Acuity Inc. (De) S-3ASR, filed Oct 23, 2020
Acuity Inc. (De) (AYI)
Table of Contents
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 23, 2020
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Acuity Brands, Inc.*
* and each of the additional registrants listed on the next page
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 58-2632672 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
1170 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 2300
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7676
(404) 853-1400
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Barry R. Goldman
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Acuity Brands, Inc.
1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7676
(404) 853-1400
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
with copies to:
Keith M. Townsend
Elizabeth A. Morgan
King & Spalding LLP
1180 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
(404) 572-4600
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 reinvestment plans, please check the following box: ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box: ☒
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box: ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, 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 | ☐ | 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. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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| Title of each class of securities to be registered (1) |
Amount to be Registered |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit |
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Amount of Registration Fee | ||||
| Acuity Brands, Inc. |
(2) | (2) | (2) | (2) | ||||
| Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share | ||||||||
| Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share | ||||||||
| Guarantees of debt securities(3) | ||||||||
| Depositary Shares | ||||||||
| Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. | ||||||||
| Debt Securities | ||||||||
| ABL IP Holding LLC | ||||||||
| Guarantees of debt securities(3) | ||||||||
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| (1) | Additional securities may be added by automatically effective post-effective amendments pursuant to Rule 413. |
| (2) | An indeterminate aggregate initial offering price and amount of the securities of each identified class are being registered as may from time to time be offered at indeterminate prices and as may be issuable upon conversion, redemption, exchange, exercise or settlement of any securities registered hereunder, including under any applicable anti-dilution provisions. In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee. |
| (3) | Pursuant to Rule 457(n), no additional fee is payable with respect to the guarantees. |
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TABLE OF CO-REGISTRANTS
| Exact name of Registrant* | Jurisdiction of Formation | I.R.S. Employer Identification No. | ||
| Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. | Delaware | 58-2633371 | ||
| ABL IP Holding LLC | Georgia | 58-2632672 |
| * | The address for each of the additional registrants is c/o Acuity Brands, Inc., 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E. Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7676. |
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PROSPECTUS
| Acuity Brands, Inc. | Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. | |
| Common Stock Preferred Stock Depositary Shares |
Debt Securities (and guarantees thereof) | |
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain the specific terms of the securities offered. The prospectus supplements will also describe the specific manner in which we will offer the securities. The prospectus supplements may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, carefully before you invest.
The securities may be offered and sold on a continuous or delayed basis to or through underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents as designated from time to time, or directly to one or more other purchasers or through a combination of such methods. See “Plan of Distribution.” If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names, and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangements between or among them, will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement.
This prospectus may not be used to offer and sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AYI.”
You should carefully consider the risk factors referred to on page 2 of this prospectus, in any applicable prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state or other 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 October 23, 2020
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Unless the context otherwise requires or as otherwise expressly stated, references in this prospectus to “Acuity Brands,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” and similar terms refer to Acuity Brands, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
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This prospectus is a part of an automatic shelf registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) 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 registration process, we may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings from time to time.
Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement or other type of offering document or supplement (together referred to herein as a “prospectus supplement”) that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Therefore, if there is any inconsistency between the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement (including any information incorporated by reference therein). You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
The registration statement that contains this prospectus, including the exhibits to the registration statement and the documents incorporated by reference herein, contain additional information about us and the securities offered under this prospectus. That registration statement can be read at the SEC website mentioned under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. This prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, does not contain all the information that is included in the registration statement. Any statements made in this prospectus concerning the provisions of legal documents are not necessarily complete and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC for a more complete understanding of the document or matter. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Our SEC filings are also available on our website at https://investors.acuitybrands.com/financials/sec-filings. You may access our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) with the SEC free of charge at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. You can also obtain information about us at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 11 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005. For further information on obtaining copies of our public filings at the New York Stock Exchange, you should call (212) 656-3000 or visit the New York Stock Exchange website at www.nyse.com.
Except for the information incorporated by reference as noted below, our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated into and are not a part of this prospectus.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents and those documents will be considered part of this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information.
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The documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than portions of these documents deemed to be “furnished” or not deemed to be “filed,” including the portions of these documents that are either (1) described in paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) or (e)(5) of Item 407 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC or (2) furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of a Current Report on Form 8-K, including any exhibits included with such Items) prior to the termination of any offering of securities offered by this prospectus are incorporated by reference herein:
| • | Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on October 23, 2020; |
| • | Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 8, 2020 (solely with respect to Item 8.01); and |
| • | The description of our capital stock contained in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10/A (File No. 001-16583) filed on November 9, 2001, including all amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4(b) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2020. |
You may request a copy of these filings (other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing), at no cost, by writing or calling us at the following address:
Acuity Brands, Inc.
