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): March 25, 2015

 

 

FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-09318   13-2670991

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer Identification No.)

One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 312-2000

Not Applicable

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

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨ 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))

 

 

 


Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On March 25, 2015, Franklin Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into: (i) an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as representatives, (the “Representatives”) of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to the Underwriters $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 2.850% Notes due 2025 (the “Notes”), for sale by the Underwriters (the “Offering”) pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-183969) (the “Registration Statement”). On March 25, 2015, the Company priced the Offering and on March 30, 2015, the Offering closed. The Company realized approximately $396.7 million in proceeds from the Offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company intends to use approximately $250.0 million of the net proceeds of the Offering to repay the outstanding 3.125% notes due May 2015 and the remainder for general corporate purposes. The foregoing does not constitute a notice of redemption for or an obligation to issue a notice of redemption for the Company’s outstanding notes.

The Underwriters have performed investment banking and advisory services for the Company and for certain of the Company’s funds from time to time in the ordinary course, for which certain of the Underwriters may have received customary fees and expenses. These services have included acting as underwriters and distributors and providing financing. The Underwriters may, from time to time, engage in other transactions with and perform services for the Company and its funds in the ordinary course of their business.

The Notes were issued by the Company under an indenture, dated as of May 19, 1994 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as successor to Chemical Bank, as Trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended and supplemented by a first supplemental indenture, dated as of October 9, 1996 (the “First Supplemental Indenture”) and a fourth supplemental indenture, dated as of March 30, 2015 (inclusive of the form of global note, the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture”). The Base Indenture as amended and supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture and the Fourth Supplemental Indenture is referred to as the “Indenture.”

Interest on the Notes will be payable semi-annually on March 30 and September 30 of each year, beginning on September 30, 2015. The Notes will mature on March 30, 2025. The Notes will be unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Company and will rank equal with all of the Company’s existing and future unsubordinated indebtedness. The Notes will be structurally subordinated to all of the existing and future debt of the Company’s subsidiaries.

The Company may redeem the Notes prior to maturity in whole or in part at any time, at its option, at certain “make-whole” redemption prices. In the case of any such redemption, the Company will also pay accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date.

The Indenture contains, subject to exceptions, limitations on the Company’s ability and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to pledge voting stock or profit participating equity interests in the subsidiaries to secure other debt without also similarly securing the Notes equally and ratably. The Indenture also includes requirements that must be met if the Company consolidates or merges with, or sells all or substantially all of its assets to, another entity.

The Notes contain customary events of default, including:

 

    default in the payment of interest not cured within 30 days;

 

    default in the payment of principal when due;

 

    certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization involving the Company or any significant subsidiary thereof, including the entry of any court order or decree related to these events;

 

    default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty under the Indenture or the Notes not cured within 60 days after a written notice of default is given by the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes; and acceleration of indebtedness of the Company or any significant subsidiary thereof, or failure to pay any such debt at maturity, in a principal amount in excess of $75 million under the terms of the instrument under which such indebtedness was issued or secured, if such acceleration is not annulled within 30 days after a written notice of default is given by the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes.

 

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The summary of the terms of the Notes set forth above does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture. The Underwriting Agreement is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, the Base Indenture was filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement, the First Supplemental Indenture was filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Registration Statement and the Fourth Supplemental Indenture is filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, and each of these documents is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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

The information set forth in Item 1.01 above with respect to the Indenture and the Notes is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03, insofar as it relates to the creation of a direct financial obligation.

 

Item 8.01. Other Events

In connection with the offering of the Notes, the Company is filing as Exhibit 5.1 hereto an opinion of counsel addressing the validity of the Notes. Such opinion is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

1.1    Underwriting Agreement for the 2.850% Notes due 2025, dated March 25, 2015, among the Company and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein
4.1    Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 30, 2015 (inclusive of the form of global note of the Company’s 2.850% Notes due 2025)
5.1    Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
23.1    Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

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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.

 

FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC.
Date: March 30, 2015 By: /s/ Kenneth A. Lewis
Name: Kenneth A. Lewis
Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

1.1    Underwriting Agreement for the 2.850% Notes due 2025, dated March 25, 2015, among the Company and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein
4.1    Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 30, 2015 (inclusive of the form of global note of the Company’s 2.850% Notes due 2025)
5.1    Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
23.1    Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

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Exhibit 1.1

EXECUTION VERSION

Franklin Resources, Inc.

2.850% Notes Due 2025

Underwriting Agreement

New York, New York

March 25, 2015

To the Representatives named in

Schedule I hereto of the several

Underwriters named in

Schedule II hereto

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Franklin Resources, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (the “Company”), proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives, the principal amount of its securities identified in Schedule I hereto (the “Securities”), to be issued under an indenture dated as of May 19, 1994, between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. as successor to Chemical Bank, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by a first supplemental indenture dated October 9, 1996 and a fourth supplemental indenture to be dated as of March 30, 2015 (such indenture, as supplemented, the “Indenture”). To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule I other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 20 hereof.

1. Representations and Warranties . The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.

(a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined in Rule 405, (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto) on Form S-3, including a related Base Prospectus, for registration under the Act


of the offering and sale of the Securities. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time, became effective upon filing. The Company may have filed with the Commission, as part of an amendment to the Registration Statement or pursuant to Rule 424(b), one or more preliminary prospectus supplements relating to the Securities, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will file with the Commission a final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with Rule 424(b). As filed, such final prospectus supplement shall contain all information required by the Act and the rules thereunder, and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the Base Prospectus and any Preliminary Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein. The Registration Statement, at the Execution Time, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x).

(b) On each Effective Date, the Registration Statement did, and when the Final Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date (as defined herein), the Final Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective rules thereunder; on each Effective Date and at the Execution Time, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; on the Effective Date and on the Closing Date, the Indenture did or will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and the rules thereunder; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (i) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee or (ii) the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus (or any supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

(c) (i) The Disclosure Package and (ii) each electronic road show, if any, when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished

 

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to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

(d) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption in Rule 163, and (iv) at the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (iv)), the Company was or is (as the case may be) a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405. The Company shall pay the fees required by the Commission relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r).

