As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 29, 2015

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware     05-0412693

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

   

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

One Citizens Plaza

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 456-7000

 

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Stephen T. Gannon

General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

One Citizens Plaza

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 456-7000

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

Copy to:

Nicholas A. Kronfeld

Luigi L. De Ghenghi

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

450 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

(212) 450-4000

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to Be Registered

 

Amount

to Be

Registered (1)

 

Proposed

Maximum Offering

Price Per Unit (1)

 

Proposed

Maximum Aggregate

Offering Price (1)

 

Amount of

Registration Fee (1)

Debt Securities

               

Warrants

               

Preferred Stock, par value $25.00 per share

               

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

               

Purchase Contracts

               

Units that may include any of the above securities or securities of other entities

               

 

 

(1) An indeterminate amount of securities to be offered at indeterminate prices is being registered pursuant to this registration statement. The registrant is deferring payment of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 456(b) and is omitting this information in reliance on Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r).

 

 

 


PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

COMMON STOCK

PREFERRED STOCK

DEBT SECURITIES

WARRANTS

PURCHASE CONTRACTS

UNITS

 

 

We may offer from time to time common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units that may include any of these securities or securities of other entities. We may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more underwriters, dealers or agents, or directly to purchasers, on a continuous or delayed basis. In addition, selling security holders may be identified in supplements to this prospectus and may offer and sell these securities from time to time.

Specific terms of these securities will be provided in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus, and any documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, carefully before you invest.

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under the symbol “CFG.” We have not yet determined whether any of the other securities that may be offered by this prospectus will be listed on any exchange, inter-dealer quotation system or over-the-counter market. If we decide to seek the listing of any such securities upon issuance, the prospectus supplement relating to those securities will disclose the exchange, quotation system or market on which the securities will be listed.

 

 

Investing in these securities involves certain risks. See “ Risk Factors ” beginning on page 6 of this prospectus, in our periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in any applicable supplement.

 

 

The securities offered by this prospectus and any supplement will not be savings accounts, deposits or other obligations of any bank and will not be insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved these securities, or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is October 29, 2015


We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or in any such free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, the terms “CFG,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Citizens Financial Group, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “RBS” means The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc and the “RBS Group” means RBS together with its subsidiaries (other than CFG).

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

     1   

About this Prospectus

     2   

Where You Can Find More Information

     3   

Special Note On Forward-Looking Statements

     4   

Risk Factors

     6   

Use of Proceeds

     7   

Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends

     8   

Description of Capital Stock

     9   

Description of Debt Securities

     13   

Description of Warrants

     13   

Description of Purchase Contracts

     14   

Description of Units

     14   

Forms of Securities

     14   

Plan of Distribution

     17   

Validity of Securities

     19   

Experts

     19   

 

i


CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

We were the 13th largest retail bank holding company in the United States as of June 30, 2015, according to SNL Financial, with $137.3 billion of total assets. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, we deliver a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. We conduct our banking operations through our two wholly-owned banking subsidiaries, Citizens Bank, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania.

We operate our business through two operating segments: Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. In Consumer Banking, Citizens helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in select markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance.

 

 

Our principal executive offices are located at One Citizens Plaza in Providence, Rhode Island, and our telephone number is (401) 456-7000.

 

1


ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we or any selling security holders (which would be named in a prospectus supplement, if applicable) may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we or any selling security holders may offer. Each time we or any selling security holders sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

2


WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file at the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, from which interested persons can electronically access our SEC filings, including the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto. Other information about us may also be found in the “Investors Relations” section of our website at http://www.citizensbank.com. However, except for the information specifically incorporated by reference herein as set forth below, the information on the SEC’s website and the information on, or accessible through, our website do not constitute a part of this prospectus.

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and all documents we file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on or after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering under this prospectus and any prospectus supplement (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):

 

  (a) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 filed on March 3, 2015 (including information specifically incorporated therein by reference from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on March 10, 2015);

 

  (b) Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015 filed on May 8, 2015 and August 7, 2015, respectively;

 

  (c) Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2015, March 9, 2015, March 11, 2015, March 13, 2015, March 25, 2015, April 6, 2015, May 6, 2015, July 28, 2015 and September 15, 2015; and

 

  (d) the description of our common stock in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed on September 19, 2014.

You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at:

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

One Citizens Plaza

Providence, Rhode Island 02903

Attn: Investor Relations

Tel.: (401) 456-7000

 

3


SPECIAL NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, any prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements may relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to expected earnings levels, the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses, delinquency trends, market risk and the impact of interest rate changes, capital market conditions, capital composition and adequacy and liquidity, the effect of legal proceedings and new accounting standards on our financial condition and results of operations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on management’s current expectations and, by their nature, involve certain risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions by management that are difficult to predict. Various factors, some of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed under the caption entitled “Risk Factors” in any prospectus supplement and the other documents incorporated by reference herein. You should specifically consider the numerous risks outlined under “Risk Factors,” which may include more information about factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. Other factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to:

 

    Negative economic conditions that adversely affect the general economy, housing prices, the job market, consumer confidence and spending habits which may affect, among other things, the level of nonperforming assets, charge-offs and provision expense;

 

    The rate of growth in the economy and employment levels, as well as general business and economic conditions;

 

    Our ability to implement our strategic plan, including the cost savings and efficiency components, and achieve our indicative performance targets;

 

    Our ability to remedy regulatory deficiencies and meet supervisory requirements and expectations;

 

    Liabilities and business restrictions resulting from litigation and regulatory investigations;

 

    Our capital and liquidity requirements (including under regulatory capital standards, such as the Basel III capital standards) and our ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms;

 

    The effect of the current low interest rate environment or changes in interest rates on our net interest income, net interest margin and our mortgage originations, mortgage servicing rights and mortgages held for sale;

 

    Changes in interest rates and market liquidity, as well as the magnitude of such changes, which may reduce interest margins, impact funding sources and affect the ability to originate and distribute financial products in the primary and secondary markets;

 

    The effect of changes in the level of checking or savings account deposits on our funding costs and net interest margin;

 

    Financial services reform and other current, pending or future legislation or regulation that could have a negative effect on our revenue and businesses, including the Dodd-Frank Act and other legislation and regulation relating to bank products and services;

 

    A failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks;

 

    Management’s ability to identify and manage these and other risks; and

 

    Any failure by us to successfully replicate or replace certain functions, systems and infrastructure provided by the RBS Group.

 

4


Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus to conform our prior statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.

 

5


RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves significant risks. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully consider and evaluate all of the information included and incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement, including the risk factors incorporated by reference herein from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015, as updated by annual, quarterly and other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement and any risk factors in the applicable prospectus supplement. Our business, results of operations or financial condition could be adversely affected by any of these risks or by additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial.

 

6


USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the securities by us will be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital, retirement of debt, business acquisitions or investments, and other business opportunities. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by any selling security holders.

 

7


RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED DIVIDENDS

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges and the ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred dividends for the periods indicated.

 

     Six
Months
Ended
June 30,
2015
    

 

Year Ended December 31,

 
        2014      2013 (3)     2012      2011      2010 (4)  

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges (1)

     3.4         4.0         (5.9     2.5         1.8         1.0   

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends (1)(2)

     3.4         4.0         (5.9     2.5         1.8         1.0   

 

(1)   For purposes of calculating the ratios of earnings to fixed charges and earnings to fixed charges and preferred dividends, earnings consist of earnings before income taxes but do not include dividends on preferred securities, whether or not paid, or income (loss) on discontinued operations. Fixed charges consist of interest cost, including interest on deposits, interest on discontinued operations, and that portion of rent expense estimated to be representative of the interest factor.
(2)   On April 6, 2015, we issued 250,000 shares of our 5.500% fixed-to-floating rate non-cumulative perpetual Series A Preferred Stock, par value of $25.00 per share with a liquidation preference $1,000 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) in a private offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. On or prior to June 30, 2015, we had not paid dividends on any shares of preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock. On October 6, 2015, we paid a cash dividend on our Series A Preferred Stock. Prior to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, we had no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
(3)   The deficiency for this period was $3,468 million due in part to a goodwill impairment charge of $4,435 million ($4,080 million after tax).
(4) The deficiency for this period was $49 million.

 

8


DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following descriptions are summaries of the material terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws. Reference is made to the more detailed provisions of, and the descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to, the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which were filed with the SEC as exhibits to our periodic reports, and applicable law.

General

Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $25.00 per share. Unless our Board determines otherwise, we will issue all shares of capital stock in uncertificated form.

Common Stock

Common stock outstanding. As of September 30, 2015, there were 527,636,510 shares of common stock outstanding which were held of record by two stockholders. This stockholder figure does not include what we estimate to be a substantially greater number of holders whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable.

Voting rights . The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders, except on matters relating solely to terms of preferred stock.

Dividend rights . Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our Board out of funds legally available therefor.

Rights upon liquidation . In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities, subject to prior distribution rights of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding.

Other rights . The holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.

Preferred Stock

Our Board has the authority to issue preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, redemption prices, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, without further vote or action by the stockholders. The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company without further action by the stockholders and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock.

As of September 30, 2015, there were 250,000 shares of our preferred stock outstanding, which consisted entirely of our 5.500% Fixed-to-Floating Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A, liquidation preference $1,000 per share.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Some Provisions

Some provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make the following more difficult:

 

    acquisition of control of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise, or

 

    removal of our incumbent officers and directors.

 

9


These provisions, as well as our ability to issue preferred stock, are designed to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our Board. We believe that the benefits of increased protection give us the potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us, and that the benefits of this increased protection outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging those proposals, because negotiation of those proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Election and Removal of Directors . Our Board will consist of not less than five nor more than 25 directors, excluding any directors elected by holders of preferred stock pursuant to provisions applicable in the case of defaults. The exact number of directors will be fixed from time to time by resolution of our Board. Our Board currently has 13 members.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will provide that directors may be removed, with or without cause, by an affirmative vote of shares representing a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors. Any vacancy occurring on our Board and any newly created directorship may be filled only by a vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office.

Under the terms of a Separation Agreement between us and RBS, until RBS ceases to beneficially own at least 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock, RBS has the right to nominate one director to our Board, subject to election by our stockholders, and has non-voting Board observer rights in certain circumstances.

Limits on Written Consents . Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and cannot be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting.

Stockholder Meetings . Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders can only be called by the chairman of our Board or our chief executive officer, pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of our Board or at the request of holders of a majority of the total voting power of our outstanding shares of common stock, voting together as a single class. Except as described above, stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting or to require our Board to call a special meeting.

Super-Majority Approval Requirements . The Delaware General Corporation Law generally provides that the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the total voting power of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless either a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws require a greater percentage. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that the affirmative vote of holders of 75% of the total voting power of our outstanding common stock eligible to vote in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, will be required to amend, alter, change or repeal specified provisions, including those relating to actions by written consent of stockholders, calling of special meetings of stockholders, business combinations and amendment of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws. This requirement of a super-majority vote to approve amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could enable a minority of our stockholders to effectively exercise veto power over any such amendments. Following the earlier of the date on which RBS ceases to directly or indirectly own at least 4.99% of our issued and outstanding common stock and the date on which RBS receives written notice from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) that RBS is not deemed to control us for purposes of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the “Bank Holding Company Act”), our amended and restated bylaws provide that the affirmative vote of 75% of the total voting power of our outstanding common stock eligible to vote in the election of directors, voting as a single class, or a majority of the Board, will be required to amend, alter, change or repeal specified provisions, including those relating to actions by written consent of stockholders, calling of special meetings of stockholders, business combinations and amendment of our amended and restated bylaws.

 

10


Other Limitations on Stockholder Actions . Our amended and restated bylaws also impose some procedural requirements on stockholders who wish to:

 

    make nominations in the election of directors;

 

    propose that a director be removed;

 

    propose any repeal or change in our amended and restated bylaws; or

 

    propose any other business to be brought before an annual or special meeting of stockholders.

Under these procedural requirements, in order to bring a proposal before a meeting of stockholders, a stockholder must deliver timely notice of a proposal pertaining to a proper subject for presentation at the meeting to our corporate secretary along with the following:

 

    a description of the business or nomination to be brought before the meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting;

 

    the stockholder’s name and address;

 

    any material interest of the stockholder in the proposal;

 

    the number of shares beneficially owned by the stockholder and evidence of such ownership; and

 

    the names and addresses of all persons with whom the stockholder is acting in concert and a description of all arrangements and understandings with those persons, and the number of shares such persons beneficially own.

To be timely, a stockholder must generally deliver notice to the corporate secretary:

 

    in connection with an annual meeting of stockholders, not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days prior to the date on which the annual meeting of stockholders was held in the immediately preceding year, but in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 70 days after the anniversary date of the preceding annual meeting of stockholders, a stockholder notice will be timely if received by us not later than the close of business (A) no earlier than 120 days prior to the annual meeting and (B) no later than 70 days prior to the date of the meeting or the 10th day following the day on which we first publicly announce the date of the annual meeting; or

 

    in connection with the election of a director at a special meeting of stockholders, (A) not earlier than 150 days prior to the date of the special meeting nor (B) later than the later of 120 days prior to the date of the special meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the special meeting was first made. In order to submit a nomination for our Board, a stockholder must also submit any information with respect to the nominee that we would be required to include in a proxy statement, as well as some other information. If a stockholder fails to follow the required procedures, the stockholder’s proposal or nomination will be ineligible and will not be voted on by our stockholders.

In addition, until the earlier of the date on which RBS ceases to directly or indirectly own at least 4.99% of our issued and outstanding common stock and the date on which RBS receives written notice from the Federal Reserve Board that RBS is not deemed to control us for purposes of the Bank Holding Company Act, amendments to certain of our key policies, including certain of our risk management, accounting, financial reporting, capital management, information security, corporate governance and human resources policies, require the consent of RBS.

Dissenters’ Rights of Appraisal and Payment

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, with certain exceptions, our stockholders will have appraisal rights in connection with a merger or consolidation of our company. Pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, stockholders who properly request and perfect appraisal rights in connection with such merger or consolidation will have the right to receive payment of the fair value of their shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery.

 

11


Stockholders’ Derivative Actions

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, any of our stockholders may bring an action in our name to procure a judgment in our favor, also known as a derivative action, provided that the stockholder bringing the action is a holder of our shares at the time of the transaction to which the action relates or such stockholder’s stock thereafter devolved by operation of law.