Attn: Corporate Secretary
1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7676
(404) 853-1400
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement. We do not take any responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are only offering these securities in jurisdictions where the offer and sale is permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this document and that any information incorporated by reference herein is accurate only as of the date of the document containing such information.
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This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements made herein and therein that may be considered forward-looking include statements incorporating terms such as “expects,” “believes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” and similar terms that relate to future events, performance, or results of the Company. In addition, the Company, or the executive officers on the Company’s behalf, may from time to time make forward-looking statements in reports and other documents we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or in connection with oral statements made to the press, current and potential investors, or others. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation:
| • | our projections regarding financial performance, liquidity, capital structure, capital expenditures, investments, share repurchases, and dividends; |
| • | external forecasts projecting the North American lighting and building management solutions market growth rate and growth in our addressable market; |
| • | expectations about the impact of any changes in demand as well as volatility and uncertainty in general economic conditions; |
| • | our ability to execute and realize benefits from initiatives related to streamlining our operations, capitalize on growth opportunities, and introduce new lighting and building management solutions; |
| • | our estimate of our fiscal 2021 effective income tax rate, results of operations, cash flows, and capital spending; |
| • | our estimate of future amortization expense; |
| • | our ability to achieve our long-term financial goals and measures and outperform the markets we serve; |
| • | the impact of changes in the political landscape and related policy changes, including monetary, regulatory, and trade policies; |
| • | our expectations related to mitigating efforts around recently imposed tariffs; |
| • | our expectations about the resolution of patent litigation, securities class action, IRS audits, and/or other legal matters; |
| • | our expectations of the short-term and long-term impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic; and |
| • | other risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2020 (all of which risks may be amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic) and from time to time in the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC. |
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect any events or circumstances after the date they were made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Our forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and management’s present expectations or projections. All future written and oral forward-looking statements by us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained herein or referred to above. You should read this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents that are referenced and which have been incorporated by reference herein and therein, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. All forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements.
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Acuity Brands, Inc.
Acuity Brands, Inc. was incorporated in 2001 under the laws of the State of Delaware. We are a market-leading industrial technology company that designs, manufactures, and brings to market products and services for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications throughout North America and select international markets. Our products include building management systems, lighting, lighting controls, and location aware applications.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “AYI.” Our principal executive offices are located at 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30339-7676, and our telephone number is (404) 853-1400. We maintain a website at www.acuitybrands.com. Information that you may find on this website is not part of or incorporated into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.
Additional information about us is included in our reports and other documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. is a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Acuity Brands, Inc. and is the principal operating subsidiary of Acuity Brands, Inc. Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. is a Delaware corporation with principal executive offices located at 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30339-7676, and its telephone number is (404) 853-1400.
ABL IP Holding LLC
ABL IP Holding LLC is a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. ABL IP Holding LLC is a Georgia limited liability corporation with principal executive offices located at 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30339-7676, and its telephone number is (404) 853-1400.
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Investing in our securities involves risk. Before you decide whether to purchase any of our securities, in addition to the other information, documents, or reports included in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or other offering materials, you should carefully consider the risk factors in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in any prospectus supplement as well as our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other reports we file the SEC, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement in their entirety, as the same may be amended, supplemented, or superseded from time to time by our filings under the Exchange Act. For more information, see the section entitled “Where You Can Find More Information.” The risks and uncertainties described in our SEC filings are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently see as immaterial, may also harm our business. If any such risks and uncertainties actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects could be materially and adversely affected, the market price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
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We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until we apply the proceeds from the sale of the securities, we may temporarily invest any proceeds that are not immediately applied to the above purposes in United States government or agency obligations, commercial paper, money market accounts, short-term marketable debt securities, bank deposits or certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements collateralized by United States government or agency obligations or other short-term investments.
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The following summary of certain terms of our capital stock describes material provisions of, but does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation (as amended, the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”), the forms of which are included as exhibits to this registration statement, as well as the relevant portions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”).
Authorized Capital Stock
Under our Articles of Incorporation, the total number of shares of all classes of stock that we have the authority to issue is 550,000,000, of which 500,000,000 are shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 50,000,000 are shares of preferred stock, par value $.01 per share. Our outstanding shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Holders of shares of our common stock do not have subscription, redemption, or conversion rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock.
Voting Rights
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share on all matters voted on by stockholders, and the holders of such shares will possess all voting power, except as otherwise required by law or provided in any resolution adopted by our Board of Directors (the “Board”) with respect to any series of our preferred stock. There are no cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the common stock voting for the election of directors in an uncontested election can elect all of the directors, if they choose to do so, subject to any rights of the holders of preferred stock to elect directors.