(e) (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Securities and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

(f) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated therein by reference and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

(g) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify and be in good standing would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the financial condition or earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company

 

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and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise (a “Material Adverse Effect”); and each subsidiary of the Company which is a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Act (each, a “Significant Subsidiary”) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation or a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, to the extent applicable in such jurisdiction, except where the failure to so qualify and be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(h) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus under “Actual” in the section entitled “Capitalization,” and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable; all shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company (except for directors’ qualifying shares) owned directly or indirectly by the Company, are owned free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

(i) There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required; and the statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus under the headings “Description of the Notes”, “Description of Debt Securities”, “Plan of Distribution”, “United States Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders” and “Certain ERISA Considerations” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements and documents of the Company, legal proceedings or legal conclusions, fairly summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.

(j) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(k) No consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained or made under the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated herein and in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

(l) Neither the issue and sale of the Securities nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its

 

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subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, which in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(m) The consolidated historical financial statements and schedules of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(n) No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its or their property is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened that (i) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby or (ii) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

(o) The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries.

(p) Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or by-laws, (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or (iii) in violation of any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable

 

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to the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or any of its or their properties, which violation or default referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii) above would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules included in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.

(r) No Significant Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, subject to statutory and regulatory capital adequacy requirements applicable to financial holding companies, except as described in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(s) The Company and each of its consolidated Significant Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. The Company and its subsidiaries’ internal controls over financial reporting are effective and the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any material weakness in their internal controls over financial reporting.

(t) The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(u) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result

 

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in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA; and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(v) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, in all material respects, and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(w) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, controlled affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Notes, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

(x) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, will not be an “investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”); the Company is not required to register as an investment adviser with the Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Advisers Act”) and is not required to register as a broker-dealer with the Commission under the Exchange Act; and the Company is not required to be registered, licensed or qualified as a commodity trading advisor, a commodity pool operator or a futures commission merchant.

 

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(y) Each subsidiary of the Company required to be registered under the Investment Advisers Act is duly registered as an investment adviser with the Commission under the Investment Advisers Act, and in each jurisdiction where the conduct of its business requires regulatory authorization or license as an investment adviser, and such subsidiary is not prohibited from acting as an investment adviser or carrying on its business as now conducted or as contemplated in the Registration Statement by any applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, by-laws or similar requirements, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(z) Each investment company or account for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries acts as investment adviser and which is required to be registered with the Commission as an investment company under the Investment Company Act is duly registered with the Commission as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(aa) Each subsidiary of the Company required to be registered as a broker-dealer with the Commission under the Exchange Act is duly registered as a broker-dealer with the Commission under the Exchange Act, and such subsidiary is not prohibited from acting as broker-dealer or carrying on its business as now conducted or as contemplated in the Registration Statement by any applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, by-laws or similar requirements, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(bb) Each subsidiary of the Company required to be registered, licensed or qualified as a commodity trading advisor, a commodity pool operator or a futures commission merchant is duly registered, licensed or qualified in each jurisdiction where the conduct of its business requires such a registration, license or qualification, and such subsidiary is not prohibited from acting as a commodity trading advisor, a commodity pool operator or a futures commission merchant or carrying on its business as now conducted or as contemplated in the Registration Statement by any applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, by-laws or similar requirements, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

Any certificate signed by any authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

2. Purchase and Sale . Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto the principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule II hereto.

3. Delivery and Payment . Delivery of and payment for the Securities shall be made on the date and at the time specified in Schedule I hereto or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the

 

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Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company. Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

4. Offering by Underwriters . It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.

5. Agreements . The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

(a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement (including the Final Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus) to the Base Prospectus unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. The Company will cause the Final Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed in a form approved by the Representatives with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives (i) when the Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), (ii) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Final Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.

(b) To prepare a final term sheet for the Securities, containing solely a description of final terms of the Securities and the offering thereof, in the form approved by you and attached as Schedule IV hereto and to file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) within the time required by such Rule.

 

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(c) If, at any time prior to the filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b), any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

(d) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, including in connection with use or delivery of the Final Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Representatives of any such event, (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 5, an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Final Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Final Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

(e) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.

(f) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.

(g) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

 

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(h) The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433, other than a free writing prospectus containing the information contained in the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule III hereto and any electronic road show, if any. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

(i) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company), directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Commission, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of, any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company (other than the Securities) or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, until the Closing Date.

(j) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(k) The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses relating to the following matters: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all

 

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amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested by the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Securities, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Securities; (v) the registration of the Securities under the Exchange Act; (vi) any registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such registration and qualification); (vii) any filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such filings); (viii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Securities; (ix) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters . The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) The Final Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); the final term sheet contemplated by Section 5(b) hereto, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.

(b) The Company shall have requested and caused the General Counsel to the Company to have furnished to the Representatives his opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in substantially the form reasonably agreed to by the Representatives.

(c) The Company shall have requested and caused Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP to have furnished to the Representatives their opinion and letter, each dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, in substantially the form reasonably agreed to by the Representatives.

 

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(d) The Representatives shall have received from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Indenture, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(e) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board or the President and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto, as well as each electronic road show, if any, used in connection with the offering of the Securities, and this Agreement and that:

(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date with the same effect as if made on the Closing Date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;

(ii) the Company is a well-known seasoned issuer within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act and meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act to register primary offerings of securities;

(iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and

(iv) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(f) On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

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(g) On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section 6, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.

(h) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (f) or (g) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(i) Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

(j) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, a letter signed by the Treasurer of the Company, with respect to the wire transfer instructions, and the Representatives agree that the procedures outlined therein shall be followed prior to the Closing Date.

(k) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company promptly in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

 

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The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP , counsel for the Underwriters, at One Liberty Plaza, New York, NY 10006, on the Closing Date.

7. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses . If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC on demand for all expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.

8. Indemnification and Contribution . (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the Act, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the registration statement for the registration of the Securities as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or any other preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the information contained in the final term sheet required to be prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided , however , that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.

(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter

 

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through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that the statements set forth (i) in the last paragraph of the cover page regarding delivery of the Securities and, (ii) under the heading “Underwriting”, (A) the first paragraph, (B) the list of Underwriters and their respective participation in the sale of the Securities, (C) the fourth paragraph related to concessions and reallowances, (D) the sixth and seventh paragraphs related to stabilization and syndicate covering transactions and (E) the third sentence of the eleventh paragraph related to allocation of the Securities in any Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided , however , that such counsel shall be satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding.

 

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(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities; provided , however , that in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Final Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 8, each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).

9. Default by an Underwriter . If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance

 

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of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule II hereto bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided , however , that in the event that the aggregate principal amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth in Schedule II hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if such nondefaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

10. Termination . This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment (i) trading in the Company’s Common Stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange or trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal, New York State or California authorities, (iii) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by any Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive . The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

12. Notices . All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to (i) Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, attention Capital Markets Transaction Management/Legal, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, NY1-050-12-01, New York, NY 10020 (fax no.: (212) 901-7881); (ii) Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, attention Investment Banking Division; (fax no.: (212) 507-8999), at 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor New York, NY 10036; and (iii) Citigroup Global

 

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Markets Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, Attention: General Counsel, Facsimile: 1-646-291-1469, or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to the Franklin Resources, Inc. General Counsel (fax no.: (650) 312-3266) and confirmed to the General Counsel, Franklin Resources, Inc. at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA, 94403.

13. Successors . This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

14. No Fiduciary Duty . The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

15. Integration . This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

16. Applicable Law . This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.

17. Waiver of Jury Trial . The parties hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

18. Counterparts . This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

19. Headings . The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

20. Definitions . The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.

“Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

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“Base Prospectus” shall mean the base prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above contained in the Registration Statement at the Execution Time.

“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.

“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Base Prospectus, (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus used most recently prior to the Execution Time, (iii) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule III hereto, (iv) the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto, if any, and (v) any other Free Writing Prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.

“Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective.

“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

“Execution Time” shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.

“Final Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution Time, together with the Base Prospectus.

“Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.

“Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above which is used prior to the filing of the Final Prospectus, together with the Base Prospectus.

“Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statement referred to in paragraph 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B, as amended on each Effective Date and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective prior to the Closing Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended.

 

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“Rule 158”, “Rule 163”, “Rule 164”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 415”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Act.

“Trust Indenture Act” shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

“Well-Known Seasoned Issuer” shall mean a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405.

[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.]

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.

 

Very truly yours,
Franklin Resources, Inc.
By: /s/ Kenneth A. Lewis
Name: Kenneth A. Lewis
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

The foregoing Agreement is hereby
confirmed and accepted as of the date specified in Schedule I hereto.
By:

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

By: /s/ Jackie Cleary
Name: Jackie Cleary
Title: Managing Director

 

By: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
By: /s/ Yurij Slyz

Name: Yurij Slyz

Title: Executive Director

By: Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
By: /s/ Jack D. McSpadden, Jr.

Name: Jack D. McSpadden, Jr.

Title: Managing Director

For themselves and the other several Underwriters, if any, named in Schedule II to the foregoing Agreement.

 

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SCHEDULE I

Underwriting Agreement dated March 25, 2015.

Registration Statement No. 333-183969

 

Representatives:

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

    Incorporated

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Title, Purchase Price and Description of Securities:

Title: 2.850% Notes due 2025

Principal amount: $400,000,000

Purchase price (include

accrued interest or

amortization, if any): 99.177%

Sinking fund provisions: None

Closing Date, Time and Location: March 30, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, at One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006.

Type of Offering: Non-delayed

Modification of items to be covered by the letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP delivered pursuant to Section 6(f) or 6(g) at the Execution Time: None


SCHEDULE II

 

Underwriters

   Principal Amount of
Securities
to be Purchased
 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

   $ 120,000,000   

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

     120,000,000   

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

     80,000,000   

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

     26,667,000   

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     26,667,000   

UBS Securities LLC

     26,666,000   
  

 

 

 

Total

$ 400,000,000   
  

 

 

 


SCHEDULE III

Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package

1. Final term sheet as prepared pursuant to Section 5(b) hereto and filed as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus by the Company with the Commission on March 25, 2015.


SCHEDULE IV

FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC.

US$400,000,000 2.850% Notes due 2025

FINAL PRICING TERM SHEET

March 25, 2015

 

Issuer: Franklin Resources, Inc.
Type: SEC Registered
Ratings: [Reserved]
Trade Date: March 25, 2015
Settlement Date: March 30, 2015 (T+3 days)
Securities: 2.850% Notes due 2025
Size: US $400,000,000
Maturity Date: March 30, 2025
Semi-Annual Coupon: 2.850%
Interest Payment Dates: March 30 and September 30, commencing September 30, 2015
Price to Public: 99.827%
Benchmark Treasury: 2.00% due February 15, 2025
Benchmark Treasury Price & Yield: 100-23 / 1.920%
Spread to Benchmark Treasury: + 95 bps
Yield: 2.870%
Make-Whole Call: T + 15 bps
Day Count: 30/360
Minimum Denomination / Multiples: $2,000 / $1,000
CUSIP: 354613 AK7
ISIN: US354613AK71
Joint Book-Running Managers:

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Incorporated

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Co-Managers:

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

UBS Securities LLC

This communication is intended for the sole use of the person to whom it is provided by the issuer.

Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revisions or withdrawal at any time.

The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering.

You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov . Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated at 1-800-294-1322, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC at 1-866-718-1649, or Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, at 1- 800-831-9146.

