each a “Global Note” and collectively, the “Global Notes”). Accordingly, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for individual certificates evidencing the Notes represented hereby, this Security may not be transferred except as a whole by DTC to a nominee of DTC or by a nominee of DTC or by DTC or any nominee to a successor Depositary or any nominee of such successor. Ownership of beneficial interests in this Security will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by the applicable Depositary or its nominee (with respect to interest of Persons that have accounts with the Depositary (“Participants”) and the records of Participants (with respect to interests of Persons other than Participants)). Beneficial interests in Notes owned by Persons that hold through Participants will be evidenced only by, and transfers of such beneficial interests with such Participants will be effected only through, records maintained by such Participants. Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in this Security will not be entitled to have any individual certificates and will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the Indenture.

 

A-5

 

 

Except in the limited circumstances set forth in Section 3.05 of the Base Indenture, Participants and owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will not be entitled to receive Securities in definitive form and will not be considered holders of Notes. None of the Company, the Trustee or the Paying Agent will be liable for any delay by the Depositary, its nominee or any direct or indirect Participant in identifying the beneficial owners of the related Notes. The Company and the Paying Agent may conclusively rely on, and will be protected in relying on, instructions from the Depositary or its nominee for all purposes, including with respect to the registration and delivery, and the respective principal amounts, of the Notes to be issued.

 

Except as provided in Section 3.05 of the Base Indenture, beneficial owners of Global Notes will not be entitled to receive physical delivery of Notes in definitive form and no Global Note will be exchangeable except for another Global Note of like denomination and tenor to be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee. Accordingly, each Person owning a beneficial interest in a Global Note must rely on the procedures of the Depositary and, if such Person is not a Participant, on the procedures of the Participant through which such Person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the Notes.

 

The laws of some jurisdictions may require that purchasers of securities take physical delivery of those securities in definitive form. Accordingly, the ability to transfer interests in the Notes represented by a Global Note to those Persons may be limited. In addition, because the Depositary can act only on behalf of its Participants, who in turn act on behalf of Persons who hold interests through Participants, the ability of a Person having an interest in Notes represented by a Global Note to pledge or transfer such interest to Persons that do not participate in the Depositary’s system, or otherwise to take actions in respect of such interest, may be affected by the lack of a physical definitive security in respect of such interest. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Security Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of Notes by the Depositary, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records of the Depositary relating to the Notes.]1

 

U.S. Bank National Association, will act as the Company’s Paying Agent with respect to the Notes through its offices presently located at U.S. Bank National Association, 633 West Fifth Street, 24th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, Attention: B. Scarbrough (First Foundation Base Indenture). The Company may at any time rescind the designation of a Paying Agent, appoint a successor Paying Agent, or approve a change in the office through which any Paying Agent acts.

 

Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a holder of a Note or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian), and U/G/M/A (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

 

Pursuant to a recommendation promulgated by the Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, the Company has caused the CUSIP number for the Series of Securities of which the Notes are a part to be printed on the Notes as a convenience to the holders of the Notes. No representation is made as to the accuracy of such numbers as printed on the Notes and reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed hereon.

 

THIS NOTE SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACT MADE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND FOR ALL PURPOSES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

 

1 Bolded language to be included only in Global Note.

 

A-6

 

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

To assign the within Security, fill in the form below:__________________________________

 

I or we assign and transfer the within Security to:

 

___________________________________________________________

(Insert assignee’s legal name)

 

                                                                                                                                                         

(Insert assignee’s social security or tax I.D. no.)

 

____________________________________________________________

(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)

 

and irrevocably appoint as agent to transfer this Security on the books of First Foundation Inc.. The agent may substitute another to act for it.

 

Your Signature:___________________________________________________________________________

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Security)

 

Your Name:_____________________________________________

 

Date:_____________________________________________

 

Signature Guarantee:*_________________________________________________

 

* NOTICE: The Signature must be guaranteed by an Institution which is a member of one of the following recognized signature Guarantee Programs: (i) The Securities Transfer Agent Medallion Program (STAMP); (ii) The New York Stock Exchange Medallion Program (MNSP); (iii) The Stock Exchange Medallion Program (SEMP); or (iv) such other guarantee program acceptable to the Trustee.

 

SIGNATURE GUARANTEE

 

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Security registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Security registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

A-7

 

 

 

SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN NOTE

 

The initial principal amount of this Note is $150,000,000. The following increases or decreases in the principal amount of this Note have been made:

 

Date   Amount of decrease in
principal amount of this
Note
  Amount of decrease in
principal amount of this
Note
  Principal amount of this Note following such
decrease or increase
  Signature of authorized
signatory of Trustee

 

A-8

Exhibit 5.1

 

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
650 Town Center Drive, 10th Floor 
Costa Mesa, California 92626-1993
714.513.5100 main 
714.513.5130 fax
www.sheppardmullin.com

 

January 24, 2022

 

First Foundation Inc.

200 Crescent Court, Suite 1400

Dallas, Texas 75201

 

Re: First Foundation Inc.-Prospectus Supplement to Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239396)

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

With respect to $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 3.50% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2032 (the “Notes”) to be issued and sold by First Foundation Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) under the Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-239396, filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on June 23, 2020 (the “Registration Statement”), and the related prospectus included therein, as supplemented by the final prospectus supplement, dated January 20, 2022 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), filed by the Company with the Commission under its Rule 424(b) on January 21, 2022 (together, the “Prospectus”), we have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Indenture (the “Indenture”) between the Company and U.S. Bank N.A., as the trustee (the “Trustee”), dated as of January 24, 2022, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 24, 2022 (the “Supplement”), pursuant to which the Notes will be issued. The Company is filing the Indenture, the Supplement and this opinion letter with the Commission on a Current Report on Form 8-K (the “Current Report”) on the date hereof.