Dividend Rights
Subject to any preferential or other rights of any outstanding series of our preferred stock that may be designated by the Board, the holders of the common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends as may be declared from time to time by the Board from funds available.
Liquidation Rights
Subject to any preferential or other rights of any outstanding series of our preferred stock that may be designated by the Board, upon liquidation, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive pro rata all of our assets available for distribution to such holders.
No Preemptive Rights
No holder of any of our stock of any class have any preemptive right to subscribe to any securities of Acuity Brands of any kind or class.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
Our Transfer Agent and Registrar is Computershare Trust Company N.A.
Preferred Stock
The Board is authorized without further stockholder approval (except as may be required by applicable law or New York Stock Exchange regulations) to provide for the issuance of shares of preferred stock, in one or more series, and to fix for each such series such voting powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, and such qualifications, limitations or restrictions, as are stated in
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the resolution adopted by the Board providing for the issuance of such series and as are permitted by the DGCL. The terms and rights of any such series may include:
| • | the designation of the series; |
| • | the number of shares of the series, which number the Board may thereafter, except where otherwise provided in the applicable certificate of designation, increase or decrease, but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding; |
| • | any dividend rights; |
| • | any liquidation preferences; |
| • | any redemption rights; |
| • | any sinking fund terms; |
| • | any conversion rights; |
| • | any voting rights; and |
| • | any other relative rights, preferences and limitations of such series. |
Should the Board elect to exercise this authority, the rights and privileges of holders of shares of the Company’s common stock could be made subject to the rights and privileges of any such series of preferred stock. Presently, we have no plans to issue any preferred stock.
Certain Anti-takeover Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware Law
Our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, and the DGCL contain certain provisions that could delay or make more difficult an acquisition of control of Acuity Brands not approved by the Board, whether by means of a tender offer, open market purchases, a proxy contest, or otherwise. These provisions, which are summarized below, could have the effect of discouraging third parties from making proposals involving an acquisition or change of control of Acuity Brands, although such a proposal, if made, might be considered desirable by a majority of our stockholders.
Election and Removal of Directors. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that directors may be removed only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 80% or more of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors. Furthermore, any vacancy on the Board, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of the Board (other than vacancies and newly created directorships which the holders of any class or classes of stock are expressly entitled by the Certificate of Incorporation to fill), may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director (and not by stockholders). This system of electing and removing directors generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of our directors.
Stockholder Action, Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations, and Proposals. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that stockholder action may be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and that stockholders may not act by written consent. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called only by resolution adopted by the whole Board. Stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting or to require the Board to call a special meeting of stockholders.
Our Bylaws establish advance notice procedures for stockholder proposals to be brought before any annual or special meeting of stockholders and for nominations by stockholders of candidates for election as directors at an annual meeting or a special meeting at which directors are to be elected. Subject to any other applicable requirements, these procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in
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writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days or more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders. The notice must contain certain information specified in our Bylaws.
These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting any stockholder actions, even if they are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock. The authorized but unissued shares of our common stock and preferred stock will be available for future issuance without any further vote or action by our stockholders. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions, and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of our common stock and our preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control over us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger, or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, the Board were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of us or our stockholders, the Board could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder or stockholder group.
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding stock entitled to vote on amendments to a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws is required to approve such amendment, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our Bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of the Board or, in addition to any other vote otherwise required by law, the holders of at least 80% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.
Additionally, the approval by holders of at least 80% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the capital stock entitled to vote on such matter, voting together as a single class, is required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provision inconsistent with Article V, Article VII, Article VIII, Article X or Article XI of our Certificate of Incorporation. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying, or discouraging the removal of any anti-takeover defenses provided for in our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws.
No Cumulative Voting. The DGCL provides that stockholders are not entitled to the right to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless our Certificate of Incorporation provides otherwise.
Delaware Takeover Statute. We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL and have adopted additional provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation for the approval, adoption, or authorization of business combinations. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner.
Section 203 defines a business combination to include:
| • | any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder; |
| • | any sale, transfer, lease, pledge, exchange, mortgage or other disposition involving the interested stockholder of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation; |
| • | subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder; |
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| • | subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or |
| • | the receipt by the interested stockholder 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 stockholder” as any 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.
Pursuant to our Certificate of Incorporation, a “business combination” with an “interested person” requires the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of stock entitled to vote in elections of directors, which are not beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such interested person. This voting requirement will not be applicable if certain conditions described in our Bylaws are met with respect to a particular business combination.