Forum Selection

Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of ours to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing forum selection provisions.

Conflicts of Interest

Delaware law permits corporations to adopt provisions renouncing any interest or expectancy in certain opportunities that are presented to the corporation or its officers, directors or stockholders. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Delaware law, renounces any interest or expectancy that we have in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, specified business opportunities that are from time to time presented to our officers, directors or stockholders or their respective affiliates, other than those officers, directors, stockholders or affiliates who are our or our subsidiaries’ employees. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, none of RBS or any of its affiliates has any duty to refrain from (i) engaging in a corporate opportunity in the same or similar lines of business in which we or our affiliates now engage or propose to engage or (ii) otherwise competing with us or our affiliates. In addition, to the fullest extent permitted by law, in the event that RBS acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for itself or its affiliates or for us or our affiliates, such person has no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or business opportunity to us or any of our affiliates and they may take any such opportunity for themselves or offer it to another person or entity. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no business opportunity will be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity for us unless we would be permitted to undertake the opportunity under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we have sufficient financial resources to undertake the opportunity and the opportunity would be in line with our business.

Limitation of Liability of Directors and Officers

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that no director will be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except as required by applicable law, as in effect from time to time. Currently, Delaware law requires that liability be imposed for the following:

 

    any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to our company or our stockholders;

 

    any act or omission not in good faith or which involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

    unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law; and

 

    any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

12


As a result, neither we nor our stockholders have the right, through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf, to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, including breaches resulting from grossly negligent behavior, except in the situations described above.

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we will indemnify any officer or director of our company against all damages, claims and liabilities arising out of the fact that the person is or was our director or officer, or served any other enterprise at our request as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary. We will reimburse the expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by a person indemnified by this provision when we receive an undertaking to repay such amounts if it is ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified by us. Amending this provision will not reduce our indemnification obligations relating to actions taken before an amendment.

Indemnification Agreements

We have entered into an indemnification agreement with each of our directors and executive officers. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors or executive officers, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy and is therefore unenforceable.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “CFG.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The Transfer Agent and Registrar for the Common Stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The debt securities will constitute either senior or subordinated debt of CFG. The debt securities that are sold may be exchangeable for and/or convertible into common shares or any of the other securities that may be sold under this prospectus. The senior debt securities will be issued pursuant to a senior indenture dated October 28, 2015 (as amended and supplemented from time to time) between us and the Bank of New York Mellon, as senior debt trustee. The subordinated debt securities will be issued pursuant to a subordinated indenture dated September 28, 2012 (as amended and supplemented from time to time) between us and The Bank of New York Mellon, as subordinated debt trustee. We will include in the prospectus supplement relating to any series of senior or subordinated debt securities being offered the specific terms of such series, including the terms, if any, on which a series of senior or subordinated debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for other securities. In addition, the material terms of any indenture, which will govern the rights of the holders of our senior or subordinated debt securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of:

 

    debt or equity securities issued by us or securities of third parties, a basket of such securities, an index or indices of such securities or any combination of the above as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement;

 

    currencies; or

 

    commodities.

Each purchase contract will entitle the holder thereof to purchase or sell, and obligate us to sell or purchase, on specified dates, such securities, currencies or commodities at a specified purchase price, which may be based on a formula, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may, however, satisfy our obligations, if any, with respect to any purchase contract by delivering the cash value of such purchase contract or the cash value of the property otherwise deliverable or, in the case of purchase contracts on underlying currencies, by delivering the underlying currencies, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the methods by which the holders may purchase or sell such securities, currencies or commodities and any acceleration, cancellation or termination provisions or other provisions relating to the settlement of a purchase contract.

The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders thereof or vice versa, which payments may be deferred to the extent set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and those payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The purchase contracts may require the holders thereof to secure their obligations in a specified manner to be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Alternatively, purchase contracts may require holders to satisfy their obligations thereunder when the purchase contracts are issued. Our obligation to settle such pre-paid purchase contracts on the relevant settlement date may constitute indebtedness. Accordingly, pre-paid purchase contracts will be issued under either the senior indenture or the subordinated indenture.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of one or more purchase contracts, warrants, debt securities, shares of preferred stock, shares of common stock or any combination of such securities. The terms of any units to be issued will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

FORMS OF SECURITIES

Each debt security, warrant and unit will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities, warrants or units represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.

 

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Global Securities

Registered Global Securities . We may issue the registered debt securities, warrants and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.

If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.

Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.

So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.

Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to warrants or units, represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of CFG, the trustees, the warrant agents, the unit agents or any other agent of CFG, agent of the trustees or agent of the warrant agents or unit agents will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.

 

15


We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.

If the depositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We and/or the selling security holders, if applicable, may sell the securities in one or more of the following ways (or in any combination) from time to time:

 

    through underwriters or dealers;

 

    directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser; or

 

    through agents.

The prospectus supplement will state the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

 

    the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

    the purchase price of such securities and the proceeds to be received by us, if any;

 

    any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

    any public offering price;

 

    any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and

 

    any securities exchanges on which the securities may be listed.

Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. In addition, to the extent this prospectus is used by any selling security holder to resell common stock or other securities, information with respect to the selling security holder will be contained in a prospectus supplement to this prospectus, in a post-effective amendment or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference.

If we and/or the selling security holders, if applicable, use underwriters in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including:

 

    negotiated transactions;

 

    at a fixed public offering price or prices, which may be changed;

 

    at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

    at prices related to prevailing market prices; or

 

    at negotiated prices.

Unless otherwise stated in a prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase any securities will be conditioned on customary closing conditions and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of such series of securities, if any are purchased.

We and/or the selling security holders, if applicable, may sell the securities through agents from time to time. The prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and any commissions we pay to them. Generally, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

We and/or the selling security holders, if applicable, may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the prospectus supplement, and the prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we pay for solicitation of these contracts.

 

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Underwriters and agents may be entitled under agreements entered into with us and/or the selling security holders, if applicable, to indemnification by us and/or the selling security holders, if applicable, against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or to contribution with respect to payments which the underwriters or agents may be required to make. Underwriters and agents may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us and our affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

Each series of securities other than the common stock, which is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “CFG,” and certain series of debt securities outstanding on the date hereof, will be a new issue of securities and will have no established trading market. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The securities, other than the common stock, may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. If we decide to seek a listing of any such other securities, the related prospectus supplement will disclose the exchange on which such securities are to be listed.

 

18


VALIDITY OF SECURITIES

The validity of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered will be passed on for us by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements, and the related financial statement schedules, incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The costs and expenses payable by the Registrant in connection with the sale of the securities being registered hereby are not known at this time.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent to the Registrant. The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. The Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provides for indemnification by the Registrant of its directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law. The indemnification rights set forth above shall not be exclusive of any other right which an indemnified person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases, redemptions or other distributions or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation provides for such limitation of liability.

The Registrant maintains policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to its directors and officers, in their respective capacities as such, against loss arising from a claim made for any actual or alleged wrongful act, and (b) to the Registrant with respect to payments which may be made by the Registrant to such officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.

The Underwriting Agreement to be filed in connection with each offering under this Registration Statement will provide for indemnification of directors and officers of the Registrant by the underwriters against certain liabilities.

 

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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a) The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement:

 

Exhibit No.

  

Document

  1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement between the Company and underwriters to be named*
  3.1    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company as in effect on the date hereof (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed May 8, 2015)
  3.2    Bylaws of the Company (as amended and restated on February 13, 2015) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed February 18, 2015)
  4.1    Senior Debt Indenture between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon dated as of October 28, 2015
  4.2    Subordinated Indenture between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon dated as of September 28, 2012 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed July 28, 2015)
  4.3    Form of Senior Note*
  4.4    Form of Subordinated Note*
  4.5    Form of Warrant Agreement between the Company and a warrant agent to be named*
  4.6    Form of Purchase Contract*
  4.7    Form of Unit Agreement between the Company and a unit agent to be named*
  5.1    Opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
12.1    Statement regarding computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends
23.1    Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
23.2    Consent of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement)
25.1    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, under the Senior Indenture
25.2    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, under the Subordinated Indenture (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 25.1 of the Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed on July 28, 2015)

 

* To be filed, if necessary, by amendment or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K that will be incorporated by reference herein.

Item 17. Undertakings

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

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

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

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

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

 

  (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

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

 

  (d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by the underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by the underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, a post-effective amendment will be filed to set forth the terms of such offering.

 

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

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Stamford, State of Connecticut, on the 29th day of October, 2015.

 

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
By:  

/s/ Bruce Van Saun

  Name: Bruce Van Saun
  Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Bruce Van Saun, Eric Aboaf and Stephen T. Gannon, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power to act separately and full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

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

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Bruce Van Saun

Bruce Van Saun

   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)   October 29, 2015

/s/ Mark Casady

Mark Casady

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Christine M. Cumming

Christine M. Cumming

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Anthony Di Iorio

Anthony Di Iorio

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Robert Gillespie

Robert Gillespie

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ William P. Hankowsky

William P. Hankowsky

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Howard W. Hanna III

Howard W. Hanna III

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Leo I. Higdon

Leo I. Higdon

   Director   October 29, 2015

 

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Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Charles J. Koch

Charles J. Koch

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Arthur F. Ryan

Arthur F. Ryan

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Shivan S. Subramaniam

Shivan S. Subramaniam

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Wendy A. Watson

Wendy A. Watson

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Marita Zuraitis

Marita Zuraitis

   Director   October 29, 2015

/s/ Eric Aboaf

Eric Aboaf

  

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(principal financial officer)

  October 29, 2015

/s/ Ronald S. Ohsberg

Ronald S. Ohsberg

  

Executive Vice President and Controller

(principal accounting officer)

  October 29, 2015

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Document

  1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement between the Company and underwriters to be named*
  3.1    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company as in effect on the date hereof (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed May 8, 2015)
  3.2    Bylaws of the Company (as amended and restated on February 13, 2015) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed February 18, 2015)
  4.1    Senior Debt Indenture between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon dated as of October 28, 2015
  4.2    Subordinated Indenture between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon dated as of September 28, 2012 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed July 28, 2015)
  4.3    Form of Senior Note*
  4.4    Form of Subordinated Note*
  4.5    Form of Warrant Agreement between the Company and a warrant agent to be named*
  4.6    Form of Purchase Contract*
  4.7    Form of Unit Agreement between the Company and a unit agent to be named*
  5.1    Opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
12.1    Statement regarding computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends
23.1    Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP
23.2    Consent of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement)
25.1    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, under the Senior Indenture
25.2    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, under the Subordinated Indenture (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 25.1 of the Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed on July 28, 2015)

 

* To be filed, if necessary, by amendment or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K that will be incorporated by reference herein.

 

II-7

Exhibit 4.1

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

Issuer

and

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

Trustee

SENIOR INDENTURE

Dated as of October 28, 2015


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     P AGE  
ARTICLE 1   
D EFINITIONS AND O THER P ROVISIONS OF G ENERAL A PPLICATION   

Section 1.01.   Definitions

     1   

Section 1.02.   Compliance Certificates and Opinions

     8   

Section 1.03.   Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee

     8   

Section 1.04.   Notices, etc. to Trustee and Company

     9   

Section 1.05.   Notice to Holders; Waiver

     9   

Section 1.06.   [RESERVED.]

     10   

Section 1.07.   Effect of Headings and Table of Contents

     10   

Section 1.08.   Successors and Assigns

     10   

Section 1.09.   Separability Clause

     10   

Section 1.10.   Benefits of Indenture

     10   

Section 1.11.   Governing Law

     10   

Section 1.12.   Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act

     10   

Section 1.13.   Trust Indenture Act to Control

     11   

Section 1.14.   Legal Holidays

     11   

Section 1.15.   No Security Interest Created

     11   

Section 1.16.    Limitation of Individual Liability

     11   

Section 1.17.   Company’s Submission to Jurisdiction

     12   

Section 1.18.    Waiver of Jury Trial

     12   
ARTICLE 2   
D EBT S ECURITY F ORMS   

Section 2.01.   Forms Generally

     12   

Section 2.02.   Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication

     13   

Section 2.03.   Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication by an Authenticating Agent

     13   

Section 2.04.   Securities Issuable in Global Form

     13   
ARTICLE 3   
T HE D EBT S ECURITIES   

Section 3.01.   Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series

     14   

Section 3.02.   Denominations

     17   

Section 3.03.   Additional Debt Securities

     17   

Section 3.04.   Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating

     17   

Section 3.05.   Temporary Debt Securities

     19   

Section 3.06.   Registration, Transfer and Exchange

     20   

Section 3.07.   Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Debt Securities

     25   

Section 3.08.   Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved

     25   

Section 3.09.   Cancellation

     27   

Section 3.10.   Computation of Interest

     27   

 

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     P AGE  

Section 3.11.   CUSIP Numbers and ISINs

     27   

Section 3.12.   Persons Deemed Owners

     27   
ARTICLE 4   
S ATISFACTION AND D ISCHARGE   

Section 4.01.   Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture

     28   

Section 4.02.   Application of Trust Money

     29   

Section 4.03.   Indemnity

     29   
ARTICLE 5   
R EMEDIES   

Section 5.01.   Events of Default

     29   

Section 5.02.   Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment

     30   

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

     31   

Section 5.04.   Trustee May File Proofs of Claim

     33   

Section 5.05.   Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Debt Securities

     33   

Section 5.06.   Application of Money Collected

     33   

Section 5.07.   L imitation on Suits

     34   

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

     35   

Section 5.09.   Restoration of Rights and Remedies

     35   

Section 5.10.   Right and Remedies Cumulative

     35   

Section 5.11.   Delay or Omission Not Waiver

     35   

Section 5.12.   Control by Holders

     35   

Section 5.13.   Waiver of Past Defaults

     36   

Section 5.14.   Undertaking for Costs

     36   

Section 5.15.   Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws

     36   
ARTICLE 6   
T HE T RUSTEE   

Section 6.01.   Certain Duties and Responsibilities

     37   

Section 6.02.   Notice of Defaults

     38   

Section 6.03.   Certain Rights of Trustee

     38   

Section 6.04.   Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Debt Securities

     40   

Section 6.05.   May Hold Debt Securities

     40   

Section 6.06.   Money Held in Trust

     40   

Section 6.07.   Compensation and Reimbursement

     40   

Section 6.08.   Disqualification, Conflicting Interests

     41   

Section 6.09.   Corporate Trustee Required, Eligibility

     42   

Section 6.10.   Resignation and Removal, Appointment of Successor

     42   

Section 6.11.   Acceptance of Appointment by Successor

     44   

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

     45   

Section 6.13.   Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company

     45   

 

ii


     P AGE  

Section 6.14.   Appointment of Authenticating Agent

     46   
ARTICLE 7   
H OLDERS ’ L ISTS AND R EPORTS BY T RUSTEE A ND C OMPANY   

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

     47   

Section 7.02.   Preservation of Information; Communication to Holders

     47   

Section 7.03.   Reports by Trustee

     48   
ARTICLE 8   
C ONCERNING THE H OLDERS   

Section 8.01.   Acts of Holders

     49   

Section 8.02.   Proof of Ownership; Proof of Execution of Instruments by Holders

     49   

Section 8.03.   Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound

     50   
ARTICLE 9   
H OLDERS ’ M EETINGS   

Section 9.01.   Purposes of Meetings

     50   

Section 9.02.   Call of Meetings by Trustee

     50   

Section 9.03.   Call of Meetings by Company or Holders

     51   

Section 9.04.   Qualifications for Voting

     51   

Section 9.05.   Regulations

     51   

Section 9.06.   Voting

     52   

Section 9.07.   No Delay of Rights by Meeting

     52   
ARTICLE 10   
C ONSOLIDATION , M ERGER , C ONVEYANCE , T RANSFER O R L EASE   

Section 10.01.   Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms

     52   

Section 10.02.   Successor Corporation Substituted

     53   

Section 10.03.   Opinion of Counsel

     53   
ARTICLE 11   
S UPPLEMENTAL I NDENTURES   

Section 11.01.   Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders

     53   

Section 11.02.   Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders

     55   

Section 11.03.   Execution of Supplemental Indentures

     56   

Section 11.04.   Effect of Supplemental Indentures

     56   

Section 11.05.   [RESERVED.]