ANY DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES THAT MAY APPEAR BELOW ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES WERE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT VIA BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER E-MAIL SYSTEM.

Exhibit 4.1

FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

THIS FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of March 30, 2015 (the “ Fourth Supplemental Indenture ”), by and between FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC., a Delaware corporation having its principal executive offices located at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403 (the “ Company ”), and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., a national banking association having its main office located at 400 South Hope Street, Suite 400, Los Angeles, California 90071, as successor trustee (the “ Trustee ”), is to that certain Indenture, dated as of May 19, 1994, between the Company and the Trustee as amended and supplemented by a First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of October 9, 1996 (collectively, and as further supplemented hereby, the “ Indenture ”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Sections 201, 301 and 901 of the Indenture provide, among other things, that the Company and the Trustee may enter into indentures supplemental to the Indenture, without notice to or consent of any Holders of Securities, to establish the form or specific terms applicable to any series of Securities;

WHEREAS, the Company desires and has requested the Trustee to join with it in the execution and delivery of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture providing for the creation and issuance of a series of Securities under the Indenture, the title of which shall be the “2.850% Notes due 2025” (the “ Notes ”);

WHEREAS, this Fourth Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the Company shall issue and deliver, and the Trustee shall authenticate, the Notes pursuant to the terms of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and substantially in the Form of Global Note for the Notes as set forth as Annex A-1 hereto (the “ Global Note ”);

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes as follows:

ARTICLE I

TERMS OF THE NOTES

Section 1.1 Amount and Denominations . There is hereby established pursuant to and under the Indenture a series of Securities titled the “2.850% Notes due 2025.” The aggregate principal amount in which the Notes may be initially authenticated and delivered under this Fourth Supplemental Indenture is limited to $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes; provided , however , that the Company and the Trustee may authenticate and deliver, and the Company may issue, additional Notes from time to time in an unlimited amount, subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of the Indenture. The Notes shall be denominated in United States dollars in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The Notes will be issued in global form.

Section 1.2 Maturity . The Notes shall mature on March 30, 2025 (the “ Stated Maturity ”).

Section 1.3 Interest and Interest Rate . Each Note shall bear interest from March 30, 2015, at the annual rate of 2.850%. Interest on the Notes shall be payable semi-annually in arrears on March 30 and September 30 of each year (each, an “ Interest Payment Date ”), commencing September 30, 2015, to the Persons in whose names the Notes are registered at the close of business on the immediately preceding March 15 and


September 15, respectively, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Global Note, attached hereto as Annex A-1. The amount of interest payable on the Notes shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. If any Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date of the Notes is not a Business Day, then the related payment of interest and/or principal on such date will be paid on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date or Maturity Date and no further interest will accrue in respect of the delay.

Section 1.4 Ranking . The Notes will be unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Company and will rank equal in right of payment with respect to each other and to all the other existing and future unsubordinated Indebtedness of the Company.

Section 1.5 Optional Redemption . The Notes of each series shall be redeemable as a whole or in part, at the Company’s option, at any time at a redemption price (as calculated by the Company) equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed and (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes to be redeemed (exclusive of interest accrued to the date of redemption) discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the date of redemption.

For purposes of this Section 1.5:

Comparable Treasury Issue ” means the United States Treasury security or securities selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having an actual or interpolated maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes of the applicable series to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of a comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Notes.

Comparable Treasury Price ” means, with respect to any redemption date, (A) the average of the four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (B) if the Company obtains fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such quotations.

Independent Investment Banker ” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.

Reference Treasury Dealer ” means each of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, or their respective affiliates which are primary U.S. government securities dealers, and two other primary U.S. government securities dealers selected by the Company, and each of their respective successors that are primary U.S. government securities dealers; provided , however , that if any of the foregoing or their affiliates shall cease to be a primary U.S. government securities dealer in The City of New York (a “Primary Treasury Dealer”), the Company shall substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.

Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations ” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Company, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 3:30 p.m. New York time on the third Business Day preceding such redemption date.

Treasury Rate ” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity or interpolated yield to maturity (on a day count basis) of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.

 

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Notice of any redemption shall be given by the Company or by the Trustee in the Company’s name, at the written request and expense of the Company, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of the Notes. The Company shall deliver notice of such redemption to the Trustee no later than five (5) Business Days prior to the delivery date of the notice. In connection with any redemption, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the calculation of the redemption price no later than two (2) Business Days prior to the redemption date. On or before a redemption date, the Company shall deposit with a paying agent (or the Trustee) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes to be redeemed on that date. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed shall be selected pro rata or by lot and in accordance with the applicable depositary procedures.

Unless there occurs a default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.

Section 1.6 Sinking Fund . The Notes shall not be subject to the operation of any sinking fund or an analogous provision.

Section 1.7 Covenants . In addition to the covenants set forth in Article Ten of the Indenture, the following covenant shall apply to the Notes:

Limitation on Liens . The Company shall not, and shall not cause or permit any Included Subsidiary to, create, assume, incur or guarantee any Indebtedness for money borrowed that is secured by a pledge, mortgage or other lien on any Voting Stock or profit participating equity interests of the Included Subsidiaries or any entity that succeeds (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) to all or any substantial part of the business of the Included Subsidiaries and becomes an Included Subsidiary, without providing that the Notes (together with, if the Company shall so determine, any other Indebtedness of, or guarantee by, the Company ranking equally with the Notes and existing as of the date hereof or thereafter created) shall be secured equally and ratably with or prior to all other Indebtedness secured by such pledge, mortgage or other lien on the Voting Stock or profit participating equity interests of the Included Subsidiaries. This covenant shall not limit the ability of the Company or the ability of its Subsidiaries to incur Indebtedness or other obligations secured by liens on assets other than the Voting Stock or profit participating equity interests of the Included Subsidiaries, nor shall this covenant apply to Permitted Liens.

For purposes of this Section 1.7:

Consolidated Net Worth ” means, at a particular date, all amounts which would be included, under stockholders’ equity, on a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Included Subsidiaries determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP as at such date.