Our Certificate of Incorporation defines a “business combination” as (a) any merger or consolidation of Acuity Brands, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries with or into any interested person (regardless of the identity of the surviving corporation); (b) any sale, lease, or other disposition of all or any substantial part of the assets of Acuity Brands, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries to any interested person for cash or securities or both; or (c) any issuance or delivery of securities of Acuity Brands, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries (which the beneficial owner shall have the right to vote, or to vote upon exercise, conversion, or by contract) to an interested person in consideration for or in exchange of any securities or other property (including cash).
An “interested person” is defined in our Certificate of Incorporation as any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the shares of stock of Acuity Brands entitled to vote in elections of directors at the relevant record date.
Limitations of Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our Bylaws limit the liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and provide that we will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by such law. We have also entered into indemnification agreements with our current directors and executive officers and expect to enter into a similar agreement with any new director or executive officer.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
We may issue depositary shares representing fractional interests in shares of our preferred stock of any series. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the depositary shares to which any prospectus supplement may relate. The particular terms of the depositary shares to which any prospectus supplement may relate and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the depositary shares so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. To the extent that any particular terms of the depositary shares, depositary agreements and depositary receipts described in a prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described below, then the terms described below will be deemed to have been superseded by that prospectus supplement. We encourage you to read the applicable depositary agreement and depositary receipts for additional information before you decide whether to purchase any of our depositary shares.
In connection with the issuance of any depositary shares, we will enter into a depositary agreement with a bank or trust company, as depositary, which will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. Depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the related depositary agreement. Immediately following our issuance of the security related to the depositary shares, we will deposit the shares of our preferred stock with the relevant depositary and will cause the depositary to issue, on our behalf, the related depositary receipts. Subject to the terms of the depositary agreement, each owner of a depositary receipt will be entitled, in proportion to the fractional interest in the share of preferred stock represented by the related depositary share, to all the rights, preferences and privileges of, and will be subject to all of the limitations and restrictions on, the preferred stock represented by the depositary receipt (including, if applicable, dividend, voting, conversion, exchange, redemption, sinking fund, subscription and liquidation rights).
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description of the terms of the debt securities sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities to which any prospectus supplement may relate. The particular terms of any debt securities offered and the extent, if any, to which such general provisions may apply to such offered debt securities will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such offered debt securities. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement contain the material terms of the securities to be offered. In this section, the terms the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. only and not to any of its subsidiaries.
The debt securities are to be issued under an Indenture (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (the “Trustee”). The form of the Indenture is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The following summary of certain general provisions of the Indenture and the debt securities does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the provisions of the Indenture, including the definitions therein of certain terms. Unless otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms in this section have the definitions ascribed to such terms in the Indenture. The terms of any supplemental indenture entered into or officer’s certificate delivered in connection with a particular issuance of debt securities will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to such offered debt securities.
References to “holders” in this section mean those who own debt securities registered in their own names, on the books that we or the applicable trustee maintain for this purpose, and not those who own beneficial interests in debt securities registered in street name or in debt securities issued in book-entry form through one or more depositaries.
General
The Indenture does not limit the aggregate principal amount of debt securities that may be issued thereunder. The debt securities may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement relating thereto, the debt securities will be unsecured and will rank pari passu with all other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company. Accordingly, your ownership of debt securities means you are one of our unsecured creditors. The Indenture does not limit the amount of other indebtedness or securities that may be issued by the Company.
Debt securities of a series will be issued in registered form (“Securities”) as specified in the terms of the series. Debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities (“Global Securities”) registered in the name of a depository or its nominee and, in such case, beneficial interests in the Global Securities will be shown on, and transfers thereof will be effected only through, records maintained by the designated depository and its participants.
Reference is made to the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of debt securities offered thereby for the terms of the offered debt securities, including:
| • | the title of the debt securities; |
| • | the aggregate principal amount; |
| • | the issue price expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount; |
| • | the date or dates of maturity or the method of determination thereof; |
| • | the interest rate or rates (which may be fixed or floating) per annum, if any, or the method by which such interest rate or rates will be determined; |
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| • | the date or dates any interest will commence accruing and be payable and the record dates for any interest payments; |
| • | the place or places where principal and any interest or premium will be paid; |
| • | if applicable, the identity of the guarantors and the terms of the guarantees with respect to the debt securities; |
| • | the dates and redemption prices relating to any optional or mandatory redemption and other terms and conditions of any optional or mandatory redemptions; |
| • | any optional or mandatory sinking fund or analogous provisions; |
| • | the denominations of the debt securities if other than denominations of $2,000 and any higher integral multiples of $1,000; |
| • | the portion of the principal amount payable on declaration of acceleration of maturity or provable in bankruptcy, if other than the principal amount; |
| • | whether and under what circumstances any additional amounts with respect to the debt securities will be payable; |
| • | any paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents for a series of debt securities; |
| • | the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, of payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest (if any) on the debt securities if other than the currency of the United States of America; |
| • | if applicable, the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities may be repayable prior to final maturity at the option of the holder thereof (which option may be conditional); |
| • | if the principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, are to be payable, at the election of the Company or any holder thereof, in a currency other than that in which the debt securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions on which, such election may be made; |
| • | if the debt securities are to be denominated in a currency or currencies, including composite currencies, other than the currency of the United States of America, the equivalent price in the currency of the United States of America for purposes of determining the voting rights of holders of the debt securities as outstanding securities under the Indenture; |
| • | if the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any), or portions thereof, or interest, if any, on the debt securities, may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method, the manner of determining such amounts; |
| • | whether such debt securities are to be issued in temporary or permanent global form; |
| • | any restrictions or other provisions relating to the transfer or exchange of the debt securities; |
| • | the application, if any, of certain provisions of the Indenture relating to defeasance and discharge, and related conditions; |
| • | any events of default, if not set forth in the Indenture; |
| • | any restrictive covenants or other material terms relating thereto which may not be inconsistent with the Indenture; and |
| • | any applicable material United States federal income tax consequences. |
Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement relating thereto, principal (and premium, if any) and interest will be payable and the Securities will be transferable at the office or agency maintained by us for such purpose. Payment of principal (and premium, if any) and interest on Global Securities registered in the name of or held by the depository or its nominee will be made in immediately available funds to the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered holder of such Global Security. If any of the debt securities is no longer represented by a Global Security, payment of interest on Securities may, at our option, be made by
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check mailed directly to holders at their registered addresses. See “—Forms of Debt Securities” below. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of the debt securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
One or more series of the debt securities may be issued as discounted debt securities (bearing no interest or interest at a rate which at the time of issuance is below market rates) to be sold at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount. Material United States federal income tax consequences and other special considerations applicable to any such discounted debt securities will be described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto.
The Company may at any time purchase debt securities at any price in the open market or otherwise. Debt securities so purchased by the Company may, at its sole option, be held, resold or surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Covenants
Unless otherwise specified in any prospectus supplement, the Indenture will not contain any covenants that (i) limit the amount of indebtedness (including secured indebtedness) or lease obligations that may be incurred by the Company and its subsidiaries, or (ii) restrict the Company from entering into change of control transactions (other than as specified under “—Merger and Consolidation” below).
Merger and Consolidation
Unless otherwise provided in any prospectus supplement, the Company will covenant that it will not merge or sell, convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety unless the Company is the surviving corporation or the successor person is a person organized under the laws of the United States (including any state thereof and the District of Columbia) which expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on all the debt securities and under the Indenture and, after giving effect to such transaction, the Company or the successor person would not be in default under the Indenture.
Events of Default
The Indenture defines “Events of Default” with respect to the debt securities of any series as being one of the following events:
(i) default in the payment of any installment of interest on that series for 30 days after becoming due;
(ii) default in the payment of principal of (or premium, if any, on) that series when due;
(iii) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when due;
(iv) default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty in the Indenture (other than a covenant included in the Indenture solely for the benefit of any series of debt securities other than that series) for 90 days after notice to us by the Trustee or to us and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the debt securities of all series affected;
(v) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization with respect to the Company; and
(vi) any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series.
If an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, either the Trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the debt securities then outstanding of all series affected, voting as a single class, may declare the principal (or such portion thereof as may be specified in the prospectus supplement relating to any such series) of the debt securities of all such series to be due and payable. Under certain conditions, such a
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declaration may be annulled. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default pursuant to (v) above occurs with respect to the Company, the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and any accrued and unpaid interest on all the debt securities shall become and be immediately due and payable without further action or notice on the part of the Trustee or any holder.
The Indenture provides that the Trustee shall, within 90 days after the occurrence of a default actually known to one of its responsible officers, give the holders of debt securities notice of all uncured defaults actually known to one of its responsible officers (the term “default” to mean the events specified above without grace periods); provided, however, that, except in the case of default in the payment of principal of or interest on any debt security, the Trustee shall be fully protected in withholding such notice if it in good faith determines the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the holders of debt securities.