     56   

Section 11.06.   Reference in Debt Securities to Supplemental Indentures

     56   

Section 11.07.   Notice of Supplemental Indenture

     56   

 

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     P AGE  
ARTICLE 12   
C OVENANTS   

Section 12.01.   Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest

     56   

Section 12.02.   Maintenance of Office or Agency

     57   

Section 12.03.   Money for Debt Securities; Payments To Be Held in Trust

     57   

Section 12.04.   Officer’s Certificate as to Default

     58   

Section 12.05.   Waiver of Certain Covenants

     58   

Section 12.06.   Reports and Other Information

     59   
ARTICLE 13   
R EDEMPTION OF D EBT S ECURITIES   

Section 13.01.   Applicability of Article

     59   

Section 13.02.   Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee

     59   

Section 13.03.   Selection by Trustee of Debt Securities To Be Redeemed

     59   

Section 13.04.   Notice of Redemption

     60   

Section 13.05.   Deposit of Redemption Price

     61   

Section 13.06.   Debt Securities Payable on Redemption Date

     61   

Section 13.07.   Debt Securities Redeemed in Part

     61   

Section 13.08.   Repurchases

     62   
ARTICLE 14   
D EFEASANCE   

Section 14.01.   Applicability of Article

     62   

Section 14.02.   Defeasance Upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government Obligations

     62   

Section 14.03.   Deposited Moneys and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust

     64   

Section 14.04.   Repayment to Company

     65   

 

iv


CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE

Reconciliation and tie showing this location in this Indenture of the provisions inserted pursuant to Sections 310 to 318(a), inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, unless otherwise indicated. This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of this Indenture.

 

Trust Indenture Act of 1939 Section

   Indenture Section  
310   (a)(1)      6.09   
  (a)(2)      6.09   
  (a)(5)      6.09   
  (b)      6.08 and 6.10   
312   (a)      7.01   
313   (a)      7.03   
  (c)      7.03   
314   (a)      12.06   
  (c)(1)      1.02   
  (c)(2)      1.02   
  (e)      1.02   
315   (a)      6.01   
  (b)      6.02   
  (c)      6.01   
  (d)      6.01   
  (e)      5.14   
316   (a)(1)      5.12   
  (b)      5.07   
  (c)      8.02   
317   (a)      5.03   
  (b)      12.03   
318   (a)      1.13   

 

i


SENIOR INDENTURE, dated as of October 28, 2015, between Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), having its principal office at One Citizens Plaza, Providence, Rhode Island 02903, and The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York banking corporation, as Trustee hereunder (the “ Trustee ”), having its Corporate Trust Office at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

RECITALS OF THE COMPANY

The Company may issue from time to time for its lawful purposes debt securities (the “ Debt Securities ”) evidencing its indebtedness, and has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of the Debt Securities, unlimited as to aggregate principal amount, to bear interest at the rates or formulas, to mature at such times and to have such other provisions as shall be fixed therefor and hereinafter provided.

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

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:

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

ARTICLE 1

D EFINITIONS AND O THER P ROVISIONS OF G ENERAL A PPLICATION

Section 1.01. Definitions . For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

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

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

(c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “ U.S. GAAP ” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean U.S. GAAP at the date of such computation; and

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

Act ” when used with respect to any Holder has the meaning specified in Section 8.01.


Additional Debt Securities ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.03.

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

Applicable Procedures ” means, with respect to any transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Security, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream that apply to such transfer or exchange.

Applicant ” has the meaning specified in Section 7.02(b).

Authenticating Agent ” has the meaning specified in Section 6.14.

Board of Directors ” means either the board of directors of the Company, or the executive or any other committee of that board duly authorized to act in respect hereof.

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

Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies in the City of New York are authorized or obligated by law to close, except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01.

Clearstream ” means Clearstream Banking, Société Anonyme and its successors.

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as in effect on the date hereof.

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

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

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

 

2


Corporate Trust Office ” means the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date of execution of this instrument is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

The term “ corporation ” includes corporations, associations, companies and business trusts.

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

Default ” has the meaning specified in Section 5.03.

Defaulted Interest ” has the meaning specified in Section 3.08.

Definitive Debt Security ” means an individual certificated Debt Security registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 3.06 hereof.

Depositary ” means, with respect to the Debt Securities of any series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Person designated as Depositary by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 until a successor Depositary shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depositary” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Depositary hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Debt Securities of any such series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Debt Securities of that series.

Discharged ” has the meaning specified in Section 14.02(b).

Discount Security ” means any Debt Security that is issued with original issue discount within the meaning of Section 1273(a) of the Code and the regulations thereunder and any other Debt Security designated by the Company as issued with original issue discount for United States federal income tax purposes.

Dollar ” or “ $ ” means such currency of the United States as at the time of payment is legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

Euroclear ” means Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system, and its successors.

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

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

3


FATCA Withholding Tax ” shall mean any withholding or deduction pursuant to an agreement described in Section 1471(b) of the Code or otherwise imposed pursuant to Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (or any regulations or agreements thereunder or official interpretations thereof) or any intergovernmental agreement between the United States and another jurisdiction facilitating the implementation thereof (or any law implementing such an intergovernmental agreement).

Federal Reserve ” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Floating Rate Security ” means a Debt Security that provides for the payment of interest at a variable rate determined periodically by reference to an interest determination method specified pursuant to Section 3.01.

Global Security ” means a Registered Security evidencing all or part of a series of Debt Securities issued to the Depositary for such series in accordance with Section 3.04(c).

Holder ” means, with respect to a Registered Security, the Registered Holder.

Indenture ” means this instrument as originally executed, or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and, unless the context otherwise requires, shall include the terms of a particular series of Debt Securities as established pursuant to Section 3.01.

Indexed Security ” means a Debt Security the terms of which provide that the principal amount thereof payable at Stated Maturity may be more or less than the principal face amount thereof at original issuance.

Indirect Participant ” means a Person who holds a beneficial interest in a Global Security through a Participant.

The term “ interest ” when used with respect to a Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity means interest payable after Maturity.

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

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

Officer’s Certificate ” means a certificate signed by one of the Chairman, a Vice Chairman, the President, a Vice President, the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

4


Opinion of Counsel ” means a written opinion of counsel, who shall be satisfactory to the Trustee and who may be counsel to the Company, that is delivered to the Trustee.

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

(a) Debt Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

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

(c) mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Securities that have been paid pursuant to the second paragraph of Section 3.07 or exchanged for or replaced by other Debt Securities that have been authenticated and delivered pursuant the first paragraph of Section 3.07, other than any such Debt Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Debt Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Debt Securities are valid obligations of the Company.

In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Debt Securities Outstanding have performed any Act hereunder, Debt Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such Act, only Debt Securities that the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Debt Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right to act with respect to such Debt Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor. In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Debt Securities have performed any Act hereunder, (i) the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purpose shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02 and (ii) the principal amount of any Indexed Security that may be counted in making such determination or calculation and that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purpose shall be equal to the principal face amount of such Indexed Security at original issuance, unless otherwise provided with respect to such Indexed Security pursuant to Section 3.01.

 

5


Participant ” means, with respect to the Depositary, a Person who has an account with the Depositary (and, with respect to The Depository Trust Company, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream).

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

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

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

Predecessor Security ” of any particular Debt Security means every previous Debt Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Debt Security, and, for the purposes of this definition, any Debt Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.07 in lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Debt Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Debt Security.

Redemption Date ” means the date fixed for redemption of any Debt Security pursuant to this Indenture which, in the case of a Floating Rate Security, unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01, shall be an Interest Payment Date only.

Redemption Price ” means, in the case of a Discount Security, the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the Redemption Date upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02 and, in the case of any other Debt Security, the principal amount thereof, plus, in each case, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the Redemption Date.

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

Registered Security ” means any Debt Security registered as to principal, premium, if any, and interest in the Security Register.

Regular Record Date ” for the interest payable on the Registered Securities of any series on any Interest Payment Date means the date specified for that purpose pursuant to Section 3.01 for such Interest Payment Date.

Regulation S-X ” means Regulation S-X promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

6


Repayment Date ” means, when used with respect to any Debt Security to be repaid at the option of the Holder, the date fixed for such repayment by or pursuant to this Indenture.

Responsible Officer ” when used with respect to the Trustee means any officer within the Corporate Trust and Agency Group (or any successor group of the Trustee), including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, or other trust officer or assistant officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by the persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred at the Trustee’s Corporate Trust Office because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.

Security Register ” and “ Security Registrar ” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.06(a).

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Special Record Date ” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.08.

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

Subsidiary ” means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity, at least a majority of the outstanding voting stock, membership interests or partnership interests, as the case may be, of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, “voting stock” means stock having voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times or only for so long as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of any contingency.

Successor Corporation ” has the meaning specified in Section 11.01(a).

Trust Indenture Act ” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended from time to time, except as otherwise provided herein.

Trustee ” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter; if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Debt Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Debt Securities of such series.

U.S. GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements

 

7


by such other entity as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession of the United States, as in effect from time to time, to the extent applicable to the Company.

U.S. Government Obligations ” has the meaning specified in Section 14.02(b).

United States ” means the United States of America (including the States and the District of Columbia), its territories and its possessions.

Section 1.02. Compliance Certificates and Opinions . Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:

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

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

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

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

Section 1.03. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee . In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon an Opinion of Counsel, or a certificate or representations by counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or representations or Opinion of Counsel with respect to the matters

 

8


upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or representation or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous. Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.

Section 1.04. Notices, etc. to Trustee and Company . Any Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,

(a) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if made, given, furnished or filed in writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, Attention : Corporate Trust Administration; or

(b) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first class postage prepaid, or couriered or faxed, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this Indenture or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company. Any such Act or other document shall be in the English language.

Section 1.05. Notice to Holders; Waiver . Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event by the Company or the Trustee, such notice shall be sufficiently given to Registered Holders (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first class postage prepaid, to such Registered Holders as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register, within the time prescribed; provided that, in any case, any notice to Holders of Floating Rate Securities regarding the determination of a periodic rate of interest, if such notice is required pursuant to Section 3.01, shall be sufficiently given if given in the manner specified pursuant to Section 3.01. In any case where notice to Registered Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice nor any defect in any notice so mailed to any particular Registered Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Registered Holders, and any notice that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively deemed to have been received by such Registered Holder, whether or not such Registered Holder actually receives such notice.

Except as otherwise specified herein, so long as any Debt Securities are registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for The Depository Trust Company, or another Depositary and subject to any listing requirements, notices, reports and other information that are required to be sent to the Holders of such Debt Securities may be given by delivery of the relevant notice to The Depository Trust Company for communication by The Depository Trust Company to entitled participants and account holders of such clearing systems

 

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

Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Registered Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance on such waiver.

Section 1.06. [RESERVED.]

Section 1.07. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents . The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

Section 1.08. Successors and Assigns . All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the parties hereto shall bind their respective successors and assigns and inure to the benefit of their permitted successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

Section 1.09. Separability Clause . In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Debt Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 1.10. Benefits of Indenture . Nothing in this Indenture or in the Debt Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent, any Authenticating Agent and their respective successors hereunder, the Holders and the holders of Senior Indebtedness, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

Section 1.11. Governing Law . This Indenture and the Debt Securities shall be deemed to be contracts made and to be performed entirely in the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of said state without regard to the conflicts of law rules of said state.

Section 1.12. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act .

The Indenture is subject to the mandatory provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, which are incorporated by reference in and made a part of the Indenture. The following Trust Indenture Act terms have the following meanings:

Indenture Securities ” shall mean the Debt Securities.

 

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Indenture to Be Qualified ” shall mean the Indenture.

Indenture Trustee or Institutional Trustee ” shall mean the Trustee.

Obligor ” with reference to Indenture Securities shall mean the Company.

All other terms in the Indenture that are defined by the Trust Indenture Act, defined by it by reference to another statute or defined by Commission rule have the meanings assigned to them by such definitions.

Section 1.13. Trust Indenture Act to Control . If any provision included in the Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision included in the Indenture which is required to be included in the Indenture by the Trust Indenture Act, such required provision shall control.

Section 1.14. Legal Holidays . Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01, in any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity of any Debt Security of any series shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment for the Debt Securities of that series, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Debt Securities) payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity, and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day.

Section 1.15. No Security Interest Created . Nothing in this Indenture or in the Debt Securities, express or implied, shall be construed to constitute a security interest in favor of the Registered Holders under the Uniform Commercial Code or similar legislation, as now or hereafter enacted and in effect in any jurisdiction where property of the Company or its Subsidiaries is or may be located.