Funds ” means the collective reference to all investment companies advised by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America in effect from time to time.

Included Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Company other than any Real Estate Subsidiary or Trust Company Subsidiary.

Permitted Liens ” means

(i) liens existing at the time an entity becomes a Subsidiary of the Company or is merged into the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company,

(ii) statutory liens, liens granted to comply with regulatory requirements, liens for taxes or assessments or governmental charges or levies not yet due or delinquent or which can be paid without penalty or are being contested in good faith,

 

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(iii) liens on any Voting Stock or profit participating equity interests of any Subsidiary of the Company that is acquired after the date hereof to secure or provide for the payment of the purchase price or acquisition cost thereof,

(iv) liens in favor of the Company or any Subsidiary,

(v) liens in existence on the date hereof,

(vi) liens (not otherwise permitted under this Section 1.7) which secure obligations in an aggregate amount at any one time outstanding not exceeding 10% of the Consolidated Net Worth, measured at the time of the creation, incurrence or assumption of any such lien and based upon the Consolidated Net Worth as at the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter of the Company for which financial statements are publicly available, and

(vii) any extension, renewal, substitution, refinancing or replacement (or successive extensions, renewals, substitutions or replacements), in whole or in part, of any lien referred to in the foregoing clauses (i), (iii) and (v) that is secured by the same collateral that originally secured the lien.

Real Estate Subsidiary ” means, at any time, any Subsidiary of the Company principally engaged at such time in the real estate investment and property management business or any Subsidiary of any such Subsidiary.

Subsidiary ” means, as to any Person at any time of determination, a corporation, partnership or other entity (other than any Fund or any other investment company or similar investment entity existing under foreign law substantially equivalent to an investment company) of which shares of stock or other ownership interests having ordinary voting power (other than stock or such other ownership interests having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) to elect a majority of the board of directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership or other entity are at the time owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries or Subsidiaries, or both, by such Person.

Trust Company Subsidiary ” means, at any time, Fiduciary Trust Company International, Franklin Templeton Bank and Trust Company, F.S.B. or any other Subsidiary of the Company principally engaged at such time in providing trust and fiduciary services or any Subsidiary of any such Subsidiary.

Voting Stock ” means, with respect to any specified “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) as of any date, the capital stock of such person that is at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of the board of directors of such person.

Section 1.8 Events of Default . Clauses (1), (2), (3) and (4) of Section 501 of the Indenture shall apply to the Notes. Clauses (5), (6) and (7) of Section 501 of the Indenture shall not apply to the Notes, but shall instead be replaced by the following:

(5) if any event of default as defined in any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued, or by which there may be secured or evidenced, any Indebtedness of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, whether such Indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, shall happen and shall result in such Indebtedness in principal amount in excess of $75,000,000 becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise become due and payable, and such acceleration shall not be rescinded or annulled, or such Indebtedness shall not have been discharged, within a period of 30 days after there shall have been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes, a written notice specifying such event of default and requiring the Company to cause such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled or to cause such Indebtedness to be discharged and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or

 

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(6) the entry by a court having competent jurisdiction of:

(a) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or

(b) a decree or order adjudging the Company or any Significant Subsidiary to be insolvent, or approving a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or

(c) a final and non-appealable order appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or other similar official of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or of any substantial part of the property of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, as the case may be, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary; or

(7) the commencement by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of a voluntary proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of a voluntary proceeding seeking to be adjudicated insolvent or the consent by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary to the entry of a decree or order for relief in an involuntary proceeding under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable law, or the consent by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee or similar official of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or any substantial part of the property of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or the making by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the taking of corporate action by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary in furtherance of any such action.

For purposes of this Section 1.8:

Significant Subsidiary ” means any subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02 under Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, promulgated by the Commission.

Section 1.9 Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance . Section 402 of Article Four of the Indenture shall not apply to the Notes. Instead, the following provisions shall apply to the Notes:

(a) Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance . The Company may, at its option, effect defeasance of the Notes under Section 1.9(b), or covenant defeasance of the Notes under Section 1.9(c), in accordance with this section.

(b) Defeasance and Discharge . Upon the Company’s exercise of the above option applicable to this Section 1.9(b), the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to all Outstanding Notes (excluding those obligations which survive payment) on the date the conditions set forth in Section 1.9(d) are satisfied (hereinafter, “ defeasance ”). For this purpose, such defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire Indebtedness represented by such Outstanding Notes, which shall thereafter be deemed to be “Outstanding” only for the purposes of the other Sections of the Indenture referred to in (A) and (B) below, and to have satisfied all its other obligations under the Notes and this Indenture insofar as the Notes are concerned (and the Trustee, at the written request and expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments, prepared by the Company, acknowledging the same in accordance with the

 

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Indenture), except for the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (A) the rights of Holders of the Outstanding Notes to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 1.9(d) and as more fully set forth in such section, payments in respect of the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Notes when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Notes under Sections 304, 305, 306, 1002 and 1003 of the Indenture, (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties, indemnity and immunities of the Trustee under the Indenture and hereunder, (D) Article Four of the Indenture, and (E) this Section 1.9. Subject to compliance with this Section 1.9, the Company may exercise its option under this section notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 1.9(c) with respect to the Notes.

(c) Covenant Defeasance . Upon the Company’s exercise of the above option applicable to this section with respect to the Notes, the Company shall be released from its obligations under Sections 801 and 802 of the Indenture and its obligations under each and every covenant (other than Section 1001 of the Indenture but including Section 1.7 hereof) with respect to the Outstanding Notes on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1.9(d) are satisfied (hereinafter, “ covenant defeasance ”), and the Notes shall thereafter be deemed not to be “Outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or Act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “Outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder. For this purpose, such covenant defeasance means that, with respect to the Outstanding Notes, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant or provision, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or provision or by reason of reference in any such covenant or provision to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a default or an Event of Default under Section 501 of the Indenture or otherwise, as the case may be, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and the Notes shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company’s exercise under Section 1.9(a) hereof of the option applicable to this Section 1.9(c), subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 1.9(d) hereof, Section 501(4) of the Indenture (solely with respect to the covenants that are released upon a covenant defeasance), clause (5) of Section 1.8 hereof, and clauses (6) and (7) of Section 1.8 hereof (solely with respect to Significant Subsidiaries) shall not constitute Events of Default under the Indenture.