The Company will be required to furnish to the Trustee annually a statement by the principal financial officer, the principal executive officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company stating whether or not, to the best of his or her knowledge, the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions under the Indenture and, if the Company is in default, specifying each such default.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of all series affected will have the right, subject to certain limitations, to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to the debt securities of such series, and to waive certain defaults with respect thereto. The Indenture provides that in case an Event of Default shall occur and be continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of its rights and powers under the Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to such provisions, the Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Indenture at the request of any of the holders of debt securities unless they shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request.
Modification of the Indenture
The Indenture may generally be modified or amended with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modification (voting as a single class); provided, however, that no such modification or amendment may be made, without the consent of the holder of each debt security affected, which would (i) reduce the principal amount of or the interest on any debt security, change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any debt security, or the other terms of payment thereof, or (ii) reduce the above-stated percentage of debt securities, the consent of the holders of which is required to modify or amend the Indenture, or the percentage of debt securities of any series, the consent of the holders of which is required to waive compliance with certain provisions of the Indenture or to waive certain past defaults.
Without the consent of any holder of debt securities, the Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture to amend the Indenture or the debt securities issued under that Indenture for any of the following purposes, among other things:
| (a) | to evidence the succession of another person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company in the Indenture, as supplemented, and in the debt securities; |
| (b) | to add to the covenants of the Company, for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of debt securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; |
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| (c) | to add any additional Events of Default; |
| (d) | to permit the issuance of debt securities in uncertificated form, provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of debt securities of any series in any material respect; or |
| (e) | to change or eliminate any of the provisions of the Indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only with respect to debt securities not outstanding at the time of the execution of such supplemental indenture; |
| (f) | to add guarantees with respect to the debt securities; |
| (g) | to secure the debt securities; |
| (h) | to establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series; |
| (i) | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the debt securities of one or more series and/or to add to or change any of the provisions of the Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts under the Indenture by more than one Trustee; |
| (j) | to cure any ambiguity or omission, to correct or supplement any provision of the Indenture, as supplemented, which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein or to conform any provision applicable to debt securities of any series to the description of the terms of such debt securities in any prospectus supplement; or |
| (k) | to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the Indenture, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of debt securities of any series in any material respect. |
Defeasance and Discharge
The Indenture provides that the Company may elect, with respect to the debt securities of any series, either:
| (i) | to terminate (and be deemed to have satisfied) any and all obligations in respect of such debt securities (except for certain obligations to register the transfer or exchange of debt securities, to replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities, to maintain paying agencies and hold monies for payment in trust and, if so specified with respect to the debt securities of a certain series, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such specified debt securities and certain obligations owed to the Trustee (“legal defeasance”)); or |
| (ii) | to be released from its obligations to comply with any restrictive covenants under the Indenture, |
in either case after the deposit with the Trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. Government Obligations (as defined in the Indenture) which through the payment of interest and principal thereof in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay any installment of principal (and premium, if any (and interest, if any)), on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of such debt securities on the stated maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and such debt securities. Such a trust may be established only if, among other things, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an opinion of counsel (who may be counsel to the Company) to the effect that, based upon applicable U.S. federal income tax law or a ruling published by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (which opinion must, in the case of legal defeasance, be based on a change in applicable U.S. federal income tax law after the date of the Indenture or a ruling published by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service after the date of the Indenture), such a defeasance and discharge will not be deemed, or result in, a taxable event with respect to beneficial owners of such debt securities. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Trustee nor any of its agents are responsible for determining the sufficiency of any amounts deposited in trust pursuant to a discharge or defeasance of any series of debt securities under the Indenture and neither the Trustee nor any of its agents shall have any obligation or liability whatsoever with respect to the sufficiency of such amounts.
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The Indenture also provides that the Indenture shall cease to be of further effect with respect to any series of debt securities (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities of such series), and the Trustee, at the expense of and upon written instruction by the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture as to such series, when
| (a) | either: |
| (i) | all debt securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) debt securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in the Indenture and (ii) debt securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in the Indenture) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or |
| (ii) | all such debt securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation: |
| (A) | have become due and payable (by reason of the making of a notice of redemption or otherwise), or |
| (B) | will become due and payable at their stated maturity (as defined in the Indenture) within one year of the date of deposit, or |
| (C) | are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, |
and the Company, in the case of (A), (B) or (C) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such debt securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, to the date of such deposit (in the case of debt securities which have become due and payable), or to the stated maturity or the redemption date, as the case may be;
| (b) | the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable under the Indenture by the Company with respect to such series; and |
| (c) | the Company has delivered to the Trustee an officer’s certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that, with respect to such series, all conditions precedent provided for in the Indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture have been complied with. |
Each debt security will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of debt securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the debt security, and in order to transfer or exchange these debt securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the definitive securities to the Trustee, security registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the debt securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.