Section 1.16. Limitation of Individual Liability . No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in any Debt Security because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or any Successor Corporation, either directly or through the Company, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise; it being expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors, as such, of the Company or any Successor Corporation, or any of them, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any Debt Security or implied therefrom; and that any and all such

 

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personal liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by constitution or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such incorporator, stockholder, officer or director, as such, because of the creation of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any Debt Security or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of such Debt Security.

Section 1.17. Submission to Jurisdiction . The Company and each Holder irrevocably and unconditionally (a) agrees that any suit, action or legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the Indenture and each Debt Security that is brought by the Company or such Holder must be brought by the Company or such Holder in any New York State Court or Federal Court of the United States of America sitting in New York County; (b) consents to the jurisdiction of such court in any suit, action or proceeding; (c) waives any objection which it may have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in any of such courts; and (d) agrees that service of any court paper may be effected on the Company or such Holder by mail, as provided in this Indenture, or in such manner as may be provided under applicable laws or court rules in the State of New York.

Section 1.18. Waiver of Jury Trial . THE COMPANY AND EACH HOLDER 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 DEBT SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

ARTICLE 2

D EBT S ECURITY F ORMS

Section 2.01. Forms Generally . The Debt Securities of each series shall be substantially in one of the forms established in or pursuant to one or more indentures supplemental hereto, and shall have such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture or any indenture supplemental hereto, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any securities exchange on which any series of the Debt Securities may be listed or of any automated quotation system on which any such series may be quoted, or to conform to usage, all as determined by the officers executing such Debt Securities as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Debt Securities.

The definitive Debt Securities, if any, of each series shall be printed, lithographed or engraved or produced by any combination of these methods on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, provided that such manner is permitted by the rules of any securities exchange on which such series of Debt Securities may be listed or of any automated quotation system on which such series may be quoted, all as determined by the officers executing such Debt Securities, as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Debt Securities.

 

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Section 2.02. Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication . The form of the Trustee’s certificate of authentication to be borne by the Debt Securities shall be substantially as follows:

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Debt Securities of the series designated therein issued under the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,

as Trustee

By:

 

 

  Authorized Signatory

Section 2.03. Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication by an Authenticating Agent . If at any time there shall be an Authenticating Agent appointed with respect to any series of Debt Securities, then the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication by such Authenticating Agent to be borne by Debt Securities of each such series shall be substantially as follows:

TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Debt Securities of the series designated therein issued under the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,

as Trustee

 

  [INSTITUTION]

  Authenticating Agent
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory

Section 2.04. Securities Issuable in Global Form . If Debt Securities of or within a series are issuable in global form, as specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, then, notwithstanding Section 3.01(g) and the provisions of Section 3.02, any such Debt Security shall represent such of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series as shall be specified therein and may provide that it shall represent the aggregate amount of

 

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Outstanding Debt Securities of such series from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate amount of Outstanding Debt Securities of such series represented thereby may from time to time be increased or decreased to reflect exchanges. Any endorsement of a Debt Security in global form to reflect the amount, or any increase or decrease in the amount, of Outstanding Debt Securities represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee in such manner and upon instructions given by such Person or Persons as shall be specified therein or in the Company Order to be delivered to the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.04 or Section 3.05. Subject to the provisions of Section 3.04 and, if applicable, Section 3.05, the Trustee shall deliver and redeliver any Debt Security in permanent global form in the manner and upon instructions given by the Person or Persons specified therein or in the applicable Company Order. If a Company Order pursuant to Section 3.04 or Section 3.05 has been, or simultaneously is, delivered, any instructions by the Company with respect to (i) any endorsement to reflect the amount, or any increase or decrease in the amount, of Outstanding Debt Securities represented by such Debt Security in global form or (ii) delivery or redelivery of a Debt Security in permanent global form shall be, in each case, in writing but need not comply with Section 1.02 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel so long as an Opinion of Counsel was provided in connection with the delivery of such Company Order pursuant to Section 3.04 or Section 3.05.

The provisions of the last sentence of Section 3.04(g) shall apply to any Debt Security represented by a Debt Security in global form if such Debt Security was never issued and sold by the Company and the Company delivers to the Trustee the Debt Security in global form together with written instructions (which shall be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) with regard to the reduction in the principal amount of Debt Securities represented thereby, together with the written statement contemplated by the last sentence of Section 3.04(g).

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.08, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, payment of principal of any premium and interest on any Debt Security in permanent global form shall be made to the Person or Persons specified therein.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.12 and except as provided in the preceding paragraph, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company and the Trustee shall treat the Holder of a permanent global Debt Security in registered form as the Holder of such principal amount of Outstanding Debt Securities represented by such permanent global Debt Security.

ARTICLE 3

T HE D EBT S ECURITIES

Section 3.01. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series . The aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Debt Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Debt Securities of any series any or all of the following, as applicable:

 

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(a) the title of the Debt Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Debt Securities of such series from all other series of Debt Securities);

(b) the limit, if any, upon the aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of the series that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Debt Securities authenticated and delivered upon transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Debt Securities of such series pursuant to Section 3.05, Section 3.06, Section 3.07, Section 11.06 or Section 13.07);

(c) the dates on which or periods during which the Debt Securities of the series may be issued, and the dates on, or the range of dates within, which the principal of (and premium, if any, on) the Debt Securities of such series are or may be payable;

(d) the rate or rates at which the Debt Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, or the method by which the rate or rates will be determined, and the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable, and, in the case of Registered Securities, the Regular Record Dates for the interest payable on such Interest Payment Dates or the method by which the date or dates will be determined;

(e) if other than the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee in New York City, the place or places where (i) the principal of, premium, if any, and any interest on the Debt Securities of the series will be payable, (ii) Debt Securities of the series may be surrendered for registration of transfer, (iii) Debt Securities of the series may be surrendered for exchange, and (iv) notices to or upon the Company in respect of the Debt Securities of the series and this Indenture may be served;

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

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

(h) if other than the Trustee, the identity of each Security Registrar and/or Paying Agent;

(i) if other than the principal amount, the portion of the principal amount (or the method by which such portion will be determined) of Debt Securities of the series that will be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof;

(j) if other than in Dollars, the currency in which the Debt Securities of the series will be denominated or in which payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of the series will be payable and any other terms concerning such payment;

(k) any index, formula or other method (including a method based on changes in the prices or performance of particular securities, currencies, intangibles, goods,

 

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articles or commodities, or any other financial, economic or other measure or instrument, including the occurrence or non-occurrence of any event or circumstance), or a combination thereof, used to determine the amount of payments of principal of, premium, if any, and any interest on the Debt Securities of the series and the manner in which those amounts will be determined;

(l) if the principal of, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on Debt Securities of the series is to be payable in other than or in combination with cash, the securities, commodities, other property or combination thereof in which such principal, premium, if any, or interest, if any, is so payable, and the terms and conditions (including the manner of determining the value of any such securities, commodities, other property or any combination thereof) upon which such payment is to be made;

(m) if the principal of, premium, if any, or interest, if any, on Debt Securities of the series are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a holder of Debt Securities of the series, in a currency other than that in which the Debt Securities are denominated or stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made and the time and the manner of determining the exchange rate between the currency in which the Debt Securities of the series are denominated or payable without such election and the currency in which the Debt Securities of the series are to be paid if such election is made;

(n) if, at the election of the Company or a holder of Debt Securities of the series, the Debt Securities of the series are to be convertible into, or redeemable or exchangeable for, cash, securities, commodities, other property, or a combination thereof (or the cash value thereof), the terms and conditions upon which such election may be made and the time and the manner of determining such conversion, redemption or exchange;

(o) any provisions relating to the extension of, maturity of, or the renewal of, the Debt Securities of the series;

(p) whether provisions relating to defeasance and covenant defeasance will be applicable to Debt Securities of the series;

(q) any other provisions granting special rights to Holders of Debt Securities of the series upon the occurrence of specified events;

(r) any modifications, deletions or additions to the Events of Default, Defaults or covenants of the Company with respect to the Debt Securities of the series;

(s) whether the Debt Securities of the series are issuable initially in temporary or permanent global form (with or without coupons) and, if so (i) the identity of any initial depositary for such global Debt Securities, and (ii) whether (and the circumstances under which) beneficial owners of interests in permanent global Debt Securities may exchange their interests for Debt Securities of such series and of like tenor of any authorized form and denomination;

 

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(t) the date as of which any temporary global Debt Security will be dated if other than the original issuance date of the first Debt Security of that series to be issued;

(u) the Person to whom any interest on any Registered Debt Securities of the series will be payable, if other than the Registered Holder, and the extent to which and manner that any interest payable on a temporary global Debt Security will be paid if other than as specified in this Indenture;

(v) the form and/or terms of certificates, documents or conditions, if any, for Debt Securities of the series to be issuable in definitive form (whether upon original issue or upon exchange of a temporary Debt Security of such series); and

(w) any other terms, conditions, rights and preferences (or limitations on such rights and preferences) relating to the series of Debt Securities.

All Debt Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in any such indenture supplemental hereto. All Debt Securities of any one series need not be issued at the same time and, unless otherwise provided, additional Debt Securities of such series may be issued, with identical terms to those previously issued except for the date of issuance thereof.

Section 3.02. Denominations . In the absence of any specification pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to Debt Securities of any series, the Debt Securities of such series shall be issuable only as Registered Securities without coupon, which, other than Global Security, shall be in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, and shall be denominated and payable only in Dollars.

Section 3.03. Additional Debt Securities . The Company may, from time to time, without the consent of any Holders of any Debt Securities, reopen any series of Debt Securities and issue additional such Debt Securities (the “ Additional Debt Securities ”) having the same ranking and the same interest rate, maturity and other terms, except for the public offering price, the issue date and, if applicable, the initial interest payment date and initial interest accrual date. Any such Additional Debt Securities, together with the initial Debt Securities of such series, shall constitute a single series of Debt Securities under the Indenture; provided that if the Additional Debt Securities are not fungible for U.S. federal income tax and U.S. federal securities law purposes with the initial Debt Securities of such series, the Additional Debt Securities shall be issued under a separate CUSIP number.

Section 3.04. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating . (a) The Debt Securities of any series shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman, a Vice Chairman, its President or one of its Vice Presidents. The signature of any of these officers may be manual or facsimile. Debt Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Debt Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Debt Securities.

 

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(b) At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Debt Securities of any series, executed by the Company, to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Debt Securities and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Debt Securities. The Trustee shall be entitled to receive, prior to the authentication and delivery of the first Debt Securities of such series, (i) the supplemental indenture setting forth the form and terms of such Debt Securities, (ii) an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to the issuance of the Debt Securities have been complied with and as to the absence of any event that is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, a Default, and (iii) an Opinion of Counsel stating that:

(iv) all conditions in the Indenture or applicable supplemental indenture relating to the authentication and delivery of the Debt Securities have been complied with;

(v) the Debt Securities have been duly authorized and executed by the Company, and, assuming due authentication by the Trustee and delivery by the Company, constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles and subject to such other exceptions as counsel shall request and as to which the Trustee shall not reasonably object; and

(vi) any supplemental indenture establishing the forms or terms of such Debt Securities has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles and subject to such other exceptions as counsel shall request and as to which the Trustee shall not reasonably object.

If all of the Debt Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at the same time, then the Opinion of Counsel, Officer’s Certificate or other documents required to be delivered pursuant to this Section 3.03(b) need be delivered only once, prior to the authentication and delivery of the first Debt Security of such series; provided that any subsequent request by the Company to the Trustee to authenticate Debt Securities of such series upon original issuance shall constitute a representation and warranty by the Company that, as of the date of such request, the statements made in the Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to this Section 3.04(b) shall be true and correct as if made on such date.

 

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(c) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 3.01 that the Debt Securities of a series are to be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, upon receipt by the Trustee of the Company Order authorizing such authentication, authenticate and deliver one or more Global Securities that (i) shall represent an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series to be represented by one or more Global Securities, (ii) shall be registered, if in registered form, in the name of the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities or the nominee of such Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such Depositary or pursuant to such Depositary’s instruction and (iv) shall bear one or more legends to be specified pursuant to Section 3.01.

(d) Each Depositary designated pursuant to Section 3.01 for a Global Security in registered form must, at the time of its designation and at all times while it serves as such Depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and any other applicable statute or regulation.

(e) The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate any Debt Securities if the issuance of such Debt Securities pursuant to this Indenture will adversely affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Debt Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

(f) Each Debt Security shall be dated the date of its authentication, except as otherwise provided pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series.

(g) No Debt Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Debt Security a certificate of authentication substantially in one of the forms provided for herein duly executed by the Trustee or by an Authenticating Agent by manual signature of one of its authorized officers, and such certificate upon any Debt Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Debt Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Debt Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Debt Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 3.09 together with a written statement (which need not comply with Section 1.02 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) stating that such Debt Security has never been issued or sold by the Company, for all purposes of this Indenture such Debt Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Debt Indenture.

Section 3.05. Temporary Debt Securities . Pending the preparation of definitive Debt Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Debt Securities that are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Debt Securities in lieu of which

 

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they are issued, in registered form, and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Debt Securities, may determine, as conclusively evidenced by their execution of such Debt Securities. Any such temporary Debt Security may be in global form, representing all or a portion of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series.

Every such temporary Debt Security shall be executed by the Company and shall be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent, as the case may be, upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with the same effect, as the definitive Debt Security or Securities in lieu of which it is issued.

If temporary Debt Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Debt Securities of such series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Debt Securities of such series, the temporary Debt Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Debt Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Debt Securities of such series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for such series, without charge to the Holder, except as provided in Section 3.06 in connection with a transfer, and upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Debt Securities of any series, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Debt Securities of the same series of authorized denominations and of like tenor. Until so exchanged, temporary Debt Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Debt Securities of such series.

Upon any exchange of a portion of a temporary Global Security for a definitive Global Security or for the individual Debt Securities represented thereby pursuant to this Section 3.05 or Section 3.06, the temporary Global Security shall be endorsed by the Trustee to reflect the reduction of the principal amount evidenced thereby, whereupon the principal amount of such temporary Global Security shall be reduced for all purposes by the amount so exchanged and endorsed.

Section 3.06. Registration, Transfer and Exchange . (a) The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register for each series of Registered Securities (the registers maintained in such office and in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “ Security Register ”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Registered Securities and of transfers and exchanges of Registered Securities and the address at which notice and demand to or upon the Company in respect of this Indenture and the Debt Securities may be served by the Holders of Debt Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “ Security Registrar ” for the purpose of registering Registered Securities and registering transfers and exchanges of Registered Securities as herein provided; provided that the Company may appoint co-Security Registrars. Such Security Register shall be in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable period of time. At all reasonable times the Security Register shall be open for inspection by the Company or the Trustee.