(d) Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance . The following shall be the conditions to application of either Section 1.9(b) or Section 1.9(c) to any Outstanding Notes:

(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 606 of the Indenture who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Section 1.9 applicable to it) in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Notes, (A) money in an amount (in such Currency in which the Notes are then specified as payable at Stated Maturity), or (B) U.S. Government Obligations applicable to the Notes (determined on the basis of the Currency in which the Notes are then specified as payable at Stated Maturity) which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest, if any, in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, under the Notes, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Outstanding Notes on the Stated Maturity (or Redemption Date, if applicable) of such principal, premium, if any, or installment or interest, if any, on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof; provided , however , that the Trustee shall have been irrevocably instructed by the Company, in writing, to apply such money or the proceeds of such U.S. Government Obligations to said payments with respect to the Notes.

(2) Such defeasance or covenant defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, the Indenture.

 

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(3) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such covenant defeasance had not occurred. In the case of legal defeasance, the opinion must refer to and be based upon either (a) the Company’s receipt from, or the publication by, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service of a ruling, or (b) a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law since the date of the Indenture.

(4) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to either the defeasance under Section 1.9(b) or the covenant defeasance under Section 1.9(c) (as the case may be) have been satisfied.

For purposes of this Section 1.9, “ U.S. Government Obligations ” means direct obligations (or certificates representing an ownership interest in such obligations) of the United States of America (including any agency or instrumentality thereof) for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer or issuers thereof.

Section 1.10 Amendment . Section 902 of the Indenture shall apply to the Notes, except that the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Notes shall be required to effect the amendments contemplated thereby that otherwise would require the consent of Holders of not less than 66 2/3% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes.

ARTICLE II

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 2.1 Indenture Remains in Full Force and Effect . Except as supplemented hereby, all provisions in the Indenture shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 2.2 Indenture and Fourth Supplemental Indenture Construed Together . This Fourth Supplemental Indenture is an indenture supplemental to the Indenture, and the Indenture and this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall be read and construed together for the purpose of the issuance of the Securities hereby.

Section 2.3 Confirmation and Preservation of Indenture . The Indenture as supplemented by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture is in all respects confirmed and preserved.

Section 2.4 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act . If any provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under the Trust Indenture Act to be part of and govern any provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the provision of the Trust Indenture Act shall control. If any provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the provision of the Trust Indenture Act shall be deemed to apply to the Indenture as so modified or to be excluded by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, as the case may be.

Section 2.5 Severability . In case any provision in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of the Indenture shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 2.6 Benefits of Fourth Supplemental Indenture . Nothing in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture or the Notes, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and thereto and their successors hereunder and thereunder and the Holders of the Notes, any benefit of any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under the Indenture, this Fourth Supplemental Indenture or the Notes.

 

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Section 2.7 Successors . All agreements of the Company in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture with respect to the issuance of the Notes hereby shall bind its successors except as provided in the Indenture. All agreements of the Trustee in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successors.

Section 2.8 Appointment of Trustee as Paying Agent and Security Registrar . The Company hereby initially appoints the Trustee to act as, and the Trustee hereby accepts and agrees to perform the duties and responsibilities of, the Paying Agent and Security Registrar for the Notes.

Section 2.9 Certain Duties and Responsibilities of the Trustee . In entering into this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to the benefit of every provision of the Indenture and the Notes relating to the conduct or affecting the liability or affording protection to the Trustee, whether or not elsewhere herein so provided. The recitals contained herein are made by the Company and not by the Trustee, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture. All rights, protections, privileges, indemnities and benefits granted or afforded to the Trustee under the Indenture shall be deemed incorporated herein by this reference and shall be deemed applicable to all actions taken, suffered or omitted by the Trustee and in its role as Paying Agent and Security Registrar under this Fourth Supplemental Indenture.

Section 2.10 The Trustee . For purposes of the Notes, the following sections shall be added to Article Six of the Indenture:

Section 2.11 Duties of Trustee . In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.

Section 2.12 Incumbency Certificate . The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specific actions pursuant to the Indenture.

Section 2.13 Force Majeure . In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.

Section 2.14 Notices to Trustee . The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, pdf, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods, provided , however , that the Trustee shall have received an incumbency certificate listing persons designated to give such instructions or directions and containing specimen signatures of such designated persons, which such incumbency certificate shall be amended and replaced whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the listing. If the Company elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties.

 

8


Section 2.15 Address for Notices to Trustee .

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A

400 South Hope Street - Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA 90071

Fax: (213) 630-6298

Section 2.16 Governing Law . This Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made or instruments entered into and, in each case, performed in said state. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

Section 2.17 Multiple Originals . The parties may sign any number of copies of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. One signed copy is enough to prove this Fourth Supplemental Indenture.

Section 2.18 Headings . The Article and Section headings herein have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not intended to be considered a part hereof and shall not modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

Section 2.19 FATCA . In order to comply with any applicable requirements under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (“ FATCA ”), any official interpretations thereof, the laws of any governmental authority imposing FATCA and any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b) of the Code (“ Applicable Law ”), the Company agrees (i) to provide to the Trustee sufficient information that is reasonably requested by the Trustee and in the Company’s possession relating to holders or other relevant parties and/or transactions (including any modification to the terms of such transactions) so the Trustee can determine whether it has information reporting or withholding obligations under Applicable Law and (ii) that the Trustee shall be entitled to make any withholding or deduction from payments under the Fourth Supplemental Indenture to the extent necessary to comply with Applicable Law. The terms of this section shall survive the termination of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture.