Registered global securities
We may issue the registered debt securities in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and
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registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the debt securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for debt securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.
If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any debt securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those debt securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.
Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the debt securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the debt securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of debt securities take physical delivery of these debt securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.
So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the Indenture. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the debt securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the debt securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the debt securities under the Indenture. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the Indenture. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the indenture, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.
Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of the Company, the Trustee, the security registrar or any other agent of the Company or agent of the Trustee or the security registrar will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.
We expect that the depositary for any of the debt securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, if any, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a
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registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the debt securities held for the accounts of customers or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.
If the depositary for any of these debt securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue debt securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any debt securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant security registrar or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary.
Euroclear and Clearstream
If the depositary for a global security is The Depository Trust Company, or “DTC,” you may hold interests in the global security through Clearstream Banking, société anonyme, which we refer to as “Clearstream,” or Euroclear Bank SA/NV, as operator of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as “Euroclear,” in each case, as a participant in DTC. Euroclear and Clearstream will hold interests, in each case, on behalf of their participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Euroclear and Clearstream on the books of their respective depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities in the depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to the debt securities made through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Those systems could change their rules and procedures at any time. We have no control over those systems or their participants, and we take no responsibility for their activities. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, would also be subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.
Participants will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other transactions involving any debt securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.
In addition, because of time-zone differences, U.S. investors who hold their interests in the debt securities through these systems and wish on a particular day, to transfer their interests, or to receive or make a payment or delivery or exercise any other right with respect to their interests, may find that the transaction will not be effected until the next business day in Luxembourg or Brussels, as applicable. Thus, investors who wish to exercise rights that expire on a particular day may need to act before the expiration date. In addition, investors who hold their interests through both DTC and Euroclear or Clearstream may need to make special arrangements to finance any purchase or sales of their interests between the U.S. and European clearing systems, and those transactions may settle later than transactions within one clearing system.
Governing Law
The Indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
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Concerning the Trustee
U.S. Bank National Association is the Trustee under the Indenture and will have been appointed by the Company as initial security registrar with regard to the debt securities. We will specify any material relationship we may have with the Trustee in the applicable prospectus supplement. In addition, the Trustee may serve as trustee for other debt securities issued by the Company from time to time.
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We may sell our securities in any one or more of the following ways from time to time: (i) through agents; (ii) to or through underwriters, including through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters; (iii) through brokers or dealers; (iv) directly by us to purchasers, including through a specific bidding, auction or other process; or (v) through a combination of any of these methods of sale. Each time we offer and sell securities covered by this prospectus, we will make available a prospectus supplement or supplements that will describe the method of distribution and set forth the terms of the offering, including: (i) the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them; (ii) if a fixed price offering, the public offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us; (iii) any options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us; (iv) any underwriting discounts or commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation; (v) terms and conditions of the offering; (vi) any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and (vii) any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed. Any dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and compensation received by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts.
Any initial offering price, dealer purchase price, discount or commission may be changed from time to time.
The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions, at negotiated prices, at fixed prices (that may be subject to change), at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at various prices determined at the time of sale or at prices related to prevailing market prices.
Offers to purchase securities may be solicited directly by us or by agents designated by us from time to time. Any such agent may be deemed to be an underwriter, as that term is defined in the Securities Act, of the securities so offered and sold.
If underwriters are utilized in the sale of any securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, such securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at fixed public offering prices or at varying prices determined by the underwriters at the time of sale. Securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more underwriters. If any underwriter or underwriters are utilized in the sale of securities, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters are subject to certain conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all such securities if any are purchased.
If a broker or dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The broker or dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale. Transactions through brokers or dealers may include block trades in which brokers or dealers will attempt to sell securities as agent but may position and resell as principal to facilitate the transaction or in crosses, in which the same broker or dealer acts as agent on both sides of the trade. Any such broker or dealer may be deemed to be an underwriter, as such term is defined in the Securities Act, of the securities so offered and sold.
Offers to purchase securities may be solicited directly by us and the sale thereof may be made by us directly to institutional investors or others, who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale thereof.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may authorize agents and underwriters to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us or at the public offering price set forth in the
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applicable prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Such delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under relevant agreements with us to indemnification by us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments that such agents, underwriters and dealers may be required to make in respect thereof. The terms and conditions of any indemnification or contribution will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents may receive compensation in the form of commissions, discounts or concessions from us. Underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents may also receive compensation from the purchasers of securities for whom they act as agents or to whom they sell as principals, or both. Compensation as to a particular underwriter, brokers, dealers or agent might be in excess of customary commissions and will be in amounts to be negotiated in connection with transactions. In effecting sales, brokers or dealers engaged by us may arrange for other brokers or dealers to participate in the resales.