 

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Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Registered Security of any series at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee, one or more new Registered Securities of the same series of any authorized denomination or denominations of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously Outstanding and containing identical terms and provisions.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual Debt Securities represented thereby, a Global Security representing all or a portion of the Debt Securities of a series may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary for such series to a nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by such Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary for such series or a nominee of such successor Depositary.

At the option of the Holder, Registered Securities of any series (other than a Global Security, except as set forth below) may be exchanged for other Registered Securities of the same series of any authorized denomination or denominations of like tenor and aggregate principal amount containing identical terms and conditions, upon surrender of the Registered Securities to be exchanged at the office or agency of the Company maintained for such purpose.

Whenever any Debt Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Debt Securities that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

(b) If at any time the Depositary for the Debt Securities of a series notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for the Debt Securities of such series or if at any time the Depositary for the Debt Securities of such series shall no longer be eligible under Section 3.04(d), the Company shall appoint a successor Depositary with respect to the Debt Securities of such series. If a successor Depositary for the Debt Securities of such series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Debt Securities of such series, will authenticate and deliver, individual Debt Securities of such series in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing Debt Securities of such series in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

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

 

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If there shall have occurred and be continuing any Event of Default with respect to any series of Debt Securities, upon the request of the Depositary, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of individual Debt Securities of such series, will authenticate and deliver, individual Debt Securities of such series in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing Debt Securities of such series in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.

If specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to a series of Debt Securities, the Depositary for such series of Debt Securities may surrender a Global Security for such series of Debt Securities in exchange in whole or in part for individual Debt Securities of such series on such terms as are acceptable to the Company and such Depositary. Thereupon, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, without service charge,

(i) to each Person specified by such Depositary a new individual Debt Security or Securities of the same series, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Person in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security; and

(ii) to such Depositary a new Global Security in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of individual Debt Securities delivered to Holders thereof.

In any exchange provided for in any of the preceding four paragraphs, the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver individual Debt Securities in registered form and in authorized denominations.

Upon the exchange of a Global Security for individual Debt Securities, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Individual Registered Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, pursuant to instructions from its Participants or Indirect Participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Registered Securities to the Persons in whose names such Registered Securities are so registered.

A Global Security may not be exchanged for another Debt Security other than as provided in this Section 3.06.

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

 

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

No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of Debt Securities except as provided in Section 3.06 or Section 3.07. The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration, transfer or exchange of Debt Securities, other than those expressly provided in this Indenture to be made at the Company’s own expense or without expense or without charge to the Holders.

The Company or the Trustee, as applicable, shall not be required (i) to register, transfer or exchange Debt Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the transmission of a notice of redemption of Debt Securities of such series selected for redemption under Section 13.03 and ending at the close of business on the day of such transmission, or (ii) to register, transfer or exchange any Debt Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Debt Security being redeemed in part.

(d) The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in a Global Security or Global Securities of any series of Debt Securities shall be effected through the applicable Depositary in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Security Registrar either (1) (A) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in another Global Security in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and (B) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase, or (2) (A) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued an individual Debt Security of the same series in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and (B) instructions given by the Depositary to the Security Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such individual Debt Security shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in this subclause (2)(A); provided that in no event shall definitive Debt Securities be issued other than upon the occurrence of any of the events in this Section 3.06. Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Securities contained in this Indenture, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant Global Security or Global Securities pursuant to Section 3.06(h) hereof.

(e) If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Security or Global Securities of any series of Debt Securities proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Debt Security or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes

 

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delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Debt Security, then, upon the occurrence of any of the events in this Section 3.06(b) and satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 3.05 hereof, the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Security to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 306(h) hereof, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and mail to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Debt Security in the applicable principal amount. Any Definitive Debt Security issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 3.06(e) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Security Registrar through instructions from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall mail such Definitive Debt Securities to the Persons in whose names such Debt Securities are so registered.

(f) A Holder of a Definitive Debt Security may exchange such Debt Security for a beneficial interest in a Global Security or transfer such Definitive Debt Securities to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Global Security at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the Trustee shall cancel the applicable Definitive Debt Security and authenticate or, if already issued, increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Security. If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Debt Security to a beneficial interest is effected at a time when the applicable Global Security has not yet been issued, the Company shall issue and, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication of one or more Global Debt Securities in accordance with Section 3.03, the Trustee shall authenticate one or more Global Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Debt Securities so exchanged or transferred.

(g) Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Debt Securities and such Holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 3.06(g), the Security Registrar shall register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Debt Securities. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder shall present or surrender to the Security Registrar the Definitive Debt Securities duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Security Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing.

(h) At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Security have been exchanged for Definitive Debt Securities or a particular Global Security has been redeemed, repurchased or cancelled in whole and not in part, each such Global Security shall be returned to or retained and cancelled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 3.08. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Security is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Security or for Definitive Debt Securities, the principal amount of Debt Securities represented by such Global Security shall be reduced accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Security by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Security, such other

 

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Global Security shall be increased accordingly and an endorsement shall be made on such Global Security by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.

Section 3.07. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Debt Securities . If (a) any mutilated Debt Security is surrendered to the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office or (b) the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Debt Security, and there is delivered to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any Paying Agent harmless, and neither the Company nor the Trustee receives notice that such Debt Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, then the Company shall execute and upon Company Request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for or in lieu of any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security, a new Debt Security of the same series of like tenor, form, terms and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously Outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Debt Security, pay the amount due on such Debt Security in accordance with its terms.

Upon the issuance of any new Debt Security under this Section 3.07, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in respect thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

Every new Debt Security of any series, issued pursuant to this Section 3.07 shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Debt Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.

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

Section 3.08. Payment of Interest ; Interest Rights Preserved . (a) Interest on any Registered Security that is payable and is punctually paid or duly provided for on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name such Registered Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest notwithstanding the cancellation of such Registered Security upon any transfer or exchange subsequent to the Regular Record Date. The Trustee is hereby appointed as the initial “ Paying Agent ” under this Indenture. Payment of interest on Registered Securities shall be made at the Corporate Trust Office or at the corporate offices of the Trustee in New York City (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01) or, 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

 

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or, if provided pursuant to Section 3.01 and in accordance with arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee, at the option of the Registered Holder, by wire transfer to an account designated by the Registered Holder.

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

(i) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names such Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each such Registered Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Holders of such Registered Securities at their addresses as they appear in the Security Register, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Registered Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (ii).

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

 

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(c) Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section 3.08, each Debt Security delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Debt Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such other Debt Security.

Section 3.09. Cancellation . Unless otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Debt Securities of any series, all Debt Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly canceled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Debt Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder that the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Debt Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee. No Debt Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Debt Securities canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All canceled Debt Securities held by the Trustee shall be returned to the Company. The acquisition of any Debt Securities by the Company shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented thereby unless and until such Debt Securities are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation.

Section 3.10. Computation of Interest . Except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Debt Securities of any series, interest on the Debt Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

Section 3.11. CUSIP Numbers and ISINs . The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers and/or “ISINs,” if either is then generally in use, and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers and/or “ISINs” in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Debt Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Debt Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.

Section 3.12. Persons Deemed Owners . The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name any Registered Security is registered as the owner of such Registered Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of, premium, if any, and (subject to Section 3.08) interest, if any, on, such Registered Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Registered Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary. All payments made to any Holder, or upon his order, shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon such Debt Security. None of the Company, the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Security Registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a global Debt Security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any global Debt Security, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, or any agent of the Company or the Trustee, from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by any Depositary, as a Holder, with respect to such global Debt Security or impair, as between such Depositary and owners of beneficial interests in such global Debt Security, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of such depositary (or its nominee) as Holder of such global Debt Security.

ARTICLE 4

S ATISFACTION AND D ISCHARGE

Section 4.01. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture . This Indenture, with respect to the Debt Securities of any series (if all series issued under this Indenture are not to be affected), shall, upon Company Order, cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of such Debt Securities herein expressly provided for and rights to receive payments of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Debt Securities) and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(a) either

(i) all Debt Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (A) Debt Securities of such series that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.07 and (B) Debt Securities of such series for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 12.03) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(ii) all Debt Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation,

(A) have become due and payable, or

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

(C) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and the Company, in the case of (A), (B) or (C) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Debt Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Debt Securities that have become due and payable) or to the Stated

 

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Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be; provided in the event a petition for relief under the Federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, is filed with respect to the Company within 91 days after the deposit and the Trustee is required to return the moneys then on deposit with the Trustee to the Company, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to such Debt Securities shall not be deemed terminated or discharged;

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

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

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 6.07, the obligations of the Company to any Authenticating Agent under Section 6.14, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (ii) of clause (a) of this Section 4.01, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.02 and the last paragraph of Section 12.03 shall survive.

Section 4.02. Application of Trust Money . Subject to Section 6.07 and the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 12.03, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Debt Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, or the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee, except that such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by applicable law.

Section 4.03. Indemnity . The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee and the Holders of Debt Securities of any series as to which the Company’s obligations under this Indenture have terminated against any tax, fee or other charge resulting from the deposit of cash in accordance with Section 4.01 and termination of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture with respect to the Debt Securities of such series.

ARTICLE 5

R EMEDIES

Section 5.01. Events of Default . “ Event of Default ” wherever used herein with respect to Debt Securities of any series means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law, pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body), unless it is inapplicable to a particular series:

 

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(a) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, receivership, insolvency, reorganization or similar law;

(b) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, receivership, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by the Company to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by the Company of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable federal or state law, or the consent by the Company to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee sequestrator or similar official of the Company or of substantially all its property; or

(c) any other Event of Default as provided pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series.

Section 5.02. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment . If an Event of Default with respect to Debt Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of Outstanding Debt Securities of such series may declare the principal amount of (or, if any Debt Securities of such series are Discount Securities or Indexed Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Discount Securities as may be specified in the terms of such Discount Securities or Indexed Securities), premium, if any, and all accrued but unpaid interest, if any, on all the Debt Securities of such series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount), premium and interest of such series of Debt Securities shall become immediately due and payable. Upon payment of such amounts, all obligations of the Company in respect of the payment of principal of and interest on the Debt Securities of such series shall terminate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default with respect to Debt Securities of any series occurs as a result of the happening of any event of the kind specified in Section 5.01(b) involving the Company, the principal of all Outstanding Debt Securities of such series, premium, if any, and any interest accrued thereon shall become due and payable immediately without any further action on the part of the Trustee or the Holders of such series of Debt Securities.

At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Debt Securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article 5 provided, the Holders

 

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of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:

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

(i) all overdue installments on all Debt Securities of such series,

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

(iii) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue installments of interest on each Debt Security at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Debt Securities, and

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

(b) all Defaults with respect to Debt Securities of such series have been remedied, or, if permitted, waived. No such rescission and waiver shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.

For all purposes under this Indenture, if a portion of the principal of any Discount Securities shall have been accelerated and declared due and payable pursuant to the provisions hereof, then, from and after such declaration, unless such declaration has been rescinded and annulled, the principal amount of such Discount Securities shall be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, and payment of such portion of the principal thereof as shall be due and payable as a result of such acceleration, together with interest, if any, thereon and all other amounts owing thereunder, shall constitute payment in full of such Discount Securities.

Section 5.03. Defaults; Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee . “ Default ”, wherever used herein, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body) with respect to any series of Debt Securities under this Indenture:

(a) an Event of Default has occurred with respect to such series of Debt Securities as specified in Section 5.01 or as provided pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series;

 

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(b) the Company fails to pay the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Debt Security of such series at the Maturity thereof and such failure is continued for seven days;

(c) the Company fails to pay any installment of interest on any Debt Security of such series when such interest becomes due and payable and such failure is continued for 30 days;

(d) the Company fails to perform any covenants or warranties specified in Article 12 (other than a covenant or warranty default in whose performance or whose breach is specifically dealt with elsewhere in this Indenture, or a covenant or warranty included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a series of Debt Securities other than such series), which failure continues for 60 days after written notice to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series; or

(e) any other Default as provided pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series.

The Company covenants that, if a Default shall occur with respect to the Debt Securities of a particular series, it will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of such Debt Securities of such series, the entire amount then due and payable on such Debt Securities, for the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, and interest upon the overdue principal, premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, upon overdue installments of interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Debt Securities of such series; and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

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

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

 

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Section 5.04. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim . In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceedings, or any voluntary or involuntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities, of a particular series or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of such Debt Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration of acceleration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

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

(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; and any receiver, assignee, trustee, custodian, liquidator, sequestrator (or other similar official) in any such proceeding is hereby authorized by each such Holder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.07.

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

Section 5.05. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Debt Securities . All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Debt Securities of any series may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of such Debt Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name, as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Debt Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

Section 5.06. Application of Money Collected . Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article 5 shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of

 

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principal (and premium, if any) or interest, upon presentation of the Debt Securities of any series in respect of which money has been collected and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

FIRST : To the payment of all amounts due to the Trustee under Section 6.07;

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

THIRD : The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons entitled thereto.

Section 5.07. Limitation on Suits . No Holder of any Debt Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Default with respect to such series;

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

(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee, in its reasonable discretion, against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

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

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

it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other such Holders or of the Holders of Outstanding Debt Securities of any other series, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.

For the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section 5.07, each and every Holder of Debt Securities of any series and the Trustee for such series shall be entitled to such relief as can be given at law or in equity.

 

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Section 5.08. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest . The Holder of any Debt Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Section 3.08) interest on the respective Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Debt Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and interest thereon, and such right shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

Section 5.09. Restoration of Rights and Remedies . If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

Section 5.10. Right and Remedies Cumulative . Except as otherwise expressly provided elsewhere in this Indenture, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 5.11. Delay or Omission Not Waiver . No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Default or any acquiescence therein.

Every right and remedy given by this Indenture or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

Section 5.12. Control by Holders . The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of such series; provided that:

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

(b) subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed might result in personal liability or would be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders of Debt Securities of such series not joining in any such direction; and

 

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(c) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction.

Section 5.13. Waiver of Past Defaults . The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Debt Securities of any such series waive any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default

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

(b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof that under Article 11 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Debt Security of such series affected.

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

Section 5.14. Undertaking for Costs . All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Debt Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant, but the provisions of this Section 5.14 shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder or group of Holders holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder of a Debt Security for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on such Debt Security on or after the respective Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Debt Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date).