 

9


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Fourth Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

Company
FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC.
By: /s/ Kenneth A. Lewis
Name: Kenneth A. Lewis
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Trustee

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

By: /s/ Teresa Petta
Name: Teresa Petta
Title: Vice President

SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE


ANNEX A-1

THIS NOTE IS IN GLOBAL FORM WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY. THIS NOTE IS NOT EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE (OTHER THAN A TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY) MAY BE REGISTERED EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.

 

REGISTERED   $400,000,000   

No. 001

  CUSIP No. 354613AK7   

FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC.

2.850% NOTES DUE 2025

Franklin Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & CO., or registered assigns, the principal amount stated above on March 30, 2025 (the “ Maturity Date ”) and to pay interest thereon at the rate per annum equal to 2.850% (the “ Interest Rate ”) until the principal hereof is fully paid or duly made available for payment. The Company will pay interest at the Interest Rate per annum specified above (computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) semi-annually in arrears on March 30 and September 30 of each year (each an “ Interest Payment Date ”) commencing September 30, 2015 and on the Maturity Date on said principal amount. Interest on this Note will accrue from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for or, if no interest has been paid, from March 30, 2015 until the principal hereof has been paid or made available for payment. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on the Interest Payment Dates, will, as provided in the Indenture referred to below, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be March 15 or September 15, whether or not a Business Day, as the case may be, immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided , however , that interest payable on the Maturity Date will be payable to the Person to whom the principal hereof shall be payable; and provided , further , however , that if such Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date would fall on a day that is not a Business Day, such Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date shall be the next succeeding Business Day. Any such interest which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to the Holder of this Note not less than ten days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Notes may be listed and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.

Payment of the principal of and interest on this Note shall be made at the office or agency of the Trustee maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debt; provided , however , that payment of interest on any Interest Payment Date (other than the Maturity Date) may be made at the option of the Company by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register, or by wire transfer of immediately available funds, if the registered Holder has so requested by a notice in writing delivered to the Trustee not less than 16 days prior to the Interest Payment Date on which such payment is due, which notice shall provide appropriate instructions for such transfer.

The principal hereof and interest due at maturity will be paid upon maturity in immediately available funds against presentation of this Note at the office or agency of the Trustee maintained for that purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York.

 

A-1-1


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 ON THE FACE HEREOF.

This Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made or instruments entered into and performed in said state.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as the Trustee under the Indenture, or its successor thereunder by the manual signature of one of its authorized signatories, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

 

A-1-2


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

Dated: March    , 2015

 

FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC.

By:

 

Name:

Kenneth A. Lewis

Title:

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

Attested:
 

Maria Gray

Secretary

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

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

By:

 

        Authorized Signatory

[Global Note Signature Page]

 

A-1-3


[Reverse of Note]

FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC.

2.850% NOTES DUE 2025

This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debentures, notes or other evidences of Indebtedness (hereinafter called the “ Securities ”) of the Company of the series hereinafter specified, all such Securities issued and to be issued under the Indenture, dated as of May 19, 1994, as amended and supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of October 9, 1996 and as further amended and supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 30, 2015 (the “ Indenture ”) between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as successor in interest to Chemical Bank, as trustee (herein called the “ Trustee ,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures or officers’ certificates, as applicable, supplemental thereto, reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights and limitations of rights thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. As provided in the Indenture, Securities may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts, may mature at different times, may bear interest, if any, at different rates, may be subject to different redemption provisions, if any, may be subject to different repayment provisions, if any, may be subject to different sinking, purchase or analogous funds, if any, may be subject to different covenants and Events of Default and may otherwise vary as in the Indenture provided or permitted. This Note is one of a series of the Securities designated as 2.850% Notes due 2025 (the “ Notes ”). The Notes are unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the Company and rank equal in right of payment to all other unsubordinated Indebtedness of the Company. The Notes are not subject to the operation of any sinking fund or an analogous provision.

The Notes are redeemable, as a whole or in part, at the Company’s option at any time at a redemption price (as calculated by the Company) equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed and (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes to be redeemed (exclusive of interest accrued to the date of redemption) discounted to the redemption date on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the date of redemption. Notice of any redemption will be given by the Company or the Trustee in the Company’s name at the written request and expense of the Company, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each Holder of the Notes. The Company shall deliver notice of such redemption to the Trustee no later than five (5) Business Days prior to the delivery date of the notice. In connection with any redemption, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the calculation of the redemption price no later than two (2) Business Days prior to the redemption date. On or before a redemption date, the Company shall deposit with a paying agent (or the Trustee) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes to be redeemed on that date. If less than all of the Notes are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed shall be selected pro rata or by lot and in accordance with the applicable depositary procedures. Unless there occurs a default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption.

Comparable Treasury Issue ” means the United States Treasury security or securities selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having an actual or interpolated maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Notes to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of a comparable maturity to the remaining term of such Notes.

Comparable Treasury Price ” means, with respect to any redemption date, (A) the average of the four Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such redemption date, after excluding the highest and lowest such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (B) if the Company obtains fewer than four such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all such quotations.

 

A-1-4


Independent Investment Banker ” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.

Reference Treasury Dealer ” means each of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, or their respective affiliates which are primary U.S. government securities dealers, and two other primary U.S. government securities dealers selected by the Company, and each of their respective successors that are primary U.S. government securities dealers; provided , however , that if any of the foregoing or their affiliates shall cease to be a primary U.S. government securities dealer in The City of New York (a “ Primary Treasury Dealer ”), the Company shall substitute therefor another Primary Treasury Dealer.

Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations ” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any redemption date, the average, as determined by the Company, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 3:30 p.m. New York time on the third business day preceding such redemption date.

Treasury Rate ” means, with respect to any redemption date, the rate per annum equal to the semiannual equivalent yield to maturity or interpolated yield to maturity (on a day count basis) of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such redemption date.

