Airship AI Holdings, Inc S-3/A, filed May 14, 2026
Airship AI Holdings, Inc. (AISP)
As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 14, 2026
Registration No. 333- 295755
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 1
to
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
| Airship AI Holdings, Inc. |
| (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
| Delaware |
| 93-4974766 |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
| (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
8210 154th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Tel: (877) 462-4250
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Victor Huang
8210 154th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Tel: (877) 462-4250
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
| Mitchell S. Nussbaum David J. Levine Loeb & Loeb LLP 345 Park Avenue New York, NY 10154 Telephone: (212) 407-4000 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
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. ☒
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. ☐
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, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ |
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| Emerging growth company | ☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, may determine.
The information contained in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED MAY 14, 2026 |
AIRSHIP AI HOLDINGS, INC.
$100,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
We may offer and sell from time to time shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, or any combination of those securities, either individually or in units, up to an aggregate initial offering price of $100,000,000, in one or more transactions under this prospectus. We may also offer common stock or preferred stock upon conversion of debt securities, common stock upon conversion of preferred stock, or common stock, preferred stock, or debt securities upon the exercise of warrants. The securities may be offered in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined based on market conditions at the time of sale and set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we offer securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that describes specific information about the particular securities being offered and may add, update or change information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the additional information that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, before you invest in any of our securities.
The securities may be sold by us to or through underwriters or dealers, directly to purchasers or through agents designated from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus and the comparable section of any applicable prospectus supplement. If any underwriters are involved in the sale of the securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered, the names of such underwriters and any applicable discounts or commissions and options will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our common stock and public warrants are listed on the Nasdaq Global Market and the Nasdaq Capital Market, respectively, under the symbols “AISP” and “AISPW,” respectively. On May 8, 2026, the closing sale price of our common stock and the closing sales price of our public warrants were $2.55 and $0.75, respectively. We have not yet determined whether the other securities that may be offered by this prospectus will be listed on any exchange, interdealer 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 those securities will be listed.
The aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates is $62.6 million based on 34,412,064 shares of outstanding common stock, of which 24,569,989 shares are held by non-affiliates, and a per share price of $2.55, which was the closing sale price of our common stock as quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market on May 8, 2026. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, in no event will we sell shares pursuant to this prospectus with a value of more than one-third of the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates in any 12-month period, so long as the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $75,000,000. During the 12 calendar months prior to, and including, the date of this prospectus, we have not sold any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH AN INVESTMENT IN OUR SECURITIES WILL BE DESCRIBED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND CERTAIN OF OUR FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS PROSPECTUS, AS DESCRIBED UNDER “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 7.
You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information” before you make your investment decision.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is __________, 2026.
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As used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Airship AI Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, including Airship AI, Inc., a Washington corporation.
This prospectus is a part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer to sell any of the securities, or any combination of the securities, described in this prospectus, in each case, in one or more offerings, up to an aggregate dollar amount of $100,000,000.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time securities are sold under this registration statement, we will provide an accompanying prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of those securities and the terms of that offering. The accompanying prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the accompanying prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, including all documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, together with the additional information described under “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
The information contained in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. You should rely only on the information provided in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any accompanying prospectus supplement, or documents to which we otherwise refer you to. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information.
We have not authorized any dealer, agent or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or an accompanying prospectus supplement. This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, if any, do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, if any, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of such document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is delivered, or securities are sold on a later date.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company or its management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “appear,” “approximate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “foresee,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions (or the negative version of such words or expressions) may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
The forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the management of the Company, as applicable, and are inherently subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances and their potential effects and speak only as of the date of such statement. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described in “Risk Factors,” those discussed and identified in public filings made with the SEC by the Company and the following:
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| · | changes in the competitive industries and markets in which the Company operates or plans to operate; |
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| · | changes in applicable laws or regulations affecting the Company’s business; |
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| · | the Company’s ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations and identify and realize additional opportunities; |
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| · | risks related to the Company’s potential inability to achieve or maintain profitability and generate significant revenue; |
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| · | current and future conditions in the global economy, including as a result of economic uncertainty, and its impact on the Company, its business and the markets in which it operates; |
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| · | the Company’s potential inability to manage growth effectively; |
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| · | the Company’s ability to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel; |
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| · | estimates for the prospects and financial performance of the Company’s business may prove to be incorrect or materially different from actual results; |
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| · | risks related to the Company’s marketing and growth strategies; |
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| · | the effects of competition on the Company’s business; |
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| · | expectations with respect to future operating and financial performance and growth, including when the Company will generate positive cash flow from operations; and |
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| · | the Company’s ability to raise funding on reasonable terms as necessary to develop its products in the timeframe contemplated by its business plan. |
In addition, there may be events that the Company’s management is not able to predict accurately or over which the Company has no control.
We cannot guarantee that the results and other expectations expressed, anticipated or implied in any forward-looking statement will be realized. The risks set forth under Item 1A of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as revised or supplemented by any Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other documents we file with the SEC, describe material risks to our business, and you should read and interpret any forward-looking statements together with these risks. A variety of factors, including these risks, could cause our actual results and other expectations to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed, anticipated or implied in our forward-looking statements. Should known or unknown risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could differ materially from past results and those anticipated, estimated or projected in the forward-looking statements. You should bear this in mind as you consider any forward-looking statements.
You should read this prospectus, including documents incorporated by reference, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are made as of the date of this prospectus and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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History
Airship AI Holdings, Inc. (the “Company” or “Airship”) is a holding company incorporated in Delaware that executes business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Airship AI, Inc. (“Airship AI”). Prior to the formation of Super Simple AI, Inc. in 2022, the Company operated as Airship AI, Inc. (formerly known as JDL Digital Systems, Inc.). JDL Digital Systems, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington on June 30, 2003. Super Simple AI, Inc. was formed in January 2022 through a share exchange with JDL Digital Systems, Inc. On March 7, 2023, Super Simple AI, Inc. changed its name to Airship AI Holdings, Inc.
On December 21, 2023, the Company completed the merger contemplated by the merger agreement, dated as of June 27, 2023, as amended, by and among BYTE Acquisition Corp. (“BYTS”), BYTE Merger Sub, Inc., a Washington corporation and a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of BYTS (“Merger Sub”), and Airship AI.
Effective December 21, 2023, Merger Sub merged with and into Airship AI with Airship AI as the surviving corporation. Thus, Airship AI became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. In connection with the merger, Airship AI changed its name from “Airship AI Holdings, Inc.” to “Airship AI, Inc.”
Overview
We are a robust AI-driven data management platform that solves complex data challenges for large institutions operating in dynamic and mission-critical environments with rapidly increasing volumes of data being ingested from a similarly rapidly growing number of data sources.
We solve these challenges by structuring “dark” or unstructured data at the edge, the location at which the data is generated and collected, and leveraging purpose-built AI models. Unstructured, or “dark” data, which is typically categorized as qualitative data, cannot be processed and analyzed via conventional data tools and methods. Conversely, structured data, typically categorized as quantitative data, is highly organized and easily decipherable by machine learning algorithms.
Structuring and then analyzing data using AI models at the edge, versus transmitting the data from the edge back to a central processing location for structuring and analysis, enables real-time decision making and data-driven operational efficiency.
We specialize in ingesting all available metadata from edge-based sensors used by government and law enforcement agencies around the world, including surveillance cameras (video), audio, telemetry, acoustic, seismic, and autonomous devices, along with large commercial corporations with fundamentally similar capabilities and requirements.
Data generated by these edge-based sensors, including video, can then be run through our trained AI models to detect objects present within the video frame. Once an object is detected, for example an automobile, additional identifying characteristics of the object can be extracted from the image including the license plate characters and the make, model, and color of the automobile. This process of analyzing, logging and categorizing ingested data is referred to as “structuring” the data.
Airship AI’s software allows customers to view structured data both in real-time as well as to conduct searches on the structured data at a later point in time. Real-time structured data use includes, for example, alarms on a specific license plate or a specific make, model or color of automobile. Non-real-time structured data use includes, for example, searching a database of video data that has been previously ingested and stored to find instances of a particular license plate being visible, along with other logged vehicle characteristics such as make, model and color of an automobile.
Additional edge deployed AI models enable similar object detection and recognition of common and custom trained objects, such as an aircraft, boat, person, animal, bag, or weapon. Airship AI’s models provide similar data points for these object types allowing analysts the ability to be notified in real-time of the detection of a specified object and similarly search for historically detected objects. Examples include detecting aircrafts and boats along with their respective tail numbers and hull registration numbers.
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Our AI modelling process starts with pre-trained AI models from our technology ecosystem partners which we then customize using proprietary datasets tailored towards our customers’ unique workflow requirements. Where customers have pre-existing AI models or engines, we integrate those models or engines into our edge platform allowing customers to leverage proprietary models within the Airship AI software ecosystem.
Our primary offerings include Outpost AI, Acropolis, and Airship Command. Our offerings allow customers to manage their data across the full data lifecycle, when and where they need it, using a highly secure permissioned based architecture.
Outpost AI is our edge hardware and software offering that is purpose built to structure and analyze data efficiently and effectively at the source using Airship AI trained models. Once structured, Outpost AI securely encodes the data and streams it to Acropolis for further processing. In the automobile example, Outpost AI will process the unstructured and unlabeled video data into structured data including images of vehicles, images of plates, make, model, color, locations and plate numbers, as well as confidence levels on the structured results.
Acropolis is our enterprise management software suite which serves as the backbone of our software ecosystem. Acropolis allows customers with a handful of devices or hundreds of thousands of devices to manage their user and install base efficiently and securely from a single graphical user interface. Acropolis can be installed and managed locally (on-premises) as well as in cloud/multi-cloud-based system architectures. Acropolis can work with structured and unstructured data. In the scenario where Outpost AI processes the unstructured video of vehicles into images, plate numbers and other structured data, Acropolis will compare the structured data against customer repositories of structured data in order to add labels to results for user attention. Here, Acropolis leaves the initial processing of unstructured data to the edge device (Outpost AI) and handles additional labeling which requires bigger centralized datasets. Where Acropolis is receiving unstructured data as input from devices, it will do the initial processing of unstructured to structured data similar to what Outpost AI does at the edge before any additional labelling. This holistic approach allows customers to leverage the benefits of both edge and back-end data structuring and analysis in a “single-pane-of-glass” approach.
Airship Command then allows the customer to view the final labelled data which can be presented in real-time or as search results, as alerts, in automatically updating lists or on maps. In the vehicle example, Airship Command can present alarms on specific filters such as specific plates, intelligent partial matches, make, model, color and any combination thereof, as well as searches using the same filters against character recognition and vehicle characteristics results.
Airship Command is our suite of visualization tools that allow customers to interact with their data and devices securely and efficiently. Customer data interaction may include receiving and viewing an alarm triggered by an AI detected event at the edge on a mobile phone, or receiving and viewing events from thousands of edge devices spread across multiple different locations on a large video wall in a Security Operations Center (“SOC”). Our visualization tools span applications for workstations, web-based browsers, and applications for mobile handheld devices ensuring our customers’ data is never out of their immediate reach.
We apply AI across the entire offering suite, ensuring that we are extracting as much value from our customers’ existing and emerging data as possible. Whether it is using machine learning to train new models for deployment at the edge, or using a rules-based approach to detect anomalies based on data generated by machine learning models, we are constantly expanding and evolving our AI capabilities.
Our offerings are used by some of the largest government agencies and commercial organizations in the world. While we are heavily focused on continuing to grow market share in the United States, our offerings are currently deployed around the world, with significant room to grow in both the governmental and commercial markets.
Our typical customer engagement is a multi-year contractual agreement, an agreement which includes our core offerings as well as professional services, technical support, and software maintenance, which we expect will result in predictable, long-term recurring revenue. Our history shows that organizations that have chosen to partner with Airship AI stick with Airship AI.
Since our inception and until the merger in December 2023, we have operated as a 100% employee-owned bootstrapped company with no outside investment, operating in a fiscally conservative model. As a U.S. based company, we operate in high growth areas, namely the intersection of public safety and AI, with a combined $7 billion edge AI hardware and software addressable market.
Our customers trust us to collect and analyze vast amounts of data in real time as well as make it available to their users when they need it, where they need it, as securely as possible. We believe our offerings are purpose-built from the ground up to help ensure we continue to meet or exceed these expectations.
Additional information regarding our Company, including our audited financial statements and descriptions of our business, is contained in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information” on page 33 and “Information Incorporated by Reference” on page 34 of this prospectus.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 8210 154th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052 and our telephone number is (877) 462-4250. Our corporate website address is https://airship.ai. The Company’s website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this prospectus.
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Investing in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risk. The prospectus supplement applicable to each offering of our securities will contain a discussion of the risks applicable to an investment in any such securities. Prior to making a decision about investing in any securities offered, you should carefully consider the specific factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information contained or incorporated by reference in the prospectus supplement or appearing or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents that we file with the SEC, which are incorporated herein by reference as described in this prospectus under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” The risks and uncertainties we have described in such documents are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us may also affect our operations.
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Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a specific offering, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities by us under this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures, research and development expenditures, acquisitions of new technologies, products or businesses, and investments.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF OUR SECURITIES
We may offer and sell, at any time and from time to time:
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| · | shares of our common stock; |
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| · | shares of our preferred stock; |
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| · | various series of debt securities; |
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| · | warrants to purchase common stock; |
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| · | units consisting of a combination of the foregoing securities; or |
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| · | any combination of these securities. |
This prospectus contains summary descriptions of the common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, and units that we may offer and sell from time to time. When particular securities are offered by us, a supplement to this prospectus will describe the terms of the securities and the extent to which these general descriptions may apply. These summary descriptions and any summary descriptions in the applicable prospectus supplement are not complete descriptions of the terms and conditions of each security and are qualified in their entirety by reference to our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, each as amended, which are incorporated by reference in the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Please refer to “Where You Can Find Additional Information” for directions on obtaining these documents. If any particular terms of a security described in the applicable prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described in this prospectus, then the terms described in this prospectus will be deemed superseded by the terms set forth in that prospectus supplement.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK
Authorized and Outstanding Stock
We are a Delaware corporation and our affairs are governed by our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the “DGCL” or “Delaware law” below, and the common law of the State of Delaware. Our charter authorizes the issuance of 205,000,000 shares, consisting of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of May 8, 2026, there were 34,439,562 shares of common stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
Common Stock
Voting rights. Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held of record by such holder on all matters on which stockholders generally are entitled to vote. The holders of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all stockholders present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a single class.
Dividend Rights. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, the holders of shares of common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the Board out of funds legally available for such purposes.
Liquidation Rights. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company’s affairs, the holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of the Company’s debts and other liabilities, subject to prior distribution rights of preferred stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over the common stock, then outstanding, if any.
Other rights. The holders of common stock have no pre-emptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of the common stock will be subject to those of the holders of any shares of the preferred stock that the Company may issue in the future.
Preferred Stock
There are no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding. Our charter authorizes the Board to establish one or more series of preferred stock. Unless required by law or any stock exchange, the authorized shares of preferred stock will be available for issuance without further action by the holders of common stock. The Board has the discretion to determine the powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock. The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of the Company without further action by the stockholders. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may adversely affect the holders of common stock by restricting dividends on the common stock, diluting the voting power of the common stock or subordinating the liquidation rights of the common stock. As a result of these or other factors, the issuance of preferred stock could have an adverse impact on the market price of the common stock, restricting dividends on the Company’s capital stock, diluting the voting power of common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of the Company’s capital stock, or delaying or preventing a change in control of the Company. At present, there are no plans to issue any preferred stock.
Warrants
Public Warrants
Each whole public warrant will entitle the registered holder to purchase one share of common stock at a price of $4.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, provided that the Company has an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available (or the Company permits holders to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement) and such shares of common stock are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its public warrants only for a whole number of shares of common stock. This means only whole public warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrant holder. The public warrants will expire on December 21, 2028, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
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The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares of common stock pursuant to the exercise of a public warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock underlying the public warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No public warrants will be exercisable and the Company will not be obligated to issue a share of common stock upon exercise of a public warrant unless the common stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a public warrant, the holder of such public warrant will not be entitled to exercise such public warrant and such public warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will the Company be required to net cash settle any public warrant.
Redemption of Public Warrants when the price per share of Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00.
Once the public warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding public warrants:
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| · | in whole and not in part; |
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| · | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
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| · | upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and |
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| · | if, and only if, the closing price of the shares of common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a public warrant as described under the heading “— Warrants — Public Warrants — Anti-Dilution Adjustments”) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three business days before we send to the notice of redemption to the warrant holders (which we refer to as the “Reference Value”). |
The Company will not redeem the public warrants as described above unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the common stock issuable upon exercise of the public warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period. If and when the public warrants become redeemable, the Company may exercise its redemption right even if the Company is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
We have established the last of the redemption criterion discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the public warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise his, her or its public warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a public warrant described under the heading “— Anti-dilution Adjustments”) as well as the $4.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
Redemption of Public Warrants when the price per share of Common Stock equals or exceeds $10.00.
Once the public warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding warrants:
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| · | in whole and not in part; |
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| · | at a price of $0.10 per warrant; |
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| · | upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, provided that holders will be able to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares determined by reference to the table below, based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” (as defined below) of common stock except as otherwise described below; |
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| · | if, and only if, the Reference Value equals or exceeds $10.00 per Public Share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise) or the exercise price of a warrant as described under the heading “— Anti-dilution Adjustments”; and |
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| · | if the Reference Value is less than $18.00 per share, the private warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding public warrants, as described above. |
| 11 |
| Table of Contents |
Beginning on the date the notice of redemption is given until the public warrants are redeemed or exercised, holders may elect to exercise their public warrants on a cashless basis. The numbers in the table below represent the number of shares of common stock that a warrant holder will receive upon such cashless exercise in connection with a redemption by us pursuant to this redemption feature, based on the “fair market value” of common stock on the corresponding redemption date (assuming holders elect to exercise their public warrants and such warrants are not redeemed for $0.10 per warrant), determined for these purposes based on the volume weighted average price of the common stock during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, and the number of months that the corresponding redemption date precedes the expiration date of the warrants, each as set forth in the table below. the Company will provide warrant holders with the final fair market value no later than one business day after the 10-trading day period described above ends.
The share prices set forth in the column headings of the table below will be adjusted as of any date on which the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a public warrant or the exercise price of a public warrant is adjusted as set forth under the heading “— Anti-dilution Adjustments” below. If the number of shares issuable upon exercise of public warrants is adjusted, the adjusted share prices in the column headings will equal the share prices immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a public warrant immediately prior to such adjustment and the denominator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a public warrant as so adjusted. The number of shares in the table below shall be adjusted in the same manner and at the same time as the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a public warrant. If the exercise price of a warrant is adjusted, (a) in the case of an adjustment pursuant to the fifth paragraph under the heading “— Anti-dilution Adjustments” below, the adjusted share prices in the column headings will equal the unadjusted share price multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the higher of the Market Value and the Newly Issued Price as set forth under the heading “— Anti-dilution Adjustments” and the denominator of which is $10.00 and (b) in the case of an adjustment pursuant to the second paragraph under the heading “— Anti-dilution Adjustments” below, the adjusted share prices in the column headings will equal the unadjusted share price less the decrease in the exercise price of a warrant pursuant to such exercise price adjustment.
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| Fair Market Value of Common Stock |
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| Redemption Date (period to expiration of warrants) |
| ≤10.00 |
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| 11.00 |
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| 12.00 |
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| 13.00 |
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| 14.00 |
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| 15.00 |
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| 16.00 |
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| 17.00 |
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| ≥18.00 |
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| 60 months |
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| 0.261 |
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| 0.281 |
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|
| 0.297 |
|
|
| 0.311 |
|
|
| 0.324 |
|
|
| 0.337 |
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|
| 0.348 |
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|
| 0.358 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 57 months |
|
| 0.257 |
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|
| 0.277 |
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|
| 0.294 |
|
|
| 0.310 |
|
|
| 0.324 |
|
|
| 0.337 |
|
|
| 0.348 |
|
|
| 0.358 |
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| 0.361 |
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| 54 months |
|
| 0.252 |
|
|
| 0.272 |
|
|
| 0.291 |
|
|
| 0.307 |
|
|
| 0.322 |
|
|
| 0.335 |
|
|
| 0.347 |
|
|
| 0.357 |
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| 0.361 |
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| 51 months |
|
| 0.246 |
|
|
| 0.268 |
|
|
| 0.287 |
|
|
| 0.304 |
|
|
| 0.320 |
|
|
| 0.333 |
|
|
| 0.346 |
|
|
| 0.357 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 48 months |
|
| 0.241 |
|
|
| 0.263 |
|
|
| 0.283 |
|
|
| 0.301 |
|
|
| 0.317 |
|
|
| 0.332 |
|
|
| 0.344 |
|
|
| 0.356 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 45 months |
|
| 0.235 |
|
|
| 0.258 |
|
|
| 0.279 |
|
|
| 0.298 |
|
|
| 0.315 |
|
|
| 0.330 |
|
|
| 0.343 |
|
|
| 0.356 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 42 months |
|
| 0.228 |
|
|
| 0.252 |
|
|
| 0.274 |
|
|
| 0.294 |
|
|
| 0.312 |
|
|
| 0.328 |
|
|
| 0.342 |
|
|
| 0.355 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 39 months |
|
| 0.221 |
|
|
| 0.246 |
|
|
| 0.269 |
|
|
| 0.290 |
|
|
| 0.309 |
|
|
| 0.325 |
|
|
| 0.340 |
|
|
| 0.354 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 36 months |
|
| 0.213 |
|
|
| 0.239 |
|
|
| 0.263 |
|
|
| 0.285 |
|
|
| 0.305 |
|
|
| 0.323 |
|
|
| 0.339 |
|
|
| 0.353 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 33 months |
|
| 0.205 |
|
|
| 0.232 |
|
|
| 0.257 |
|
|
| 0.280 |
|
|
| 0.301 |
|
|
| 0.320 |
|
|
| 0.337 |
|
|
| 0.352 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 30 months |
|
| 0.196 |
|
|
| 0.224 |
|
|
| 0.250 |
|
|
| 0.274 |
|
|
| 0.297 |
|
|
| 0.316 |
|
|
| 0.335 |
|
|
| 0.351 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 27 months |
|
| 0.185 |
|
|
| 0.214 |
|
|
| 0.242 |
|
|
| 0.268 |
|
|
| 0.291 |
|
|
| 0.313 |
|
|
| 0.332 |
|
|
| 0.350 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 24 months |
|
| 0.173 |
|
|
| 0.204 |
|
|
| 0.233 |
|
|
| 0.260 |
|
|
| 0.285 |
|
|
| 0.308 |
|
|
| 0.329 |
|
|
| 0.348 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 21 months |
|
| 0.161 |
|
|
| 0.193 |
|
|
| 0.223 |
|
|
| 0.252 |
|
|
| 0.279 |
|
|
| 0.304 |
|
|
| 0.326 |
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|
| 0.347 |
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| 0.361 |
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| 18 months |
|
| 0.146 |
|
|
| 0.179 |
|
|
| 0.211 |
|
|
| 0.242 |
|
|
| 0.271 |
|
|
| 0.298 |
|
|
| 0.322 |
|
|
| 0.345 |
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| 0.361 |
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| 15 months |
|
| 0.130 |
|
|
| 0.164 |
|
|
| 0.197 |
|
|
| 0.230 |
|
|
| 0.262 |
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|
| 0.291 |
|
|
| 0.317 |
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| 0.342 |
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| 0.361 |
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| 12 months |
|
| 0.111 |
|
|
| 0.146 |
|
|
| 0.181 |
|
|
| 0.216 |
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| 0.250 |
|
|
| 0.282 |
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| 0.312 |
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| 0.339 |
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| 0.361 |
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| 9 months |
|
| 0.090 |
|
|
| 0.125 |
|
|
| 0.162 |
|
|
| 0.199 |
|
|
| 0.237 |
|
|
| 0.272 |
|
|
| 0.305 |
|
|
| 0.336 |
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| 0.361 |
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| 6 months |
|
| 0.065 |
|
|
| 0.099 |
|
|
| 0.137 |
|
|
| 0.178 |
|
|
| 0.219 |
|
|
| 0.259 |
|
|
| 0.296 |
|
|
| 0.331 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 3 months |
|
| 0.034 |
|
|
| 0.065 |
|
|
| 0.104 |
|
|
| 0.150 |
|
|
| 0.197 |
|
|
| 0.243 |
|
|
| 0.286 |
|
|
| 0.326 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
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| 0 months |
|
| — |
|
|
| — |
|
|
| 0.042 |
|
|
| 0.115 |
|
|
| 0.179 |
|
|
| 0.233 |
|
|
| 0.281 |
|
|
| 0.323 |
|
|
| 0.361 |
|
| 12 |
| Table of Contents |
The exact fair market value and redemption date may not be set forth in the table above, in which case, if the fair market value is between two values in the table or the redemption date is between two redemption dates in the table, the number of shares of common stock to be issued for each public warrant exercised will be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of shares set forth for the higher and lower fair market values and the earlier and later redemption dates, as applicable, based on a 365 or 366-day year, as applicable. For example, if the volume weighted average price of common stock during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $11.00 per share, and at such time there are 57 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.277 shares of common stock for each whole warrant. For an example where the exact fair market value and redemption date are not as set forth in the table above, if the volume weighted average price of common stock during the 10 trading days immediately following the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $13.50 per share, and at such time there are 38 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.298 shares of common stock for each whole warrant. In no event will the public warrants be exercisable on a cashless basis in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.361 shares of common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment). Finally, as reflected in the table above, if the public warrants are out of the money and about to expire, they cannot be exercised on a cashless basis in connection with a redemption by us pursuant to this redemption feature, since they will not be exercisable for any shares of common stock.
This redemption feature is structured to allow for all of the outstanding public warrants to be redeemed when the common stock is trading at or above $10.00 per share, which may be at a time when the trading price of the common stock is below the exercise price of the public warrants. We have established this redemption feature to provide us with the flexibility to redeem the public warrants without the public warrants having to reach the $18.00 per share threshold set forth above under “— Redemption of Public Warrants when the price per share of Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00.” Holders choosing to exercise their public warrants in connection with a redemption pursuant to this feature will, in effect, receive a number of shares for their warrants based on an option pricing model with a fixed volatility input as of the date of BYTS’ IPO prospectus. This redemption right provides us with an additional mechanism by which to redeem all of the outstanding warrants, and therefore have certainty as to our capital structure as the warrants would no longer be outstanding and would have been exercised or redeemed and we will be required to pay the applicable redemption price to warrant holders if we choose to exercise this redemption right and it will allow us to quickly proceed with a redemption of the public warrants if we determine it is in our best interest to do so. As such, we would redeem the public warrants in this manner when we believe it is in our best interest to update our capital structure to remove the warrants and pay the applicable redemption price to the warrant holders.
No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon exercise. If, upon exercise, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of shares to be issued to the holder. If, at the time of redemption, the public warrants are exercisable for a security other than shares of common stock pursuant to the warrant agreement, the public warrants may be exercised for such security. At such time as the public warrants become exercisable for a security other than common stock, the Company (or the surviving company) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to register under the Securities Act the security issuable upon exercise of the warrants.
Redemption Procedures
In the event that the Company determines to redeem the public warrants when the closing price of the shares of common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share or $10.00 per share, pursuant to Section 6.1 or Section 6.2 of the warrant agreement, respectively, the Company will fix a date for the redemption. Notice of redemption will be mailed by first class mail, postage prepaid, by the Company not less than thirty (30) days prior to the redemption date to the registered holders of the public warrants to be redeemed at their last addresses as they appear on the registration books. Any notice mailed in the manner herein provided will be conclusively presumed to have been duly given whether or not the registered holder received such notice.
| 13 |
| Table of Contents |
Beneficial Ownership Limitations
A holder of a public warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.9% or 9.8% (as specified by the holder) of the common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-dilution Adjustments. If the number of outstanding shares of common stock is increased by a share capitalization payable in shares of common stock, or by a sub-division of shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such share capitalization, sub-division or similar event, the number of shares of common stock issuable on exercise of each public warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares. A rights offering made to all or substantially all holders of securities entitling holders to purchase shares of common stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a share capitalization of a number of shares equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of common stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock) and (ii) the quotient of (x) the price per share of common stock paid in such rights offering and (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, in determining the price payable for common stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of common stock as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the shares of common stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if the Company, at any time while the public warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to all or substantially all of the holders of the common stock on account of such common stock (or other securities into which the public warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above or (b) any cash dividends or cash distributions which, when combined on a per share basis with all other cash dividends and cash distributions paid on the common stock during the 365-day period ending on the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution does not exceed $0.50 (as adjusted to appropriately reflect any other adjustments and excluding cash dividends or cash distributions that resulted in an adjustment to the exercise price or to the number of shares of common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant) but only with respect to the amount of the aggregate cash dividends or cash distributions equal to or less than $0.50 per share, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of common stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division or reclassification of common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse share sub-division, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of common stock issuable on exercise of each public warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of common stock.
Whenever the number of shares of common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the public warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares so purchasable immediately thereafter.
| 14 |
| Table of Contents |
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the public warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the public warrants and in lieu of the common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the public warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their public warrants immediately prior to such event. However, if such holders were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such consolidation or merger, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets for which each public warrant will become exercisable will be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by such holders in such consolidation or merger that affirmatively make such election, and if a tender, exchange or redemption offer has been made to and accepted by such holders under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) more than 50% of the issued and outstanding common stock, the holder of a public warrant will be entitled to receive the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a shareholder if such warrant holder had exercised the public warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the common stock held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustment (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in the warrant agreement. If less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of common stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of shares in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant. The purpose of such exercise price reduction is to provide additional value to holders of the public warrants when an extraordinary transaction occurs during the exercise period of the public warrants pursuant to which the holders of the warrants otherwise do not receive the full potential value of the public warrants.
The public warrants are issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between the Company and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as warrant agent. The warrant agreement provides that the terms of the public warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or to correct any defective provision or mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the public warrants and the warrant agreement, (ii) adjusting the provisions relating to cash dividends on shares as contemplated by and in accordance with the warrant agreement or (iii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the public warrants, provided that the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding public warrants is required to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of public warrants, and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private warrants, 50% of the then outstanding private warrants. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which is filed as an exhibit to the annual report, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the public warrants.
The public warrants may be exercised upon surrender of the warrant certificate on or prior to the expiration date at the offices of the warrant agent, with the exercise form on the reverse side of the warrant certificate completed and executed as indicated, accompanied by full payment of the exercise price (or on a cashless basis, if applicable), by certified or official bank check payable to us, for the number of warrants being exercised. The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of shares of common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of common stock. After the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the public warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by shareholders.
No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the public warrants. If, upon exercise of the public warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number the number of shares of common stock to be issued to the warrant holder.
| 15 |
| Table of Contents |
Exclusive Forum
The warrant agreement provides that, subject to applicable law, (i) any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the warrant agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the warrant agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our warrant agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the warrant agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (a “foreign action”) in the name of any holder of our warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder.
This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes, which may discourage such lawsuits and result in increased costs to warrant holders to bring a lawsuit. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of our warrant agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board.
Private Warrants
The private warrants will not be redeemable by the Company so long as they are held by the Sponsor, members of the Sponsor or their permitted transferees (except as set forth under “— Warrants — Public Warrants — Redemption of Public Warrants when the price per share of Common Stock equals or exceeds $10.00”). The Sponsor or its permitted transferees have the option to exercise the private warrants on a cashless basis. Except as described below, the private warrants have terms and provisions that are identical to those of the warrants sold as part of the Units in BYTS’ IPO. If the private warrants are held by holders other than the Sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private warrants will be redeemable by the Company and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the Units sold in BYTS’s IPO.
Except as described above under “— Public Warrants — Redemption of Public Warrants when the price per share of Common Stock equals or exceeds $10.00,” if holders of the private warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering his, her or its warrants for that number of shares of common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares underlying the private warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of the common stock (as defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” means the average reported closing price of the common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of warrant exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees is because it was not known at the time of the IPO whether the Sponsor would be affiliated with us following a business combination. If the Sponsor remains affiliated with the Company, its ability to sell the Company’s securities in the open market will be significantly limited. The Company has policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell the Company’s securities, an insider cannot trade in the Company’s securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could exercise their public warrants and sell the shares received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities.
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Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of the Charter, the Bylaws and Certain Provisions of Delaware law
Our charter and bylaws and the DGCL contain provisions, which are summarized in the following paragraphs, which are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of the Board and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of the Company. These provisions are intended to avoid costly takeover battles, reduce the Company’s vulnerability to a hostile change of control or other unsolicited acquisition proposal, and enhance the ability of the Board to maximize stockholder value in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire the Company. However, these provisions may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a merger or acquisition of the Company by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of common stock. Our charter provides that, from and after the date the Company ceases to qualify as a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq listing standards, any action required or permitted to be taken by the Company’s stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such holders, except that any action required or permitted to be taken by holders of any series of preferred stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, to the extent expressly permitted to do so by the certificate of designation relating to one or more series of preferred stock, if a consent or consents, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant class or series having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and are delivered to the Company in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL. See also “Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Securities — Anti-takeover provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could impair a takeover attempt”.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock
Delaware law does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of Nasdaq, which would apply if and so long as the common stock remains listed on Nasdaq, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or then outstanding number of shares of common stock. Additional shares that may be issued in the future may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital or to facilitate acquisitions. One of the effects of the existence of unissued and unreserved capital stock may be to enable the Board to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the Company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise and thereby protect the continuity of management and possibly deprive stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares of common stock at prices higher than prevailing market prices.
Election of Directors and Vacancies
Our charter provides that the Board will determine the number of directors who will serve on the board. The exact number of directors will be fixed from time to time by a majority of the Board. The Board is declassified and consists of one class of directors only, and all directors will be elected annually and will be elected for one year terms expiring at the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders. There will be no limit on the number of terms a director may serve on the Board.
In addition, our charter provides that any vacancy on the Board, including a vacancy that results from an increase in the number of directors or a vacancy that results from the removal of a director with cause, may be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, subject to any rights of the holders of preferred stock.
Quorum
Our bylaws provide that at any meeting of the Board, a majority of the total number of directors then in office constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
No Cumulative Voting
Under Delaware law, the right to vote cumulatively does not exist unless the certificate of incorporation expressly authorizes cumulative voting. Our charter does not authorize cumulative voting.
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Special Meetings of Stockholders
Our charter provides that special meetings of stockholders may be called only by or at the direction of the Board, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or President, in each case, in accordance with our charter and bylaws.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Meetings, Nominations and Proposals
Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the Board or a committee of the Board. For any matter to be “properly brought” before a meeting, a stockholder will have to comply with advance notice requirements and provide the Company with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at the Company’s principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws allow the Board to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of a meeting of the stockholders as it deems appropriate, which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also defer, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of the Company.
Supermajority Provisions
Our charter and bylaws provide that the Board is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal, in whole or in part, the bylaws without a stockholder vote in any matter not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Delaware or our charter. The Company’s stockholders also will have the power to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in an election of directors, voting together as a single class, subject to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Company required by applicable law or by our charter (including any certificate of designation in respect of any series of preferred stock) or bylaws.
The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, unless the certificate of incorporation requires a greater percentage. Our charter provides that the following provisions therein may be amended, altered, repealed or rescinded only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 and 2/3% in voting power all the then outstanding shares of the Company’s stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class:
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| · | the provision regarding the Board being authorized to establish one or more series of preferred stock with such powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences as the Board may determine; |
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| · | the provisions regarding removal of directors; |
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| · | the provisions regarding filling vacancies on the Board and newly created directorships; |
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| · | the provision regarding the Board being authorized to amend the bylaws without a stockholder vote; |
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| · | the provisions regarding calling special meetings of stockholders; |
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| · | the provisions regarding stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of other business proposed to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders; |
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| · | the provisions regarding limitation on liability and indemnification of the Company’s directors and officers; |
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| · | the provisions regarding the Company electing not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL; |
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| · | the provisions adopting Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation and adopting the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forum for resolving complaints asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act; |
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| · | the provisions regarding the Company renouncing its interest or expectancy in any corporate opportunity offered to any of its non-employee directors or principal stockholders and their affiliates; and |
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| · | the amendment provision requiring that the above provisions be amended only with a 66 and 2/3% supermajority vote. |
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These provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying or preventing changes in control of the Company or its management, such as a merger, reorganization or tender offer. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of the Board and its policies and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of the Company. These provisions are designed to reduce the Company’s vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions are also intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for common stock and, as a consequence, may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of common stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Such provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in management.
Exclusive Forum
Our charter provides that, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery lacks subject matter jurisdiction, any state court located within the State of Delaware or, if and only if all such state courts lack subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) and any appellate court thereof shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the following claims or causes of action under the Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding against the Company or any current or former director, officer or other employee of the Company arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our charter or bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time), (iv) any claim or cause of action seeking to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our charter or bylaws (as each may be amended from time to time, including any right, obligation, or remedy thereunder), (v) any action, suit or proceeding as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Chancery Court, or (vi) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Company or any current or former director, officer or other employee of the Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine or otherwise related to the Company’s internal affairs, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of capital stock of the Company will be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our charter. Our charter further provides that unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for the resolutions of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. This provision in the charter will not apply to any claim or action arising under the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction; however, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. However, it is possible that a court could find the Company’s forum selection provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable. Although the Company believes this provision will benefit the Company by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against the Company’s directors and officers.
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 charter, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Delaware law, renounces any interest or expectancy that the Company has in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, specified business opportunities that are from time to time presented to a member of the Board who is not an employee of the Company or its subsidiaries, or the principal stockholders of the Company and their affiliates. Our charter does not renounce the Company’s interest in any business opportunity that is expressly offered to a non-employee director solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the Company.
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Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
The DGCL authorizes corporations to limit or eliminate the personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of directors’ fiduciary duties, subject to certain exceptions. Our charter includes a provision that eliminates the personal liability of directors and officers for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL. The effect of these provisions is to eliminate the rights of the Company and its stockholders, through stockholders’ derivative suits on the Company’s behalf, to recover monetary damages from a director or officer for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, including breaches resulting from grossly negligent behavior. However, exculpation does not apply to any director or officer if the director or officer has acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized illegal dividends or redemptions or derived an improper benefit from his or her actions as a director or officer.
The limitation of liability provision in our charter and bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors or officers for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions also may have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit the Company and its stockholders. In addition, your investment may be adversely affected to the extent the Company pays the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to any indemnity agreements that may be entered into. The Company believes that this provision, liability insurance and any indemnity agreements that may be entered into are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced directors and officers.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to the Company’s directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Company has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
There is currently no pending material litigation or proceeding involving any of the Company’s respective directors, officers or employees for which indemnification is sought.
Dividends
We have not paid any cash dividends on common stock and do not intend to pay cash dividends on common stock in the foreseeable future. We intend to retain future earnings, if any, for reinvestment in the development and expansion of our business. Whether we pay cash dividends in the future will be at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements and any other factors that the Board decides is relevant. If we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.
Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent
The transfer agent for the common stock and warrant agent for the warrants is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. Its address is 48 Wall Street, Floor 23, New York, NY 10005, and its telephone number is (800) 937-5449.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any debt securities offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the indenture, we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
We will issue the debt securities under the indenture that we will enter into with the trustee who will be named in the indenture. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
The following summary of material provisions of the debt securities and the indenture is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities.
General
The indenture will not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. It provides that we may issue debt securities up to the principal amount that we may authorize and may be in any currency or currency unit that we may designate. Except for the limitations on consolidation, merger and sale of all or substantially all of our assets contained in the indenture, the terms of the indenture do not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to give holders of any debt securities protection against changes in our operations, financial condition or transactions involving us.
We may issue the debt securities issued under the indenture as “discount securities,” which means they may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. These debt securities, as well as other debt securities that are not issued at a discount, may be issued with “original issue discount,” or OID, for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of interest payment and other characteristics or terms of the debt securities. Material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued with OID will be described in more detail in any applicable prospectus supplement.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:
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| · | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount that may be issued; |
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| · | the maturity date or dates; |
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| · | the form of the debt securities of the series; |
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| · | whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt; |
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| · | whether the debt securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination; |
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| · | if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such debt securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined; |
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| · | the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates; |
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| · | our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period; |
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| · | if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions; |
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| · | the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable; |
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| · | the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
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| · | any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the debt securities of that series and any security for our obligations with respect to such debt securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of debt securities of that series; |
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| · | whether the debt securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security or securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such global security or securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual securities; and the depositary for such global security or securities; |
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| · | if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at our option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange; |
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| · | if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of debt securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
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| · | additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant; |
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| · | additions to or changes in the events of default with respect to the securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such securities to be due and payable; |
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| · | additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance; |
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| · | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of the indenture; |
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| · | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of the indenture both with and without the consent of holders of debt securities issued under the indenture; |
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| · | the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; |
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| · | whether interest will be payable in cash or additional debt securities at our or the holders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made; |
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| · | the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we will pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the debt securities of the series to any holder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes; |
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| · | any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the debt securities of the series; and |
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| · | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of the indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations. |
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Conversion or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock or our other securities. We will include provisions as to settlement upon conversion or exchange and whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock or our other securities that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indenture will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of our assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets (other than a subsidiary of ours) must assume all of our obligations under the indenture or the debt securities, as appropriate.
Events of Default under the Indenture
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:
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| · | if we fail to pay any installment of interest on any series of debt securities, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by us in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose; |
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| · | if we fail to pay the principal of, or premium, if any, on any series of debt securities as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to such series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such debt securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any; |
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| · | if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the debt securities or the indenture, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such is a notice of default thereunder, from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and |
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If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point above occurs with respect to us, the principal amount of and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.
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Subject to the terms of the indenture, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:
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A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indenture or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:
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| · | the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series; |
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| · | the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, |
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These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities.
We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indenture.
Modification of Indenture; Waiver
We and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters:
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| · | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture or in the debt securities of any series; |
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| · | to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Debt Securities — Consolidation, Merger or Sale;” |
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| · | to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities; |
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| · | to add to our covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture; |
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| · | to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture; |
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| · | to make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect; |
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| · | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided above under “Description of Debt Securities — General” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities; |
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| · | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under any indenture by a successor trustee; or |
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| · | to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act. |
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In addition, under the indenture, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:
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| · | extending the fixed maturity of any debt securities of any series; |
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| · | reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption of any series of any debt securities; or |
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| · | reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver. |
Discharge
The indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:
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| · | provide for payment; |
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| · | register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series; |
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| · | replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series; |
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| · | pay principal of and premium and interest on any debt securities of the series; |
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| · | maintain paying agencies |
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| · | hold monies for payment in trust; |
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| · | recover excess money held by the trustee; |
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| · | compensate and indemnify the trustee; and |
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| · | appoint any successor trustee. |
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In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indenture provides that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, or another depositary named by us and identified in the applicable prospectus supplement with respect to that series. To the extent the debt securities of a series are issued in global form and as book-entry, a description of terms relating such securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will impose no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.
If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:
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| · | issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or |
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| · | register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part. |
Information Concerning the Trustee
The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture. Upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indenture at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.
All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
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We may issue warrants to purchase our common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.
The terms of each series of warrants will be contained in the applicable warrant agreements. The applicable prospectus supplement for the warrants will contain the terms of and other information relating to the warrants which will include, as applicable:
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| · | the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered; |
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| · | the currency in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable; |
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| · | the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security; |
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| · | the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
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| · | in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the exercise price and the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as applicable, to be received upon exercise of the warrants; |
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| · | in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise; |
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| · | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which that right will expire or, if the warrants may not be continuously exercised throughout that period, the specific date or dates on which the warrants may be exercised; |
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| · | a discussion of any material United States federal income tax considerations related to the holding or exercise of the warrants; |
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| · | the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants, if any, and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents; |
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| · | any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
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| · | the designation and terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
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| · | the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time; |
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| · | the anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any; |
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| · | the rights to redeem or call the warrants, if any; |
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| · | the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants; and |
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| · | any other specific terms, preferences, rights and limitations of or restrictions on the warrants. |
Before the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities issuable upon exercise. Holders of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock will not be entitled to vote, consent, receive dividends, receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of our directors, receive payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or to exercise any rights whatsoever as our stockholders. In the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, holders of warrants will not have the right to receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for any warrants will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. Units may be offered independently or together with common stock, preferred stock or warrants offered by any prospectus supplement, and may be attached to or separate from those securities. While the terms we have summarized below will generally apply to any future units that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of units that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any units offered under an applicable prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below.
We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part the form of unit agreement, including a form of unit certificate, if any, that describes the terms of the series of units we are offering before the issuance of the related series of units. The following summaries of material provisions of the units, and the unit agreements, are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the unit agreement applicable to a particular series of units. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements related to the units that we sell under this prospectus, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units.
We may issue units comprised of one or more of the securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement, if any, under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities comprising the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.
The particular terms and provisions of units offered by an applicable prospectus supplement, and the extent to which the general terms and provisions described below may apply thereto, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement filed in respect of such units. This description will include, where applicable:
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| · | the designation and aggregate number of units offered; |
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| · | the price at which the units will be offered; |
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| · | the rights and obligations of the unit agent, if any; |
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| · | the currency or currencies in which the units are denominated; |
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| · | any provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described below; |
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| · | the terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
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| · | the number of securities that may be purchased upon exercise of each unit and the price at which the currency or currencies in which that amount of securities may be purchased upon exercise of each unit; |
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| · | any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer, adjustment or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
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| · | any other material terms of the units. |
We reserve the right to set forth in an applicable prospectus supplement specific terms of the units that are not within the options and parameters set forth in this prospectus. In addition, to the extent that any particular terms of the units described in an applicable prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described in this prospectus, the description of such terms set forth in this prospectus shall be deemed to have been superseded by the description of the differing terms set forth in such prospectus supplement with respect to such units.
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We may sell the securities, from time to time, to or through underwriters or dealers, through agents or remarketing firms, or directly to one or more purchasers pursuant to:
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| · | underwritten public offerings; |
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| · | negotiated transactions; |
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| · | block trades; |
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| · | “At the Market Offerings,” within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, into an existing trading market, at prevailing market prices; or |
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| · | through a combination of these methods. |
We may sell the securities to or through one or more underwriters or dealers (acting as principal or agent), through agents, or directly to one or more purchasers.
We may distribute securities from time to time in one or more transactions:
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| · | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
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| · | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
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| · | at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or |
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| · | at negotiated prices. |
A prospectus supplement or supplements (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:
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| · | the name or names of the underwriters, dealers or agents, if any; |
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| · | if the securities are to be offered through the selling efforts of brokers or dealers, the plan of distribution and the terms of any agreement, arrangement, or understanding entered into with broker(s) or dealer(s) prior to the effective date of the registration statement, and, if known, the identity of any broker(s) or dealer(s) who will participate in the offering and the amount to be offered through each; |
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| · | the purchase price of the securities or other consideration therefor, and the proceeds, if any, we will receive from the sale; |
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| · | if any of the securities being registered are to be offered otherwise than for cash, the general purposes of the distribution, the basis upon which the securities are to be offered, the amount of compensation and other expenses of distribution, and by whom they are to be borne; |
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| · | any delayed delivery arrangements; |
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| · | any over-allotment or other options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us; |
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| · | any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents’ or underwriters’ compensation; |
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| · | any public offering price; |
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| · | any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; |
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| · | the identity and relationships of any finders, if applicable; and |
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| · | any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed. |
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In compliance with the guidelines of FINRA, the maximum compensation to the underwriters or dealers in connection with the sale by the Company of its securities pursuant to this prospectus and the accompanying supplement to this prospectus may not exceed 8% of the aggregate offering price of the securities as set forth on the cover page of any prospectus supplement.
Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement will be underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement.
If underwriters are used in the sale, they will acquire the securities for their own account and may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to the conditions set forth in the applicable underwriting agreement. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, subject to certain conditions, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement, other than securities covered by any underwriter’s option. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may change from time to time. We may use underwriters, dealers or agents with whom we have a material relationship. We will describe in the prospectus supplement, naming the underwriter, dealer or agent, the nature of any such relationship.
We may use a remarketing firm to offer the securities in connection with a remarketing arrangement upon their purchase. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own account or as agents for us. These remarketing firms will offer or sell the securities pursuant to the terms of the securities. A prospectus supplement will identify any remarketing firm and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and will describe the remarketing firm’s compensation. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection the securities they remarket.
If we offer and sell securities through a dealer, we or an underwriter will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. The name of the dealer and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may sell securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions payable to the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, the agent will act on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
Dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and compensation received by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts. If such dealers or agents were deemed to be underwriters, they may be subject to statutory liabilities under the Securities Act.
We may sell securities directly to one or more purchasers without using underwriters or agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act, and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.
We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by certain types of institutional investors to purchase 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. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.
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We may provide agents, underwriters and dealers with indemnification against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents, underwriters or dealers may make with respect to these liabilities. Agents, underwriters and dealers, or their respective affiliates, may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.
The securities we offer may be new issues of securities and may have no established trading market. The securities may or may not be listed on a securities exchange. Underwriters may make a market in these securities but will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of, or the existence of trading markets for, any of the securities.
Any underwriter may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, short-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Over-allotment involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum price. Syndicate-covering or other short-covering transactions involve purchases of the securities, either through exercise of the over-allotment option or in the open market after the distribution is completed, to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a stabilizing or covering transaction to cover short positions. Those activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of the activities at any time.
Any underwriters that are qualified market makers on Nasdaq may engage in passive market making transactions in the common stock on Nasdaq in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, during the business day prior to the pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the common stock. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded. Passive market making may stabilize the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
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Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, certain legal matters relating to the securities will be passed upon for us by Loeb & Loeb LLP. As appropriate, legal counsel representing the underwriters, dealers or agents will be named in the accompanying prospectus supplement and may opine to certain legal matters.
The consolidated financial statements of Airship AI Holdings, Inc. as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2025 incorporated in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BPM LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, upon the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, and amendments to those reports, are also available for download, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC, at our website at www.airship.ai. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information in other documents that we file with it. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and information in documents that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede information contained in documents filed earlier with the SEC or contained in this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the documents listed below and any future filings that we may make with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act in this prospectus, between the date of this prospectus and the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents, information or portions thereof deemed to have been furnished and not filed, including any information that we disclose under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K.
This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:
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| · | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on February 17, 2026; |
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| · | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2026, filed with the SEC on May 8, 2026; and |
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| · | the description of our capital stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-40222), filed with the SEC on March 16, 2021, and any amendments or supplements thereto. |
You may request, orally or in writing, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated herein by reference. These documents will be provided to you at no cost, by contacting: Airship AI Holdings, Inc., 8210 154th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052. In addition, copies of any or all of the documents incorporated herein by reference may be accessed at our website at www.airship.ai. The information on such website is not incorporated by reference and is not a part of this prospectus.
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PART II - INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the estimated costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by the registrant in connection with the offering of the securities being registered. All the amounts shown are estimates, except for the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registration fee. The amounts do not include the costs of preparing any prospectus supplements, Nasdaq listing fees, FINRA filing fees, trustee fees, transfer agent fees or other expenses relating to the sale and distribution of particular securities registered under this registration statement, as those costs and expenses cannot be estimated at this time.
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| Amount to be paid |
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| SEC registration fee |
| $ | 13,810 |
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| FINRA filing fee |
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| (1 | ) |
| Printing expenses |
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| (1 | ) |
| Accounting fees and expenses |
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| (1 | ) |
| Legal fees and expenses |
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| (1 | ) |
| Miscellaneous |
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| (1 | ) |
| Total |
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| (1 | ) |
| (1) | These fees and expenses depend on the securities offered and the number of issuances and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time. |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145(a) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), because he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which he or she shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, he or she is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court shall deem proper.
Section 145(g) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the person against such liability under Section 145 of the DGCL.
The Company’s charter contains provisions limiting the liability of the members of the Company’s board of directors, and the Company’s bylaws provide that the Company will indemnify each of the members of the Company’s board of directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law. The Company’s bylaws will also provide the board of directors with discretion to indemnify employees and agents of the Company.
The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers and certain other key employees. The indemnification agreements provide that the Company will indemnify each of its directors and executive officers and such other key employees against any and all expenses incurred by such director, executive officer or other key employee because of his or her status as one of the Company’s directors, executive officers or other key employees, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law and the Company’s charter and bylaws. In addition, the indemnification agreements will provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, the Company will advance all expenses incurred by its directors, executive officers and other key employees in connection with a legal proceeding involving his or her status as a director, executive officer or key employee.
| 34 |
| Table of Contents |
Item 16. Exhibits.
(a) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. |
| Description |
| 1.1* |
| Form of Underwriting Agreement. |
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| ||
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| ||
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| ||
| 4.2* |
| Form of warrant agreement and any warrant certificate, if any. |
| 4.3* |
| Form of Preferred Stock Certificate, if any. |
| 4.4* |
| Certificate of designation for preferred stock, if any. |
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| ||
| 4.6* |
| Form of Debt Securities, if any. |
| 4.7* |
| Form of Unit Agreement, if any. |
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| Consent of BPM LLP — independent registered public accounting firm. | |
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| Consent of Loeb & Loeb LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5.1 hereto). | |
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| Power of Attorney (contained on the signature page to this registration statement). | |
| 25.1** |
| Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of a trustee acceptable to the registrant, as trustee under the Indenture with respect to senior debt securities. |
|
|
| † | Certain schedules and similar attachments to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted exhibit or schedule to the SEC upon request. |
| * | To be filed, if necessary, subsequent to the effectiveness of this registration statement by an amendment to this registration statement or incorporated by reference pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K in connection with an offering of securities. |
| ** | To the extent applicable, to be filed under Form 305B2. |
| *** | Previously filed. |
| 35 |
| Table of Contents |
Item 17. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
(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) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act 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 the 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; and
| 36 |
| Table of Contents |
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or 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.
(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(j) If and when applicable, 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 Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act.
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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 Redmond, State of Washington on May 14, 2026.
|
| Airship AI Holdings, Inc. |
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| By: | /s/ Victor Huang |
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| Name: Victor Huang |
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| Title: Chief Executive Officer |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement and power of attorney have been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on May 14 , 2026.
| Signature |
| Title |
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| /s/ Victor Huang |
| Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board |
| Victor Huang |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
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| /s/ Mark E. Scott |
| Chief Financial Officer |
| Mark E. Scott |
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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| * |
| Chief Operating Officer and Director |
| Derek Xu |
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| * |
| Director |
| Peeyush Ranjan |
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| * |
| Director |
| Louis Lebedin |
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| * |
| Director |
| Amit Mital |
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| *By: | /s/ Victor Huang |
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| Victor Huang |
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| Attorney-in-fact |
| |
| 38 |
EXHIBIT 4.5
Airship AI Holdings, Inc.
And
, as Trustee
INDENTURE
Dated as of ,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE |
| 1 |
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| 1.1 DEFINITIONS. |
| 1 |
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| 1.2 1.2 OTHER DEFINITIONS. |
| 4 |
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| 1.3 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT. |
| 4 |
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| 1.4 RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. |
| 5 |
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| ARTICLE 2 THE SECURITIES |
| 5 |
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| 2.1 ISSUABLE IN SERIES. |
| 5 |
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| 2.2 ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES. |
| 5 |
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| 2.3 EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION. |
| 7 |
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| 2.4 REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT. |
| 8 |
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| 2.5 PAYING AGENT TO HOLD ASSETS IN TRUST. |
| 9 |
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| 2.6 SECURITYHOLDER LISTS. |
| 9 |
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| 2.7 TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE. |
| 9 |
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| 2.8 REPLACEMENT SECURITIES. |
| 10 |
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| 2.9 OUTSTANDING SECURITIES. |
| 10 |
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| 2.10 WHEN TREASURY SECURITIES DISREGARDED; DETERMINATION OF HOLDERS ACTION. |
| 10 |
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| 2.11 TEMPORARY SECURITIES. |
| 10 |
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| 2.12 CANCELLATION. |
| 11 |
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| 2.13 PAYMENT OF INTEREST; DEFAULTED INTEREST; COMPUTATION OF INTEREST. |
| 11 |
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| 2.14 CUSIP NUMBER. |
| 11 |
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| 2.15 PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES. |
| 11 |
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| 2.16 PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS. |
| 12 |
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| ARTICLE 3 REDEMPTION |
| 13 |
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| 3.1 NOTICES TO TRUSTEE. |
| 13 |
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| 3.2 SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED. |
| 13 |
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| 3.3 NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. |
| 13 |
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| 3.4 EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. |
| 14 |
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| 3.5 DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE. |
| 14 |
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| 3.6 SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART. |
| 14 |
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| ARTICLE 4 COVENANTS |
| 14 |
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| 4.1 PAYMENT OF SECURITIES. |
| 14 |
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| 4.2 SEC REPORTS. |
| 15 |
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| 4.3 WAIVER OF STAY, EXTENSION OR USURY LAWS. |
| 15 |
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| 4.4 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE. |
| 15 |
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| 4.5 CORPORATE EXISTENCE. |
| 16 |
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| ARTICLE 5 SUCCESSOR CORPORATION |
| 16 |
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| 5.1 LIMITATION ON CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE OF ASSETS. |
| 16 |
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| 5.2 SUCCESSOR PERSON SUBSTITUTED. |
| 16 |
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| ARTICLE 6 DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES |
| 17 |
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| 6.1 EVENTS OF DEFAULT. |
| 17 |
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| 6.2 ACCELERATION. |
| 17 |
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| 6.3 REMEDIES. |
| 18 |
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| 6.4 WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT. |
| 18 |
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| 6.5 CONTROL BY MAJORITY. |
| 18 |
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| 6.6 LIMITATION ON SUITS. |
| 18 |
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| 6.7 RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT. |
| 19 |
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| 6.8 COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE. |
| 19 |
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| 6.9 TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM. |
| 19 |
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| 6.10 PRIORITIES. |
| 20 |
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| 6.11 UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS. |
| 20 |
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| ARTICLE 7 TRUSTEE |
| 20 |
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| 7.1 DUTIES OF TRUSTEE. |
| 20 |
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| 7.2 RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE. |
| 21 |
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| 7.3 INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE. |
| 21 |
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| 7.4 TRUSTEE S DISCLAIMER. |
| 22 |
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| 7.5 NOTICE OF DEFAULT. |
| 22 |
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| 7.6 REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS. |
| 22 |
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| 7.7 COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY. |
| 22 |
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| 7.8 REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE. |
| 23 |
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| 7.9 SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR CONVERSION. |
| 23 |
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| 7.10 ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION. |
| 23 |
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| 7.11 PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY. |
| 24 |
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| 7.12 PAYING AGENTS. |
| 24 |
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| ARTICLE 8 AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS |
| 24 |
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| 8.1 WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS. |
| 24 |
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| 8.2 WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS. |
| 25 |
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| 8.3 COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT. |
| 25 |
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| 8.4 REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS. |
| 26 |
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| 8.5 NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES. |
| 26 |
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| 8.6 TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC. |
| 26 |
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| ARTICLE 9 DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE |
| 26 |
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| 9.1 DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE. |
| 26 |
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| 9.2 LEGAL DEFEASANCE. |
| 27 |
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| 9.3 COVENANT DEFEASANCE. |
| 27 |
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| 9.4 CONDITIONS TO LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE. |
| 27 |
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| 9.5 DEPOSITED MONEY AND U.S. AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. |
| 28 |
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| 9.6 REINSTATEMENT. |
| 29 |
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| 9.7 MONEYS HELD BY PAYING AGENT. |
| 29 |
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| 9.8 MONEYS HELD BY TRUSTEE. |
| 29 |
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| ARTICLE 10 MISCELLANEOUS |
| 30 |
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| 10.1 TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS. |
| 30 |
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| 10.2 NOTICES. |
| 30 |
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| 10.3 COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS WITH OTHER HOLDERS. |
| 31 |
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| 10.4 CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. |
| 31 |
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| 10.5 STATEMENT REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE AND OPINION. |
| 31 |
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| 10.6 RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS. |
| 31 |
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| 10.7 BUSINESS DAYS; LEGAL HOLIDAYS; PLACE OF PAYMENT. |
| 31 |
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| 10.8 GOVERNING LAW. |
| 32 |
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| 10.9 NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS. |
| 32 |
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| 10.10 NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. |
| 32 |
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| 10.11 SUCCESSORS. |
| 32 |
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| 10.12 MULTIPLE COUNTERPARTS. |
| 32 |
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| 10.13 TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC. |
| 32 |
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| 10.14 SEVERABILITY. |
| 32 |
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| 10.15 SECURITIES IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY OR IN EUROS. |
| 33 |
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| 10.16 JUDGMENT CURRENCY. |
| 33 |
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
| TIA SECTION | INDENTURE SECTION | |
| 310(a)(1)(2)(5) | 7.10 | |
| 310(a)(3)(4) | Inapplicable | |
| 310(b) | 7.8; 7.10 | |
| 310(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 311(a)(b) | 7.11 | |
| 311(c) | Inapplicable | |
| 312(a) | 2.6 | |
| 312(b)(c) | 10.3 | |
| 313(a)(b) | 7.6 | |
| 313(c) | 7.6; 10.2 | |
| 313(d) | 7.6 | |
| 314(a) | 4.2; 4.4; 10.2 | |
| 314(b) | N/A | |
| 314(c)(1)(2) | 10.4; 10.5 | |
| 314(c)(3) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(d) | Inapplicable | |
| 314(e) | 10.5 | |
| 314(f) | Inapplicable | |
| 315(a) | 7.1, 7.2 | |
| 315(b) | 7.5; 10.2 | |
| 315(c) | 7.1 | |
| 315(d) | 7.1; 7.2 | |
| 315(e) | 6.11 | |
| 316(a)(last sentence) | 2.10 | |
| 316(a)(1)(A) | 6.5 | |
| 316(a)(1)(B) | 6.4 | |
| 316(a)(2) | 8.2 | |
| 316(b) | 6.7 | |
| 316(c) | 8.4 | |
| 317(a)(1) | 6.8 | |
| 317(a)(2) | 6.9 | |
| 317(b) | 2.5; 7.12 | |
| 318(a) | 10.1 |
Note: This Cross-Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.
INDENTURE, dated as of , , by and between Airship AI Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, as Issuer (the “Company”) and , a organized under the laws of , as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness to be issued in one or more series (the “Securities”), as herein provided, up to such principal amount as may from time to time be authorized in or pursuant to one or more resolutions of the Board of Directors or by supplemental indenture.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company in accordance with its terms have been done, and the execution and delivery thereof have been in all respects duly authorized by the parties hereto.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities of a Series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
1.1 DEFINITIONS.
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person which, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by or is under common control with, such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by agreement or otherwise.
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent, co-registrar or agent for service of notices and demands.
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any committee duly authorized to act therefor.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification which has been delivered to the Trustee.
“Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock, partnership interests or any other participation, right or other interest in the nature of an equity interest in such Person or any option, warrant or other security convertible into any of the foregoing.
“Company” means the party named as such in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor replaces such party pursuant to Article 5 of this Indenture, and thereafter means the successor and any other primary obligor on the Securities.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be its Chief Executive Officer or its Chief Financial Officer.
| 1 |
“Company Request” means any written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any Vice President, its Chief Financial Officer or its Treasurer and attested to by its Secretary or any Assistant Secretary.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered.
“Default” means any event that is, or that with the passing of time or giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the Person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, until a successor Depository shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Depository” shall mean each Person who is then a Depository hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, such Persons.
“Dollars” means the currency of the United States of America.
“Euro” means the single currency of participating member states of the economic and monetary union as contemplated in the Treaty on European Union.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of the United States of America.
“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to Securities that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, (i) direct obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by, or acting as an agency or instrumentality of, such government, the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such government, which, in either case under clauses (i) and (ii), are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied as in effect in the United States of America from time to time.
“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2, evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee, and bearing the legend set forth in Section 2.15(c) (or such other legend(s) as may be applied to such Securities in accordance with Section 2.2(24)).
“Holder” or “Securityholder” means the Person in whose name a Security is registered on the Registrar’s books.
“Indebtedness” means (without duplication), with respect to any Person, any indebtedness at any time outstanding, secured or unsecured, contingent or otherwise, which is for borrowed money (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such Person or only to a portion thereof), or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments, or representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property (excluding any balances that constitute accounts payable or trade payables, and other accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business), if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP.
“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time.
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“Interest Payment Date,” when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Lien” means, with respect to any property or assets of any Person, any mortgage or deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, security interest, lien, charge, easement, encumbrance, preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever on or with respect to such property or assets (including, without limitation, any capitalized lease obligation, conditional sales or other title retention agreement having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing).
“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security, or an installment of principal, becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, notice of option to elect payment or otherwise.
“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company, or any other officer designated by the Board of Directors, as the case may be.
“Officers’ Certificate” means, with respect to any Person, a certificate signed by the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President or any Senior or Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer or any Treasurer of such Person, that shall comply with applicable provisions of this Indenture.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel, which counsel is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government (including any agency or political subdivision thereof).
“Redemption Date,” when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption pursuant to this Indenture.
“Responsible Officer,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department or division of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers, and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as constituted from time to time, or any successor performing substantially the same functions.
“Securities” means the securities that are issued under this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2.
“Significant Subsidiary” means (i) any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof, or (ii) any group of direct or indirect Subsidiaries of the Company that, taken together as a group, would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, as such regulation is in effect on the date hereof.
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“Stated Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security, or such installment of principal or interest, is due and payable, and when used with respect to any other Indebtedness, means the date specified in the instrument governing such Indebtedness as the fixed date on which the principal of such Indebtedness, or any installment of interest thereon, is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” of any specified Person means any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity, whether now existing or hereafter organized or acquired, (i) in the case of a corporation, of which more than 50% of the total voting power of the Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors thereof is held, directly or indirectly, by such Person or any of its Subsidiaries; or (ii) in the case of a partnership, joint venture, association or other business entity, with respect to which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such entity by contract or otherwise, or if in accordance with GAAP such entity is consolidated with such Person for financial statement purposes.
“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Section 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture (except as provided in Section 8.3).
“Trustee” means the party named as such in this Indenture until a successor replaces it pursuant to this Indenture, and thereafter means the successor, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means direct non-callable obligations of, or non-callable obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which obligation or guarantee the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged.
1.2 OTHER DEFINITIONS.
The definitions of the following terms may be found in the sections indicated as follows:
| TERM | DEFINED IN SECTION | |
| “Bankruptcy Law” | 6.1 | |
| “Business Day” | 10.7 | |
| “Covenant Defeasance” | 9.3 | |
| “Custodian” | 6.1 | |
| “Event of Default” | 6.1 | |
| “Journal” | 10.15 | |
| “Judgment Currency” | 10.16 | |
| “Legal Defeasance” | 9.2 | |
| “Legal Holiday” | 10.7 | |
| “Market Exchange Rate” | 10.15 | |
| “New York Paying Agent” | 2.4 | |
| “Paying Agent” | 2.4 | |
| “Place of Payment” | 10.7 | |
| “Registrar” | 2.4 | |
| “Required Currency” | 10.16 | |
| “Service Agent” | 2.4 |
1.3 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the portion of such provision required to be incorporated herein in order for this Indenture to be qualified under the TIA is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“Commission” means the SEC.
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“Indenture securities” means the Securities.
“Indenture securityholder” means a Holder or Securityholder.
“Indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“Indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.
“Obligor on the indenture securities” means the Company.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined in the TIA by reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule have the meanings therein assigned to them.
1.4 RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
| 1) | a term has the meaning assigned to it herein, whether defined expressly or by reference; | |
| 2) | an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP; | |
| 3) | “or” is not exclusive; | |
| 4) | words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; | |
| 5) | words used herein implying any gender shall apply to each gender; and | |
| 6) | 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. |
ARTICLE 2
THE SECURITIES
2.1 ISSUABLE IN SERIES.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is $ , , . The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, Stated Maturity, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, PROVIDED, that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
2.2 ESTABLISHMENT OF TERMS OF SERIES OF SECURITIES.
At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2(1) and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2(2) through 2.2(24)) by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, in each case, pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:
(1) the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 8.5);
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(3) the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;
(4) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;
(5) the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;
(6) the place or places where the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series shall be payable, or the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;
(7) if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof, and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(9) the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof, and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;
(10) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;
(11) the forms of the Securities of the Series in bearer (if to be issued outside of the United States of America) or fully registered form (and, if in fully registered form, whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities);
(12) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;
(13) the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, including, but not limited to, the Euro, and, if such currency of denomination is a composite currency other than the Euro, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
(14) the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series will be made;
(15) if payments of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;
(16) the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, or interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
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(17) the provisions, if any, relating to any collateral provided for the Securities of the Series;
(18) any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Articles 4 or 5 that applies to Securities of the Series;
(19) any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series, any provision for the payment of additional interest or liquidated damages in connection with any Event of Default, and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;
(20) the terms and conditions, if any, for conversion of the Securities into or exchange of the Securities for shares of common stock, preferred stock, other debt securities or warrants for common stock, preferred stock or other securities of any kind of the Company that apply to Securities of the Series;
(21) any Trustees, depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;
(22) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the Securities shall be subordinated in right of payment to other Indebtedness of the Company;
(23) if applicable, that the Securities of the Series, in whole or any specified part, shall be defeasible pursuant to Article 9; and
(24) any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 8.1, but which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series).
All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time, and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, however, the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.
2.3 EXECUTION AND AUTHENTICATION.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by two Officers of the Company or an Officer and an Assistant Secretary of the Company. Each such signature may be either manual or facsimile. The Company’s seal may be impressed, affixed, imprinted or reproduced on the Securities and may be in facsimile form.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture. The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
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The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of any Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised in writing by outside counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith by its board of directors or trustees, executive committee or a trust committee of directors and/or vice-presidents shall reasonably determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability, or cause it to have a conflict of interest with respect to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Any appointment shall be evidenced by an instrument signed by an authorized officer of the Trustee, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Company. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
2.4 REGISTRAR AND PAYING AGENT.
The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for any Series of Securities (i) an office or agency where such Securities may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”), (ii) an office or agency where such Securities may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”) (PROVIDED that the Company shall at all times maintain a Paying Agent in the Borough of Manhattan, City of New York, State of New York (the “New York Paying Agent”), and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the register for the Securities maintained by the Registrar), and (iii) an office or agency where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served (“Service Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register of the Securities and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may have one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents. The Company shall 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 to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the address of the Trustee as set forth in Section 10.2. If the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it for the payment of principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company may change any Paying Agent, Registrar, co-registrar or any other Agent without notice to any Securityholder.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes, and may from time to time rescind such designations; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as such office of the Company. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of such designation or rescission, and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Registrar or Paying Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Company shall notify the Trustee of the name and address of any such Agent. If the Company fails to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent, or agent for service of notices and demands, or fails to give the foregoing notice, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued. The Company designates , as the New York Paying Agent, with offices at .
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2.5 PAYING AGENT TO HOLD ASSETS IN TRUST.
The Trustee as Paying Agent shall, and the Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that each Paying Agent shall, hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of any Series of Securities or the Trustee all assets held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Series of Securities (whether such assets have been distributed to it by the Company or any other obligor on such Series of Securities), and the Company and the Paying Agent shall notify the Trustee in writing of any Default by the Company (or any other obligor on such Series of Securities) in making any such payment. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and account for any assets disbursed, and the Trustee may, at any time during the continuance of any payment default with respect to any Series of Securities, upon written request to a Paying Agent, require such Paying Agent to distribute all assets held by it to the Trustee and to account for any assets distributed. Upon distribution to the Trustee of all assets that shall have been delivered by the Company to the Paying Agent, the Paying Agent shall have no further liability for such assets.
2.6 SECURITYHOLDER LISTS.
The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities. If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee as of each regular record date for the payment of interest on the Securities of a Series and before each related Interest Payment Date, and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.
2.7 TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.
When Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar with a request to register the transfer thereof, the Registrar shall register the transfer as requested if the requirements of applicable law are met, and when such Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar with a request to exchange them for an equal principal amount of other authorized denominations of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall make the exchange as requested. To permit transfers and exchanges, upon surrender of any Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 2.4, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request.
If Securities are issued as Global Securities, the provisions of Section 2.15 shall apply.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Registrar or a co-registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Registrar or a co-registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
Any exchange or transfer shall be without charge, except that the Company may require payment by the Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation to a transfer or exchange, but this provision shall not apply to any exchange pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.6 or 8.5. The Trustee shall not be required to register transfers of Securities of any Series, or to exchange Securities of any Series, for a period of 15 days before the record date for selection for redemption of such Securities. The Trustee shall not be required to exchange or register transfers of Securities of any Series called or being called for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of such Security being redeemed in part.
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2.8 REPLACEMENT SECURITIES.
If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, or if the Holder of a Security presents evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee that the Security has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding. An indemnity bond may be required by the Company or the Trustee that is sufficient in the reasonable judgment of the Company or the Trustee, as the case may be, to protect the Company, the Trustee or any Agent from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced. The Company may charge such Holder for the Company’s out-of-pocket expenses in replacing a Security, including the fees and expenses of the Trustee. Every replacement Security shall constitute an original additional obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
2.9 OUTSTANDING SECURITIES.
Securities outstanding at any time are all Securities authenticated by the Trustee, except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section 2.9 as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8 (other than a mutilated Security surrendered for replacement), it ceases to be outstanding until the Company and the Trustee receive proof satisfactory to each of them that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser. A mutilated Security ceases to be outstanding upon surrender of such Security and replacement thereof pursuant to Section 2.8.
If a Paying Agent holds on a Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity money sufficient to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on, Securities payable on that date, and is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders thereof pursuant to the terms of this Indenture (PROVIDED, that if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made), then on and after that date such Securities cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
A Security does not cease to be outstanding solely because the Company or an Affiliate holds the Security.
2.10 WHEN TREASURY SECURITIES DISREGARDED; DETERMINATION OF HOLDERS’ ACTION.
In determining whether the Holders of the required aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any Series have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, the Securities of any Series owned by the Company or any other obligor on such Securities, or by any Affiliate of any of them, shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities of such Series which the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities of such Series so owned which have been pledged in good faith shall not be disregarded if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to the Securities of such Series and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of such Series, or an Affiliate of any of them.
2.11 TEMPORARY SECURITIES.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form, and shall carry all rights, of definitive Securities, but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities without charge to the Holder.
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2.12 CANCELLATION.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption or registration of transfer or exchange, or for credit against any sinking fund payment, shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee or, at the direction of the Trustee, the Registrar or the Paying Agent, and no one else, shall cancel, and at the written request of the Company shall dispose of, all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation. If the Company shall acquire any of the Securities, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the Indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation pursuant to this Section 2.12. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section 2.12, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture.
2.13 PAYMENT OF INTEREST; DEFAULTED INTEREST; COMPUTATION OF INTEREST.
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 2.2 with respect to any Series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest, as provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the terms of such Series.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on the Securities, it shall pay the defaulted amounts, plus any interest payable on defaulted amounts pursuant to Section 4.1, to the Persons who are Securityholders on a subsequent special record date, which date shall be the 15th day next preceding the date fixed by the Company for the payment of defaulted interest, or the next succeeding Business Day if such date is not a Business Day. At least 15 days before the special record date, the Company shall mail or cause to be mailed to each Securityholder, with a copy to the Trustee, a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of defaulted interest, and interest payable on such defaulted interest, if any, to be paid.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series, interest on the Securities of each Series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
2.14 CUSIP NUMBER.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use one or more “CUSIP” numbers, and, if the Company does so, the Trustee shall use the CUSIP number(s) in notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders, PROVIDED, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number(s) printed in the notice or on the Securities, and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and that any such redemption or exchange shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of any such numbers.
2.15 PROVISIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITIES.
(1) A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, and the Depository for such Global Securities or Securities.
(2) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 and in addition thereto, if, and only if the Depository (i) at any time is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and (ii) a successor Depository is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the date the Company is so informed in writing or becomes aware of the same, the Company promptly will execute and deliver to the Trustee definitive Securities, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Request for the authentication and delivery of such definitive Securities (which the Company will promptly execute and deliver to the Trustee) and an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, will authenticate and deliver definitive Securities, without charge, registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depository shall direct in writing (pursuant to instructions from its direct and indirect participants or otherwise) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms. Upon the exchange of a Global Security for definitive Securities, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for definitive Securities, as provided in this Section 2.15(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.
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(3) Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to, and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a Person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”
(4) The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.
(5) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, any Global Security shall be made to the Depository or its nominee in its capacity as the Holder thereof.
(6) Except as provided in Section 2.15(5) above, the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a Person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of any Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository (which may be in the form of a participants’ list for such Series) with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, PROVIDED, that until the Trustee is so provided with a written statement, it may treat the Depository or any other Person in whose name a Global Security is registered as the owner of such Global Security for the purpose of receiving payment of the principal of, and any premium and (subject to Section 2.13) any interest on, such Global Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
2.16 PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and any agent of the Company, the Registrar or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of the principal of, and any premium and (subject to Section 2.13) any interest on, such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of the Company, the Trustee, the Registrar or any agent of the Company, the Trustee or the Registrar shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
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ARTICLE 3
REDEMPTION
3.1 NOTICES TO TRUSTEE.
The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities, or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof, prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities or the related Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company elects to redeem all or part of such Series of Securities, it shall notify the Trustee of the Redemption Date and the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed at least 45 days (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) before the Redemption Date. Any such notice may be canceled at any time prior to notice of such redemption being mailed to any Holder, and shall thereby be void and of no effect.
3.2 SELECTION BY TRUSTEE OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series of Securities by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if fewer than all of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of a Series to be redeemed pro rata, by lot or by any other method that the Trustee considers fair and appropriate (unless the Company specifically directs the Trustee otherwise) and, if such Securities are listed on any securities exchange, by a method that complies with the requirements of such exchange.
The Trustee shall make the selection from Securities of a Series outstanding and not previously called for redemption, and shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Security selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed at least 35 but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date. Securities of a Series in denominations of $1,000 may be redeemed only in whole. The Trustee may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of a Series that have denominations larger than $1,000. Securities of a Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2(10), the minimum principal denomination for each Series and integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption.
3.3 NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least 30 days, and no more than 60 days, before a Redemption Date, the Company shall mail, or cause to be mailed, a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed at his or her last address as the same appears on the registry books maintained by the Registrar. The notice shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date;
(2) the redemption price, and that such redemption price shall become due and payable on the Redemption Date;
(3) if any Security of a Series is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Security of a Series to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date and upon surrender of such Security of a Series, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion will be issued;
(4) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(5) that Securities of a Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price, and the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for such payment;
(6) that, unless the Company defaults in making the redemption payment, interest on the Securities of a Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on the Redemption Date, and the only remaining right of the Holders of such Securities is to receive payment of the redemption price upon surrender to the Paying Agent of the Securities redeemed;
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(7) if fewer than all of the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Securities of a Series (or portion thereof) to be redeemed, as well as the aggregate principal amount of Securities of a Series to be redeemed and the aggregate principal amount of Securities of a Series to be outstanding after such partial redemption.
(8) the CUSIP number, if any, printed on the Securities being redeemed; and
(9) that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.
At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at the Company’s sole expense.
3.4 EFFECT OF NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.
Once the notice of redemption described in Section 3.3 is mailed, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the Redemption Date and at the redemption price, plus interest, if any, accrued to the Redemption Date. Upon surrender to the Trustee or Paying Agent, such Securities of a Series shall be paid at the redemption price, plus accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; PROVIDED, that if the Redemption Date is after a regular interest payment record date and on or prior to the next Interest Payment Date, the accrued interest shall be payable to the Holder of the redeemed Securities registered on the relevant record date, as specified by the Company in the notice to the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.1.
3.5 DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.
On or prior to the Redemption Date (but no later than 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time on such date), the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date other than Securities or portions thereof called for redemption on that date which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.
On and after any Redemption Date, if money sufficient to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest on, Securities called for redemption shall have been made available in accordance with the preceding paragraph and the Company and the Paying Agent are not prohibited from paying such moneys to Holders, the Securities called for redemption will cease to accrue interest and the only right of the Holders of such Securities will be to receive payment of the redemption price of and, subject to the proviso in Section 3.4, accrued and unpaid interest on such Securities to the Redemption Date. If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid, interest will be paid, from the Redemption Date until such redemption payment is made, on the unpaid principal of the Security and any interest or premium, if any, not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case, at the rate and in the manner provided in the Securities.
3.6 SECURITIES REDEEMED IN PART.
Upon surrender of a Security of a Series that is redeemed in part, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate, for a Holder a new Security of the same Series equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
ARTICLE 4
COVENANTS
4.1 PAYMENT OF SECURITIES.
The Company shall pay the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, each Series of Securities on the dates and in the manner provided in such Securities and this Indenture.
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An installment of principal or interest shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Trustee or Paying Agent holds on that date money designated for and sufficient to pay such installment and is not prohibited from paying such money to the Holders pursuant to the terms of this Indenture or otherwise.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal, and overdue interest, to the extent lawful, at the rate specified in the Series of Securities.
4.2 SEC REPORTS.
The Company will deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after the filing of the same with the SEC, copies of the quarterly and annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports, if any, which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that each such report or document will be deemed to be so delivered to the Trustee if the Company files such report or document with the SEC through the SEC’s EDGAR database no later than the time such report or document is required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding that the Company may not be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company will file with the SEC, to the extent permitted, and provide the Trustee with, such quarterly and annual reports and such information, documents and other reports specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company will also comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a).
4.3 WAIVER OF STAY, EXTENSION OR USURY LAWS.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead (as a defense or otherwise) or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension, usury or other law which would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any portion of the principal of, and/or interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities as contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company hereby expressly waives (to the extent that they may lawfully do so) 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.
4.4 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE.
(1) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate which complies with TIA Section 314(a)(4) stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during such fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and that there is no default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he or she may have knowledge and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto) and that to the best of his or her knowledge no event has occurred and remains in existence by reason of which payments on account of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities is prohibited, or if such event has occurred, a description of the event and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
(2) (i) If any Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or (ii) if any Holder seeks to exercise any remedy hereunder with respect to a claimed Default under this Indenture or the Securities, within five Business Days after the Company becoming aware of such occurrence the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying such event, notice or other action and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
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4.5 CORPORATE EXISTENCE.
Subject to Article 5, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence, in accordance with the organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or its corporate existence, if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.
ARTICLE 5
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
5.1 LIMITATION ON CONSOLIDATION, MERGER AND SALE OF ASSETS.
(1) The Company will not, in any transaction or series of transactions, merge or consolidate with or into, or sell, assign, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties and assets (as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in one transaction or a series of related transactions), to any Person or Persons, unless at the time of and after giving effect thereto (i) either (A) if the transaction or series of transactions is a merger or consolidation, the Company shall be the surviving Person of such merger or consolidation, or (B) the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which the properties and assets of the Company are transferred (any such surviving Person or transferee Person being the “Surviving Entity”) shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, or a corporation or comparable legal entity organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction and shall expressly assume by a supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Company (including, without limitation, the obligation to pay the principal of, and premium and interest, if any, on, the Securities and the performance of the other covenants) under the Securities of each Series and this Indenture, and in each case, this Indenture shall remain in full force and effect; and (ii) immediately before and immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions on a pro forma basis (including, without limitation, any Indebtedness incurred or anticipated to be incurred in connection with or in respect of such transaction or series of transactions), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
(2) In connection with any consolidation, merger or transfer of assets contemplated by this Section 5.1, the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer, and the supplemental indenture in respect thereto, comply with this Section 5.1, and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction or transactions have been complied with.
5.2 SUCCESSOR PERSON SUBSTITUTED.
Upon any consolidation, merger or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1 above, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation, or into which the Company is merged or to which such transfer 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 with respect to any such transfer which is a lease) the predecessor corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
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ARTICLE 6
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
6.1 EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
“Events of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
(1) there is a default in the payment of any principal of, or premium, if any, on, the Securities when the same becomes due and payable at Maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;
(2) there is a default in the payment of any interest on any Security of a Series when the same becomes due and payable, and the Default continues for a period of 30 days;
(3) the Company defaults in the observance or performance of any other covenant in the Securities of a Series or in this Indenture for 60 days after written notice from the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding, which notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default”;
(4) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
| (A) | commences a voluntary case, | |
| (B) | consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, | |
| (C) | consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, | |
| (D) | makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or | |
| (E) | generally is not paying its debts as they become due; |
(5) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
| (A) | is for relief against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary case; | |
| (B) | appoints a Custodian of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary; or | |
| (C) | orders the liquidation of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 consecutive days; or |
(6) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2(19).
The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
The Trustee may withhold notice of any Default (except in the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities) to the Holders of the Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 7.5. When a Default is cured, it ceases to exist.
6.2 ACCELERATION.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding (other than an Event of Default arising under Section 6.1(4) or (5)) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee by written notice to the Company, or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that Series then outstanding by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may declare that the entire principal amount of all the Securities of that Series then outstanding plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of acceleration are immediately due and payable, in which case such amounts shall become immediately due and payable; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that after such acceleration but before a judgment or decree based on such acceleration is obtained by the Trustee, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may rescind and annul such acceleration and its consequences if (i) all existing Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of accelerated principal, interest or premium, if any, that has become due solely because of the acceleration, have been cured or waived, (ii) to the extent the payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest and overdue principal, which has become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration, has been paid and (iii) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto. In case an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(4) or (5) with respect to the Company occurs, such principal, premium, if any, and interest amount with respect to all of the Securities of that Series shall be due and payable immediately without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities of that Series.
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6.3 REMEDIES.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of the principal of, or interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of that Series, or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities of that Series or this Indenture.
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities of that Series or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Securityholder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon an Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All available remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
6.4 WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS AND EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
Subject to Sections 6.2, 6.7 and 8.2, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series then outstanding have the right to waive any existing Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series or compliance with any provision of this Indenture (with respect to such Series) or the Securities of such Series. Upon any such waiver, such Default with respect to such Series shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default with respect to such Series arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereto. This Section 6.4 shall be in lieu of TIA Section 316(a)(1)(B), and TIA Section 316(a)(1)(B) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and Section as permitted by the TIA.
6.5 CONTROL BY MAJORITY.
Subject to Sections 6.2, 6.7 and 8.2, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series then outstanding may 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 by this Indenture with respect to such Series. The Trustee, however, may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture, or that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of another Securityholder, or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability; PROVIDED, that the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction. This Section 6.5 shall be in lieu of TIA Section 316(a)(1)(A), and TIA Section 316(a)(1)(A) is hereby expressly excluded from this Indenture and Section as permitted by the TIA.
6.6 LIMITATION ON SUITS.
Subject to Section 6.7, a Securityholder may not institute any proceeding or pursue any remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities of a Series unless:
(1) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;
(2) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;
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(3) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such Series then outstanding.
A Securityholder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Securityholder, or to obtain a preference or priority over another Securityholder.
6.7 RIGHTS OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security of a Series to receive payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Security of such Series on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Security of such Series, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, is absolute and unconditional, and shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.
6.8 COLLECTION SUIT BY TRUSTEE.
If an Event of Default in payment of principal, interest or premium, if any, specified in Section 6.1(1) or (2) with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company (or any other obligor on the Securities of that Series) for the whole amount of unpaid principal and premium, if any, and accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue principal and premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate then borne by the Securities of that Series, and such further amounts 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, as set forth in Section 7.7.
6.9 TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.
The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents, and take other actions (including sitting on a committee of creditors), 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 the Securityholders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor on the Securities), any of their respective creditors or any of their respective property, and the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after deduction of its charges and expenses to the extent that any such charges and expenses are not paid out of the estate in any such proceedings, and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Securityholder to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to, or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder, any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities of a Series or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such proceedings.
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6.10 PRIORITIES.
If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money in the following order:
FIRST: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.7;
SECOND: to Securityholders for amounts then due and unpaid for the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities in respect of which, or for the benefit of which, such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities; for principal and any premium and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: to the Company.
The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Securityholders pursuant to this Section 6.10. At least 15 days before such record date, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a notice that states the record date, the payment date and amount to be paid.
6.11 UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.
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 or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.7 or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the Securities of a Series then outstanding.
ARTICLE 7
TRUSTEE
7.1 DUTIES OF TRUSTEE.
(1) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall 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 same circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
(2) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(A) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no covenants or obligations shall be implied in this Indenture against the Trustee.
(B) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture, but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.
(3) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(A) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (2) of this Section 7.1.
(B) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(C) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Sections 6.2 and 6.5.
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(4) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds, or otherwise incur any financial liability, in the performance of any of its rights or powers if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity satisfactory to it against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(5) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (4) of this Section 7.1 shall govern every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee.
(6) The Trustee and Paying Agent shall not be liable for interest on any money received by either of them, except as the Trustee and Paying Agent may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by the law.
(7) The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care set forth in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4) and (6) of this Section 7.1 and in Section 7.2 with respect to the Trustee.
7.2 RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
(1) Subject to Section 7.1:
(A) The Trustee may rely on, and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon, any document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
(B) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel, or both, which shall conform to the provisions of Section 10.5. The Trustee shall be protected and shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such certificate or opinion.
(C) The Trustee may act through agents and attorneys, and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed by it with due care.
(D) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it reasonably believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.
(E) The Trustee may consult with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, which may be counsel to the Company, and the advice or opinion of such counsel as to matters of law shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.
(F) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby.
(G) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any fact or matter (including, without limitation, a Default or Event of Default) unless such fact or matter is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee.
(H) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein or in the Securities of a Series or the related Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, the Trustee shall not have any responsibility with respect to reports, notices, certificates or other documents filed with it hereunder, except to make them available for inspection, at reasonable times, by Securityholders, it being understood that delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (except as set forth in Section 4.4).
7.3 INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities, and may make loans to, accept deposits from, perform services for or otherwise deal with the Company, or any Affiliate thereof, with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee, however, shall be subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
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7.4 TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER.
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities (except that the Trustee represents that it is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Indenture and authenticate the Securities and perform its obligations hereunder), and the Trustee shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the sale of Securities or any money paid to the Company pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its certificates of authentication.
7.5 NOTICE OF DEFAULT.
If a Default or an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series, and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of the Default or the Event of Default, as the case may be, within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default (except if such Default or Event of Default has been validly cured or waived before the giving of such notice). Except in the case of a Default or an Event of Default in payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the Board of Directors of the Trustee, the executive committee or any trust committee of such board and/or its Responsible Officers in good faith determine(s) that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Securityholders of that Series.
7.6 REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS.
If and to the extent required by the TIA, within 60 days after April 1 of each year, commencing the April 1 following the date of this Indenture, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder a brief report dated as of such April 1 that complies with TIA Section 313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Sections 313(b) and 313(c).
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders shall be filed with the SEC and any stock exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when the Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange or any delisting thereof, and the Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 313(d).
7.7 COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee within 45 days after receipt of request for all reasonable out-of-pocket disbursements and expenses incurred or made by it in connection with its duties under this Indenture, including the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless against, any and all loss or liability incurred by it in connection with the acceptance or performance of its duties under this Indenture including the reasonable 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. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim asserted against the Trustee for which it may seek indemnity.
The failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not however relieve the Company of its obligations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company need not reimburse the Trustee for any expense or indemnify it against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee through its negligence or bad faith. To secure the payment obligations of the Company in this Section 7.7, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee except such money or property held in trust to pay the principal of, interest and premium, if any, on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(4) or (5) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
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For purposes of this Section 7.7, the term “Trustee” shall include any trustee appointed pursuant to this Article 7.
7.8 REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company in writing at least 90 days in advance of such resignation.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by notifying the removed Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor Trustee with respect to that Series with the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series at its election if:
(1) the Trustee fails to comply with, or ceases to be eligible under, Section 7.10;
(2) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent, or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee, under any Bankruptcy Law;
(3) a Custodian or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(4) the Trustee otherwise becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee, with respect to any Series of Securities for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint, by Board Resolution, a successor Trustee.
If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
If the Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series fails to comply with Section 7.10, any Securityholder of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately following such delivery, (i) the retiring Trustee with respect to one or more Series shall, subject to its rights under Section 7.7, transfer all property held by it as Trustee with respect to such Series to the successor Trustee, (ii) the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and (iii) the successor Trustee with respect to such Series shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series shall mail notice of its succession to each Securityholder of such Series.
7.9 SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR CONVERSION.
If the Trustee, or any Agent, consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust assets to, another corporation, subject to Section 7.10, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee or Agent, as the case may be.
7.10 ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Sections 310(a)(1), (2) and (5) in every respect. The Trustee (or in the case of a Trustee that is a Person included in a bank holding company system, the related bank holding company) shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $100,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b), including the provision in Section 310(b)(1). In addition, if the Trustee is a Person included in a bank holding company system, the Trustee, independently of such bank holding company, shall meet the capital requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(2). If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.10, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Article 7.
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7.11 PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.
The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.
7.12 PAYING AGENTS.
The Company shall cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to it and the Trustee an instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section 7.12:
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as agent for the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities (whether such sums have been paid to it by the Company or by any obligor on the Securities) in trust for the benefit of Holders of the Securities or the Trustee;
(2) that it will at any time during the continuance of any Event of Default, upon written request from the Trustee, deliver to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by it together with a full accounting thereof; and
(3) that it will give the Trustee written notice within three Business Days after any failure of the Company (or by any obligor on the Securities) in the payment of any installment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the Securities when the same shall be due and payable.
ARTICLE 8
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
8.1 WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS.
The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without notice to or consent of any Securityholder:
(1) to comply with Section 5.1;
(2) to provide for certificated Securities in addition to uncertificated Securities;
(3) to comply with any requirements of the SEC under the TIA;
(4) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency, or to make any other change herein or in the Securities that does not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;
(5) to provide for the issuance of, and establish the form and terms and conditions of, Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture; or
(6) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series, and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee.
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The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the execution of any supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture, and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations which may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture which adversely affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture.
8.2 WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS.
(1) The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series with the written consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series affected by such amendment or supplement without notice to any Securityholder. The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each such Series affected by such amendment or supplement may waive compliance by the Company in a particular instance with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities of such Series without notice to any Securityholder. Subject to Section 8.4, without the consent of each Securityholder affected, however, an amendment, supplement or waiver may not:
| (A) | reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver to this Indenture or the Securities; | |
| (B) | reduce the rate of, or change the time for payment of, interest on any Security; | |
| (C) | reduce the principal, or change the Stated Maturity, of any Security, or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation; | |
| (D) | make any Security payable in money other than that stated in the Security; | |
| (E) | change the amount or time of any payment required by the Securities, or reduce the premium payable upon any redemption of the Securities, or change the time before which no such redemption may be made; | |
| (F) | waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); | |
| (G) | waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security, or change any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of any Securities; | |
| (H) | make any changes in Section 6.6 or this Section 8.2, except to increase any percentage of Securities the Holders of which must consent to any matter; or | |
| (I) | take any other action otherwise prohibited by this Indenture to be taken without the consent of each Holder affected thereby. |
(2) Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the receipt by the Trustee of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Securityholders as aforesaid and of the documents described in Section 8.6, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such supplemental indenture, unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such supplemental indenture.
(3) It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.
After an amendment or supplement under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to Securityholders a notice briefly describing the amendment or supplement. Any failure of the Company to mail any such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any supplemental indenture.
8.3 COMPLIANCE WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Every amendment to, or supplement of, this Indenture or the Securities shall comply with the TIA as then in effect.
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8.4 REVOCATION AND EFFECT OF CONSENTS.
Until an amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent conclusive and binding upon such Holder and every subsequent Holder of the same Security or portion thereof, and of any Security issued upon the transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in place thereof, even if notation of the consent is not made on any such Security. Any such Holder or subsequent Holder, however, may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security, if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective.
The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment, supplement or waiver, which record date shall be at least 30 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent. If a record date is fixed, then, notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to consent to such amendment, supplement or waiver, or to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date.
After an amendment, supplement, waiver or other action becomes effective, it shall bind every Securityholder, unless it makes a change described in any of clauses (1) through (9) of Section 8.2. In that case, the amendment, supplement, waiver or other action shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security; PROVIDED, that any such waiver shall not impair or affect the right of any Holder to receive payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, a Security, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates without the consent of such Holder.
8.5 NOTATION ON OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES.
If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Security of any Series, the Trustee may request the Holder of such Security to deliver it to the Trustee. In such case, the Trustee shall place an appropriate notation on such Security about the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, the Company, in exchange for such Security, may issue, and the Trustee shall authenticate, a new security that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Security shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment, supplement or waiver.
8.6 TRUSTEE TO SIGN AMENDMENTS, ETC.
The Trustee shall sign any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article 8 if the amendment, supplement or waiver does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may, but need not, sign it. In signing or refusing to sign such amendment, supplement or waiver the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and, subject to Section 7.1, shall be fully protected in relying upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that such amendment, supplement or waiver is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Company may not sign an amendment or supplement until the Board of Directors of the Company approves it.
ARTICLE 9
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE
9.1 DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE.
The Company may terminate its obligations under the Securities of any Series and this Indenture with respect to such Series, except the obligations referred to in the last paragraph of this Section 9.1, if there shall have been canceled by the Trustee, or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, all Securities of such Series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than any Securities of such Series that are asserted to have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that shall have been replaced as provided in Section 2.8) and the Company has paid all sums payable by it hereunder or deposited all required sums with the Trustee.
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After such delivery the Trustee upon request shall acknowledge in a writing prepared by or on behalf of the Company the discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Securities of such Series and this Indenture, except for those surviving obligations specified below.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company in Sections 7.7, 9.5 and 9.6 shall survive.
9.2 LEGAL DEFEASANCE.
The Company may at its option, by Board Resolution, be discharged from its obligations with respect to the Securities of any Series on the date upon which the conditions set forth in Section 9.4 below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Legal Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Securities of such Series and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and this Indenture insofar as such Securities are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, subject to Section 9.6, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same, as are delivered to it by the Company), except for the following, which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (A) the rights of Holders of outstanding Securities of such Series to receive solely from the trust funds described in Section 9.4 and as more fully set forth in such section, payments in respect of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of such Series when such payments are due, (B) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities of such Series under Sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8 and 2.9, (C) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder (including claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 7.7) and (D) this Article 9. Subject to compliance with this Article 9, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 9.2 with respect to the Securities of any Series notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 9.3 below with respect to the Securities of such Series.
9.3 COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
At the option of the Company, pursuant to a Board Resolution, the Company shall be released from its obligations with respect to the outstanding Securities of any Series under Sections 4.2 through 4.5, inclusive, and Section 5.1, with respect to the outstanding Securities of such Series, on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 9.4 are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified section or portion thereof, whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such specified Section or portion thereof or by reason of any reference in any such specified section or portion thereof to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and the Securities of any Series shall be unaffected thereby.
9.4 CONDITIONS TO LEGAL DEFEASANCE OR COVENANT DEFEASANCE.
The following shall be the conditions to application of Section 9.2 or Section 9.3 to the outstanding Securities of a Series:
(1) the Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 7.10 who shall agree to comply with the provisions of this Article 9 applicable to it) as funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of, and accrued interest and premium, if any, on, the outstanding Securities of such Series at the Stated Maturity of such principal, interest or premium, if any, or on dates for payment and redemption of such principal, interest and premium, if any, selected in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of the Securities of such Series;
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(2) no Event of Default or Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit, or shall have occurred and be continuing at any time during the period ending on the 91st day after the date of such deposit or, if longer, ending on the day following the expiration of the longest preference period under any Bankruptcy Law applicable to the Company in respect of such deposit as specified in the Opinion of Counsel identified in paragraph (8) below (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until the expiration of such period);
(3) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not cause the Trustee to have a conflicting interest for purposes of the TIA with respect to any securities of the Company;
(4) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;
(5) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that, as a result of such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, neither the trust nor the Trustee will be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
(6) in the case of an election under Section 9.2, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling to the effect that or (ii) there has been a change in any applicable Federal income tax law with the effect that, and such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the outstanding Securities of such Series or Persons in their positions will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes solely as a result of such Legal Defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner, including as a result of prepayment, and at the same times as would have been the case if such Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(7) in the case of an election under Section 9.3, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the outstanding Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such Covenant Defeasance, and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;
(8) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in this Article 9 relating to either the Legal Defeasance under Section 9.2 or the Covenant Defeasance under Section 9.3 (as the case may be) have been complied with;
(9) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit under clause (1) was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and
(10) the Company shall have paid, or duly provided for payment under terms mutually satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee, all amounts then due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.7.
9.5 DEPOSITED MONEY AND U.S. AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS TO BE HELD IN TRUST; OTHER MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
All money, U.S. Government Obligations and Foreign Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 9.4 in respect of the outstanding Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, accrued interest and premium, if any, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
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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 and Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 9.4 or the principal, interest and premium, if any, received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Securities.
Anything in this Article 9 to the contrary notwithstanding, but subject to payment of any of its outstanding fees and expenses, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held by the Trustee as provided in Section 9.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally-recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
9.6 REINSTATEMENT.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations in accordance with Section 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article 9 until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations, as the case may be, in accordance with Section 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, or accrued interest or premium, if any, on, any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money, U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
9.7 MONEYS HELD BY PAYING AGENT.
In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, all moneys then held by any Paying Agent under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be paid to the Trustee, or, if sufficient moneys have been deposited pursuant to Section 9.1, to the Company, and thereupon such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such moneys.
9.8 MONEYS HELD BY TRUSTEE.
Any moneys deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent or then held by the Company in trust for the payment of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, any Security that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the Holder of such Security for two years after the date upon which the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Security shall have respectively become due and payable shall be repaid to the Company upon Company Request, or if such moneys are then held by the Company in trust, such moneys shall be released from such trust; and the Holder of such Security entitled to receive such payment shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for the payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money shall thereupon cease; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Trustee or any such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may, at the expense of the Company, either mail to each Securityholder affected, at the address shown in the register of the Securities maintained by the Registrar, or cause to be published once a week for two successive weeks, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published each Business Day and of general circulation in the City of New York, New York, a 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 mailing or publication, any unclaimed balance of such moneys then remaining will be repaid to the Company. After payment to the Company or the release of any money held in trust by the Company, Securityholders entitled to the money must look only to the Company for payment as general creditors, unless applicable abandoned property law designates another Person.
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ARTICLE 10
MISCELLANEOUS
10.1 TRUST INDENTURE ACT CONTROLS.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, the required provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the TIA which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.
10.2 NOTICES.
Any notice or communication shall be given in writing and delivered in Person, sent by facsimile (and receipt confirmed by telephone or electronic transmission report), delivered by commercial courier service or mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
If to the Company:
Airship AI Holdings, Inc.
8210 154th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Fax: [ ]
Copy to:
If to the Trustee:
The Company or the Trustee by written notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications. Any notice or communication to the Company or the Trustee shall be deemed to have been given or made as of the date so delivered if personally delivered; on the next business day if mailed via an overnight courier, when receipt is confirmed by telephone or electronic transmission report if sent by facsimile; and three Business Days after mailing if sent by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid (except that a notice of change of address shall not be deemed to have been given until actually received by the addressee).
Any notice or communication mailed to a Securityholder shall be mailed to such Securityholder by first-class mail, postage prepaid, at such Securityholder’s address shown on the register kept by the Registrar.
Failure to mail, or any defect in, a notice or communication to a Securityholder shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders. If a notice or communication to a Securityholder is mailed in the manner provided above, it shall be deemed duly given, three Business Days after such mailing, whether or not the addressee receives it.
In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impossible to mail any notice as required by this Indenture, then such method of notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient mailing of such notice.
In the case of Global Securities, notices or communications to be given to Securityholders shall be given to the Depository, in accordance with its applicable policies as in effect from time to time.
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In addition to the manner provided for in the foregoing provisions, notices or communications to Securityholders shall be given by the Company by release made to Reuters Economic Services and Bloomberg Business News.
10.3 COMMUNICATIONS BY HOLDERS WITH OTHER HOLDERS.
Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or any other Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and any other Person shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).
10.4 CERTIFICATE AND OPINION AS TO CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(1) an Officers’ Certificate (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.5 below) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(2) an Opinion of Counsel (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.5 below) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
10.5 STATEMENT REQUIRED IN CERTIFICATE AND OPINION.
Each certificate and opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than pursuant to Section 4.4) shall include:
(1) a statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, it or he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable it or him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such covenant or condition has been complied with.
10.6 RULES BY TRUSTEE AND AGENTS.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at meetings of Securityholders. The Registrar and Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for their functions.
10.7 BUSINESS DAYS; LEGAL HOLIDAYS; PLACE OF PAYMENT.
A “Business Day” is a day that is not a Legal Holiday. A “Legal Holiday” is a Saturday, a Sunday, a federally-recognized holiday or a day on which banking institutions are not authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to be open in the State of New York.
If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a Place of Payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period. “Place of Payment” means the place or places where the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Securities of a Series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 2.2. If the regular record date is a Legal Holiday, the record date shall not be affected.
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10.8 GOVERNING LAW.
THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AS APPLIED TO CONTRACTS MADE AND PERFORMED WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW.
10.9 NO ADVERSE INTERPRETATION OF OTHER AGREEMENTS.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan, security or debt agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary thereof. No such indenture, loan, security or debt agreement may be used to interpret this Indenture.
10.10 NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS.
A director, officer, employee, stockholder or incorporator, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. Such waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of the Securities.
10.11 SUCCESSORS.
All covenants and agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind the Company’s successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not. All agreements of the Trustee, any additional trustee and any Paying Agents in this Indenture shall bind their respective successors and assigns.
10.12 MULTIPLE COUNTERPARTS.
The parties may sign multiple counterparts of this Indenture. Each signed counterpart shall be deemed an original, but all of them together represent one and the same agreement.
10.13 TABLE OF CONTENTS, HEADINGS, ETC.
been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
10.14 SEVERABILITY.
Each provision of this Indenture shall be considered separable, and if for any reason any provision which is not essential to the effectuation of the basic purpose of this Indenture or the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and a Holder shall have no claim therefor against any party hereto.
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10.15 SECURITIES IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY OR IN EUROS.
Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in a coin or currency other than Dollars (including Euros), then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount at the Market Exchange Rate at such time. For purposes of this Section 10.15, “Market Exchange Rate” shall mean the noon Dollar buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of that currency as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, in the case of Euros, Market Exchange Rate shall mean the rate of exchange determined by the Commission of the European Union (or any successor thereto) as published in the Official Journal of the European Union (such publication or any successor publication, the “Journal”). If such Market Exchange Rate is not available for any reason with respect to such currency, the Trustee shall use, in its sole discretion and without liability on its part, such quotation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or, in the case of Euros, the rate of exchange as published in the Journal, as of the most recent available date, or quotations or, in the case of Euros, rates of exchange from one or more major banks in New York City or in the country of issue of the currency in question or, in the case of Euros, in Luxembourg or such other quotations or, in the case of Euros, rates of exchange as the Trustee, upon consultation with the Company, shall deem appropriate. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
All decisions and determinations of the Trustee regarding the Market Exchange Rate or any alternative determination provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be in the Trustee’s sole discretion, and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive to the extent permitted by law for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company and all Holders.
10.16 JUDGMENT CURRENCY.
The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, or other amount on, the Securities of any Series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which, in accordance with normal banking procedures, the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a Business Day, in which instance, the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which, in accordance with normal banking procedures, the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the Business Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender or any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)) in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
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