Section 5.15. Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws . The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

 

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ARTICLE 6

T HE T RUSTEE

Section 6.01. Certain Duties and Responsibilities . (a) With respect to Debt Securities of any series, except during the continuance of an Event of Default or Default with respect to the Debt Securities of such series,

(i) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

(ii) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon an Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel or any other certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel or any other such certificates or opinions which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.

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

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

(i) this subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of subsection (a) of this Section;

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

(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it, with respect to Debt Securities of any series, in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee under this Indenture with respect to the Debt Securities of any such series;

 

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(iv) the Trustee shall not be required to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it; and

(v) the Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in performing any act or fulfilling any of its duties, obligations or responsibilities under this Indenture arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes, fire; flood; wars; acts of terrorism; civil or military disturbances; sabotage; epidemic; riots; interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, computer (hardware or software) or communication services (assuming the appropriate back-up systems are in place); acts of civil or military authority or governmental action; or the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or telex or other wire or communication facility.

(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture and of each supplemental indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 6.01.

Section 6.02. Notice of Defaults . Within 90 days after the occurrence of any default hereunder with respect to Debt Securities of any series, the Trustee shall by the pertinent methods provided in Section 1.05 give notice to all Holders of Debt Securities of such series of each default hereunder known to the Trustee, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided that except in the case of default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Debt Security of such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders of Debt Securities of such series; provided further that the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of a default unless either (a) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee assigned to the Trustee’s Corporate Trust Administration Department shall have actual knowledge of such default or (b) the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the Company or from any Holder. For the purpose of this Section, the term “ default ” means any event that is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, a Default with respect to Debt Securities of such series.

Section 6.03. Certain Rights of Trustee . Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.01:

 

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

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

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

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

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

(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, coupon or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;

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

(h) the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness of the recitals contained herein, in the Debt Securities or in any document issued in connection with the sale of the Debt Securities (other than the signature and authentication on the Debt Securities);

(i) the Trustee makes no representations or warranties as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture, any supplemental indenture, the Debt Securities (other than the signature and authentication on the Debt Securities) or of any related document, and the Trustee shall not be accountable for the use, or application by the Company, of any of the Debt Securities or of the proceeds from the sale of such Debt Securities;

 

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(j) the Trustee shall accept and deliver all notices, reports and other information that are required to be provided or delivered to it pursuant to the Indenture, and, where required under the Indenture, shall, in its reasonable judgment, determine whether such notices, reports or other information are satisfactory to it in form; provided that receipt and delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and, except for any explicit notice of a default from the Company or a Holder as contemplated by Section 6.02, the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute actual or constructive knowledge or notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates);

(k) in no event shall the Trustee be liable for (i) any of its acts or omissions that do not constitute its negligence or willful misconduct, (ii) the acts or omissions of the Company, or (iii) any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (including lost profits), regardless of the form of action and even if the same are foreseeable; and

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

Section 6.04. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Debt Securities . The recitals contained herein and in the Debt Securities, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture, of the Debt Securities of any series or to any prospectus relating to the series of Debt Securities. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of any Debt Securities or the proceeds thereof.

Section 6.05.  May Hold Debt Securities . The Trustee, any Paying Agent, the Security Registrar or any officer, director, employee or agent of any Paying Agent, Security Registrar or the Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Debt Securities, and, subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 310(b) and 311 of the Trust Indenture Act, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.

Section 6.06. Money Held in Trust . Money held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent (except the Company) in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. Neither the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall be under any liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.

Section 6.07. Compensation and Reimbursement . The Company agrees

 

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

(b) to reimburse the Trustee in Dollars upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or bad faith; and

(c) to indemnify in Dollars the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust or performance of its duties hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder (including the reasonable and documented compensation and expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel). When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(a) or Section 5.01(b), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws. As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Debt Securities, upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the payment of amounts due on the Debt Securities.

The obligations of the Company under this Section 6.07 to compensate and indemnify the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall constitute additional indebtedness under this Indenture and shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.

The term “Trustee” as used in this Section 6.07 and in Section 5.06 shall (unless the context shall otherwise require) be construed as extending to and including each Paying Agent, Authenticating Agent and Security Registrar appointed by the Company or the Trustee, as the case may be, and acting hereunder within its meaning as fully for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent, Authenticating Agent or Security Registrar were named in this Section 6.07 and in Section 5.06 in addition to the Trustee; provided that the foregoing sentence shall not apply to the Company or any Affiliate of the Company if the Company or such Affiliate acts as Paying Agent or Security Registrar.

Section 6.08. Disqualification, Conflicting Interests . (a) The Trustee shall comply with Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act (as if such section applied to this Indenture); provided that there shall be excluded from the operation of Section 310(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act any indenture or indentures under which other securities or certificates of interest or participation in other securities of the Company are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in Section 310(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act are met.

 

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(b) If Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act is amended at any time after the date of this Indenture to change the circumstances under which a Trustee shall be deemed to have a conflicting interest with respect to the Debt Securities of any series or to change any of the definitions in connection therewith, this Section 6.08 shall be automatically amended to incorporate such changes.

Section 6.09. Corporate Trustee Required, Eligibility . There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder that shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000, subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority and having its Corporate Trust Office or an agency in New York, New York; provided that if Section 310(a) of the Trust Indenture Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Trust Indenture Act at any time permit a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of any other jurisdiction to serve as trustee of an indenture qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, this Section 6.09 shall be automatically amended to permit a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of any such other jurisdiction to serve as Trustee hereunder. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. The Trustee shall comply with Section 310(a)(5) of the Trust Indenture Act. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

Section 6.10. Resignation and Removal, Appointment of Successor . (a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 6.11.

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

(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Debt Securities of any series and a successor Trustee appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

 

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(d) If at any time:

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

(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.09 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Debt Security of such series for at least six months, or

(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall have been entered in respect of the Trustee in an involuntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law; or a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall have been entered for the appointment of a receiver, custodian, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Trustee or of its property or affairs, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation, winding up or liquidation, or

(iv) the Trustee shall commence a voluntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law or shall consent to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, custodian, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Trustee or its property or affairs, or shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or shall take corporate action in furtherance of any such action,

then, in any such case, (i) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee with respect to all Debt Securities upon giving 30 days written notice, or (ii) subject to Section 5.14, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Debt Security of any series for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee for the Debt Securities of such series.

(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series, the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any particular

 

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series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders of such series and accepted appointment in the manner hereinafter provided, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Debt Security of such series for at least six months may, subject to Section 5.14, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of such series.

(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 1.05 to the Holders of Debt Securities of such series. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

Section 6.11. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor . (a) In the case of an appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to all Debt Securities, each such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee, and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder, subject nevertheless to its claim, if any, provided for in Section 6.07.

(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (ii) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Debt Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be

 

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vested in the retiring Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in any such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of any such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Debt Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.

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

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

Section 6.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business . Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Debt Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Debt Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Debt Securities. In case any Debt Securities shall not have been authenticated by such predecessor Trustee, any such successor Trustee may authenticate and deliver such Debt Securities, in either its own name or that of its predecessor Trustee, with the full force and effect which this Indenture provides for the certificate of authentication of the Trustee.

Section 6.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company . If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities of a series), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company (or any such other obligor).

 

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Section 6.14. Appointment of Authenticating Agent . As long as any Debt Securities of a series remain Outstanding, the Trustee may, by an instrument in writing, appoint an authenticating agent (the “ Authenticating Agent ”), which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Debt Securities of such series issued upon exchange, registration of transfer, partial redemption or pursuant to Section 3.06. Debt Securities of each such series authenticated by such Authenticating Agent shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by such Trustee. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Debt Securities of any series by the Trustee for such series or to the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee for such series by an Authenticating Agent for such series and a Certificate of Authentication executed on behalf of such Trustee by such Authenticating Agent. Such Authenticating Agent shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any State, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 (determined as provided in Section 6.09 with respect to the Trustee) and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority.

Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted, or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which any Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency business or corporate trust business of any Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be the Authenticating Agent with respect to all series of Debt Securities for which it served as Authenticating Agent without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee for such series or such Authenticating Agent. Any Authenticating Agent may at any time, and if it shall cease to be eligible shall, resign by giving written notice of resignation to the applicable Trustee and to the Company.

Upon receiving such a notice of resignation, or in case at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 6.14 with respect to one or more of all series of Debt Securities, the Trustee for such series shall upon Company Request appoint a successor Authenticating Agent, and the Company shall provide notice of such appointment to all Holders of Debt Securities of such series in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 1.05. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all rights, powers, duties and responsibilities of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Authenticating Agent. The Company agrees to pay to the Authenticating Agent for such series from time to time reasonable compensation including reimbursement of its reasonable expenses for its services. The Authenticating Agent for the Debt Securities of any series shall have no responsibility or liability for any action taken by it as such at the direction of the Trustee for such series.

 

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Solely with respect to the Debt Securities, the Company hereby covenants with the Trustee that it will provide the Trustee with sufficient information so as to enable the Trustee to determine whether any payments to be made by it pursuant to the Indenture are withholdable payments as defined in section 1473(1) of the US Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code) or otherwise defined in Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and any regulations or agreements thereunder or official interpretation thereof) or any intergovernmental agreement between the United States and another jurisdiction facilitating the implementation thereof (or any law implementing such an intergovernmental agreement). The Trustee shall be entitled to deduct FATCA Withholding Tax to the extent necessary to comply with applicable tax law, and shall have no obligation to gross-up any payment hereunder or to pay any additional amount as a result of such FATCA Withholding Tax.

ARTICLE 7

H OLDERS ’ L ISTS AND R EPORTS BY T RUSTEE A ND C OMPANY

Section 7.01. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders . The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee with respect to Registered Securities of each series for which it acts as Trustee:

(a) semiannually, not later than 15 days after the Regular Record Date for interest for each series of Debt Securities, of each year, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Registered Holders as of the Regular Record Date, respectively; and

(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided that if and so long as the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar, no such list need be furnished.

Section 7.02. Preservation of Information; Communication to Holders . (a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.01, received by it in the capacity of Paying Agent or Security Registrar (if so acting) hereunder.

The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 7.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished, destroy any information received by it as Paying Agent or Security Registrar (if so acting) hereunder upon delivering to itself as Trustee, not earlier than 45 days after an Interest Payment Date, a list containing the names and addresses of the Holders obtained from such information since the delivery of the next previous list, if any, destroy any list delivered to itself as Trustee which was compiled from information received by it as Paying Agent or Security Registrar (if so acting) hereunder upon the receipt of a new list so delivered.

(b) If three or more Holders (hereinafter referred to as “ Applicants ”) apply in writing to the Trustee, and furnish to the Trustee reasonable proof that each such Applicant has owned a Debt Security for a period of at least six months preceding the date of such application, and such application states that the Applicants desire to communicate with other Holders of Debt Securities of a particular series (in which case the Applicants must hold Debt Securities of such series) or with all Holders of Debt

 

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Securities with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Debt Securities and is accompanied by a copy of the form of proxy or other communication which such Applicants propose to transmit, then the Trustee shall, within five Business Days after the receipt of such application, at its election either:

(i) afford such Applicants access to the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 7.02(a), or

(ii) inform such Applicants as to the approximate number of Holders of Debt Securities of such series or of all Debt Securities, as the case may be, whose names and addresses appear in the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 7.02(a), and as to the approximate cost of mailing to such Holders the form of proxy or other communication, specified in such application.

If the Trustee shall elect not to afford such Applicants access to such information, the Trustee shall, upon written request of such Applicants, mail to the Holders of Debt Securities of such series or all Holders, as the case may be, whose names and addresses appear in the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in accordance with Section 7.02(a), a copy of the form of proxy or other communication which is specified in such request, with reasonable promptness after a tender to the Trustee of the material to be mailed and of payment, or provision for the payment, of the reasonable expenses of mailing, unless within five days after such tender the Trustee shall mail to such Applicants, together with a copy of the material to be mailed, a written statement to the effect that, in the opinion of the Trustee, such mailing would be contrary to the best interests of the Holders of Debt Securities of such series or all Holders, as the case may be, or would be in violation of applicable law. Such written statement shall specify the basis of such opinion.

(c) Every Holder of Debt Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any Paying Agent shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the Holders in accordance with Section 7.02(b), regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made under Section 7.02(b).

Section 7.03. Reports by Trustee . (a) The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act (as if such section applied to this Indenture), the Trustee shall, within sixty days after each May 15 following the date of this Indenture deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such May 15, which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a).

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

 

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ARTICLE 8

C ONCERNING THE H OLDERS

Section 8.01. Acts of Holders . Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent or proxy duly appointed in writing, and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “ Act ” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series may take any Act, the fact that the Holders of such specified percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (a) by the instrument or instruments executed by Holders in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (b) by the record of Holders voting in favor thereof at any meeting of such Holders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article 9, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any such record of such a meeting of Holders.

Section 8.02. Proof of Ownership; Proof of Execution of Instruments by Holders . The ownership of Registered Securities of any series shall be proved by the Security Register for such series or by a certificate of the Security Registrar for such series. Subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, Section 6.03 and Section 9.05, proof of the execution of a writing appointing an agent or proxy and of the execution of any instrument by a Holder or his agent or proxy shall be sufficient and conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company if made in the following manner:

The fact and date of the execution by any such person of any instrument shall be proved by medallion signature guarantee.

The record of any Holders’ meeting shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 9.06. The Trustee may in any instance require further proof with respect to any of the matters referred to in this Section so long as the request is a reasonable one. If the Company shall solicit from the Holders of Debt Securities of any series any Act, the Company may, at its option, by Board Resolution, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders of Registered Securities entitled to take such Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Such record date shall be the record date specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date not earlier than the date 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders generally in connection therewith and not later than the date such solicitation is completed.

 

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

Section 8.03. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound . At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as provided in Section 8.01, of the taking of any Act by the Holders of the percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities specified in this Indenture in connection with such Act, any Holder of a Debt Security the number, letter or other distinguishing symbol of which is shown by the evidence to be included in the Debt Securities the Holders of which have consented to such Act may, by filing written notice with the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office and upon proof of ownership as provided in Section 8.02, revoke such Act so far as it concerns such Debt Security. Except as aforesaid, any such Act taken by the Holder of any Debt Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of such Debt Security and of any Debt Securities issued on transfer or in lieu thereof or in exchange or substitution therefor, irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Debt Security or such other Debt Securities.

ARTICLE 9

H OLDERS ’ M EETINGS

Section 9.01. Purposes of Meetings . A meeting of Holders of any or all series may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article 9 for any of the following purposes:

(a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee for such series, or to give any directions to the Trustee for such series, or to consent to the waiving of any default hereunder and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be taken by Holders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article 5;

(b) remove the Trustee for such series and appoint a successor Trustee pursuant to the provisions of Article 6;

(c) to consent to the execution of an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 11.02; or

(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf of the Holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any one or more or all series, as the case may be, under any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.

Section 9.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee . The Trustee for any series may at any time call a meeting of Holders of such series to take any action specified in Section 9.01, to be held at such time or times and at such place or places as the Trustee for such series

 

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shall determine. Notice of every meeting of the Holders of any series, setting forth the time and place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given to Holders of such series in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 1.05. Such notice shall be given not less than 20 days or more than 90 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

Section 9.03. Call of Meetings by Company or Holders . In case at any time the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, or the Holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of a series or of all series, as the case may be, shall have requested the Trustee for such series to call a meeting of Holders of any or all such series by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have given the notice of such meeting within 20 days after the receipt of such request, then the Company or such Holders may determine the time or times and the place or places for such meetings and may call such meetings to take any action authorized in Section 9.01, by giving notice thereof as provided in Section 9.02.

Section 9.04. Qualifications for Voting . To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders of any series a Person shall be (a) a Holder of a Debt Security of the series with respect to which such meeting is being held or (b) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as agent or proxy by such Holder.

The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee for the series with respect to which such meeting is being held and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.

Section 9.05. Regulations . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee for any series may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders of Debt Securities of such series, in regard to proof of the holding of Debt Securities of such series and of the appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem appropriate.

The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders of such series as provided in Section 9.03, in which case the Company or the Holders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by a majority vote of the meeting.

Subject to the provisos in the definition of “Outstanding,” at any meeting each Holder of a Debt Security of the series with respect to which such meeting is being held or proxy therefor shall be entitled to vote in such manner so that whether the specified percentage required for any Act has been voted may be calculated by the inspectors; provided that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Debt

 

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Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Outstanding Debt Securities of such series held by him or instruments in writing duly designating him as the person to vote on behalf of Holders of Debt Securities of such series. Any meeting of Holders with respect to which a meeting was duly called pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02 or Section 9.03 may be adjourned from time to time by a majority of such Holders present and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.

Section 9.06. Voting . The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders with respect to which such meeting is being held shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of such Holders or of their representatives by proxy and the serial number or numbers of the Debt Securities held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in duplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was transmitted as provided in Section 9.02. The record shall show the serial numbers of the Debt Securities voting in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.

Section 9.07. No Delay of Rights by Meeting . Nothing in this Article 9 contained shall be deemed or construed to authorize or permit, by reason of any call of a meeting of Holders or any rights expressly or impliedly conferred hereunder to make such call, any hindrance or delay in the exercise of any right or rights conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to any Holder under any of the provisions of the Indenture or of the Debt Securities of any series.

ARTICLE 10

C ONSOLIDATION , M ERGER , C ONVEYANCE , T RANSFER O R L EASE

Section 10.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms . The Company may consolidate with or merge into any other corporation or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person without the consent of the Holders of any of the Outstanding Debt Securities of any series, provided that:

(a) the corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety (the “ Successor

 

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Corporation ”) shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all the Debt Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;

(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and treating any indebtedness that becomes an obligation of the Company as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by the Company at the time of such transaction, no Default, and no event that, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become a Default, shall have happened and be continuing; and

(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease, and the assumption by any successor entity, and such supplemental indenture comply with this Article 10 and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

Section 10.02. Successor Corporation Substituted . Upon any consolidation with or merger into any other corporation, or any conveyance, transfer or lease of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 10.01, the Successor Corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such Successor Corporation had been named as the Company herein, and thereafter, except in the case of a lease, the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Debt Securities.

Section 10.03. Opinion of Counsel . The Trustee shall be entitled to receive and, subject to Section 6.01 and Section 6.03, shall be protected in relying upon an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance or lease and any such assumption complies with the provisions of this Article 10.

ARTICLE 11

S UPPLEMENTAL I NDENTURES

Section 11.01. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders . Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

(a) to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company and the assumption by such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Debt Securities contained; or

 

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

(c) to add any additional Defaults or Events of Default (and, if such Defaults or Events of Default are to be applicable to less than all series of Debt Securities, stating that such Events of Default are expressly being included solely to be applicable to such series); or

(d) to change or eliminate any restrictions on the payment of principal of (or premium, if any, on) Registered Securities, provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Debt Securities of any series in any material respect, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Debt Securities of any series in uncertificated form; or

(e) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there is no Outstanding Debt Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision and as to which such supplemental indenture would apply; or

(f) to establish the form or terms of Debt Securities of any series as permitted by Section 2.01 and Section 3.01; or

(g) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to one or more series of Debt Securities and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.11; or

(h) to evidence any changes to Section 6.08 or Section 6.09 permitted by the terms thereof; or

(i) to add to or change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture as shall be necessary or desirable in accordance with any amendments to the Trust Indenture Act, provided such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Debt Securities of any series in any material respect; or

(j) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture that shall not be inconsistent with any provision of this Indenture, provided such other provisions shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Outstanding Debt Securities of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture in any material respect; or

 

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(k) to change anything that does not materially adversely affect the interests of any Holder of Outstanding Debt Securities of any series; provided that solely with respect to this Section 11.01(k), the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and may conclusively rely on an Officer’s Certificate from the Company that any such modification, amendment or supplement does not materially adversely affect the interests of any Holder of Outstanding Debt Securities of any series.

Section 11.02. Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders . With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture voting separately, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders under this Indenture of such Debt Securities; provided that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Debt Security of each such series affected thereby,

(a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Debt Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate or amount of interest thereon or any premium payable upon redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of a Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02 or the amount provable in bankruptcy pursuant to Section 5.04, or adversely affect any right of repayment at the option of any Holder of any Debt Security, or change any Place of Payment where, or the currency in which, any Debt Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption or repayment at the option of the Holder, on or after the Redemption Date or Repayment Date, as the case may be); or

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

(c) modify any of the provisions of this Section 11.02, Section 5.13 or Section 12.05, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Debt Security affected thereby; provided that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section 11.02 and Section 12.05, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Section 6.11 and Section 11.01(g). It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

 

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Section 11.03. Execution of Supplemental Indentures . In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article 11 or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized and permitted by this Indenture and is in compliance with all conditions precedent. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture that adversely affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise in a material way.

Section 11.04. Effect of Supplemental Indentures . Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article 11, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Debt Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby; provided that a supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture with respect to one or more particular series of Debt Securities, or that modifies the rights of the Holders of Debt Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Debt Securities of any other series.

Section 11.05. [RESERVED.]

Section 11.06. Reference in Debt Securities to Supplemental Indentures . Debt Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article 11 may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Debt Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Board of Directors, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Debt Securities of such series.

Section 11.07. Notice of Supplemental Indenture . Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any supplemental indenture pursuant to Section 11.02, the Company shall transmit to the Holders of Debt Securities of any series affected thereby a notice setting forth the substance of such supplemental indenture.

ARTICLE 12

C OVENANTS

Section 12.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest . The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Debt Securities, that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Debt Securities in accordance with the terms of the Debt Securities and this Indenture.

 

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Section 12.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency . The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Debt Securities, an office or agency where Debt Securities of such series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Debt Securities of such series may be surrendered for transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Debt Securities of such series and this Indenture may be served.

The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.

The Company may also from time to time designate different or additional offices or agencies to be maintained for such purposes (in or outside of such Place of Payment), and may from time to time rescind any such designations; provided that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations described in the preceding paragraph. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency.

Section 12.03. Money for Debt Securities; Payments To Be Held in Trust . If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Debt Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any of the Debt Securities of such series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents with respect to any series of Debt Securities it will, prior to each due date of the principal (and premium, if any) or interest on any Debt Securities of such series, deposit with any such Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto, and (unless any such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.

The Company will cause each Paying Agent with respect to any series of Debt Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 12.03, that such Paying Agent will:

(a) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on Debt Securities of such series in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

 

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(b) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Debt Securities of such series) in the making of any payment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Debt Securities of such series; and

(c) at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.

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

Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Debt Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal (and premium, if any) or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company upon Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust, and the Holder of such Debt Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided that the Trustee or such Paying Agent before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be transmitted in the manner and to the extent provided by Section 1.05, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.

Section 12.04. Officer’s Certificate as to Default . The Company will deliver to the Trustee, on or before a date not more than four months after the end of each fiscal year of the Company (which on the date hereof is the calendar year) ending after the date hereof, an Officer’s Certificate (one of the signers of which shall be the principal executive, principal financial or principal accounting officer of the Company), stating whether or not to the best knowledge of the signers thereof the Company is in default in the performance and observation of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture, and, if the Company shall be in default, specifying all such defaults and the nature thereof of which they may have knowledge. Such compliance shall be determined without regard to periods of grace or notice requirements.

Section 12.05. Waiver of Certain Covenants . The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply, if so provided pursuant to Section 3.01, with any covenant specified pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the Debt Securities of any series if, before the time for such compliance, the Holders of at least a majority in principal

 

58


amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such covenant, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such covenant except to the extent so expressly waived and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such covenant shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 12.06. Reports and Other Information . So long as any Debt Securities remain Outstanding, the Company shall file with, or make available to, the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company is required to file the same with the Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports that the Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange or pursuant to Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act; provided that any document publicly available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system shall satisfy the requirements hereof if the Company provides the Trustee with written notice when any such document is filed with the Commission.

ARTICLE 13

R EDEMPTION OF D EBT S ECURITIES

Section 13.01. Applicability of Article . Debt Securities of any series that are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Debt Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article XIII.

Section 13.02. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee . The election of the Company to redeem any Debt Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of less than all of the Debt Securities of any series pursuant to Section 13.03, the Company shall, at least 45 days prior to the Redemption Date (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Debt Securities of such series to be redeemed. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of all of the Debt Securities of any series, the Company shall, at least 45 days prior to the Redemption Date (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date. In the case of any redemption of Debt Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Debt Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with such restrictions.

Section 13.03. Selection by Trustee of Debt Securities To Be Redeemed . If less than all the Debt Securities of any series are to be redeemed at the option of the Company, the particular Debt Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date from the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series not previously called for redemption by the Trustee (a) in accordance with the Depositary’s procedures, or (b) if no Depositary’s procedures are applicable to such redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which

 

59


may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Debt Securities of such series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Debt Securities of such series in a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Debt Securities of such series. In any case where more than one Registered Security of such series is registered in the same name, the Trustee may treat the aggregate principal amount so registered as if it were represented by one Registered Security of such series. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Debt Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Debt Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

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

Section 13.04. Notice of Redemption . Notice of redemption shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company, not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to the Holders of Debt Securities of any series to be redeemed in whole or in part pursuant to this Article XIII, in the manner provided in Section 1.05. Any notice so given shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. Failure to give such notice, or any defect in such notice to the Holder of any Debt Security of a series designated for redemption, in whole or in part, shall not affect the sufficiency of any notice of redemption with respect to the Holder of any other Debt Security of such series. Any such redemption and notice may, in the Company’s discretion, be subject to satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent.

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

(a) the Redemption Date,

(b) the Redemption Price,

(c) that Debt Securities of such series are being redeemed by the Company pursuant to provisions contained in this Indenture or the terms of the Debt Securities of such series or a supplemental indenture establishing such series, if such be the case, together with a brief statement of the facts permitting such redemption,

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

(e) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Debt Security to be redeemed, and that interest thereon, if any, shall cease to accrue on and after said date,

 

60


(f) the Place or Places of Payment where such Debt Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price,

(g) if any Debt Security of any series is to be redeemed in part, that on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Debt Security, a new Debt Security or Debt Securities of such series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued or, in the case of Debt Securities providing appropriate space for such notation, at the option of the Holder, the Trustee, in lieu of delivering a new Debt Security or Debt Securities as aforesaid, may make a notation on such Debt Security of the payment of the redeemed portion thereof,

(h) if such redemption is subject to satisfaction of one or more conditions precedent, such notice shall describe each such condition, and if applicable, shall state that, in the Company’s discretion, the Redemption Date may be delayed until such time as any or all such conditions are satisfied, or such redemption may not occur and such notice may be rescinded in the event that any or all such conditions shall not have been satisfied by the Redemption Date or the Redemption Date as so delayed.

Section 13.05. Deposit of Redemption Price . On or prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust), in immediately available funds, an amount of money in which the Debt Securities of such series are payable (except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for the Debt Securities of such series) sufficient to pay on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Debt Securities or portions thereof which are to be redeemed on that date.

Section 13.06. Debt Securities Payable on Redemption Date . (a) Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, any Debt Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price) such Debt Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Debt Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Debt Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price; provided that installments of interest that have a Stated Maturity on or prior to the Redemption Date for such Debt Securities shall be payable according to the terms of such Debt Securities and the provisions of Section 3.07.

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

Section 13.07. Debt Securities Redeemed in Part . Any Debt Security that is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at the Corporate Trust Office or such other office or agency of the Company as is specified pursuant to Section 3.01 with, if the Company, the Security Registrar or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Security Registrar

 

61


and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Debt Security without service charge, a new Debt Security or Debt Securities of the same series, of like tenor and form, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Debt Security so surrendered; except that if a Global Security is so surrendered, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Depositary for such Global Security, without service charge, a new Global Security in a denomination equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Global Security so surrendered. In the case of a Debt Security providing appropriate space for such notation, at the option of the Holder thereof, the Trustee, in lieu of delivering a new Debt Security or Debt Securities as aforesaid, may make a notation on such Debt Security of the payment of the redeemed portion thereof.

Section 13.08. Repurchases . The Company may from time to time repurchase the Debt Securities in open market purchases or negotiated transactions without prior notice to Holders or beneficial owners of Debt Securities.

ARTICLE 14

D EFEASANCE

Section 14.01. Applicability of Article . If, pursuant to Section 3.01, provision is made for the defeasance of Debt Securities of a series and if the Debt Securities of such series are Registered Securities, then the provisions of this Article 14 shall be applicable except as otherwise specified pursuant to Section 3.01 for Debt Securities of such series.