 

We have also examined the originals, or copies identified to our satisfaction, of such corporate records of the Company, certificates of public officials, officers of the Company and other persons, and such other documents, agreements and instruments as we have deemed relevant and necessary for the basis of the opinions hereinafter expressed. In such examination, we have assumed the following: (i) the authenticity of original documents and the genuineness of all signatures; (ii) the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies; (iii) the legal competence of all signatories to such documents; and (iv) the truth, accuracy and completeness of the information, factual matters, representations and warranties contained in the records, documents, instruments and certificates we have reviewed.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, assuming that the Notes are issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, we are of the opinion that the Notes will be legal and binding obligations of the Company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The opinion set forth above is subject to (a) the effect of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, arrangement, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers or conveyances, preferences and equitable subordination); and (b) 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 enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

The opinion expressed herein is limited to the laws of the State of New York.

 

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.]

 

-2-

 

 

 

 

We hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus and to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Current Report and its incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ SHEPPARD, MULLIN, RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP
   
  SHEPPARD, MULLIN, RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP

 

-3-

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

First Foundation Inc. Announces Closing of Subordinated Debt Offering

 

DALLAS, TX – January 24, 2022 – First Foundation Inc. (NASDAQ: FFWM) (“First Foundation”), a financial services company with two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, First Foundation Advisors and First Foundation Bank, announced today that it has completed a $150 million offering of its 3.50% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due 2032 (the “Notes”).

 

First Foundation plans to use the net proceeds from the Notes offering for general corporate purposes, which may include, without limitation, providing capital to support its organic growth or growth through strategic acquisitions, financing investments, capital expenditures, investments in First Foundation Bank to support regulatory capital, and repaying up to $30 million of indebtedness.

 

“We are pleased to announce the successful completion of our subordinated debt offering,” said Scott F. Kavanaugh, Chief Executive Officer, First Foundation Inc. “We believe this attractive, new source of capital will give us additional options to fuel our growth plans and support our regulatory capital, without diluting our existing equity stakeholders.”

 

Piper Sandler & Co. acted as lead bookrunning manager and D. A. Davidson & Co. and Stephens Inc. acted as co-managers for the offering. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP acted as legal counsel to First Foundation and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP acted as legal counsel to the underwriters.

 

About First Foundation

 

First Foundation Inc. (NASDAQ: FFWM) and its subsidiaries offer personal banking, business banking, and private wealth management services, including investment, trust, insurance, and philanthropy services. This comprehensive platform of financial services is designed to help clients at any stage in their financial journey. The broad range of financial products and services offered by First Foundation are more consistent with those offered by larger financial institutions, while its high level of personalized service, accessibility, and responsiveness to clients is more aligned with community banks and boutique wealth management firms. This combination of an integrated platform of comprehensive financial products and personalized service differentiates First Foundation from many of its competitors and has contributed to the growth of its client base and business. Learn more at firstfoundationinc.com, or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

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Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “Safe-Harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including forward-looking statements regarding our expectations and beliefs about our future financial performance and financial condition, as well as trends in our business and markets. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “outlook,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current information and on assumptions that we make about future events and circumstances that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond our control. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, our actual financial results in the future could differ, possibly materially, from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release and could cause us to make changes to our future plans. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk of incurring credit losses, which is an inherent risk of the banking business; the negative impacts and disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic on our colleagues, clients, the communities we serve and the domestic and global economy, which may have an adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations; the risk that we will not be able to continue our internal growth rate; the performance of loans currently on deferral following the expiration of the respective deferral periods; the risk that we will not be able to access the securitization market on favorable terms or at all; changes in general economic conditions, either nationally or locally in the areas in which we conduct or will conduct our business; risks associated with the Federal Reserve Board taking actions with respect to interest rates, which could adversely affect our interest income and interest rate margins and, therefore, our future operating results; the risk that the performance of our investment management business or of the equity and bond markets could lead clients to move their funds from or close their investment accounts with us, which would reduce our assets under management and adversely affect our operating results; the risk that we may be unable or that our board of directors may determine that it is inadvisable to pay future dividends; risks associated with changes in income tax laws and regulations; and risks associated with seeking new client relationships and maintaining existing client relationships.

 

Further, statements about the potential effects of the TGR Financial, Inc. (“TGR Financial”) acquisition on our business, financial results, and condition may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual effects may differ, possibly materially, from what is reflected in the forward-looking statements due to factors and future developments which are uncertain, unpredictable and in many cases beyond our control, including the risk that the benefits from the acquisition may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected or be more costly to achieve, including as a result of changes in general economic and market conditions, interest and exchange rates, monetary policy, laws and regulations and their enforcement, and the degree of competition in the geographic and business areas in which we and TGR Financial operate; our ability to promptly and effectively integrate the companies’ businesses; reputational risks and the reaction of the companies' customers, employees and counterparties to the acquisition; diversion of management time on integration-related issues; and lower than expected revenues, credit quality deterioration or a reduction in real estate values or a reduction in net earnings.

 

Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties to which our business and future financial performance are subject is contained in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 that we filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021, and other documents we file with the SEC from time to time. We urge readers of this press release to review those reports and other documents we file with the SEC from time to time. Also, our actual financial results in the future may differ from those currently expected due to additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not currently aware or which we do not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to our business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, which speak only as of today's date, or to make predictions based solely on historical financial performance. We also disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release or in the above-referenced reports, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law or NASDAQ rules.  

 

Investor Inquiries

Kevin Thompson  

Chief Financial Officer 

(949) 202-4164 

kthompson@ff-inc.com 

 

Media Inquiries

Tyler J. Resh 
Director of Marketing & Strategy 
949-202-4131 
tresh@ff-inc.com 

 

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