If any Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture) with respect to the Notes shall occur and be continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Notes may declare the principal of all the Notes due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Notes at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes Outstanding. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon future Holders of this Note and of any Note 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 Note.

Holders of Notes may not enforce their rights pursuant to the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note may be registered on the Security Register of the Company, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, and this Note duly executed by, the Holder hereof or by his attorney duly authorized in writing and thereupon one or more new Notes, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.

The Notes are issuable only in registered form without coupons in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, this Note is exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of different authorized denominations as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.

 

A-1-5


No service charge will 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 the due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice of the contrary.

All capitalized terms used in this Note and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

 

A-1-6


ASSIGNMENT

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned

hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto

 

 

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

 
 
 
 

PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE

 

the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing

 
 
  Attorney to transfer said Note on the books of the

Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated:
   
(Signature Guarantee)

 

A-1-7

Exhibit 5.1

[Letterhead of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP ]

March 30, 2015

Franklin Resources, Inc.

One Franklin Parkway

San Mateo, California 94403

 

  Re: Franklin Resources, Inc.

Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Franklin Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the public offering by the Company of $400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 2.850% Notes due 2025 (the “Securities”) to be issued under the Indenture, dated as of May 19, 1994, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated October 9, 1996 (together “Base Indenture”), and the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 30, 2015 (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee. On March 25, 2015, the Company entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as representatives of the several Underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), relating to the sale by the Company to the Underwriters of the Securities.

This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

In rendering the opinion stated herein, we have examined and relied upon the following:

 

  (i)

the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-183969) of the Company relating to debt and other securities of the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on September 19, 2012 under the Securities Act allowing for delayed offerings pursuant to Rule 415 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act (the “Rules and


Franklin Resources, Inc.

March 30, 2015

Page 2

 

  Regulations”), including information deemed to be a part of the registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B of the Rules and Regulations (such registration statement being hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”);

 

  (ii) an executed copy of the Underwriting Agreement;

 

  (iii) the executed global certificate evidencing the Securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. (the “Note Certificate”) in the form delivered by the Company to the Trustee for authentication and delivery;

 

  (iv) an executed copy of the Base Indenture;

 

  (v) an executed copy of the Supplemental Indenture;

 

  (vi) a copy of the Company’s certificate of incorporation, certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and certified by the Secretary of the Company;

 

  (vii) a copy of the Company’s bylaws, as amended and in effect as of the date hereof, certified by the Secretary of the Company;

 

  (viii) copies of certain resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company, adopted on March 16, 1994, September 10, 1996, September 13, 2012 and March 11, 2015, certified by the Secretary of the Company; and

 

  (ix) a copy of a certificate, dated March 23, 2015, and a bringdown verification thereof, dated the date hereof, from the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware with respect to the Company’s existence and good standing in the State of Delaware.

We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates and receipts of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion stated below.

In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, including endorsements, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies. As to any facts relevant to the opinion expressed herein that we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others and of public officials.


Franklin Resources, Inc.

March 30, 2015

Page 3

 

We do not express any opinion with respect to the laws of any jurisdiction other than (i) the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) and (ii) those laws of the State of New York that, in our experience, are normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, and, to the extent that judicial or regulatory orders or decrees or consents, approvals, licenses, authorizations, validations, filings, recordings or registrations with governmental authorities are relevant, to those required under such laws (all of the foregoing being referred to as “Opined on Law”). We do not express any opinion as to the effect of any non-Opined on Law on the opinion herein stated.

The Base Indenture, the Supplemental Indenture and the Note Certificate are referred to herein collectively as the “Transaction Agreements.”

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and assumptions stated herein, we are of the opinion that, when duly authenticated by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, the Note Certificate will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms under the laws of the State of New York.

The opinion stated herein is subject to the following qualifications:

(a) the opinion stated herein is limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer, preference and other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in equity or at law);

(b) we do not express any opinion with respect to any law, rule or regulation that is applicable to any party to any of the Transaction Agreements or the transactions contemplated thereby solely because such law, rule or regulation is part of a regulatory regime applicable to any such party or any of its affiliates as a result of the specific assets or business operations of such party or such affiliates;

(c) except to the extent expressly stated in the opinion contained herein, we have assumed that each of the Transaction Agreements constitutes the valid and binding obligation of each party to such Transaction Agreement, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms;

(d) we have assumed that the Trustee’s certificate of authentication of the Notes Certificate will have been manually signed by one of the Trustee’s authorized officers;


Franklin Resources, Inc.

March 30, 2015

Page 4

 

(e) we do not express any opinion with respect to the enforceability of any provision contained in any Transaction Agreement relating to any indemnification, contribution, exculpation, release or waiver that may be contrary to public policy or violative of federal or state securities laws, rules or regulations; and

(f) to the extent that the opinion stated herein relates to the enforceability of the choice of New York law and choice of New York forum provisions contained in any Transaction Agreement, the opinion stated herein is subject to the qualification that such enforceability may be subject to (i) the exceptions and limitations in New York General Obligations Law sections 5-1401 and 5-1402 and (ii) principles of comity or constitutionality.

In addition, in rendering the foregoing opinion we have assumed that neither the execution and delivery by the Company of the Transaction Agreements nor the performance by the Company of its obligations under each of the Transaction Agreements: (i) constitutes or will constitute a violation of, or a default under, any lease, indenture, instrument or other agreement to which the Company or its property is subject, (ii) contravenes or will contravene any order or decree of any governmental authority to which the Company or its property is subject, (iii) violates or will violate any law, rule or regulation to which the Company or its property is subject or (iv) requires or will require the consent, approval, licensing or authorization of, or any filing, recording or registration with, any governmental authority under any law, rule or regulation of any jurisdiction.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K being filed on the date hereof and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. We also hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations. This opinion is expressed as of the date hereof unless otherwise expressly stated, and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes in the facts stated or assumed herein or of any subsequent changes in applicable laws.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP