AtriCure, Inc S-3ASR, filed Feb 14, 2025
AtriCure, Inc. (ATRC)
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2025
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ATRICURE, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 34-1940305 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
7555 Innovation Way
Mason, Ohio 45040
(513) 755-4100
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
F. Mark Reuter
Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
One East Fourth Street, Suite 1400
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Telephone: (513) 579-6469
Facsimile: (513) 579-6457
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the 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 the 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, a 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 | ☐ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
| 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. ☐
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Prospectus
Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Warrants,
Depositary Shares, Purchase Contracts and Units
We may from time to time offer and sell, in one or more offerings, in any combination of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, depositary shares, purchase contracts and units. In addition, certain selling securityholders to be identified in a prospectus supplement may use this prospectus from time to time to offer shares of common stock.
We will provide you with more specific terms of these securities in one or more supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest.
We may offer these securities from time to time in amounts, at prices and on other terms to be determined at the time of offering. We may offer and sell these securities to or through underwriters, dealers or agents, or directly to investors, on a continuous or delayed basis. The supplements to this prospectus will provide the specific terms of the plan of distribution. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from such sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ATRC.” Other than for shares of common stock, there is no market for the other securities we may offer.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should read this prospectus, including the risk factors incorporated herein by reference on page 6, and in any prospectus supplement, as well as the information in the “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” on page 7 of this prospectus, carefully before you invest. The prospectus supplement applicable to each type or series of securities we offer may contain a discussion of additional risks applicable to an investment in us and the particular type of securities we are offering under the prospectus supplement.
Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 6 of this prospectus and the information included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is February 14, 2025
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No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representations. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this document are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. The information contained in this document speaks only as of the date of this document, unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies.
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This prospectus is part of an automatically effective registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by AtriCure, Inc. as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities which may be offered. Each time securities are offered for sale, we will provide a free writing prospectus or a prospectus supplement that contains specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, change or update information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described below under “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information Incorporated by Reference.” The registration statement that contains this prospectus (including the exhibits thereto) contains additional important information about us and the securities we may offer under this prospectus. Specifically, we have filed certain legal documents that establish the terms of the securities offered by this prospectus as exhibits to the Registration Statement. We will file certain other legal documents that establish the terms of the securities offered by this prospectus as exhibits to reports we file with the SEC. You may obtain copies of that registration statement and the other reports and documents referenced herein as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making offers to sell or solicitations to buy the securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as well as the information we file or previously filed with the SEC that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, is accurate as of any date other than its respective date. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein. Please refer to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of the documents referred to herein have been filed or will be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under “Where You Can Find More Information.”
We have not authorized any person to provide you with any information other than that contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or that is contained in any free writing prospectus issued by us. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurances as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. The distribution of this prospectus and sale of the securities in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons in possession of this prospectus are required to inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. We are only offering the securities in states where offers are permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement is accurate as of the date on the front cover of those documents only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
In this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “we”, “us”, “our” or “AtriCure” refer to AtriCure, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We urge you to read carefully this prospectus (as supplemented and amended) before deciding whether to purchase any of the shares of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, depository shares, purchase contracts or units being offered.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or our website at http://www.atricure.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference in, and should not be considered a part of, this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports, and other information that we file with or furnish to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) can also be accessed free of charge through the Internet.
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to the offering of these securities. The Registration Statement, including the attached exhibits, contains additional relevant information about us and the securities. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration Statement. You can obtain a copy of the Registration Statement from the SEC as described above. The Registration Statement and the documents referred to below under “Information Incorporated by Reference” and our other SEC filings are also available free of charge by accessing the “Investors” section of our website at http://www.atricure.com. We have not incorporated by reference into this prospectus the information on our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus.
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INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus certain information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below that we have previously filed with the SEC:
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024; and |
| • | the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A as filed with the SEC on or about August 1, 2005 as supplemented by Exhibit 4.1 filed with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 on February 24, 2020. |
We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus additional documents that we may file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the completion or termination of the offering, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement. We do not and will not, however, incorporate by reference in this prospectus any documents or portions thereof that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of our Current Reports on Form 8-K, unless, and except to the extent, specified in such Current Reports. Any statements contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference into this prospectus are deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus, or in a subsequently filed document also incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes that statement.
This prospectus may contain information that updates, modifies or is contrary to information in one or more of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of this prospectus or the date of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, at no cost to the requester, a copy of any and all of the information that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Requests for such documents should be directed to:
Investor Relations
AtriCure, Inc.
7555 Innovation Way
Mason, Ohio 45040
Telephone: (513) 755-4100
You may also access the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus free of charge through the “Investors” section of our website at http://www.atricure.com. Except for the specific incorporated documents listed above, no information available on or through our website shall be deemed to be incorporated in this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.
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WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA DISCLOSURE
We use our website (www.atricure.com) and our corporate Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and X accounts as channels of distribution of company information. The information we post through these channels may be deemed material. Accordingly, investors should monitor these channels, in addition to following our press releases, Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, filings and public conference calls and webcasts. The contents of our website and social media channels are not, however, a part of this prospectus.
We own or have the rights to use various trademarks referred to in our reports, including Isolator® clamp, Synergy TM clamp, EPi-Sense® coagulation device, EnCompass®, AtriClip® Flex·V®, device, and cryoSPHERE® probes, among others, and their respective logos. Solely for convenience, we may refer to trademarks in this prospectus or a prospectus supplement without the TM and ® symbols. Such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent permitted by law, our rights to our trademarks.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY INFORMATION
Market data used in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is based on management’s knowledge of the industry and good faith estimates of management. All of management’s estimates presented herein are based on industry sources, including analyst reports and management’s knowledge. We also relied, to the extent available, upon management’s review of independent industry surveys and publications prepared by a number of sources and other publicly available information. We are responsible for all of the disclosures in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement and while we believe that each of the publications, studies and surveys used throughout this prospectus are prepared by reputable sources, we have not independently verified market and industry data from third-party sources.
All of the market data used in this prospectus involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. While we believe the estimated market position, market opportunity and market size information included in this prospectus is generally reliable, such information, which in part is derived from management’s estimates and beliefs, is inherently uncertain and imprecise and has not been verified by any independent source. Projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the industry in which we operate are subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in our estimates and beliefs and in the estimates prepared by independent parties.
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Investing in our securities involves risk. Please see the risk factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our most recent fiscal year, as updated by our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings we make with the SEC, as incorporated by reference in this prospectus and which may be updated, supplemented or superseded by the risks and uncertainties described in the reports we subsequently filed with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be included in a prospectus supplement relating to a particular series or offering of securities. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider these risks as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference in this prospectus. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. These risks could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition and cause the value of our securities to decline.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus (including the information incorporated by reference therein) contains certain statements that may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements anticipate results based on our estimates, assumptions and plans that are subject to uncertainty. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements. All statements in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement not dealing with historical results or current facts are forward-looking and are based on estimates, assumptions and projections. Statements which include the words “believes”, “seeks”, “expects”, “may”, “should”, “intends”, “likely”, “targets”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “estimates” or the negative version of those words and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements reflect the views of our management regarding expectations and projections current as of the date they are made about future events and are based on information available as of the date they are made.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements may accompany the statements themselves. In addition, generally applicable factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are and will be discussed in our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus to conform our prior statements to actual results or revised expectations. You should, therefore, not rely on the forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this prospectus.
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We are a leading innovator in treatments for atrial fibrillation (Afib), left atrial appendage (LAA) management and post-operative pain management. Afib is an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, which affects over 59 million people worldwide and is a growing epidemic. It is the most common cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice and results in high utilization of healthcare services and significant cost burden. Patients often progress from being in Afib intermittently (paroxysmal) to being in Afib continuously. The continuous Afib patient population includes early persistent Afib, which lasts seven days to 6 months, persistent Afib, which lasts 6 months to one year, and long-standing persistent Afib, which lasts longer than one year. It is estimated that over 4 million people in the United States currently suffer from long-standing persistent Afib. Afib often occurs in conjunction with other cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, coronary artery disease and valvular disease.
Our cardiac ablation and left atrial appendage management (LAAM) products are used by physicians during open-heart and minimally invasive surgical procedures. In open-heart procedures, the physician is performing heart surgery for other conditions, such as a mitral valve repair or a coronary artery bypass, and our products are used in conjunction with (“concomitant” to) such a procedure. Minimally invasive procedures are performed on a standalone basis, and often include multi-disciplinary or “hybrid” approaches, combining surgical procedures using AtriCure ablation and AtriCure LAAM products with catheter ablation performed by an electrophysiologist.
Our pain management solutions are used by physicians to freeze nerves during cardiothoracic or thoracic surgical procedures. Recovery from cardiothoracic and thoracic surgery can be complicated and painful. Many surgeons use multi-modal pain management strategies that include oral delivery of opioid and non-opioid pain medications. Our cryoICE cryoSPHERE® probes for pain management (Cryo Nerve Block) provides temporary relief of post-operative pain, allowing the patient’s body to heal after surgery while the nerves regenerate and sensation is regained.
We sell our products to medical centers through our direct sales force in the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Benelux region, Canada and Australia. We also sell our products through distributors who in turn sell our products to medical centers in other international markets. Our business is primarily transacted in U.S. Dollars; direct sales transactions outside the United States are transacted in Euros, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars or Australian Dollars.
We were incorporated in the State of Delaware as AtriCure, Inc. on October 31, 2000. Our principal executive offices are located at 7555 Innovation Way, Mason, Ohio 45040. Our telephone number is (513) 755-4100. SEC filings, news releases, our Code of Conduct/Ethics applicable to directors, officers and employees and other information may be accessed free of charge through the “Investors” section of our website at http://www.atricure.com. Other than the information specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus, information on our website is not part of this prospectus.
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Unless otherwise indicated in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we expect to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered by us for general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of outstanding debt, working capital, continued development of our products, including research and development and clinical trials, potential acquisitions and other business opportunities. Until the net proceeds are used for these purposes, we may deposit them in interest-bearing accounts or invest them in marketable securities. The specific allocations, if any, of the proceeds from the sale of any of the securities will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of the securities. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by any selling securityholder.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
We may issue, from time to time, in one or more offerings, the following securities:
| • | shares of common stock of the Company; |
| • | shares of preferred stock of the Company; |
| • | debt securities, which may be senior or subordinated, and which may be convertible into our common stock or be non-convertible; |
| • | warrants; |
| • | depositary shares; |
| • | purchase contracts; and |
| • | units representing two or more of the foregoing securities. |
This prospectus contains a summary of the general terms of the various securities that we may offer. The prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus relating to any particular securities offered will describe the specific terms of the securities. The summary in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement does not describe every aspect of the securities and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to all applicable provisions of the documents relating to the securities offered. These documents are or will be filed as exhibits to or incorporated by reference in the registration statement.
In addition, the prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering, the initial public offering price and net proceeds to us. Where applicable, the prospectus supplement will also describe any material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the securities offered and indicate whether the securities offered are or will be listed on any securities exchange.
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This section summarizes the general terms of our common stock that we may offer. The prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus relating to the common stock offered will set forth the number of shares offered, the initial offering price and recent market prices, dividend information and any other relevant information. The summary in this section and in the prospectus supplement does not describe every aspect of the common stock and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to all the provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws and to the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
The following briefly summarizes the material terms of the common stock that we may offer, other than pricing and related terms which will be disclosed in a prospectus supplement. The total number of authorized shares of common stock is 90,000,000, par value $0.001 per share. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. Shareholders do not have the right to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Our board of directors is authorized to issue the shares of common stock that are authorized but not yet issued without further shareholder approval.
Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefore, subject to any contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any restrictions on the payment of dividends imposed by the terms of any outstanding preferred shares or debt securities.
Upon our dissolution or liquidation or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, after payment in full of all amounts required to be paid to creditors and to the holders of preferred shares having liquidation preferences, if any, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to receive pro rata our remaining assets available for distribution.
As of February 3, 2025, we had 48,867,400 shares of common stock outstanding. Shares of common stock carry no preemptive or conversion or subscription rights and are not subject to redemption or sinking fund provisions. All outstanding shares of common stock are, and any shares of common stock issued upon conversion of any convertible securities or exercise of employee stock options will be, fully paid and non-assessable.
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market and trades under the symbol “ATRC”. Our registrar and transfer agent is Equinity (formerly American Stock Transfer & Trust Company).
Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws may have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire, control of us. Because our shareholders do not have cumulative voting rights, our shareholders representing a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding will be able to elect all of our directors. Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that all shareholder action must be effected at a duly called meeting of shareholders and not by a consent in writing, and that only our board of directors, chairman of the board, chief executive officer or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer) may call a special meeting of shareholders. Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation requires a 66 2/3% shareholder vote for the amendment, repeal or modification of certain provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws relating to the absence of cumulative voting, limitations of liability of our directors, the requirement that shareholder actions be effected at a duly-called meeting and the designated parties entitled to call a special meeting of the shareholders.
The combination of the lack of cumulative voting and the 66 2/3% shareholder voting requirement will make it more difficult for our existing shareholders to replace our board of directors as well as for another party
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to obtain control of us by replacing our board of directors. Since our board of directors has the power to retain and discharge our officers, these provisions could also make it more difficult for existing shareholders or another party to effect a change in management. In addition, the authorization of undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change our control.
These provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in our control or management. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and in the policies they implement, and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of our control. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions also are intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and, as a consequence, they also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our shares that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Such provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in our management.
Limitation of Liability of Directors and Officers
Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that no director or officer will be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, as applicable, except as required by applicable law, as in effect from time to time. Currently, Delaware law requires that liability be imposed for the following:
| • | any breach of the director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to our company or our stockholders; |
| • | any act or omission not in good faith or which involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; |
| • | unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL” or “Delaware General Corporation Law”); and |
| • | any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit. |
As a result, neither we nor our stockholders have the right, through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf, to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, including breaches resulting from grossly negligent behavior, except in the situations described above.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
The Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we will indemnify any officer or director of our company against all damages, claims and liabilities arising out of the fact that the person is or was our director or officer, or served any other enterprise at our request as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary. We will reimburse the expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by a person indemnified by this provision when we receive an undertaking to repay such amounts if it is ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified by us. Amending this provision will not reduce our indemnification obligations relating to actions taken before an amendment.
Our Amended and Restated Bylaws also provides that we will indemnify each of our directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers that may, in some cases, be broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained under Delaware law. We have purchased a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our directors and executive officers against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment under certain circumstances. These provisions may be held not to be enforceable for violations of the federal securities laws of the United States.
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Forum Selection
Our Amended and Restated Bylaws designate the state courts located within the state of Delaware (or if no state court located within Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware), in all cases subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants, as the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a claim of a breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This forum selection provision will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or, in each case, the rules and regulations thereunder, or for any other claim for which the U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing forum selection provision.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. This law prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in any “business combination” with any “interested shareholder” for a period of three years following the date that the shareholder became an interested shareholder unless:
| • | prior to the date of the transaction, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder; |
| • | upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder, the interested shareholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding those shares owned by persons who are directors or officers or by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or |
| • | on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of shareholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested shareholder. |
Section 203 defines “business combination” to include:
| • | any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested shareholder; |
| • | any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition of 10% or more of our assets involving the interested shareholder; |
| • | in general, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by us of any of our stock to the interested shareholder; |
| • | any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock or any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested shareholder; or |
| • | the receipt by the interested shareholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. |
In general, Section 203 defines an “interested shareholder” as an entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by the entity or person.
Under specific circumstances, Section 203 makes it more difficult for an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with a corporation for a three-year period, although the stockholders may, by
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adopting an amendment to the corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, elect not to be governed by this section, effective 12 months after adoption.
Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws do not exclude us from the restrictions of Section 203. We anticipate that the provisions of Section 203 might encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our board of directors since the shareholder approval requirement would be avoided if a majority of the directors then in office approve either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK
The following briefly summarizes the material terms of the preferred stock that we may offer, other than pricing and related terms which will be disclosed in a prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus. You should read the particular terms of any series of preferred stock that we offer, which we will describe in more detail in any prospectus supplement relating to such series. You should also read the more detailed provisions of our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the statement with respect to shares relating to each particular series of preferred stock for provisions that may be important to you. The statement with respect to shares relating to each particular series of preferred stock offered by the accompanying prospectus supplement and this prospectus will be filed as an exhibit to a document incorporated by reference in the registration statement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the terms summarized below do not apply to the series of preferred stock being offered.
General
Our board of directors is authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not issued any shares of preferred stock. Our board of directors can issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series and can specify the following terms for each series:
| • | the number of shares; |
| • | the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares; and |
| • | the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, except as otherwise stated in our Restated Certificate of Incorporation. |
Before issuing any series of preferred stock, our board of directors will adopt resolutions creating and designating the series as a series of preferred stock, and the resolutions will be filed in a statement with respect to shares as an amendment to our Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
The rights of holders of the preferred stock offered may be adversely affected by the rights of holders of any shares of preferred stock that may be issued in the future. Our board of directors may cause shares of preferred stock to be issued in public or private transactions for any proper corporate purpose. Examples include issuances to obtain additional financing in connection with acquisitions or otherwise, and issuances to our officers, directors and employees and its subsidiaries pursuant to benefit plans or otherwise. The preferred stock could have the effect of acting as an anti-takeover device to prevent a change in control of us.
Unless the particular prospectus supplement states otherwise, holders of each series of preferred stock will not have any preemptive or subscription rights to acquire more of our stock.
The transfer agent, registrar, dividend disbursing agent and redemption agent for shares of each series of preferred stock will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to such series.
Rank
Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement relating to the shares of any series of preferred stock, the shares will rank on an equal basis with each other series of preferred stock and prior to the common stock as to dividends and distributions of assets.
Dividends
Unless the particular prospectus supplement states otherwise, holders of each series of preferred stock will be entitled to receive cash dividends, when, as and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally
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available for dividends. The rates and dates of payment of dividends will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to each series of preferred stock. Dividends will be payable to holders of record of preferred stock as they appear on our books. Dividends on any series of preferred stock may be cumulative or noncumulative.
We may not declare, pay or set apart for payment dividends on the preferred stock unless full dividends on any other series of preferred stock that ranks on an equal or senior basis have been paid or sufficient funds have been set apart for payment for:
| • | all prior dividend periods of the other series of preferred stock that pay dividends on a cumulative basis; or |
| • | the immediately preceding dividend period of the other series of preferred stock that pay dividends on a noncumulative basis. |
Partial dividends declared on shares of preferred stock and any other series of preferred stock ranking on an equal basis as to dividends will be declared pro rata. A pro rata declaration means that the ratio of dividends declared per share to accrued dividends per share will be the same for all such series of preferred stock.
Similarly, we may not declare, pay or set apart for payment non-stock dividends or make other payments on our common stock or any other stock ranking junior to the preferred stock unless full dividends on all series of preferred stock have been paid or set apart for payment for:
| • | all prior dividend periods if the preferred stock pays dividends on a cumulative basis; or |
| • | the immediately preceding dividend period if the preferred stock pays dividends on a noncumulative basis. |
Conversion and Exchange
The prospectus supplement for any series of preferred stock will state the terms, if any, on which shares of that series are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common stock.
Redemption
If so specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, a series of preferred stock may be redeemable at any time, in whole or in part, at our option or at the option of the holders, or may be mandatorily redeemed.
Any partial redemptions of preferred stock will be made in a way that our board of directors decides is equitable.
Unless we default in the payment of the redemption price, dividends will cease to accrue after the redemption date on shares of preferred stock called for redemption and all rights of holders of such shares will terminate except for the right to receive the redemption price.
Liquidation Preference
Upon our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of each series of preferred stock will be entitled to receive distributions upon liquidation in the amount set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such series of preferred stock, plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends. Such distributions will be made before any distribution is made on any securities ranking junior to the preferred stock with respect to liquidation, including common stock.
If the liquidation amounts payable relating to the preferred stock of any series and any other securities ranking on a parity regarding liquidation rights are not paid in full, the holders of the preferred stock of such
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series and such other securities will share in any such distribution of our available assets on a ratable basis in proportion to the full liquidation preferences. Holders of such series of preferred stock will not be entitled to any other amounts from us after they have received their full liquidation preference.
Voting Rights
If we issue voting preferred stock, holders of preferred stock will be entitled to one vote per share on each matter submitted to our shareholders. If we issue non-voting preferred stock, holders of preferred stock will have no voting rights, except as required by applicable law. The prospectus supplement will state the voting rights, if any, applicable to any particular series of preferred stock.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
General
The debt securities will be governed by a document called an “indenture”. An indenture is a contract between AtriCure and the trustee named in the applicable prospectus supplement, which acts as trustee for the debt securities. There may be more than one trustee under each indenture for different series of debt securities. The trustee has two main roles. First, the trustee can enforce your rights against AtriCure if AtriCure defaults. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf, described under “—Remedies If An Event of Default Occurs”. Second, the trustee may perform administrative duties for AtriCure, such as sending you interest payments, transferring your debt securities to a new buyer if you sell and sending you notices.
The debt securities will be unsecured general obligations of AtriCure and may include senior or subordinated debt securities.
The prospectus supplement relating to any particular debt securities offered will indicate whether the debt securities are senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities and will describe the specific terms of the debt securities. The summary in this section and in any prospectus supplement does not describe every aspect of the indenture, and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to all the provisions of the applicable indenture and the debt securities. The forms of the indenture and the form of the debt securities are or will be filed as exhibits to or incorporated by reference in the registration statement. See “Where You Can Find More Information” for information on how to obtain a copy.
This section summarizes the general terms of the debt securities that we may offer.
The prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities will describe the following specific financial, legal and other terms particular to such series of debt securities:
| • | the title of the debt securities; |
| • | any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; |
| • | the date or dates on which the debt securities will mature; |
| • | the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) at which the debt securities will bear interest, if any, and the date or dates from which the interest will accrue; |
| • | the dates on which interest on the debt securities will be payable and the regular record dates for those interest payment dates; |
| • | the place or places where the principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, shall be payable, where the debt securities may be surrendered for transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands may be served; |
| • | the date, if any, after which and the price or prices at which the debt securities may, in accordance with any option or mandatory redemption provisions, be redeemed and the other detailed terms and provisions of any such optional or mandatory redemption provision; |
| • | any mandatory or optional sinking funds or analogous provisions or provisions for redemption at the holder’s option; |
| • | the denomination in which the debt securities will be issuable, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
| • | if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities which will be payable upon the declaration of acceleration of the maturity of those debt securities; |
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| • | any addition to, or modification or deletion of, any events of default or covenants with respect to the securities; |
| • | any provision relating to the defeasance of our obligations in connection with the debt securities; |
| • | any provision regarding exchangeability or conversion of the debt securities into our common stock or other securities; |
| • | whether any debt securities will be issued in the form of a global security, and, if different than described below under “Book-Entry Securities”, any circumstances under which a global security may be exchanged for debt securities registered in the names of persons other than the depositary for the global security or its nominee; |
| • | the subordination provisions applicable to the subordinated debt securities; and |
| • | any other material terms of the debt securities. |
The terms of any series of debt securities may vary from the terms described here. Thus, this summary also is subject to and qualified by reference to the description of the particular terms of your debt securities to be described in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement relating to the debt securities will be attached to the front of this prospectus.
The indenture and its associated documents will contain the full legal text of the matters described in this section. The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by New York law.
Events of Default
You will have special rights if an “event of default” occurs, with respect to any series of debt securities, and is not cured, as described later in this subsection. Under the indenture, the term “event of default” will mean any of the following:
| • | AtriCure does not pay interest on a debt security within 30 days of its due date; |
| • | AtriCure does not pay the principal or any premium on a debt security on its due date; |
| • | AtriCure remains in breach of any covenant or warranty described in the indenture for 90 days after AtriCure receives a notice stating it is in breach, which notice must be sent by either the trustee or direct holders of at least 25% of the principal amount of outstanding debt securities; or |
| • | certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of AtriCure or any other event of default specified by AtriCure |
Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs
If an event of default has occurred and has not been cured (if a cure period is provided for), the trustee or the direct holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities may declare the entire principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and immediately payable.
Except in cases of default, whereby a trustee has some special duties, a trustee will not be required to take any action under the indenture at the request of any direct holders unless the direct holders offer the trustee reasonable protection from costs, expenses and liability (called an “indemnity”). If reasonable indemnity is provided, the direct holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the relevant series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the trustee. These majority direct holders may also direct the trustee in performing any other action under the indenture.
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In general, before you bypass the trustee and bring your own lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce your rights or protect your interests relating to the debt securities, the following must occur:
| • | you must give the trustee written notice that an event of default has occurred and remains uncured; |
| • | the direct holders of at least 25% in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities of the relevant series must make a written request that the trustee take action in its own name as trustee because of the default, and must offer reasonable indemnity to the trustee against the costs, expenses and other liabilities of taking that action; |
| • | the trustee must have not taken action for 60 days after receipt of the above notice and offer of indemnity; and |
| • | the trustee must not have received from direct holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with the written notice during the 60 day period after receipt of the above notice. |
However, you are entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment of money due on your debt security on or after its due date.
Modification
There are two types of changes we can make to the indentures and the debt securities.
Changes Requiring Your Approval
First, there are changes that cannot be made to the indentures or your debt securities without your specific approval. The following is a list of those types of changes:
| • | change the payment due date; |
| • | reduce any amounts due on a debt security; |
| • | reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the maturity of a debt security following a default; |
| • | impair your right to sue for payment; |
| • | reduce the percentage in principal amount of debt securities, the consent of whose holders is required to modify or amend the indenture; |
| • | reduce the percentage in principal amount of debt securities, the consent of whose holders is required to waive compliance with certain provisions of the indenture or to waive certain defaults; and |
| • | modify any other aspect of the provisions dealing with modification and waiver of the indenture. |
Changes Not Requiring Approval
The second type of change does not require any vote by direct holders of debt securities. This type is limited to clarifications and certain other changes that would not adversely affect holders of the debt securities.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
AtriCure may consolidate or merge with or into another entity, and AtriCure may sell or lease substantially all of AtriCure’s assets to another corporation if the following conditions, among others, are met:
| • | where AtriCure merges out of existence or sells or leases substantially all its assets, the other entity must be a corporation, partnership or trust organized under the laws of a state or the District of Columbia or under federal law, and it must agree to be legally responsible for the debt securities; and |
| • | the merger, sale of assets or other transaction must not cause a default or an event of default on the debt securities. |
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Form, Exchange, Registration and Transfer
Generally, we will issue debt securities only in registered global form. See “Book-Entry Securities” below. However, if specified in the prospectus supplement, we may issue certificated securities in definitive form.
You may have your debt securities broken into more debt securities of smaller denominations or combined into fewer debt securities of larger denominations, as long as the total principal amount is not changed. This is called an “exchange”.
You may exchange or transfer debt securities at the office of the trustee. The trustee acts as our agent for registering debt securities in the names of holders and transferring debt securities. We may appoint another entity or perform this role itself. The entity performing the role of maintaining the list of registered direct holders is called the “security registrar”. It will also perform transfers. You will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange debt securities, but you may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the exchange or transfer. The transfer or exchange will only be made if the security registrar is satisfied with your proof of ownership.
If the debt securities are redeemable and AtriCure redeems less than all of the debt securities of a particular series, AtriCure may block the transfer or exchange of those debt securities during the period beginning 15 days before the day AtriCure mails the notice of redemption and ending on the day of that mailing, in order to freeze the list of holders to prepare the mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers or exchanges of debt securities selected for redemption, except that we will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unredeemed portion of any debt security being partially redeemed.
No Protection in the Event of Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Book-Entry Securities
The debt securities may be represented by one or more global securities. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, the global security representing the debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), New York, New York, or other successor depository we appoint, and registered in the name of the depository or its nominee. The debt securities will not be issued in definitive form unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement.
DTC will act as securities depository for the securities. The debt securities will be issued as fully registered securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. (DTC’s nominee).
DTC has informed us as follows:
| • | DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law, a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. |
| • | DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC and facilitates the settlement among participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. |
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| • | Direct participants include securities brokers and dealers, trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations. |
| • | DTC is owned by a number of its direct participants and by the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the American Stock Exchange, Inc. and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. |
| • | Access to the DTC system is also available to indirect participants such as securities brokers and dealers, banks and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. |
| • | The rules applicable to DTC and its direct and indirect participants are on file with the SEC. |
We have provided the following descriptions of the operations and procedures of DTC solely as a matter of convenience. These operations and procedures are solely within the control of DTC and are subject to change by them from time to time. Neither we, any underwriter nor the trustee take any responsibility for these operations or procedures, and you are urged to contact DTC or its participants directly to discuss these matters.
We expect that under procedures established by DTC:
| • | Upon deposit of the global securities with DTC or its custodian, DTC will credit on its internal system the accounts of direct participants designated by the underwriters with portions of the principal amounts of the global securities; and |
| • | Ownership of the debt securities will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership of the debt securities will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC or its nominee, with respect to interests of direct participants, and the records of direct and indirect participants, with respect to interests of persons other than participants. |
The laws of some jurisdictions require that purchasers of securities take physical delivery of those securities in the form of a certificate. For that reason, it may not be possible to transfer interests in a global security to those persons. In addition, because DTC can act only on behalf of its participants, who in turn act on behalf of persons who hold interests through participants, the ability of a person having an interest in a global security to pledge or transfer that interest to persons or entities that do not participate in DTC’s system, or otherwise to take actions in respect of that interest, may be affected by the lack of a physical definitive security in respect of that interest.
So long as DTC or its nominee is the registered owner of a global security, DTC or that nominee will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by that global security for all purposes under the mortgage indenture and under the debt securities. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a global security will not be entitled to have debt securities represented by that global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive the debt securities in the form of a physical certificate and will not be considered the owners or holders of the debt securities under the mortgage indenture or under the debt securities, and may not be entitled to give the trustee directions, instructions or approvals. For that reason, each holder owning a beneficial interest in a global security must rely on DTC’s procedures and, if that holder is not a direct or indirect participant in DTC, on the procedures of the DTC participant through which that holder owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder of debt securities under the mortgage indenture or the global security.
We will not have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of DTC’s records relating to the debt securities or relating to payments made by DTC on account of the debt securities, or any responsibility to maintain, supervise or review any of DTC’s records relating to the debt securities.
We will make payments on the debt securities represented by the global securities to DTC or its nominee, as the registered owner of the debt securities. We expect that when DTC or its nominee receives any payment on the debt securities represented by a global security, DTC will credit participants’ accounts with payments in amounts
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proportionate to their beneficial interests in the global security as shown in DTC’s records. We also expect that payments by DTC’s participants to owners of beneficial interests in the global security held through those participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practice as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers registered in the names of nominees for such customers. DTC’s participants will be responsible for those payments.
Payments on the debt securities represented by the global securities will be made in immediately available funds. Transfers between participants in DTC will be made in accordance with DTC’s rules and will be settled in immediately available funds.
Notices
Notices to holders of debt securities will be given by mail to the addresses of such holders as they appear in the security register.
The Trustee
U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association will act as trustee under the indenture.
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We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the following terms of any warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:
| • | the title of such warrants; |
| • | the aggregate number of such warrants; |
| • | the price or prices at which such warrants will be issued; |
| • | the currency or currencies in which the price of such warrants will be payable; |
| • | the securities or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing, purchasable upon exercise of such warrants; |
| • | the price at which and the currency or currencies in which the securities or other rights purchasable upon exercise of such warrants may be purchased; |
| • | the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire; |
| • | if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time; |
| • | if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of such warrants issued with each such security; |
| • | if applicable, the date on and after which such warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
| • | information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; |
| • | if applicable, a discussion of any material United States Federal income tax considerations; and |
| • | any other terms of such warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such warrants. |
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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
The following briefly summarizes the provisions of the depositary shares and depositary receipts that we may issue from time to time and which would be important to holders of depository shares and depositary receipts, other than pricing and related terms, which will be disclosed in the applicable prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the general provisions summarized below do not apply to the depositary shares or depositary receipts being offered and provide any additional provisions applicable to the depositary shares or depositary receipts being offered. The following description and any description in a prospectus supplement may not be complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to the terms and provisions of the form of deposit agreement filed as an exhibit to the registration statement which contains this prospectus.
Depositary Shares
We may offer depositary shares evidenced by depositary receipts. Each depositary share represents a fraction or a multiple of a share of a particular series of preferred stock that we issue and deposit with a depositary. The fraction or the multiple of a share of preferred stock, which each depositary share represents, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We will deposit the shares of any series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares according to the provisions of a deposit agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, which we will select as its preferred stock depositary. We will name the depositary in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each holder of a depositary share will be entitled to all the rights and preferences of the underlying preferred stock in proportion to the applicable fraction or multiple of a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share. These rights include any applicable dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights. The depositary will send the holders of depositary shares all reports and communications that we deliver to the depositary and which we are required to furnish to the holders of depositary shares.
Depositary Receipts
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the deposit agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to anyone who is buying the fractional shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms of the applicable prospectus supplement.
Withdrawal of Preferred Stock
Unless the related depositary shares have previously been called for redemption, a holder of depositary shares may receive the number of whole shares of the related series of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by the holder’s depositary receipts after surrendering the depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the depositary, paying any taxes, charges and fees provided for in the deposit agreement and complying with any other requirement of the deposit agreement. Partial shares of preferred stock will not be issued. If the surrendered depositary shares exceed the number of depositary shares that represent the number of whole shares of preferred stock the holder wishes to withdraw, then the depositary will deliver to the holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares. Once the holder has withdrawn the preferred stock, the holder will not be entitled to re-deposit that preferred stock under the deposit agreement or to receive depositary shares in exchange for such preferred stock.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute to record holders of depositary shares any cash dividends or other cash distributions it receives on preferred stock. Each holder will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of depositary shares owned by the holder. The depositary will distribute only whole U.S. dollars and cents. The depositary will add any fractional cents not distributed to the next sum received for distribution to record holders of depositary shares.
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In the event of a non-cash distribution, the depositary will distribute property to the record holders of depositary shares, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make such a distribution. If this occurs, the depositary may, with our approval, sell the property and distribute the net proceeds from the sale to the holders.
The amounts distributed to holders of depositary shares will be reduced by any amounts required to be withheld by the preferred stock depositary or by us on account of taxes or other governmental charges.
Redemption of Depositary Shares
If the series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares is subject to redemption, then we will give the necessary proceeds to the depositary. The depositary will then redeem the depositary shares using the funds it received from us for the preferred stock. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the redemption price payable per share for the applicable series of the preferred stock and any other amounts per share payable with respect to the preferred stock multiplied by the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by one depositary share. Whenever we redeem shares of preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem the depositary shares representing the shares of preferred stock on the same day, provided we have paid in full to the depositary the redemption price of the preferred stock to be redeemed and any accrued and unpaid dividends. If fewer than all the depositary shares of a series are to be redeemed, the depositary shares will be selected by lot or ratably or by any other equitable method as the depositary will decide.
After the date fixed for redemption, the depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be considered outstanding. Therefore, all rights of holders of the depositary shares will cease, except that the holders will still be entitled to receive any cash payable upon the redemption and any money or other property to which the holder was entitled at the time of redemption. To receive this amount or other property, the holders must surrender the depositary receipts evidencing their depositary shares to the preferred stock depositary. Any funds that we deposit with the preferred stock depositary for any depositary shares that the holders fail to redeem will be returned to us after a period of two years from the date we deposit the funds.
Voting the Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will notify holders of depositary shares of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to the holders. The record date for determining holders of depositary shares that are entitled to vote will be the same as the record date for the preferred stock. The materials the holders will receive will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how the holders, on a certain date, may instruct the depositary to vote the shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares. For instructions to be valid, the depositary must receive them on or before the date specified. To the extent possible, the depositary will vote the shares as instructed by the holder. We agree to take all reasonable actions that the depositary determines are necessary to enable it to vote as a holder has instructed. The depositary will abstain from voting shares of preferred stock deposited under a deposit agreement if it has not received specific instructions from the holder of the depositary shares representing those shares.
Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement
We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the form of depositary receipt at any time. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary receipts will not be effective unless it has been approved by the holders of at least a majority of the affected depositary shares then outstanding. We will make no amendment that impairs the right of any holder of depositary shares, as described above under “– Withdrawal of Preferred Stock”, to receive shares of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by those depositary shares, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law. If an amendment becomes effective, holders are deemed to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the amended deposit agreement if they continue to hold their depositary receipts.
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The deposit agreement automatically terminates if a final distribution in respect of the preferred stock has been made to the holders of depositary receipts in connection with our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up. We may also terminate the deposit agreement at any time we wish with at least 60 days prior written notice to the depositary. If we do so, the depositary will give notice of termination to the record holders not less than 30 days before the termination date. Once depositary receipts are surrendered to the depositary, it will send to each holder the number of whole or fractional shares of the series of preferred stock underlying that holder’s depositary receipts.
Charges of Depositary and Expenses
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will pay all charges of the depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the related series of offered preferred stock, the initial issuance of the depositary shares, all withdrawals of shares of the related series of offered preferred stock by holders of the depositary shares and the registration of transfers of title to any depositary shares. However, holders of depositary receipts will pay other taxes and governmental charges and any other charges provided in the deposit agreement to be payable by them.
Limitations on Our Obligations and Liability to Holders of Depositary Receipts
The deposit agreement will expressly limit our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It will also limit our liability and the liability of the depositary as follows:
| • | we and the depositary are only liable to the holders of depositary receipts for negligence or willful misconduct; and |
| • | we and the depositary have no obligation to become involved in any legal or other proceeding related to the depositary receipts or the deposit agreement on your behalf or on behalf of any other party, unless you provide us with satisfactory indemnity. |
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by notifying us of its election to do so. In addition, we may remove the depositary at any time. Within 60 days after the delivery of the notice of resignation or removal of the depositary, we will appoint a successor depositary.
Reports to Holders
We will deliver all required reports and communications to holders of the offered preferred stock to the depositary, and it will forward those reports and communications to the holders of depositary shares.
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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS
We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of:
| • | debt or equity securities issued by us or securities of third parties, a basket of such securities, an index or indices or such securities or any combination of the above as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement; |
| • | currencies; or |
| • | commodities. |
Each purchase contract will entitle the holder thereof to purchase or sell, and obligate us to sell or purchase, on specified dates, such securities, currencies or commodities at a specified purchase price, which may be based on a formula, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may, however, satisfy our obligations, if any, with respect to any purchase contract by delivering the cash value of such purchase contract or the cash value of the property otherwise deliverable or, in the case of purchase contracts on underlying currencies, by delivering the underlying currencies, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the methods by which the holders may purchase or sell such securities, currencies or commodities and any acceleration, cancellation or termination provisions or other provisions relating to the settlement of a purchase contract.
The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders thereof or vice versa, which payments may be deferred to the extent set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and those payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The purchase contracts may require the holders thereof to secure their obligations in a specified manner to be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Alternatively, purchase contracts may require holders to satisfy their obligations thereunder when the purchase contracts are issued. Our obligation to settle such pre-paid purchase contracts on the relevant settlement date may constitute indebtedness. Accordingly, pre-paid purchase contracts will be issued under either the senior indenture or the subordinated indenture.
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We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.
The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file with the SEC the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.
If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:
| • | the title of the series of units; |
| • | identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units; |
| • | the price or prices at which the units will be issued; |
| • | the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable; |
| • | a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and |
| • | any other terms of the units and their constituent securities. |
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We may offer and sell the securities covered by this prospectus in any of the following ways (or in any combination) from time to time:
| • | to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers; |
| • | directly to purchasers or to a single purchaser, including through privately negotiated transactions; |
| • | through agents; |
| • | in “at the market offerings,” within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act, to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise; or |
| • | sales on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which our common stock may be listed or quoted at the time of sale. |
In addition, we may enter into derivative or other hedging transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If any applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with such a transaction, such third parties may, pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, sell securities covered by this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. We may also offer and sell, or agree to deliver, our securities pursuant to, or in connection with, any option agreement or other contractual arrangement.
Any applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering of the securities covered by this prospectus, including:
| • | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them, if any; |
| • | any material relationship with the underwriter and the nature of such relationship, if any; |
| • | the over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities, if any; |
| • | the public offering price or purchase price of the securities and the proceeds to us and any discounts, commissions, or concessions or other items constituting compensation allowed, re-allowed or paid to underwriters, dealers or agents, if any; |
| • | any securities exchanges on which the securities may be listed, if any; and |
| • | the manner for refunding any excess amount paid (including whether interest will be paid). |
Any public offering price or purchase price and any discounts, commissions, concessions or other items constituting compensation allowed or re-allowed or paid to underwriters, dealers or agents may be changed from time to time.
The securities may be offered and sold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed price or prices or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. If underwriters are used in the sale of any securities, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions described above. The securities may be either offered to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by underwriters. Generally, the underwriters’ obligations to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities if they purchase any of the securities.
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We may sell the securities through agents from time to time. If required by applicable law, any applicable prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and any commissions we pay to them. Generally, unless otherwise indicated in any applicable prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we or the selling stockholders will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.
In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the securities may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. Broker-dealers and agents, and their respective affiliates, may be engaged in transactions with, or perform commercial or investment banking or other services for, us or our subsidiaries or affiliates, in the ordinary course of business.
We may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from us at the public offering price set forth in any applicable prospectus supplement or other prices pursuant to delayed delivery or other contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. Any delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in any applicable prospectus supplement, and any applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we pay for solicitation of these delayed delivery contracts.
Each underwriter, dealer and agent participating in the distribution of any offered securities that are issuable in bearer form will agree that it will not offer, sell, resell or deliver, directly or indirectly, offered securities in bearer form in the United States or to U.S. persons except as otherwise permitted by Treasury Regulations Section 1.163-5(c)(2)(i)(D).
Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in any applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreements, if any, with us, and its compensation will be described in any applicable prospectus supplement.
We may sell equity securities in an offering “at the market”, as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act. A post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement will be filed to identify the underwriter(s) at the time of the take-down for “at the market” offerings.
Agents, underwriters and other third parties described above may be entitled under relevant underwriting or other agreements to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which the agents, underwriters or other third parties may be required to make in respect thereof. Agents, underwriters and such other third parties may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
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Information about selling securityholders, if any, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which are incorporated by reference herein.
The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL, Cincinnati, Ohio. The validity of any securities will be passed upon for any underwriters or agents by counsel that we will have in the applicable prospective supplement.
The financial statements of AtriCure, Inc. incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and the effectiveness of AtriCure, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the reports of such firm, given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 14. | Other Expenses Of Issuance And Distribution. |
The expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, are estimated below:
| Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee |
$ | ** | ||
| Trustee fees and expenses |
* | |||
| Transfer agent and registrar fees |
* | |||
| Printing expenses |
* | |||
| Legal fees and expenses |
* | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses |
* | |||
| Miscellaneous |
* | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
$ | * |
| * | Estimated expenses are presently not known and cannot be estimated. The foregoing sets forth the general categories of expenses (other than underwriting compensation) that we anticipate we will incur in connection with the offering of securities under this registration statement. |
| ** | Deferred in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1993. |
| Item 15. | Indemnification Of Directors And Officers. |
DGCL Section 145 authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.
As permitted by the DGCL, the Registrant’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation includes a provision that eliminates the personal liability of its directors for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.
As permitted by the DGCL, the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant provide that (1) the Registrant is required to indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to certain exceptions, (2) the Registrant is required to advance expenses, as incurred, to its directors and executive officers in connection with a legal proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to certain exceptions and (3) the rights conferred in the Amended and Restated Bylaws are not exclusive.
The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers to give such directors and officers additional contractual assurances regarding the scope of the indemnification set forth in the Registrant’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation and to provide additional procedural protections. The Registrant also intends to enter into indemnification agreements with any new directors and executive officers in the future.
The indemnification provisions in the Registrant’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Amended and Restated Bylaws and the indemnification agreements entered into between the Registrant and each of its directors and executive officers may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of the Registrant’s directors and executive officers for liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
The Registrant has obtained liability insurance for its officers and directors.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, or persons controlling the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
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| Item 16. | Exhibits |
| (1) | To be filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K. |
| (2) | Incorporated by reference from other documents filed with the Commission as indicated. |
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| Item 17. | Undertakings. |
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this 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 of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the Registration Statement; and
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the Registration Statement relating to the securities in the Registration Statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the Registration Statement or prospectus that was part of the Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date;
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(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
| (b) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes 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 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. |
| (c) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by the underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by the underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, a post-effective amendment will be filed to set forth the terms of such offering. |
| (d) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: (1) to use its best efforts to distribute prior to the opening of bids, to prospective bidders, underwriters and dealers, a reasonable number of copies of a prospectus which at that time meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Act, and relating to the securities offered at competitive bidding, as contained in the Registration Statement, together with any supplements thereto, and (2) to file an amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting the results of bidding, the terms of the reoffering and related matters to the extent required by the applicable form, not later than the first use, authorized by the issuer after the opening of bids, of a prospectus relating to the securities offered at competitive bidding, unless no further public offering of such securities by the issuer and no reoffering of such securities by the purchasers is proposed to be made. |
| (e) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or caused to be delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest annual report, to securityholders that is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and is furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and, where interim financial information required to be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X is not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by reference in the prospectus to provide such interim financial information. |
| (f) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser. |
| (g) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission |
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| such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
| (h) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file, if necessary, 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 of 1939 in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of such Act. |
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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 Mason, Ohio, as of the 14th day of February, 2025.
| ATRICURE, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Michael H. Carrel | |
| Michael H. Carrel President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Michael H. Carrel and Angela L. Wirick, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Michael H. Carrel Michael H. Carrel |
Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
February 14, 2025 | ||
| /s/ Angela L. Wirick Angela L. Wirick |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer) |
February 14, 2025 | ||
| /s/ Robert S. White |
Chairman of the Board of Directors | February 14, 2025 | ||
| Robert S. White | ||||
| /s/ Regina E. Groves |
Director | February 14, 2025 | ||
| Regina E. Groves | ||||
| /s/ B. Kristine Johnson |
Director | February 14, 2025 | ||
| B. Kristine Johnson | ||||
| /s/ Shlomo Nachman |
Director | February 14, 2025 | ||
| Shlomo Nachman | ||||
| /s/ Karen N. Prange |
Director | February 14, 2025 | ||
| Karen N. Prange | ||||
Table of Contents
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Deborah H. Telman |
Director | February 14, 2025 | ||
| Deborah H. Telman | ||||
| /s/ Sven A. Wehrwein |
Director | February 14, 2025 | ||
| Sven A. Wehrwein | ||||
| /s/ Maggie Yuen |
Director | February 14, 2025 | ||
| Maggie Yuen | ||||
Exhibit 4.6
ATRICURE, INC.
INDENTURE
Dated as of [ ]
U.S. Bank Trust Company, National
Association, Trustee
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||||
| Article 1 DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | 1 | |||||
| Section 1.1 |
Definitions |
1 | ||||
| Section 1.2 |
Other Definitions |
5 | ||||
| Section 1.3 |
Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act |
5 | ||||
| Section 1.4 |
Rules of Construction |
5 | ||||
| Article 2 THE NOTES | 6 | |||||
| Section 2.1 |
Issuable in Series |
6 | ||||
| Section 2.2 |
Establishment of Terms of Series of Notes |
6 | ||||
| Section 2.3 |
Execution and Authentication |
8 | ||||
| Section 2.4 |
Registrar and Pitying Agent |
9 | ||||
| Section 2.5 |
Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust |
10 | ||||
| Section 2.6 |
Holder Lists |
10 | ||||
| Section 2.7 |
Transfer and Exchange |
10 | ||||
| Section 2.8 |
Replacement Notes |
11 | ||||
| Section 2.9 |
Outstanding Notes |
11 | ||||
| Section 2.10 |
Treasury Notes |
12 | ||||
| Section 2.11 |
Temporary Notes |
12 | ||||
| Section 2.12 |
Cancellation |
12 | ||||
| Section 2.13 |
Defaulted Interest |
12 | ||||
| Section 2.14 |
Global Notes |
13 | ||||
| Section 2.15 |
CUSIP Number |
14 | ||||
| Article 3 REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT | 14 | |||||
| Section 3.1 |
Notice to Trustee |
14 | ||||
| Section 3.2 |
Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed |
15 | ||||
| Section 3.3 |
Notice of Redemption |
15 | ||||
| Section 3.4 |
Effect of Notice of Redemption |
16 | ||||
| Section 3.5 |
Deposit of Redemption Price |
16 | ||||
| Section 3.6 |
Notes Redeemed in Part |
16 | ||||
| Article 4 COVENANTS | 17 | |||||
| Section 4.1 |
Payment of Principal and Interest |
17 | ||||
| Section 4.2 |
Maintenance of Office or Agency |
17 | ||||
| Section 4.3 |
Reports |
17 | ||||
| Section 4.4 |
Compliance Certificate |
17 | ||||
| Section 4.5 |
Stay, Extension and Usury Laws |
18 | ||||
| Section 4.6 |
Corporate Existence |
18 | ||||
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| Article 5 SUCCESSORS | 19 | |||||
| Section 5.1 |
Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets |
19 | ||||
| Section 5.2 |
Successor Corporation Substituted |
19 | ||||
| Article 6 DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 20 | |||||
| Section 6.1 |
Events of Default |
20 | ||||
| Section 6.2 |
Acceleration |
21 | ||||
| Section 6.3 |
Other Remedies |
21 | ||||
| Section 6.4 |
Waiver of Past Defaults |
22 | ||||
| Section 6.5 |
Control by Majority |
22 | ||||
| Section 6.6 |
Limitation on Suits |
22 | ||||
| Section 6.7 |
Rights of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment |
23 | ||||
| Section 6.8 |
Collection Suit by Trustee |
23 | ||||
| Section 6.9 |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
23 | ||||
| Section 6.10 |
Priorities |
24 | ||||
| Section 6.11 |
Undertaking for Costs |
24 | ||||
| Section 6.12 |
Restoration of Rights and Remedies |
25 | ||||
| Article 7 TRUSTEE | 25 | |||||
| Section 7.1 |
Duties of Trustee |
25 | ||||
| Section 7.2 |
Rights of Trustee |
26 | ||||
| Section 7.3 |
Individual Rights of Trustee |
27 | ||||
| Section 7.4 |
Trustee’s Disclaimer |
28 | ||||
| Section 7.5 |
Notice of Defaults |
28 | ||||
| Section 7.6 |
Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes |
28 | ||||
| Section 7.7 |
Compensation and Indemnity |
28 | ||||
| Section 7.8 |
Replacement of Trustee |
29 | ||||
| Section 7.9 |
Successor Trustee by Merger, etc. |
30 | ||||
| Section 7.10 |
Eligibility; Disqualification |
31 | ||||
| Section 7.11 |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company |
31 | ||||
| Article 8 LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE | 31 | |||||
| Section 8.1 |
Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
31 | ||||
| Section 8.2 |
Legal Defeasance and Discharge |
31 | ||||
| Section 8.3 |
Covenant Defeasance |
32 | ||||
| Section 8.4 |
Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance |
32 | ||||
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| Section 8.5 |
Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions |
34 | ||||
| Section 8.6 |
Repayment to Company |
34 | ||||
| Section 8.7 |
Reinstatement |
34 | ||||
| Article 9 AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER | 35 | |||||
| Section 9.1 |
Without Consent of Holders of Notes |
35 | ||||
| Section 9.2 |
With Consent of Holders of Notes |
36 | ||||
| Section 9.3 |
Compliance with Trust Indenture Act |
37 | ||||
| Section 9.4 |
Revocation and Effect of Consents |
37 | ||||
| Section 9.5 |
Notation on or Exchange of Notes |
37 | ||||
| Section 9.6 |
Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc. |
38 | ||||
| Article 10 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE | 38 | |||||
| Section 10.1 |
Satisfaction and Discharge |
38 | ||||
| Section 10.2 |
Application of Trust Money |
39 | ||||
| Article 11 MISCELLANEOUS | 40 | |||||
| Section 11.1 |
Trust Indenture Act Controls |
40 | ||||
| Section 11.2 |
Notices |
40 | ||||
| Section 11.3 |
Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of Notes |
41 | ||||
| Section 11.4 |
Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent |
42 | ||||
| Section 11.5 |
Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion |
42 | ||||
| Section 11.6 |
Rules by Holders and Agents |
42 | ||||
| Section 11.7 |
Calculation of Foreign Currency Amounts |
42 | ||||
| Section 11.8 |
No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Shareholders |
43 | ||||
| Section 11.9 |
Governing Law |
43 | ||||
| Section 11.10 |
No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements |
43 | ||||
| Section 11.11 |
Successors |
43 | ||||
| Section 11.12 |
Severability |
43 | ||||
| Section 11.13 |
Counterpart Originals |
43 | ||||
| Section 11.14 |
Table of Contents, Headings, etc. |
43 | ||||
| Section 11.15 |
Waiver of Jury Trial |
44 | ||||
| Section 11.16 |
Patriot Act Compliance |
44 | ||||
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INDENTURE, dated as of [ ], by and between AtriCure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of die United States of America, as trustee (the “Trustee”)
The Company and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes issued under this Indenture.
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION
BY REFERENCE
Section 1.1 Definitions.
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For purposes of this definition, “control,” 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. For purposes of this definition, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with” have correlative meanings.
“Agent” means any Registrar, co-registrar, Custodian, Paying Agent or additional paying agent or conversion agent.
“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any payment, tender, redemption, transfer, exchange, or conversion of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary that apply to such payment, tender, redemption, transfer, exchange, or conversion.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar federal, state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.
“Board of Directors” means:
(1) with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such board;
(2) with respect to a partnership, the Board of Directors of the general partner of the partnership;
(3) with respect to a limited liability company, the managing member or members or any controlling committee of managing members thereof; and
(4) with respect to any other Person, the board or committee of such Person serving a similar function.
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“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Legal Holiday. If a payment date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the related payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day as if made on the date the payment is due, and no interest shall accrue on such payment for the intervening period.
“Capital Stock” means:
(1) in the case of a corporation, corporate stock; in the case of an association or business entity, any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock;
(2) in the case of a partnership or limited liability company, partnership interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and
(3) any other interest or participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the issuing Person.
“Company” means AtriCure, Inc., and, subject to Article 5, any and all successors thereto.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by an Officer.
“Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee” means the designated office of the Trustee at which at any time its corporate trust business in respect of this Indenture shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 425 Walnut Street, 6th Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, Attn: Corporate Trust Services, and for Agent services such office shall also mean the office or agency of the Trustee located at the date hereof is located at Corporate Trust Operations, 425 Walnut Street, 6th Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).
“Custodian” means the Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary with respect to any Global Notes, or any successor entity thereto.
“Default” means any event that is, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depositary” means, with respect to the Notes of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Notes, the person designated as Depositary for such Series by the Company, which Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Notes of any Series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Notes of such Series.
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“Discount Note” means any Note that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
“Dollars” and “J” means the currency of The United States of America.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of The United States of America.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect from time to time.
“Global Note” or “Global Notes” means a Note or Notes, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Notes, issued to the Depositary for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.
“Government Securities” means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by. The United States of America, and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.
“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Note is registered.
“Indenture” means this Indenture, as amended, supplemented or restated from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Notes established as contemplated hereunder.
“Legal Holiday” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or the city where the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is located at such time are required or authorized by law, regulation or executive order to close or be closed.
“Notes” means notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series issued under this Indenture.
“Officer” means, with respect to any Person, the Executive Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary or any Vice- President of such Person.
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“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by an Officer of the Company that meets the requirements of Section 11.5 hereof.
“Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion from legal counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that meets the requirements of Section 11.5 hereof.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company or government or other entity.
“Responsible Officer.” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such Person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Series” or “Series of Notes” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Section 2.1 and Section 2.2 hereof.
“Significant Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of any Person that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined under Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Stated Maturity” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of indebtedness, the date on which the payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the documentation governing such indebtedness, and will not include any contingent obligations to repay, redeem or repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:
(1) any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or shareholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees of the corporation, association or other business entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and
(2) any partnership (a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).
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“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb).
“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Notes of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Notes of that Series.
Section 1.2 Other Definitions.
| Term |
Defined in Section | |||
| “Authentication Order” |
2.03 | |||
| “Covenant Defeasance” |
8.03 | |||
| “Event of Default” |
6.01 | |||
| “Legal Defeasance” |
8.02 | |||
| “Paying Agent” |
2.04 | |||
| “Registrar” |
2.04 | |||
Section 1.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“indenture securities” means the Notes;
“indenture security Holder” means a Holder of a Note;
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and
“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company, and any other obligor upon the Notes.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA have the meanings so assigned to them.
Section 1.4 Rules of Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(2) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
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(3) “or” is not exclusive;
(4) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;
(5) “will” shall be interpreted to express a command;
(6) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and
(7) references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act will be deemed to include substitute, replacement or successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.
ARTICLE 2
THE NOTES
Section 2.1 Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Notes that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Notes may be issued in one or more Series. All Notes of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officer’s Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Notes of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Notes may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Notes shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 2.2 Establishment of Terms of Series of Notes.
At or prior to the issuance of any Notes within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Section 2.2(a) and either as to such Notes within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Section 2.2(b) through Section 2.2(s)) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:
(a) the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Notes of that particular Series from the Notes of any other Series);
(b) the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Notes of the Series will be issued;
(c) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Notes of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Notes authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Notes of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, Section 2.8, Section 2.11, Section 3.6 and Section 9.5);
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(d) the date or dates on which the principal of the Notes of the Series is payable;
(e) 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 Notes 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, and the basis of computation of interest if other than on the basis of a 360 day year consisting of twelve 30 day months;
(f) the place or places where the principal of, premium and interest, if any, on the Notes of the Series shall be payable, where the Notes of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes of such Series and this Indenture may be served, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;
(g) if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Notes of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(h) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Notes 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 Notes of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(i) the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Notes 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;
(j) the denominations in which the Notes of the Series shall be issuable, if other than minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof;
(k) the forms of the Notes of the Series in fully registered form (and whether the Notes will be issuable as Global Notes);
(l) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Notes of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;
(m) the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of, and interest and premium, if any, on, the Notes of the Series will be made if other than Dollars;
(n) whether the Notes of the Series may be exchangeable for and/or convertible into common shares of the Company or any other security;
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(o) the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Notes of the Series, and any subordination in right of payment, if any, of the Notes of the Series;
(p) any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Notes of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Notes to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2;
(q) any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Article 4 or Article 5 that applies to Notes of the Series;
(r) any other terms of the Notes of the Series (which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series); and
(s) any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Notes of such Series if other than those appointed herein.
All Notes of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate referred to above, and, unless otherwise provided, a Series may be reopened, without the consent of the Holders, for issuances of additional Notes of such Series; provided, however, that if such additional Notes are not fungible with the Notes of such Series for U S. federal income tax purposes, the additional Notes will have a separate CUSIP number. No Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate may affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise with respect to any series of Notes except as it may agree in writing.
Section 2.3 Execution and Authentication.
One Officer shall sign the Notes for the Company by manual or facsimile signature. If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time such Note is authenticated, such Note shall nevertheless be valid.
A Note shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Note, as applicable, has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall, upon a written order of the Company signed by one Officer (an “Authentication Order”) authenticate Notes for original issue in accordance with this Indenture. The Notes shall be dated their date of authentication.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with Holders or an Affiliate of the Company.
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At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Notes of any Series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Notes, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order will authenticate and deliver such Notes. In authenticating such Notes, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Notes, the Trustee shall receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) will be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating:
(a) that such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(b) that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(c) that this Indenture and such Notes, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and, with respect to the Notes, when issued by the Company, in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, or other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and by general principles of equity.
Section 2.4 Registrar and Paying Agent
The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“Registrar”) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“Paying Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional paying agents or change the office of such Registrar or Paying Agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent. The Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder; however, the Company shall maintain a Paying Agent in each place of payment for the Notes of each Series. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Company fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes. The Company shall be responsible for making calculations called for under the Notes and this Indenture, including, but not limited to, determination of interest, additional amounts, redemption price, premium, if any, and any other amounts payable on the Notes, or the calculation of any foreign currency amounts. The Company will make the calculations in good faith and, absent manifest error, its calculations will be final and binding on the Holders. The Company will provide a schedule of its calculations to the Trustee when requested by the Trustee in writing, and the Trustee is entitled to rely conclusively on the accuracy of the Company’s calculations without independent verification. The Trustee shall forward the Company’s calculations to any Holder of the Notes upon the written request of such Holder.
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Section 2.5 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust
The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Holders of any Series of Notes, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal or interest on the Series of Notes, and shall notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Subject to applicable abandoned property law, all payments to a Paying Agent on any Notes which remain unclaimed for a period of two years after such payment was due shall be repaid to the Company. Thereafter, the Holder may look only to the Company for repayment. Upon payment over to the Trustee, or to the Company, as the case may be, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Holders of any Series of Notes all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings relating to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.
Section 2.6 Holder 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 Holders of each Series of Notes and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee, at least seven Business Days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders of each Series of Notes and the Company shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a).
Section 2.7 Transfer and Exchange.
Notes may be transferred or exchanged at the office of the Registrar or co-registrar designated by the Company. Where Notes of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Notes of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Notes at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, Section 3.6, or Section 9.5).
Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Notes of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business fifteen days immediately preceding the mailing or sending of a notice of redemption of Notes of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing or sending, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Notes of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or a portion thereof, except the unredeemed portion of Notes being redeemed in part.
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Each Holder that is a transferor of a Note shall provide or cause to be provided to the Trustee all information reasonably requested by the Trustee and reasonably available to such Holder as necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any cost basis reporting obligations under Internal Revenue Code Section 6045. The Trustee may rely on information provided to it by or on behalf of such Holder and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information.
The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among Depositary participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.
Section 2.8 Replacement Notes.
If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee, or if the Company and the Trustee receive evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Company shall issue and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order together with an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced, shall authenticate a replacement Note of the same Series if the Trustee’s requirements are met. The Company may charge for its expenses in replacing a Note.
Every replacement Note of any Series is an additional obligation of the Company and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with all other Notes of that Series duly issued hereunder.
Section 2.9 Outstanding Notes.
The Notes outstanding at any time are all the Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest in a Global Note effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof, and those described in this Section as not outstanding. Except as set forth in Section 2.10 hereof, a Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Note.
If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the principal amount of any Note is considered paid under Section 4.1 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding and interest on it ceases to accrue.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds, on a redemption date or maturity date, money sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such Notes shall be deemed to be no longer outstanding and shall cease to accrue interest.
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Section 2.10 Treasury Notes.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Notes of a Series have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned by the Company, or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company, shall be considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Notes of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.11 Temporary Notes.
Until certificates representing Notes are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, shall authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of certificated Notes but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Notes and as shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate definitive Notes in exchange for temporary Notes.
Holders of temporary Notes shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 2.12 Cancellation.
The Company at any time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Notes surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation. The Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation. Cancelled Notes shall be disposed of by the Trustee (subject to the record retention requirement of the Exchange Act) pursuant to its customary procedures.
Section 2.13 Defaulted Interest
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Notes, it shall pay the defaulted interest in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who are Holders of the Series on a subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.1 hereof. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed payment. The Company shall fix or cause to be fixed each such special record date and payment date, provided that no such special record date shall be less than 10 days prior to the related payment date for such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the special record date, the Company (or, upon the written request of the Company, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company) shall mail or cause to be mailed (or, in the case of the Depositary with respect to any Global Note, sent electronically) to Holders a notice that states the special record date, the related payment date and the amount of such interest to be paid.
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Section 2.14 Global Notes.
(a) Terms of Notes. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto, or an Officer’s Certificate shall establish whether the Notes of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Notes and shall name the Depositary for such Global Note or Notes. Except as provided herein, each Global Note shall be (i) registered in the name of the Depositary, (ii) deposited with the Depositary or its nominee, and (iii) bear the legend indicated in Section 2.14(c).
(b) Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 and in addition thereto, any Global Note shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 for Notes registered in the names of Holders other than the Depositary for such Note or its nominee only if (i) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Note or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that such Global Note shall be so exchangeable or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Notes represented by such Global Note shall have happened and be continuing. Any Global Note that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Notes registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Note with like tenor and terms. In connection with any proposed transfer of definitive Notes in exchange for Global Notes, the Company or the Depositary shall be required to provide or cause to be provided to the Trustee all information reasonably requested by the Trustee and reasonably available to the Company or the Depositary, as applicable, as necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any cost basis reporting obligations under Internal Revenue Code Section 6045. The Trustee may rely on information provided to it by or on behalf of the Company or the Depositary, as applicable, and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information.
Except as provided in this Section 2.14(b), a Global Note may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary with respect to such Global Note to a nominee of such Depositary, by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by the Depositary, or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.
(c) Legend. Any Global Note issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“This Note is a Global Note within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. This Note is exchangeable for Notes registered in the name of a person other than the Depositary or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary .”
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(d) Acts of Holders. The Depositary, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under this Indenture. The record date for purposes of determining the identity of Holders entitled to vote or consent to any action by vote or consent authorized or permitted under this Indenture may be determined as provided for in Section 316(c) of the TIA.
(e) Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Note shall be made to the Holder thereof. Prior to due presentment of a Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Note is registered as the owner of such Note at the close of business on the regular record date for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 2.13) any interest on such Note and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Note shall be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee will be affected by notice to the contrary.
(f) Consents. Declaration and Directions. Except as provided in Section 2.14(e), the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Notes of such Series represented by a Global Note as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depositary with respect to such Global Note, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture.
(g) Responsibility of Trustee or Agents. Neither the Trustee nor any Agent shall have any responsibility for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary. The Company has entered into a letter of representations with the Depositary in the form provided by the Depositary and the Trustee and each Agent is hereby authorized to act in accordance with such letter and the Applicable Procedures.
Section 2.15 CUSIP Number.
The Company in issuing the Notes may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use CUSIP numbers in notices as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes, and any such notice shall not be affected by any defect in or the omission of such numbers. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP numbers.
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ARTICLE 3
REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT
Section 3.1 Notice to Trustee.
The Company may, with respect to any Series of Notes, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Notes or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Notes or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Notes. If a Series of Notes is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Notes pursuant to the terms of such Notes, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Notes to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 15 days prior to the mailing or sending of notice of redemption to the Holders of the Notes to be redeemed (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee).
Section 3.2 Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed.
If less than all of the Notes of a Series are to be redeemed or purchased in an offer to purchase at any time, the Trustee (subject to the Applicable Procedures of the Depositary) shall select the Notes of a Series to be redeemed or purchased among the Holders of the Notes (a) in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes are listed, (b) if the Notes are not so listed, on a pro rata basis to the extent practicable or (c) by lot or such other method in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Notes selected for redemption and, in the case of any Note selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed. Notes of a Series and portions of them selected shall be in amounts of no less than $2,000 and whole multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof, or with respect to Notes of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2(j), the minimum principal denomination for each Series and integral multiples thereof. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, provisions of this Indenture that apply to Notes of a Series called for redemption or repurchase also apply to portions of Notes of a Series called for redemption or repurchase.
Section 3.3 Notice of Redemption.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail or cause to be mailed, by first class mail, or, in the case of the Depositary with respect to any Global Note, sent electronically, a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered address.
The notice shall identify the Notes of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:
(1) the redemption date;
(2) the redemption price (or manner of calculation if not then known);
(3) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(4) that Notes of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(5) that interest on Notes of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;
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(6) the CUSIP number, if any, provided that no representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any,
(7) listed in such notice or printed on the Notes;
(8) the conditions precedent, if any, to the redemption; and
(9) any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series of the Notes or the Notes of a Series being redeemed.
At the Company’s request, and upon receipt of an Officer’s Certificate complying with Section 11.4 hereof at least 15 days prior to the date notice is to be given (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), together with the notice to be given setting forth the information to be stated therein as provided in the preceding paragraph, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense.
Section 3.4 Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Once notice of redemption is sent in accordance with Section 3.3 hereof. Notes called for redemption become irrevocably due and payable on the redemption date at the redemption price. Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, a notice of redemption may not be conditional.
Section 3.5 Deposit of Redemption Price.
At least one Business Day prior to the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest on all Notes to be redeemed on that date. The Trustee or the Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Company any money deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Company in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption price of, and accrued interest on, all Notes to be redeemed.
If the Company complies with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, on and after the redemption date, interest shall cease to accrue on the Notes or the portions of Notes called for redemption. If any Note called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender for redemption because of the failure of the Company to comply with the preceding paragraph, interest shall be paid on the unpaid principal, from the redemption date until such principal is paid, and to the extent lawful on any interest not paid on such unpaid principal, in each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in Section 4.1 hereof.
Section 3.6 Notes Redeemed in Part
Upon surrender of a Note that is redeemed in part, the Company shall issue and, upon the Company’s written request, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder, or transfer by book-entry, at the expense of the Company, a new Note equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Note surrendered.
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No Notes of $2,000 or less can be redeemed in part (or with respect to Notes of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2(j), the minimum denomination for each Series and integral multiples thereof).
ARTICLE 4
COVENANTS
Section 4.1 Payment of Principal and Interest
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Notes that it will pay or cause to be paid the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on such Series of Notes on the dates and in the manner provided in such Notes. Principal, premium, if any, and interest on any Series of Notes will be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company or a Subsidiary thereof, holds as of 10:00 a m. Eastern Time on the due date money deposited by the Company in immediately available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay all principal, premium, if any, and interest then due.
Section 4.2 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Notes that it will maintain an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee for such Notes or an affiliate of the Trustee, Registrar for such Notes or co-registrar) where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Notes and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee for such Notes of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company fails to maintain any such required office or agency or fails to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.
With respect to each Series of Notes, the Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Company in accordance with Section 2.4.
Section 4.3 Reports.
The Company will at all times comply with TIA § 314(a). 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 (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates).
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Section 4.4 Compliance Certificate.
The Company and each guarantor of any Series of Notes (to the extent that such guarantor is so required under the TIA) shall deliver to the Trustee with respect to such Series, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, an Officer’s Certificate that need not comply with Section 11.5 signed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer, stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officer with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to the Officer signing such certificate, that to his or her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (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).
Section 4.5 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not, and each guarantor of such Notes will not, at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company and each of such guarantors (to the extent that it may lawfully do so), as applicable, hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee for such Notes, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.
Section 4.6 Corporate Existence.
Subject to Article 5 hereof, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect:
(a) the corporate, partnership or other existence of itself and each of its Subsidiaries, in accordance with the respective organizational documents (as the same may be amended from time to time) of the Company or any such Subsidiary; and
(b) the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any of its Subsidiaries, if an Officer shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes.
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ARTICLE 5
SUCCESSORS
Section 5.1 Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets.
The Company shall not, directly or indirectly:
(a) merge or consolidate with or into another Person or Persons; or
(b) sell, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in one or more related transactions, to another Person or Persons, unless:
(1) either:
(A) the transaction is a merger or consolidation and the Company is the surviving entity; or
(B) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company) or to which such sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition has been made is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust or other entity organized and existing under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia and expressly assumes all the obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Indenture pursuant to a supplemental indenture in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction and treating the Company’s obligations in connection with or as a result of such transaction as having been incurred as of the time of such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(3) the Company or the surviving entity delivers to the Trustee (a) an Officer’s Certificate stating that the conditions in (1) and (2) above have been satisfied and any other conditions precedent in this Indenture relating to such transaction have been satisfied and (b) an Opinion of Counsel stating that the conditions in (1) above have been satisfied and any other conditions precedent in this Indenture relating to such transaction have been satisfied.
Section 5.2 Successor Corporation Substituted.
Upon any merger or consolidation, or any sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in a transaction that is subject to, and that complies with the provisions of, Section 5.1 hereof, the successor Person into which the Company is merged or formed by such consolidation or to which such sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such merger, consolidation, sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition, the provisions of this Indenture referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the successor Person and not to the Company), and may exercise every right and power of the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein, and (except in the case of a lease) when the successor Person duly assumes all the obligations of the Company under the Notes and this Indenture, the predecessor Company shall be relieved from all such obligations.
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ARTICLE 6
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.1 Events of Default
“Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Notes of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
(a) default in the payment of any interest on any Note of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(b) default in payment when due of the principal of, or premium, if any, on any Note of that Series; or
(c) default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture or in any Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate with respect to such Series (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture or a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate solely for the benefit of Series of Notes other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 90 days after (i) the Company receives written notice from the Trustee for such Notes or (ii) the Company and the Trustee receive written notice from Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of Notes of that Series outstanding; or
(d) the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries:
(1) commences a voluntary case in bankruptcy,
(2) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary bankruptcy case,
(3) applies for or consents to the appointment of any custodian, receiver, trustee, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer of it or a Significant Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of any of its property,
(4) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or
(5) generally is unable to pay its debts as they become due;
(e) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(1) is for relief against the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries;
(2) appoints a custodian of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries; or
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(3) orders the winding up or liquidation of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries;
and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 consecutive days; or
(f) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Notes of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee promptly after becoming aware of the occurrence thereof, written notice in the form of an Officer’s Certificate of any event which with the giving of notice and the lapse of time would become an Event of Default under clause (c) or (f), its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 6.2 Acceleration.
If an Event of Default with respect to Notes of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(d) or Section 6.1(e)) (in either case with respect to the Company) then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Notes of that Series are Discount Notes, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Notes) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Notes of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or Section 6.1(e) (in either case with respect to the Company) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Notes shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if the rescission and annulment would not conflict with any judgment or decree already rendered and if all existing Events of Default with respect to that Series (except nonpayment of principal, interest or premium that has become due solely because of the acceleration) have been cured or waived and all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses and disbursements of the Trustee and its agents and counsel have been paid.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.3 Other Remedies.
If an Event of Default with respect to Notes of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy to collect the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on such Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of such Notes or this Indenture.
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The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder of a Note 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. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
Section 6.4 Waiver of Past Defaults.
Prior to the acceleration of the maturity of the Notes of any Series as provided in Section 6.2, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes of any Series then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes of such Series waive any existing Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series and its consequences under this Indenture except (i) a continuing Default or Event of Default in the payment of premium or interest on, or the principal of, the Notes of such Series (including in connection with an offer to purchase) or (ii) a Default or Event of Default in respect of a provision that under Section 9.2 cannot be amended without the consent of each Holder affected thereby. Upon any such waiver, such Default or Event of Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.5 Control by Majority.
Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of any Series may in writing direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for exercising any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it, subject to Section 7.2(f). However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders of Notes of such Series (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether any such directions are unduly prejudicial to such Holders) or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability. The Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such direction.
Section 6.6 Limitation on Suits.
A Holder of any Series of Notes may pursue a remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Notes only if:
(a) the Holder of a Note gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default;
(b) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of such Series make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;
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(c) such Holder of a Note or Holders of Notes offer and, if requested, provide to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense;
(d) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer and, if requested, the provision of security or indemnity; and
(e) during such 60-day period the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of such Series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.
A Holder of any Series of Notes may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of Notes or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder of Notes (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not any such use prejudices the rights of another Holder or obtains priority or preference over another Holder).
Section 6.7 Rights of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Note, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.8 Collection Suit by Trustee.
If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(a) or Section 6.1(b) hereof occurs and is continuing, the Trustee is authorized to recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount of principal of, premium, if any, and interest remaining unpaid on, the Notes and interest on overdue principal and, to the extent lawful, interest and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
Section 6.9 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
The Trustee for each Series of Notes is authorized to file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and the Holders of the Notes of such Series allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Notes of such Series), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect, receive and distribute any money or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and any custodian in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder of such Series to make such payments to the Trustee, and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders of such Series, 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 hereof. To the
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extent that the payment of any such compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7 hereof out of the estate in any such proceeding, shall be denied for any reason, payment of the same shall be secured by a lien on, and shall be paid out of, any and all distributions, dividends, money, securities and other properties that the Holders of such Series may be entitled to receive in such proceeding whether in liquidation or under any plan of reorganization or arrangement or otherwise. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding. The Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors’ or other similar committee.
Section 6.10 Priorities.
If the Trustee collects any money or property with respect to a Series of Notes pursuant to this Article 6, or, after an Event of Default, any money or other property distributable in respect of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture, it shall pay out the money or property in the following order:
First, to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts due under Section 7.7 hereof applicable to the Notes of such Series, including payment of all compensation, expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;
Second, to Holders of Notes of such Series for amounts due and unpaid on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest, respectively; and
Third, to the Company or to such party as a court of competent jurisdiction shall direct.
The Trustee may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section 6.10.
Section 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 a 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 and expenses, 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 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder of a Note pursuant to Section 6.7 hereof, or a suit by Holders or group of Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of any Series.
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Section 6.12 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee, and the Holders will be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders will continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
ARTICLE 7
TRUSTEE
Section 7.1 Duties of Trustee.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee will exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default, the duties of the Trustee will be determined solely by the express provisions of this Indenture and the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee.
(c) 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. However, the Trustee will examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated thereon).
(d) The Trustee may not be relieved from liabilities for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.1;
(2) the Trustee will 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;
(3) the Trustee will 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 Section 6.5 hereof; and
(4) no provision of this Indenture will require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights and powers under this Indenture at the request of any Holders, unless such Holder has offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability or expense.
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(e) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 7.1.
(f) The Trustee will not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee 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 law. The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers or duties hereunder. The permissive rights or powers of the Trustee to do things enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty of the Trustee.
Section 7.2 Rights of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely upon any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting or as specifically called for in this Indenture, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel will be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.
(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and will not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any attorney or agent appointed with due care.
(d) The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within the rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture.
(e) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Indenture, any demand, request, direction or notice from the Company will be sufficient if signed by an Officer of the Company. Any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution.
(f) The Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to the Trustee against the losses, liabilities and expenses that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(g) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services, or other unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or facsimile or other wire or communication facility; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
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(h) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive, or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.
(i) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be compensated, reimbursed, and indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.
(j) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of a Default or Event of Default from the Company or by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of such Series is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Notes and this Indenture.
(k) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.
(l) The Trustee will not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness, or other paper or document, or inquire as to the performance by the Company or any guarantor of any of their covenants in this Indenture, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it will be entitled to examine the books, records, and premises of the Company or any such guarantor, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation.
Section 7.3 Individual Rights of Trustee.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Company or any Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. However, in the event that the Trustee acquires any conflicting interest as defined in the TIA it must eliminate such conflict within 90 days, apply to the SEC for permission to continue as trustee (if this Indenture has been qualified under the TIA) or resign. Any Agent may do the same with like rights and duties. The Trustee is also subject to Section 7.10 and Section 7.11 hereof.
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Section 7.4 Trustee’s Disclaimer.
The Trustee will not be responsible for and makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Notes or any money paid to the Company or upon the Company’s direction under any provision of this Indenture, it will not be responsible for the use or application of any money received by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee, and it will not be responsible for any statement or recital herein or any statement in the Notes or any other document in connection with the sale of the Notes or pursuant to this Indenture other than its certificate of authentication. Under no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable in its individual capacity for the obligations evidenced by any Notes. The Trustee shall not be bound to ascertain or inquire as to the performance, observance or breach of any covenants, conditions, representations, warranties or agreements on the part of the Company. Under no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable in its individual capacity for the obligations evidenced by the Notes. The Trustee shall have no obligation to pursue any action that is not in accordance with applicable law.
Section 7.5 Notice of Defaults.
If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee as provided in Section 7.2(j) hereof, the Trustee will deliver electronically or mail to Holders of Notes a notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it is so known. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Note, the Trustee may withhold the notice from Holders of the Notes if and so long as a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Notes.
Section 7.6 Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes.
(a) Within 60 days after each April 15 beginning with the April 15 following the first issuance of Notes under this Indenture, and for so long as Notes remain outstanding, the Trustee will mail to the Holders of the Notes a brief report dated as of such reporting date that complies with TIA § 313 (a) (but if no event described in TIA § 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). The Trustee also will comply with TIA § 313(b)(2). The Trustee will also transmit by mail all reports as required by TIA § 313(c).
(b) A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to the Holders of Notes will be mailed by the Trustee to the Company and filed by the Trustee with the SEC and each stock exchange on which the Notes are listed in accordance with TIA § 313(d). The Company will promptly notify the Trustee when the Notes are listed on any stock exchange or delisted therefrom.
Section 7.7 Compensation and Indemnity.
(a) The Company will pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder as the Trustee and the Company may agree from time to time in writing. The Trustee’s compensation will not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company will reimburse the Trustee promptly upon request for all reasonable disbursements, advances and expenses incurred or made by it in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses will include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
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(b) The Company will indemnify, defend, protect and hold harmless the Trustee, its officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents from and against any and all losses, damages, claims, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable and documented out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees and expenses and court costs) incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of its duties under this Indenture, including the costs and expenses of enforcing this Indenture against the Company (including this Section 7.7) and defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, any Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except to the extent any such loss, liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence or willful misconduct as finally adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction. The Trustee will notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder. The Company will defend the claim and the Trustee will cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company will pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld.
(c) The obligations of the Company under this Section 7.7 will survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
(d) To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section 7.7, the Trustee will have a lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee. Such lien will survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
(e) When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or Section 6.1(e) hereof occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
(f) The Trustee will comply with the provisions of TIA § 313(b)(2) to the extent applicable.
(g) “Trustee” for the purposes of this Section 7.7 shall include any predecessor Trustee and the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder and each agent, custodian and other person employed to act hereunder; provided, however, that the negligence or willful misconduct of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.
Section 7.8 Replacement of Trustee.
(a) A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee will become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.8.
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(b) The Trustee may resign in writing at any time and be discharged from the trust hereby created with respect to one or more Series of Notes by so notifying the Company with 30 days prior notice. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of such Series may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company with 30 days prior notice in writing. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to one or more Series of Notes with 30 days prior written notice if:
(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof;
(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 public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(4) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
(c) If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company will promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of such Series may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
(d) If a successor Trustee does not take office within 30 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company, or the Holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of such Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction, at the expense of the Company, for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(e) If the Trustee, after written request by any Holder who has been a Holder for at least six months, fails to comply with Section 7.10 hereof, such Holder may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(f) A successor Trustee will deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee will become effective, and the successor Trustee will have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The successor Trustee will mail or send a notice of its succession to Holders. The retiring Trustee will promptly transfer all properly held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee; provided all sums owing to the Trustee hereunder have been paid and subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7 hereof. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 hereof will continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
Section 7.9 Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.
If the Trustee consolidates, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act will be the successor Trustee.
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Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification.
There will at all times be a Trustee hereunder that is a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any state thereof that is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trustee power, that is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and that has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50.0 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.
This Indenture will always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee is subject to TIA § 310(b). There shall be excluded from the operation of TIA § 310(b)(1) any series of Notes under this Indenture and any other indenture of the Company if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in TIA § 310(b)(1) are met.
Section 7.11 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.
ARTICLE 8
LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 8.1 Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance
The Company may at any time, at the option of its Board of Directors evidenced by a resolution set forth in an Officer’s Certificate, elect to have either Section 8.2 or Section 8.3 hereof be applied to all outstanding Notes upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article 8.
Section 8.2 Legal Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.2, the Company will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 hereof, be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations with respect to all outstanding Notes of such Series on the date the conditions set forth below are satisfied (hereinafter, “Legal Defeasance”). For this purpose, Legal Defeasance means that the Company will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by die outstanding Notes of such Series, which will thereafter be deemed to be “outstanding” only for the purposes of Section 8.5 hereof and the other Sections of this Indenture referred to in clauses (a) and (b) below, and to have satisfied all their other obligations under such Notes and this Indenture (and the Trustee, on written demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except for the following provisions which will survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder:
(a) the rights of Holders of outstanding Notes to receive payments in respect of the principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, such Notes when such payments are due from the trust referred to in Section 8.4 hereof;
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(b) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Notes under Article 2 and Section 4.2 hereof;
(c) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith; and
(d) this Article 8.
Subject to compliance with this Article 8, the Company may exercise its option under this Section 8.2 notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option under Section 8.3 hereof.
Section 8.3 Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.3, the Company and each of the guarantors, if any, will, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 hereof, be released from their obligations under the covenants contained in Section 4.3 and any other covenants specified in the applicable Board Resolutions, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate as being subject to covenant defeasance pursuant to this Section 8.3, in each case, with respect to the outstanding Notes of the applicable Series on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 are satisfied (hereinafter, “Covenant Defeasance”), and the Notes shall thereafter be deemed not “outstanding” for the purposes of any direction, waiver, consent or declaration or act of Holders (and the consequences of any thereof) in connection with such covenants, but shall continue to be deemed “outstanding” for all other purposes hereunder (it being understood that such Notes shall not be deemed outstanding for accounting purposes). For this purpose, Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to the outstanding Notes of such Series, the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such covenant, whether directly or indirectly, by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such covenant or by reason of any reference in any such covenant to any other provision herein or in any other document and such omission to comply shall not constitute a Default or an Event of Default under Section 6.1 hereof, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Notes shall be unaffected thereby. In addition, upon the Company’s exercise under Section 8.1 hereof of the option applicable to this Section 8.3 hereof, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 8.4 hereof, (i) the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute an Event of Default pursuant to Section 6.1(c) and (ii) Section 6.1(d) (with respect to Significant Subsidiaries only) and (e) (with respect to Significant Subsidiaries only) shall not constitute an Event of Default.
Section 8.4 Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance.
In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance under either Section 8.2 or Section 8.3 hereof:
(a) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the Trustee, in trust, for the benefit of the Holders, cash in Dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, in the written opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm, or firm of independent public accountants delivered to the Trustee, to pay the principal of, premium, if any,
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and interest on, the outstanding Notes on the stated date for payment thereof or on the applicable redemption date, as the case may be, and the Company must specify whether the Notes are being defeased to such stated date for payment or to a particular redemption date;
(b) in the case of an election under Section 8.2 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that:
(1) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling; or
(2) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable federal income tax law,
in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the beneficial owners of the outstanding Notes will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such Legal 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 Legal Defeasance had not occurred;
(c) in the case of an election under Section 8.3 hereof, the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that the beneficial owners of the outstanding Notes 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;
(d) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit) and the deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound;
(e) such Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any material agreement or instrument (other than this Indenture) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound;
(f) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of Notes over the other creditors of the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any creditors of the Company or others; and
(g) the Company must deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the Legal Defeasance or the Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.
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Section 8.5 Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to Section 8.6 hereof, all money and non-callable Government Securities (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee (or other qualifying trustee, collectively for purposes of this Section 8.5, the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 8.4 hereof in respect of the outstanding Notes of any Series will be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Notes and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Notes of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal, premium, if any, and interest, but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 8.4 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes of the applicable Series.
Notwithstanding anything in this Article 8 to the contrary, the Trustee will deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any money or non-callable Government Securities held by it as provided in Section 8.4 hereof which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee (which may be the opinion delivered under Section 8.4(a) hereof), are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
Section 8.6 Repayment to Company.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Series of Notes and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium, if any, or interest has become due and payable shall, subject to applicable abandoned property law, be paid to the Company on its request or (if then held by the Company) will be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Note will thereafter be permitted to look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, will thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (national edition), notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which will not be less than 30 days from the date of such notification or publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
Section 8.7 Reinstatement
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any Dollars or non-callable Government Securities in accordance with Section 8.2 or Section 8.3 hereof, as the case may be, by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s and any applicable guarantors’ obligations
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under this Indenture and the applicable Notes and the guarantees will be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.2 or Section 8.3 hereof until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.2 or Section 8.3 hereof, as the case may be; provided, however, that, if the Company makes any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Note following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company will be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
ARTICLE 9
AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER
Section 9.1 Without Consent of Holders of Notes.
Notwithstanding Section 9.2 of this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Notes of one or more Series without the consent of any Holder of Note:
(a) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental indenture, or to conform the provisions of this Indenture to the “Description of the Notes” section contained in the prospectus or other offering document pursuant to which the Notes of one or more Series were sold, as evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate stating that such text constitutes an unintended conflict with the description of the corresponding provision in the offering document;
(b) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;
(c) to provide for the assumption of the Company’s obligations to the Holders of the Notes by a successor to the Company pursuant to Article 5 hereof;
(d) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders of all or any Series of Notes or that does not adversely affect the rights hereunder of any Holder in any material respect, as evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate;
(e) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(f) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Notes of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;
(g) to add guarantees with respect to the Notes of any Series or to provide security for the Notes of any Series; or
(h) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Notes 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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Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 7.2 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company in the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee will not be obligated to enter into such amended or supplemental indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 9.2 With Consent of Holders of Notes.
The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Notes of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Notes of each such Series. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes of each Series, by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Notes of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Notes with respect to such Series.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Notes under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a resolution of its Board of Directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders of Notes as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 7.2 hereof, the Trustee will join with the Company in the execution of such amended or supplemental indenture unless such amended or supplemental indenture directly affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but will not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture.
After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall mail or send to the Holders of Notes affected thereby a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver. However, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver under this Section 9.2 may not, with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder:
(a) reduce the principal amount, any premium or change the Stated Maturity of any Note or alter or waive any of the provisions with respect to the redemption or repurchase of the Notes;
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(b) reduce the rate (or alter the method of computation) of or extend the time for payment of interest, including defaulted interest, on any Note;
(c) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, except a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Notes of such Series with respect to a nonpayment default and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration;
(d) make the principal of or premium, if any or interest on any Note payable in currency other than that stated in the Notes;
(e) change any place of payment where the Notes of any series or interest thereon is payable;
(f) make any change in the provisions of this Indenture relating to waivers of past Defaults or the rights of Holders of the Notes to receive payments of principal of or premium, interest, if any, on the Notes and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payments;
(g) make any change in the foregoing amendment and waiver provisions; or
(h) reduce the percentage in principal amount of any Notes, the consent of the Holders of which is required for any of the foregoing modifications or otherwise necessary to modify or amend this Indenture or to waive any past Defaults.
Section 9.3 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act
Every amendment to this Indenture or the Notes of one or more Series will be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.
Section 9.4 Revocation and Effect of Consents.
Until an amendment or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Note is a continuing consent by the Holder of a Note and every subsequent Holder of a Note or portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Note, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Note. However, any such Holder of a Note or subsequent Holder of a Note may revoke the consent as to its Note if the Trustee receives written notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective. An amendment or waiver becomes effective in accordance with its terms and thereafter binds every Holder.
Section 9.5 Notation on or Exchange of Notes.
The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Note of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Notes of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Notes of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.
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Failure to make the appropriate notation or issue a new Note will not affect the validity and effect of such amendment or waiver.
Section 9.6 Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and an Opinion of Counsel stating that it will be the legal, valid and binding upon the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to customary exceptions. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights, duties, liabilities or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
ARTICLE 10
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 10.1 Satisfaction and Discharge.
This Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect as to a Series of Notes issued hereunder, when:
(a) either:
(1) all such Notes that have been authenticated, except lost, stolen or destroyed Notes that have been replaced or paid and Notes for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company, have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(2) all such Notes that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable by reason of the sending of a notice of redemption or otherwise or will become due and payable within one year and the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the Holders of such Notes, cash in Dollars, non-callable Government Securities, or a combination thereof, in such amounts as will be sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, in the written opinion of a nationally recognized investment bank, appraisal firm, or firm of independent public accountants delivered to the Trustee (which opinion need only be given if Government Securities have been so deposited), to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the Notes not delivered to the Trustee for cancellation for principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest to the date of maturity or redemption;
(b) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing on the date of such deposit (other than a Default or Event of Default resulting from the borrowing of funds to be applied to such deposit) and the deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material instrument to which the Company or any guarantor, as applicable, is a party or by which the Company, or any guarantor, as applicable, is bound;
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(c) the Company or any guarantor of such Notes has paid or caused to be paid all sums payable by it under this Indenture; and
(d) the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee under this Indenture to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at maturity or on the redemption date, as the case may be.
In addition, the Company must deliver an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the Trustee stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, if money has been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (2) of clause (a) of this Section 10.1, the provisions of Section 10.2 and Section 8.6 hereof will survive. In addition, nothing in this Section 10.1 will be deemed to discharge those provisions of Section 7.7 hereof, that, by their terms, survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture. After the conditions to discharge contained in this Article Ten have been satisfied, and the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company, and delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent to satisfaction and discharge have been satisfied, the Trustee upon Company request shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of the obligations of the Company (except for those surviving obligations specified in this Section 10.1 and the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith).
Section 10.2 Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of Section 8.6 hereof, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 10.1 hereof shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Notes with respect to which such deposit was made and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee; but such money need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company will pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the cash or non-callable Government Securities deposited pursuant to Section 10.1 hereof or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of the outstanding Notes of the applicable Series.
If the Trustee or Paying Agent is unable to apply any money or Government Securities in accordance with Section 10.1 hereof 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 and any applicable guarantor’s obligations under this Indenture and the applicable Notes shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 10.1 hereof; provided that if the Company has made any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money or Government Securities held by the Trustee or Paying Agent.
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ARTICLE 11
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 11.1 Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by TIA § 318(c), the imposed duties will control.
Section 11.2 Notices.
Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other is duly given if in writing and delivered in Person or by first class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), facsimile transmission or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the other’s address:
If to the Company:
AtriCure, Inc.
7555 Innovation Way
Mason, Ohio 45040
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Telephone No.: (513) 755-4100
With a copy to:
Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
1 East 4th Street, Suite 1400
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Attention: F. Mark Reuter, Esq.
Facsimile No.: (513) 579-6457
Telephone No.: (513) 579-6400
If to the Trustee:
U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association
425 Walnut Street, 6th Floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Facsimile No.: (513) 632-4278
The Company or the Trustee, by notice to the other, may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
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All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders) will be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt acknowledged, if transmitted by facsimile; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.
Any notice or communication to a Holder will be mailed by first class mail, certified or registered, return receipt requested, or by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery to its address shown on the register kept by the Registrar (or in the case of Notes in global form, pursuant to the Applicable Procedures of the Depositary). Any notice or communication will also be so mailed to any Person described in TIA § 313(c), to the extent required by the TIA. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in it will not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Global Note, where this Indenture or any Global Note provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) to a Holder of a Global Note (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the Applicable Procedures, including by electronic mail in accordance with the standing instructions from the Depositary.
If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Holders, it will mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured e-mail, pdf, facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods; provided, however, that (a) the party providing such written instructions, subsequent to such transmission of written instructions, shall provide the originally executed instructions or directions to the Trustee in a timely manner, and (b) such originally executed instructions or directions shall be signed by an authorized representative of the party providing such instructions or directions. If the party elects to give the Trustee e-mail or facsimile instructions (or instructions by a similar electronic method) and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions notwithstanding such instructions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The party providing electronic instructions agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk or interception and misuse by third parties.
Section 11.3 Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of Notes.
Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).
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Section 11.4 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 Officer’s Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers (who may rely upon an Opinion of Counsel as to matters of law), all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been satisfied; and
(2) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel (who may rely upon an Officer’s Certificate as to matters of fact), all such conditions precedent and covenants have been satisfied.
Section 11.5 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA § 314(a)(4)) must comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e) and must 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, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been satisfied; and
(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been satisfied.
Section 11.6 Rules by Holders and Agents.
Holders may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
Section 11.7 Calculation of Foreign Currency Amounts.
The calculation of the Dollar equivalent amount for any amount denominated in a foreign currency shall be the noon buying rate in the City of New York as certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the date on which such determination is required to be made or, if such day is not a day on which such rate is published, the rate most recently published prior to such day.
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Section 11.8 No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Shareholders.
No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator or shareholder of the Company, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Notes, this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes. The waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws.
Section 11.9 Governing Law.
THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WILL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES, AND THE GUARANTEES, IF ANY, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.
Section 11.10 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret any other indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or its Subsidiaries or of any other Person. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
Section 11.11 Successors.
All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Notes will bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture will bind its successors.
Section 11.12 Severability.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Notes is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 11.13 Counterpart Originals.
The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy will be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
Section 11.14 Table of Contents, Headings, etc.
The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and Headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of this Indenture and will in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
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Section 11.15 Waiver of Jury Trial
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE NOTES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
Section 11.16 Patriot Act Compliance
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the USA Patriot Act the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account, which information includes the name, address, tax identification number and formation documents and other information that will allow the Trustee to identify the person or legal entity in accordance with the USA Patriot Act. The parties to this Agreement agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the USA Patriot Act.
[Signatures on following page]
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SIGNATURES
Dated as of [ ]
| ATRICURE, INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: |
| |
| Title: |
| |
| U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: |
| |
| Title: |
| |
[Signature Page to Indenture]
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Exhibit 5.1
February 14, 2025
AtriCure, Inc.
7555 Innovation Way
Mason, Ohio 45040
| Re: | Form S-3 Registration Statement |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to AtriCure, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”), including a prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”) relating to the public offering of securities to be issued and sold by the Company which may include (i) debt securities of the Company (collectively, the “Debt Securities”), (ii) shares (the “Shares”) of common stock of the Company (the “Common Stock”), (iii) shares of preferred stock of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”), (iv) warrants to purchase Common Stock, Debt Securities or other securities of the Company (the “Warrants”), (v) depositary shares representing a fraction or a multiple of a share of a particular series of Preferred Stock (the “Depositary Shares”), (vi) purchase contracts of the Company (“Purchase Contracts”), and/or (vii) units consisting of more than one of the foregoing securities listed in (i) through (vi) (the “Units”).
We have, as counsel, examined such corporate records, certificates of public offices and officers of the Company and other documents and reviewed such questions of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinions expressed below. As to various questions of fact material to such opinions, we have relied upon representations of the Company. We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents, certificates of records as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions set forth herein.
In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
In making our examination of executed documents, we have assumed that the parties thereto, other than the Company, had the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and the execution and delivery of such documents by the parties to such documents, and the validity and binding effect thereof. As to any facts material to the opinions expressed herein which we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company.
February 14, 2025
Page 2
Based solely on the examination described above, we are of the opinion that:
| 1. | When (i) all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and terms of any Debt Securities, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters by the Board of Directors of the Company, a duly constituted and acting committee of such Board or duly authorized officers of the Company has been taken, (ii) the issuance, execution and delivery of the Debt Securities have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and (iii) the due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of such Debt Securities has been completed, upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of an applicable indenture and such agreement, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms. |
| 2. | When (i) in the case of Shares issued by the Company, the terms of the issuance and sale of the Shares shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and/or (ii) the Shares shall have been issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares, against payment of the consideration fixed therefor by the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof, and if Shares are issued pursuant to Warrants or Units, as contemplated by the terms thereof and of the agreements relating thereto, assuming that the Company has reserved for issuance the requisite number of shares of Common Stock, the Shares will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. |
| 3. | When (i) the terms of the Preferred Stock and of its issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, and authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, (ii) an amendment to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation fixing and determining the terms of the Preferred Stock shall have been filed with and accepted by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and (iii) the Preferred Stock has been duly issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, against payment of the consideration fixed therefor by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, the Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. |
| 4. | When (i) the terms of the issuance and sale of the Warrants shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, (ii) the Warrants shall have been authenticated by the applicable warrant agent pursuant to the terms of a Warrant Agreement and (iii) the Warrants shall have been issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating to the Warrants, the Warrants will be validly issued and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms. |
| 5. | When (i) the terms of the issuance and sale of the Depositary Shares shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, (ii) the number of Depositary Shares issued by the Company at no time exceeds the maximum amount of shares of Preferred Stock authorized to be issued by the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and (iii) the Depositary Shares have been duly issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, against payment of the consideration fixed therefor by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, the Depositary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 6. | When (i) the Purchase Contract Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Purchase Contracts has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Purchase Contract Agent and the Company, (ii) the specific terms of the Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement, (iii) and such Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Purchase Contracts will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability. |
February 14, 2025
Page 3
| 7. | When (i) the terms of the issuance and sale of the Units shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and (ii) the Units have been duly issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating thereto, against payment of the consideration fixed therefor by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, the Units will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
Our opinions set forth in paragraphs (1), (4) and (6) above are subject to: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, preference, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors; (ii) the effect of general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law (including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief), concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and the discretion of the court before which a proceeding is brought; (iii) the invalidity under certain circumstances under law or court decisions of provisions providing for the indemnification of or contribution to a party with respect to a liability where such indemnification or contribution is contrary to public policy; and (iv) we express no opinion as to (a) any provision for liquidated damages, default interest, late charges, monetary penalties, make-whole premiums or other economic remedies to the extent such provisions are deemed to constitute a penalty, (b) consents to, or restrictions upon, governing law, jurisdiction, venue, arbitration, remedies, or judicial relief, (c) waivers of rights or defenses, (d) any provision requiring the payment of attorneys’ fees, where such payment is contrary to law or public policy, (e) the creation, validity, attachment, perfection, or priority of any lien or security interest, (f) advance waivers of claims, defenses, rights granted by law, or notice, opportunity for hearing, evidentiary requirements, statutes of limitation, trial by jury or at law, or other procedural rights, (g) waivers of broadly or vaguely stated rights, (h) provisions for exclusivity, election or cumulation of rights or remedies, (i) provisions authorizing or validating conclusive or discretionary determinations, (j) grants of setoff rights, (k) proxies, powers and trusts, (l) provisions prohibiting, restricting, or requiring consent to assignment or transfer of any right or property, (m) any provision to the extent it requires that a claim with respect to a security denominated in other than U.S. dollars (or a judgment in respect of such a claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange at a particular date, to the extent applicable law otherwise provides, and (n) the severability, if invalid, of provisions to the foregoing effect.
We have assumed that the execution and delivery of, and the performance of the Company’s obligations under the instruments governing the Debt Securities, Warrants, Purchase Contracts and/or Units does not and will not: (A) require any consent or approval of or registration or filing with, or any other action by, any governmental authority or (B) violate or conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under (1) any agreement or instrument to which the Company, or any of its affiliates is a party or by which the Company or any of its affiliates or any of its properties may be bound, (2) any approval of, or registration with, any governmental authority that may be applicable to the Company, or any of its affiliates or any of its properties, (3) any judgment, decree or order that may be applicable to the Company, or any of its affiliates or any of its properties or (4) any law.
Our opinions expressed above are limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, we express no opinion with respect to (i) federal banking laws, (ii) any antitrust, environmental, employee benefit or pension, real property or tax laws, (iii) any privacy, national security, antiterrorism, money laundering, racketeering, criminal and civil forfeiture, foreign corrupt practices, foreign asset or trading control laws (including, without limitation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act, International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the USA PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act), or any related enabling legislation, executive order, rule or regulation, (iv) the Corporate Transparency Act, or (v) any municipal or other local law, rule or regulation.
These opinions are given as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update or supplement these opinions to reflect any facts or circumstances which may hereafter come to our attention or any changes in laws which may hereafter occur. These opinions are strictly limited to the matters stated herein and no other or more extensive opinions are intended, implied or to be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein.
February 14, 2025
Page 4
We hereby consent to be named in the Registration Statement as the attorneys who have passed upon legal matters in connection with the issuance of the common stock and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whom consent is required under Section 7 of the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Sincerely, |
| /s/ KEATING MUETHING & KLEKAMP PLL |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our reports dated February 14, 2025, relating to the financial statements of AtriCure, Inc. and the effectiveness of AtriCure, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of AtriCure, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2024. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
| /s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP |
| Cincinnati, Ohio |
| February 14, 2025 |
Exhibit 25.1
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM T-1
STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939
OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE
| ☐ | Check if an Application to Determine Eligibility of a Trustee Pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) |
U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(Exact name of Trustee as specified in its charter)
91-1821036
I.R.S. Employer Identification No.
| 800 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, Minnesota |
55402 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Christina Bruno
U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association
425 Walnut Street, 10th Floor
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(732) 321-2516
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
ATRICURE, INC.
(Issuer with respect to the Securities)
| Delaware | 34-1940305 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 7555 Innovation Way Mason, Ohio |
45040 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
Debt Issuance
(Title of the Indenture Securities)
FORM T-1
| Item 1. | GENERAL INFORMATION. Furnish the following information as to the Trustee. |
| a) | Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject. |
Comptroller of the Currency
Washington, D.C.
| b) | Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers. |
Yes
| Item 2. | AFFILIATIONS WITH THE OBLIGOR. If the obligor is an affiliate of the Trustee, describe each such affiliation. |
None
| Items 3-15 | Items 3-15 are not applicable because to the best of the Trustee’s knowledge, the obligor is not in default under any Indenture for which the Trustee acts as Trustee. |
| Item 16. | LIST OF EXHIBITS: List below all exhibits filed as a part of this statement of eligibility and qualification. |
| 1. | A copy of the Articles of Association of the Trustee, attached as Exhibit 1. |
| 2. | A copy of the certificate of authority of the Trustee to commence business, attached as Exhibit 2. |
| 3. | A copy of the authorization of the Trustee to exercise corporate trust powers, included as Exhibit 2. |
| 4. | A copy of the existing bylaws of the Trustee, attached as Exhibit 4. |
| 5. | A copy of each Indenture referred to in Item 4. Not applicable. |
| 6. | The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, attached as Exhibit 6. |
| 7. | Report of Condition of the Trustee as of September 30, 2024, published pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, attached as Exhibit 7. |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the Trustee, U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility and qualification to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Cincinnati, State of Ohio on the 14th of February, 2025.
| By: |
/s/ Christina Bruno | |
| Christina Bruno | ||
| Assistant Vice President |
Exhibit 1
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
U. S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
For the purpose of organizing an association (the “Association”) to perform any lawful activities of national banks, the undersigned enter into the following Articles of Association:
FIRST. The title of this Association shall be U. S. Bank Trust Company, National Association.
SECOND. The main office of the Association shall be in the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, state of Oregon. The business of the Association will be limited to fiduciary powers and the support of activities incidental to the exercise of those powers. The Association may not expand or alter its business beyond that stated in this article without the prior approval of the Comptroller of the Currency.
THIRD. The board of directors of the Association shall consist of not less than five nor more than twenty-five persons, the exact number to be fixed and determined from time to time by resolution of a majority of the full board of directors or by resolution of a majority of the shareholders at any annual or special meeting thereof. Each director shall own common or preferred stock of the Association or of a holding company owning the Association, with an aggregate par, fair market, or equity value of not less than $1,000, as of either (i) the date of purchase, (ii) the date the person became a director, or (iii) the date of that person’s most recent election to the board of directors, whichever is more recent. Any combination of common or preferred stock of the Association or holding company may be used.
Any vacancy in the board of directors may be filled by action of a majority of the remaining directors between meetings of shareholders. The board of directors may increase the number of directors up to the maximum permitted by law. Terms of directors, including directors selected to fill vacancies, shall expire at the next regular meeting of shareholders at which directors are elected, unless the directors resign or are removed from office. Despite the expiration of a director’s term, the director shall continue to serve until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until there is a decrease in the number of directors and his or her position is eliminated.
Honorary or advisory members of the board of directors, without voting power or power of final decision in matters concerning the business of the Association, may be appointed by resolution of a majority of the full board of directors, or by resolution of shareholders at any annual or special meeting. Honorary or advisory directors shall not be counted to determined the number of directors of the Association or the presence of a quorum in connection with any board action, and shall not be required to own qualifying shares.
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FOURTH. There shall be an annual meeting of the shareholders to elect directors and transact whatever other business may be brought before the meeting. It shall be held at the main office or any other convenient place the board of directors may designate, on the day of each year specified therefor in the Bylaws, or if that day falls on a legal holiday in the state in which the Association is located, on the next following banking day. If no election is held on the day fixed or in the event of a legal holiday on the following banking day, an election may be held on any subsequent day within 60 days of the day fixed, to be designated by the board of directors, or, if the directors fail to fix the day, by shareholders representing two-thirds of the shares issued and outstanding. In all cases, at least 10 days’ advance notice of the meeting shall be given to the shareholders by first-class mail.
In all elections of directors, the number of votes each common shareholder may cast will be determined by multiplying the number of shares he or she owns by the number of directors to be elected. Those votes may be cumulated and cast for a single candidate or may be distributed among two or more candidates in the manner selected by the shareholder. On all other questions, each common shareholder shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by him or her.
A director may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the board of directors, its chairperson, or to the Association, which resignation shall be effective when the notice is delivered unless the notice specifies a later effective date.
A director may be removed by the shareholders at a meeting called to remove him or her, when notice of the meeting stating that the purpose or one of the purposes is to remove him or her is provided, if there is a failure to fulfill one of the affirmative requirements for qualification, or for cause; provided, however, that a director may not be removed if the number of votes sufficient to elect him or her under cumulative voting is voted against his or her removal.
FIFTH. The authorized amount of capital stock of the Association shall be 1,000,000 shares of common stock of the par value of ten dollars ($10) each; but said capital stock may be increased or decreased from time to time, according to the provisions of the laws of the United States. The Association shall have only one class of capital stock.
No holder of shares of the capital stock of any class of the Association shall have any preemptive or preferential right of subscription to any shares of any class of stock of the Association, whether now or hereafter authorized, or to any obligations convertible into stock of the Association, issued, or sold, nor any right of subscription to any thereof other than such, if any, as the board of directors, in its discretion, may from time to time determine and at such price as the board of directors may from time to time fix.
Transfers of the Association’s stock are subject to the prior written approval of a federal depository institution regulatory agency. If no other agency approval is required, the approval of the Comptroller of the Currency must be obtained prior to any such transfers.
Unless otherwise specified in the Articles of Association or required by law, (1) all matters requiring shareholder action, including amendments to the Articles of Association must be approved by shareholders owning a majority voting interest in the outstanding voting stock, and (2) each shareholder shall be entitled to one vote per share.
- 2 -
Unless otherwise specified in the Articles of Association or required by law, all shares of voting stock shall be voted together as a class, on any matters requiring shareholder approval.
Unless otherwise provided in the Bylaws, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting is the close of business on the day before the first notice is mailed or otherwise sent to the shareholders, provided that in no event may a record date be more than 70 days before the meeting.
The Association, at any time and from time to time, may authorize and issue debt obligations, whether subordinated, without the approval of the shareholders. Obligations classified as debt, whether subordinated, which may be issued by the Association without the approval of shareholders, do not carry voting rights on any issue, including an increase or decrease in the aggregate number of the securities, or the exchange or reclassification of all or part of securities into securities of another class or series.
SIXTH. The board of directors shall appoint one of its members president of this Association and one of its members chairperson of the board and shall have the power to appoint one or more vice presidents, a secretary who shall keep minutes of the directors’ and shareholders’ meetings and be responsible for authenticating the records of the Association, and such other officers and employees as may be required to transact the business of this Association. A duly appointed officer may appoint one or more officers or assistant officers if authorized by the board of directors in accordance with the Bylaws.
The board of directors shall have the power to:
| (1) | Define the duties of the officers, employees, and agents of the Association. |
| (2) | Delegate the performance of its duties, but not the responsibility for its duties, to the officers, employees, and agents of the Association. |
| (3) | Fix the compensation and enter employment contracts with its officers and employees upon reasonable terms and conditions consistent with applicable law. |
| (4) | Dismiss officers and employees. |
| (5) | Require bonds from officers and employees and to fix the penalty thereof. |
| (6) | Ratify written policies authorized by the Association’s management or committees of the board. |
| (7) | Regulate the manner any increase or decrease of the capital of the Association shall be made; provided that nothing herein shall restrict the power of shareholders to increase or decrease the capital of the Association in accordance with law, and nothing shall raise or lower from two-thirds the percentage required for shareholder approval to increase or reduce the capital. |
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| (8) | Manage and administer the business and affairs of the Association. |
| (9) | Adopt initial Bylaws, not inconsistent with law or the Articles of Association, for managing the business and regulating the affairs of the Association. |
| (10) | Amend or repeal Bylaws, except to the extent that the Articles of Association reserve this power in whole or in part to the shareholders. |
| (11) | Make contracts. |
| (12) | Generally perform all acts that are legal for a board of directors to perform. |
SEVENTH. The board of directors shall have the power to change the location of the main office to any authorized branch within the limits of the city of Portland, Oregon, without the approval of the shareholders, or with a vote of shareholders owning two-thirds of the stock of the Association for a location outside such limits and upon receipt of a certificate of approval from the Comptroller of the Currency, to any other location within or outside the limits of the city of Portland, Oregon, but not more than thirty miles beyond such limits. The board of directors shall have the power to establish or change the location of any office or offices of the Association to any other location permitted under applicable law, without approval of shareholders, subject to approval by the Comptroller of the Currency.
EIGHTH. The corporate existence of this Association shall continue until termination according to the laws of the United States.
NINTH. The board of directors of the Association, or any shareholder owning, in the aggregate, not less than 25 percent of the stock of the Association, may call a special meeting of shareholders at any time. Unless otherwise provided by the Bylaws or the laws of the United States, or waived by shareholders, a notice of the time, place, and purpose of every annual and special meeting of the shareholders shall be given by first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed at least 10, and no more than 60, days prior to the date of the meeting to each shareholder of record at his/her address as shown upon the books of the Association. Unless otherwise provided by the Bylaws, any action requiring approval of shareholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting.
TENTH. These Articles of Association may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the shareholders by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Association, unless the vote of the holders of a greater amount of stock is required by law, and in that case by the vote of the holders of such greater amount; provided, that the scope of the Association’s activities and services may not be expanded without the prior written approval of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Association’s board of directors may propose one or more amendments to the Articles of Association for submission to the shareholders.
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In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 11th of June, 1997.
|
|
| Jeffrey T. Grubb |
|
|
| Robert D. Sznewajs |
|
|
| Dwight V. Board |
|
|
| P. K. Chatterjee |
|
|
| Robert Lane |
Exhibit 2
|
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency | |||
| Washington, DC 20219 |
CERTIFICATE OF CORPORATE EXISTENCE AND FIDUCIARY POWERS
I, Michael J. Hsu, Acting Comptroller of the Currency, do hereby certify that:
1. The Comptroller of the Currency, pursuant to Revised Statutes 324, et seq, as amended, and 12 USC 1, et seq, as amended, has possession, custody, and control of all records pertaining to the chartering, regulation, and supervision of all national banking associations.
2. “U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association,” Portland, Oregon (Charter No. 23412), is a national banking association formed under the laws of the United States and is authorized thereunder to transact the business of banking and exercise fiduciary powers on the date of this certificate.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, today, October 7, 2024, I have hereunto subscribed my name and caused my seal of office to be affixed to these presents at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia.
|
||||
| Acting Comptroller of the Currency |
2025-00037-C
Exhibit 4
U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
Meetings of Shareholders
Section 1.1. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the shareholders, for the election of directors and the transaction of any other proper business, shall be held at a time and place as the Chairman or President may designate. Notice of such meeting shall be given not less than ten (10) days or more than sixty (60) days prior to the date thereof, to each shareholder of the Association, unless the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”) determines that an emergency circumstance exists. In accordance with applicable law, the sole shareholder of the Association is permitted to waive notice of the meeting. If, for any reason, an election of directors is not made on the designated day, the election shall be held on some subsequent day, as soon thereafter as practicable, with prior notice thereof. Failure to hold an annual meeting as required by these Bylaws shall not affect the validity of any corporate action or work a forfeiture or dissolution of the Association.
Section 1.2. Special Meetings. Except as otherwise specially provided by law, special meetings of the shareholders may be called for any purpose, at any time by a majority of the board of directors (the “Board”), or by any shareholder or group of shareholders owning at least ten percent of the outstanding stock.
Every such special meeting, unless otherwise provided by law, shall be called upon not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days prior notice stating the purpose of the meeting.
Section 1.3. Nominations for Directors. Nominations for election to the Board may be made by the Board or by any shareholder.
Section 1.4. Proxies. Shareholders may vote at any meeting of the shareholders by proxies duly authorized in writing. Proxies shall be valid only for one meeting and any adjournments of such meeting and shall be filed with the records of the meeting.
Section 1.5. Record Date. The record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice and to vote at any meeting will be thirty days before the date of such meeting, unless otherwise determined by the Board.
Section 1.6. Quorum and Voting. A majority of the outstanding capital stock, represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of shareholders, unless otherwise provided by law, but less than a quorum may adjourn any meeting, from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice. A majority of the votes cast shall decide every question or matter submitted to the shareholders at any meeting, unless otherwise provided by law or by the Articles of Association.
Section 1.7. Inspectors. The Board may, and in the event of its failure so to do, the Chairman of the Board may appoint Inspectors of Election who shall determine the presence of quorum, the validity of proxies, and the results of all elections and all other matters voted upon by shareholders at all annual and special meetings of shareholders.
Section 1.8. Waiver and Consent. The shareholders may act without notice or a meeting by a unanimous written consent by all shareholders.
Section 1.9. Remote Meetings. The Board shall have the right to determine that a shareholder meeting not be held at a place, but instead be held solely by means of remote communication in the manner and to the extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
ARTICLE II
Directors
Section 2.1. Board of Directors. The Board shall have the power to manage and administer the business and affairs of the Association. Except as expressly limited by law, all corporate powers of the Association shall be vested in and may be exercised by the Board.
Section 2.2. Term of Office. The directors of this Association shall hold office for one year and until their successors are duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier resignation or removal.
Section 2.3. Powers. In addition to the foregoing, the Board shall have and may exercise all of the powers granted to or conferred upon it by the Articles of Association, the Bylaws and by law.
Section 2.4. Number. As provided in the Articles of Association, the Board of this Association shall consist of no less than five nor more than twenty-five members, unless the OCC has exempted the Association from the twenty-five- member limit. The Board shall consist of a number of members to be fixed and determined from time to time by resolution of the Board or the shareholders at any meeting thereof, in accordance with the Articles of Association. Between meetings of the shareholders held for the purpose of electing directors, the Board by a majority vote of the full Board may increase the size of the Board but not to more than a total of twenty-five directors, and fill any vacancy so created in the Board; provided that the Board may increase the number of directors only by up to two directors, when the number of directors last elected by shareholders was fifteen or fewer, and by up to four directors, when the number of directors last elected by shareholders was sixteen or more. Each director shall own a qualifying equity interest in the Association or a company that has control of the Association in each case as required by applicable law. Each director shall own such qualifying equity interest in his or her own right and meet any minimum threshold ownership required by applicable law.
Section 2.5. Organization Meeting. The newly elected Board shall meet for the purpose of organizing the new Board and electing and appointing such officers of the Association as may be appropriate. Such meeting shall be held on the day of the election or as soon thereafter as practicable, and, in any event, within thirty days thereafter, at such time and place as the Chairman or President may designate. If, at the time fixed for such meeting, there shall not be a quorum present, the directors present may adjourn the meeting until a quorum is obtained.
Section 2.6. Regular Meetings. The regular meetings of the Board shall be held, without notice, as the Chairman or President may designate and deem suitable.
Section 2.7. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called at any time, at any place and for any purpose by the Chairman of the Board or the President of the Association, or upon the request of a majority of the entire Board. Notice of every special meeting of the Board shall be given to the directors at their usual places of business, or at such other addresses as shall have been furnished by them for the purpose. Such notice shall be given at least twelve hours (three hours if meeting is to be conducted by conference telephone) before the meeting by telephone or by being personally delivered, mailed, or electronically delivered. Such notice need not include a statement of the business to be transacted at, or the purpose of, any such meeting.
Section 2.8. Quorum and Necessary Vote. A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board, except when otherwise provided by law; but less than a quorum may adjourn any meeting, from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice. Unless otherwise provided by law or the Articles or Bylaws of this Association, once a quorum is established, any act by a majority of those directors present and voting shall be the act of the Board.
Section 2.9. Written Consent. Except as otherwise required by applicable laws and regulations, the Board may act without a meeting by a unanimous written consent by all directors, to be filed with the Secretary of the Association as part of the corporate records.
Section 2.10. Remote Meetings. Members of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of such Board or committee by means of conference telephone, video or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and such participation shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
Section 2.11. Vacancies. When any vacancy occurs among the directors, the remaining members of the Board may appoint a director to fill such vacancy at any regular meeting of the Board, or at a special meeting called for that purpose.
ARTICLE III
Committees
Section 3.1. Advisory Board of Directors. The Board may appoint persons, who need not be directors, to serve as advisory directors on an advisory board of directors established with respect to the business affairs of either this Association alone or the business affairs of a group of affiliated organizations of which this Association is one. Advisory directors shall have such powers and duties as may be determined by the Board, provided, that the Board’s responsibility for the business and affairs of this Association shall in no respect be delegated or diminished.
Section 3.2. Trust Audit Committee. At least once during each calendar year, the Association shall arrange for a suitable audit (by internal or external auditors) of all significant fiduciary activities under the direction of its trust audit committee, a function that will be fulfilled by the Audit Committee of the financial holding company that is the ultimate parent of this Association. The Association shall note the results of the audit (including significant actions taken as a result of the audit) in the minutes of the Board. In lieu of annual audits, the Association may adopt a continuous audit system in accordance with 12 C.F.R. § 9.9(b).
The Audit Committee of the financial holding company that is the ultimate parent of this Association, fulfilling the function of the trust audit committee:
(1) Must not include any officers of the Association or an affiliate who participate significantly in the administration of the Association’s fiduciary activities; and
(2) Must consist of a majority of members who are not also members of any committee to which the Board has delegated power to manage and control the fiduciary activities of the Association.
Section 3.3. Executive Committee. The Board may appoint an Executive Committee which shall consist of at least three directors and which shall have, and may exercise, to the extent permitted by applicable law, all the powers of the Board between meetings of the Board or otherwise when the Board is not meeting.
Section 3.4. Trust Management Committee. The Board of this Association shall appoint a Trust Management Committee to provide oversight of the fiduciary activities of the Association. The Trust Management Committee shall determine policies governing fiduciary activities. The Trust Management Committee or such sub-committees, officers or others as may be duly designated by the Trust Management Committee shall oversee the processes related to fiduciary activities to assure conformity with fiduciary policies it establishes, including ratifying the acceptance and the closing out or relinquishment of all trusts. The Trust Management Committee will provide regular reports of its activities to the Board.
Section 3.5. Other Committees. The Board may appoint, from time to time, committees of one or more persons who need not be directors, for such purposes and with such powers as the Board may determine; however, the Board will not delegate to any committee any powers or responsibilities that it is prohibited from delegating under any law or regulation. In addition, either the Chairman or the President may appoint, from time to time, committees of one or more officers, employees, agents or other persons, for such purposes and with such powers as either the Chairman or the President deems appropriate and proper. Whether appointed by the Board, the Chairman, or the President, any such committee shall at all times be subject to the direction and control of the Board.
Section 3.6. Meetings, Minutes and Rules. An advisory board of directors and/or committee shall meet as necessary in consideration of the purpose of the advisory board of directors or committee, and shall maintain minutes in sufficient detail to indicate actions taken or recommendations made; unless required by the members, discussions, votes or other specific details need not be reported. An advisory board of directors or a committee may, in consideration of its purpose, adopt its own rules for the exercise of any of its functions or authority.
ARTICLE IV
Officers
Section 4.1. Chairman of the Board. The Board may appoint one of its members to be Chairman of the Board to serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Chairman shall supervise the carrying out of the policies adopted or approved by the Board; shall have general executive powers, as well as the specific powers conferred by these Bylaws; and shall also have and may exercise such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred upon or assigned by the Board.
Section 4.2. President. The Board may appoint one of its members to be President of the Association. In the absence of the Chairman, the President shall preside at any meeting of the Board. The President shall have general executive powers, and shall have and may exercise any and all other powers and duties pertaining by law, regulation or practice, to the office of President, or imposed by these Bylaws. The President shall also have and may exercise such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred or assigned by the Board.
Section 4.3. Vice President. The Board may appoint one or more Vice Presidents who shall have such powers and duties as may be assigned by the Board and to perform the duties of the President on those occasions when the President is absent, including presiding at any meeting of the Board in the absence of both the Chairman and President.
Section 4.4. Secretary. The Board shall appoint a Secretary, or other designated officer who shall be Secretary of the Board and of the Association, and shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings. The Secretary shall attend to the giving of all notices required by these Bylaws to be given; shall be custodian of the corporate seal, records, documents and papers of the Association; shall provide for the keeping of proper records of all transactions of the Association; shall, upon request, authenticate any records of the Association; shall have and may exercise any and all other powers and duties pertaining by law, regulation or practice, to the Secretary, or imposed by these Bylaws; and shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Board. The Board may appoint one or more Assistant Secretaries with such powers and duties as the Board, the President or the Secretary shall from time to time determine.
Section 4.5. Other Officers. The Board may appoint, and may authorize the Chairman, the President or any other officer to appoint, any officer as from time to time may appear to the Board, the Chairman, the President or such other officer to be required or desirable to transact the business of the Association. Such officers shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as pertain to their several offices, or as may be conferred upon or assigned to them by these Bylaws, the Board, the Chairman, the President or such other authorized officer. Any person may hold two offices.
Section 4.6. Tenure of Office. The Chairman or the President and all other officers shall hold office until their respective successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office, subject to the right of the Board or authorized officer to discharge any officer at any time.
ARTICLE V
Stock
Section 5.1. The Board may authorize the issuance of stock either in certificated or in uncertificated form. Certificates for shares of stock shall be in such form as the Board may from time to time prescribe. If the Board issues certificated stock, the certificate shall be signed by the President, Secretary or any other such officer as the Board so determines. Shares of stock shall be transferable on the books of the Association, and a transfer book shall be kept in which all transfers of stock shall be recorded. Every person becoming a shareholder by such transfer shall, in proportion to such person’s shares, succeed to all rights of the prior holder of such shares. Each certificate of stock shall recite on its face that the stock represented thereby is transferable only upon the books of the Association properly endorsed. The Board may impose conditions upon the transfer of the stock reasonably calculated to simplify the work of the Association for stock transfers, voting at shareholder meetings, and related matters, and to protect it against fraudulent transfers.
ARTICLE VI
Corporate Seal
Section 6.1. The Association shall have no corporate seal; provided, however, that if the use of a seal is required by, or is otherwise convenient or advisable pursuant to, the laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the following seal may be used, and the Chairman, the President, the Secretary and any Assistant Secretary shall have the authority to affix such seal:
ARTICLE VII
Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 7.1. Execution of Instruments. All agreements, checks, drafts, orders, indentures, notes, mortgages, deeds, conveyances, transfers, endorsements, assignments, certificates, declarations, receipts, discharges, releases, satisfactions, settlements, petitions, schedules, accounts, affidavits, bonds, undertakings, guarantees, proxies and other instruments or documents may be signed, countersigned, executed, acknowledged, endorsed, verified, delivered or accepted on behalf of the Association, whether in a fiduciary capacity or otherwise, by any officer of the Association, or such employee or agent as may be designated from time to time by the Board by resolution, or by the Chairman or the President by written instrument, which resolution or instrument shall be certified as in effect by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Association. The provisions of this section are supplementary to any other provision of the Articles of Association or Bylaws.
Section 7.2. Records. The Articles of Association, the Bylaws as revised or amended from time to time and the proceedings of all meetings of the shareholders, the Board, and standing committees of the Board, shall be recorded in appropriate minute books provided for the purpose. The minutes of each meeting shall be signed by the Secretary, or other officer appointed to act as Secretary of the meeting.
Section 7.3. Trust Files. There shall be maintained in the Association files all fiduciary records necessary to assure that its fiduciary responsibilities have been properly undertaken and discharged.
Section 7.4. Trust Investments. Funds held in a fiduciary capacity shall be invested according to the instrument establishing the fiduciary relationship and according to law. Where such instrument does not specify the character and class of investments to be made and does not vest in the Association a discretion in the matter, funds held pursuant to such instrument shall be invested in investments in which corporate fiduciaries may invest under law.
Section 7.5. Notice. Whenever notice is required by the Articles of Association, the Bylaws or law, such notice shall be by mail, postage prepaid, e- mail, in person, or by any other means by which such notice can reasonably be expected to be received, using the address of the person to receive such notice, or such other personal data, as may appear on the records of the Association.
Except where specified otherwise in these Bylaws, prior notice shall be proper if given not more than 30 days nor less than 10 days prior to the event for which notice is given.
ARTICLE VIII
Indemnification
Section 8.1. The Association shall indemnify such persons for such liabilities in such manner under such circumstances and to such extent as permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as now enacted or hereafter amended. The Board may authorize the purchase and maintenance of insurance and/or the execution of individual agreements for the purpose of such indemnification, and the Association shall advance all reasonable costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in defending any action, suit or proceeding to all persons entitled to indemnification under this Section 8.1. Such insurance shall be consistent with the requirements of 12 C.F.R. § 7.2014 and shall exclude coverage of liability for a formal order assessing civil money penalties against an institution-affiliated party, as defined at 12 U.S.C. § 1813(u).
Section 8.2. Notwithstanding Section 8.1, however, (a) any indemnification payments to an institution-affiliated party, as defined at 12 U.S.C. § 1813(u), for an administrative proceeding or civil action initiated by a federal banking agency, shall be reasonable and consistent with the requirements of 12 U.S.C. § 1828(k) and the implementing regulations thereunder; and (b) any indemnification payments and advancement of costs and expenses to an institution-affiliated party, as defined at 12 U.S.C. § 1813(u), in cases involving an administrative proceeding or civil action not initiated by a federal banking agency, shall be in accordance with Delaware General Corporation Law and consistent with safe and sound banking practices.
ARTICLE IX
Bylaws: Interpretation and Amendment
Section 9.1. These Bylaws shall be interpreted in accordance with and subject to appropriate provisions of law, and may be added to, altered, amended, or repealed, at any regular or special meeting of the Board.
Section 9.2. A copy of the Bylaws and all amendments shall at all times be kept in a convenient place at the principal office of the Association, and shall be open for inspection to all shareholders during Association hours.
ARTICLE X
Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 10.1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Association shall begin on the first day of January in each year and shall end on the thirty-first day of December following.
Section 10.2. Governing Law. This Association designates the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time, as the governing law for its corporate governance procedures, to the extent not inconsistent with Federal banking statutes and regulations or bank safety and soundness.
***
(February 8, 2021)
Exhibit 6
CONSENT
In accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the undersigned, U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION hereby consents that reports of examination of the undersigned by Federal, State, Territorial or District authorities may be furnished by such authorities to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon its request therefor.
| Dated: February 14, 2025 | ||||||
| By: | /s/ Christina Bruno | |||||
| Christina Bruno | ||||||
| Assistant Vice President | ||||||
Exhibit 7
U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association
Statement of Financial Condition
as of 9/30/2024
($000’s)
| 9/30/2024 | ||||
| Assets |
||||
| Cash and Balances Due From |
$ | 1,551,827 | ||
| Depository Institutions |
||||
| Securities |
4,568 | |||
| Federal Funds |
0 | |||
| Loans & Lease Financing Receivables |
0 | |||
| Fixed Assets |
1,070 | |||
| Intangible Assets |
576,760 | |||
| Other Assets |
153,717 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total Assets |
$ | 2,287,942 | ||
| Liabilities |
||||
| Deposits |
$ | 0 | ||
| Fed Funds |
0 | |||
| Treasury Demand Notes |
0 | |||
| Trading Liabilities |
0 | |||
| Other Borrowed Money |
0 | |||
| Acceptances |
0 | |||
| Subordinated Notes and Debentures |
0 | |||
| Other Liabilities |
215,240 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total Liabilities |
$ | 215,240 | ||
| Equity |
||||
| Common and Preferred Stock |
200 | |||
| Surplus |
1,171,635 | |||
| Undivided Profits |
900,867 | |||
| Minority Interest in Subsidiaries |
0 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total Equity Capital |
$ | 2,072,702 | ||
| Total Liabilities and Equity Capital |
$ | 2,287,942 | ||