Section 14.02. Defeasance Upon Deposit of Moneys or U.S. Government Obligations . At the Company’s option, either

(x) the Company shall be deemed to have been Discharged (as defined below) from its obligations with respect to Debt Securities of any series on the 91st day after the applicable conditions set forth below have been satisfied; or

(y) the Company shall cease to be under any obligation to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in Section 10.01 and Section 12.06 with respect to Debt Securities of any series (and, if so specified pursuant to Section 3.01, any other restrictive covenant added for the benefit of such series pursuant to Section 3.01), and any omission to comply with such term, provision or condition shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under the Indenture with respect to such series of Debt Securities,

in each case, at any time after the applicable conditions set forth below have been satisfied:

(i) Company shall have deposited or caused to be deposited irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security

 

62


for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Debt Securities of such series (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations (as defined below) that through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one Business Day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount or (C) a combination of (A) and (B), sufficient, in the opinion (with respect to (B) and (C)) of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and (premium, if any) and interest on, the Outstanding Debt Securities of such series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and premium are due;

(ii) if the Debt Securities of such series are then listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Company’s exercise of its option under this Section would not cause such Debt Securities to be delisted;

(iii) no Default or event (including such deposit) that, with notice or lapse of time, or both, would become a Default with respect to the Debt Securities of such series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;

(iv) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that beneficial owners of the Debt Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the Company’s exercise of its option under this Section and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such option had not been exercised (which opinion, if the Company shall have exercised its option under Section 1402(b)(x) of the Indenture, shall be (A) accompanied by and based upon a ruling to that effect received from or published by the Internal Revenue Service or (B) based upon a change in law after the date of first issuance of Debt Securities of the relevant series); and

(v) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee (A) an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that (1) all conditions precedent to the defeasance under this Section 14.02 have been complied with and (2) the proposed defeasance is authorized and permitted under this Indenture and any applicable supplemental indenture, and (B) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that either (1) as a result of a deposit pursuant to subsection (i) above and the related exercise of the Company’s option under this Section 14.02, registration is not required under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, by the Company with respect to the trust funds representing such deposit or by the Trustee for such trust funds or (2) all necessary registrations under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, have been effected.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section 14.02, such defeasance shall be effected in compliance with any additional or substitute terms, conditions or limitations, which may be imposed on the Company in connection therewith pursuant to Section 3.01.

 

63


Discharged ” means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by, and obligations under, the Debt Securities of such series and to have satisfied all the obligations under this Indenture relating to the Debt Securities of such series (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except (A) the rights of Holders of Debt Securities of such series to receive, from the trust fund described in clause (1) above, payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such Debt Securities when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Debt Securities of such series under Section 3.04, Section 3.05, Section 3.06 and Section 12.03 and (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder.

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

Section 14.03. Deposited Moneys and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust . All moneys and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 14.02(b) in respect of Debt Securities of a series shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of such Debt Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Debt Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to this Section 14.03 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of such Outstanding Debt Securities.

 

64


Section 14.04. Repayment to Company . The Trustee and any Paying Agent shall promptly pay or return to the Company upon Company Request any moneys or U.S. Government Obligations held by them at any time which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants as set forth in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount which would then be required to be deposited to effect a defeasance in accordance with this Article 14.

The provisions of the last paragraph of Section 12.03 shall apply to any money held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent under this Article 14 that remains unclaimed for two years after the Maturity of any series of Debt Securities for which money or U.S. Government Obligations have been deposited pursuant to Section 14.02(b).

* * * * *

This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

65


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

 

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
By:  

/s/ David Lindenauer

  Name: David Lindenauer
  Title: Executive Vice President and Treasurer

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,

as Trustee

By:  

/s/ Francine Kincaid

  Name: Francine Kincaid
  Title: Vice President

[ Signature Page to the Indenture ]

Exhibits 5.1 and 23.2

OPINION OF DAVIS POLK & WARDWELL LLP

October 29, 2015

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

One Citizens Plaza

Providence, RI 02903

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) is filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “ Registration Statement ”) for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), (a) shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Common Stock ”) of the Company; (b) shares of preferred stock, par value $25.00 per share (the “ Preferred Stock ”) of the Company; (c) the Company’s senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities (collectively, the “ Debt Securities ”), to be issued pursuant to the senior indenture dated October 28, 2015 (as amended and supplemented from time to time), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as senior debt trustee (the “ Senior Debt Trustee ”) (the “ Senior Debt Indenture ”) and the subordinated indenture dated September 28, 2012 (as amended and supplemented from time to time), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, as subordinated debt trustee (the “ Subordinated Debt Trustee ” and, together with the Senior Debt Trustee, the “ Trustee ”) (the “ Subordinated Debt Indenture ” and, together with the Senior Debt Indenture, the “ Indentures ”), respectively; (d) warrants of the Company (the “ Warrants ”), which may be issued pursuant to a warrant agreement (the “ Warrant Agreement ”) between the Company and the warrant agent to be named therein (the “ Warrant Agent ”); (e) purchase contracts (the “ Purchase Contracts ”) which may be issued under one or more purchase contract agreements (each, a “ Purchase Contract Agreement ”) to be entered into between the Company and the purchase contract agent to be named therein (the “ Purchase Contract Agent ”); and (f) units (the “ Units ”) to be issued under one or more unit agreements to be entered into among the Company, a bank or trust company, as unit agent (the “ Unit Agent ”), and the holders from time to time of the Units (each such unit agreement, a “ Unit Agreement ”).

We, as your counsel, have examined originals or copies of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of rendering this opinion.

In rendering the opinions expressed herein, we have, without independent inquiry or investigation, assumed that (i) all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and complete, (ii) all documents submitted to us as copies conform to authentic, complete originals, (iii) all documents filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that have not been executed will


October 29, 2015

 

conform to the forms thereof, (iv) all signatures on all documents that we reviewed are genuine, (v) all natural persons executing documents had and have the legal capacity to do so, (vi) all statements in certificates of public officials and officers of the Company that we reviewed were and are accurate and (vii) all representations made by the Company as to matters of fact in the documents that we reviewed were and are accurate.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional assumptions and qualifications set forth below, we advise you that, in our opinion:

 

  1. When the necessary corporate action on the part of the Company has been taken to authorize the issuance and sale of such shares of Common Stock proposed to be sold by the Company, and when such shares of Common Stock are issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor (in excess of par value thereof) or upon conversion or exercise of any security offered under the Registration Statement (the “Offered Security”), in accordance with terms of such Offered Security or the instrument governing such Offered Security providing for such conversion or exercise as approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, for the consideration approved by such Board of Directors (which consideration is not less than the par value of the Common Stock), such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable.

 

  2. Upon designation of the relative rights, preferences and limitations of any series of Preferred Stock by the Board of Directors of the Company and the proper filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware of a Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company will have been taken to authorize the issuance and sale of such series of Preferred Stock proposed to be sold by the Company, and when such shares of Preferred Stock are issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor (in excess of par value thereof), such shares of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

  3. When any supplemental indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and the Company; the specific terms of a particular series of Debt Securities have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the applicable Indenture; and such Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable Indenture and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, provided that we express no opinion as to (w) the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or stay law, (x) the effect of fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar provision of applicable law on the conclusions expressed above and (y) the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of any provision that permits holders to collect any portion of stated principal amount upon acceleration of the Debt Securities to the extent determined to constitute unearned interest.

 

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October 29, 2015

 

  4. When the Warrant Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Warrant Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Warrants have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Warrant Agreement; and such Warrants have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Warrant Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.

 

  5. When the Purchase Contract Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Purchase Contracts has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Purchase Contract Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement; and such Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Purchase Contracts will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.

 

  6. When the Unit Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Units has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Unit Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Units have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Unit Agreement; and such Units have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Unit Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Units will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability.

In connection with the opinions expressed above, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time of the delivery of any such security, (i) the Board of Directors of the Company shall have duly established the terms of such security and duly authorized the issuance and sale of such security and such authorization shall not have been modified or rescinded; (ii) the Company shall remain, validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware; (iii) the Registration Statement shall have become effective and such effectiveness shall not have been terminated or rescinded; (iv) the Indentures, the Debt Securities, the applicable Warrant Agreement, Purchase Contract Agreement and Unit Agreement each are or will be valid, binding and enforceable agreements of each party thereto (other than as expressly covered above in respect of the Company); and (v) there shall not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of such security. We have also assumed that the execution, delivery and

 

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October 29, 2015

 

performance by the Company of any security whose terms are established subsequent to the date hereof (a) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (b) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company.

We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and the foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement referred to above and further consent to the reference to our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus, which is a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

 

4

Exhibit 12.1

Citizens Financial Group

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends

 

     RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED DIVIDENDS  
     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2015
     Year Ended  

(dollars in millions)

      December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
    December 31,
2012
     December 31,
2011
     December 31,
2010
 

Computation of Earnings:

                

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense

   $ 597       $ 1,268       ($ 3,468   $ 1,024       $ 778       ($ 49

Fixed charges

     244         417         499        669         941         1,465   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Adjusted Earnings

   $ 841       $ 1,685       ($ 2,969   $ 1,693       $ 1,719       $ 1,416   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Computation of Fixed Charges:

                

Interest expense

   $ 218       $ 363       $ 443      $ 619       $ 884       $ 1,408   

Portion of net rental expense deemed representative of interest (1)

     26         54         56        50         57         57   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total fixed charges

   $ 244       $ 417       $ 499      $ 669       $ 941       $ 1,465   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

     3.4         4.0         (5.9 ) (3)       2.5         1.8         1.0 (4)  

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends (2)

     3.4         4.0         (5.9 ) (3)       2.5         1.8         1.0 (4)  

 

(1)   The portion of rents shown as representative of the interest factor is one-quarter of total net operating lease expenses.
(2)   On April 6, 2015, we issued 250,000 shares of our 5.500% fixed-to-floating rate non-cumulative perpetual Series A Preferred Stock, par value of $25.00 per share with a liquidation preference $1,000 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) in a private offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. On or prior to June 30, 2015, we had not paid dividends on any shares of preferred stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock. On October 6, 2015, we paid a cash dividend on our Series A Preferred Stock. Prior to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, we had no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
(3)   The deficiency for this period was $3,468 million due in part to a goodwill impairment charge of $4,435 million ($4,080 million after tax).
(4)   The deficiency for this period was $49 million.

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated March 2, 2015 relating to the consolidated financial statements of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2014, and to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

October 29, 2015

Exhibit 25.1

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM T-1

 

 

STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY

UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939

OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

 

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

 

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

New York   13-5160382

(Jurisdiction of incorporation

if not a U.S. national bank)

 

(I.R.S. employer

identification no.)

One Wall Street, New York, N.Y.   10286
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)

 

 

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)

 

 

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

05-0412693

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

One Citizens Plaza

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 456-7000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, or registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Debt Securities

(Title of the indenture securities)

 

 

 


1. General information. Furnish the following information as to the Trustee:

 

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

 

Name

  

Address

Superintendent of Banks of the State of New York

  

One State Street, New York, N.Y.

10004-1417, and Albany, N.Y.

12223

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

   33 Liberty Street, New York, N.Y. 10045

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

   Washington, D.C. 20429

New York Clearing House Association

   New York, N.Y. 10005

 

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

Yes.

 

2. Affiliations with Obligor.

 

   If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.

None.

 

16. List of Exhibits.

Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”) and 17 C.F.R. 229.10(d).

 

  1. A copy of the Organization Certificate of The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly known as The Bank of New York, itself formerly Irving Trust Company) as now in effect, which contains the authority to commence business and a grant of powers to exercise corporate trust powers. (Exhibit 1 to Amendment No. 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-6215, Exhibits 1a and 1b to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-21672, Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-29637, Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121195 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152735).

 

  4. A copy of the existing By-laws of the Trustee. (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-188382).

 

  6. The consent of the Trustee required by Section 32l(b) of the Act (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-188382).

 

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

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the Trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in The City of New York, and State of NewYork, on the 28 th day of September, 2015.

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
By:  

/s/ Francine Kincaid

 

  Name: Francine Kincaid
  Title:   Vice President


EXHIBIT 7

Consolidated Report of Condition of

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

of One Wall Street, New York, N.Y. 10286

And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,

a member of the Federal Reserve System, at the close of business June 30, 2015, published in accordance with a call made by the Federal Reserve Bank of this District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.

 

     Dollar amounts in thousands  

ASSETS

  

Cash and balances due from depository institutions:

  

Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin

     7,835,000   

Interest-bearing balances

     115,236,000   

Securities:

  

Held-to-maturity securities

     42,679,000   

Available-for-sale securities

     76,620,000   

Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell:

  

Federal funds sold in domestic offices

     0   

Securities purchased under agreements to resell

     14,211,000   

Loans and lease financing receivables:

  

Loans and leases held for sale

     264,000   

Loans and leases, net of unearned income

     35,026,000   

LESS: Allowance for loan and lease losses

     162,000   

Loans and leases, net of unearned income and allowance

     34,864,000   

Trading assets

     5,134,000   

Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized leases)

     1,065,000   

Other real estate owned

     5,000   

Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies

     533,000   

Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures

     0   

Intangible assets:

  

Goodwill

     6,352,000   

Other intangible assets

     1,097,000   

Other assets

     14,309,000   
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     320,204,000   
  

 

 

 


     Dollar amounts in thousands  

LIABILITIES

  

Deposits:

  

In domestic offices

     155,532,000   

Noninterest-bearing

     106,199,000   

Interest-bearing

     49,333,000   

In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement subsidiaries, and IBFs

     122,363,000   

Noninterest-bearing

     7,932,000   

Interest-bearing

     114,431,000   

Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase:

  

Federal funds purchased in domestic offices

     68,000   

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase

     1,380,000   

Trading liabilities

     4,985,000   

Other borrowed money:

  

(includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases)

     7,008,000   

Not applicable

  

Not applicable

  

Subordinated notes and debentures

     765,000   

Other liabilities

     6,825,000   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     298,926,000   
  

 

 

 

EQUITY CAPITAL

  

Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus

     0   

Common stock

     1,135,000   

Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock)

     10,184,000   

Retained earnings

     11,326,000   

Accumulated other comprehensive income

     -1,717,000   

Other equity capital components

     0   

Total bank equity capital

     20,928,000   

Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries

     350,000   

Total equity capital

     21,278,000   
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity capital

     320,204,000   
  

 

 

 

I, Thomas P. Gibbons, Chief Financial Officer of the above-named bank do hereby declare that this Report of Condition is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Thomas P. Gibbons,

Chief Financial Officer


We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this statement of resources and liabilities. We declare that it has been examined by us, and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions and is true and correct.

 

Gerald L. Hassell        
Catherine A. Rein                 Directors
Joseph J. Echevarria