Each series of securities will be a new issue and will have no established trading market. We may elect to list any series of securities on an exchange, but, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we shall not be obligated to do so. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for any of the securities.
Agents, underwriters and dealers may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us and our respective subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.
Any underwriter may engage in overallotment, stabilizing transactions, short covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Overallotment involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Short covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution is completed to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a covering transaction to cover short positions. Those activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of the activities at any time. An underwriter may carry out these transactions on a stock exchange, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
The place and time of delivery for securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement for such securities.
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Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus, the validity of the securities will be passed upon for us by our counsel, King & Spalding LLP, Atlanta, Georgia. Any underwriters, dealers or agents will be advised about the validity of the securities and other legal matters by their own counsel, which will be named in the prospectus supplement.
The consolidated financial statements of Acuity Brands, Inc. at August 31, 2020 and 2019, and for each of the three years in the period ended August 31, 2020, appearing in Acuity Brands, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2020, and the effectiveness of Acuity Brands, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of August 31, 2020 (excluding the internal controls over financial reporting of the acquired businesses of The Luminaires Group and LocusLabs, Inc., which are also excluded from the scope of management’s assessment), have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in its reports thereon, which as to the report on the effectiveness of Acuity Brands, Inc’s internal control over financial reporting contains an explanatory paragraph describing the above referenced exclusion of the acquired businesses of The Luminaires Group and LocusLabs, Inc. from the scope of such firm’s audit of internal control over financial reporting, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are, and audited financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the reports of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such financial statements and the effectiveness of Acuity Brands, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of the respective dates (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) given on the authority of such firm 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 following table sets forth the various expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions, expected to be incurred by the Company in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, all of which will be borne by the Company.
| Filing Fee—Securities and Exchange Commission |
$ | (1 | ) | |
| Accounting fees and expenses |
(2 | ) | ||
| Legal fees and expenses |
(2 | ) | ||
| Trustee fees and expenses |
(2 | ) | ||
| Printing expenses |
(2 | ) | ||
| Rating agency fees |
(2 | ) | ||
| Miscellaneous fees and expenses |
(2 | ) | ||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
$ | (2 | ) | |
|
|
|
| (1) | The Company is registering an indeterminate amount of securities under this registration statement and in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the Company is deferring payment of any additional registration fee until the time the securities are sold under this registration statement pursuant to a prospectus supplement. |
| (2) | These fees are calculated based on the number of issuances and amount of securities offered and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time. An estimate of the aggregate expenses in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being offered will be included in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Acuity Brands, Inc. and Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.
Acuity Brands, Inc. and Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (“ABL”) are corporations organized under the laws of the state of Delaware. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the statute, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, and ABL’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and Restated Bylaws.
Section 145(a) of the DGCL provides in relevant part that a corporation may indemnify any officer or director who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director or officer of another entity, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit, or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful.
Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides in relevant part that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending, or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person
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reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
The Company’s and ABL’s bylaws grant their directors and officers a right to indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. In addition, the Company and ABL have entered into an agreement with each of its directors and officers whereby it has agreed to indemnify them substantially in accordance with the indemnification provisions related to its officers and directors in its Bylaws.
The Company and ABL have obtained officers’ and directors’ liability insurance which insures against liabilities that officers and directors of the Company or ABL may, in such capacities, incur. Section 145(g) of the DGCL provides that a corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under that section.
ABL IP Holding LLC
ABL IP Holding LLC (“IP Holding”) is a Georgia limited liability corporation. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the statute and IP Holding’s operating agreement.
Section 14-11-306 of the Georgia Limited Liability Company Act provides that, subject to such standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth in the articles of organization or a written operating agreement, a Georgia limited liability company may, and has the power to, indemnify and hold harmless any member or manager or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever, arising in connection with the limited liability company; provided, however, that no limited liability company shall have the power to indemnify any member or manager for any liability that may not be eliminated or limited by the articles of organization or a written operating agreement by reason of division (4)(A)(i) or (ii) of Code Section 14-11-305.
IP Holding’s operating agreement provides that IP Holding shall indemnify and hold harmless each member, manager, and officer of IP Holding from and against any and all liabilities, actions, claims, demands, losses and expenses whatsoever relating to or arising out of any action, inaction, or omission in connection with managing the business and affairs of IP Holding to the fullest extent permitted by the Georgia Limited Liability Company Act.
Item 16. Exhibits.
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| * | To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein. |
Item 17. Undertakings.
Each of the undersigned registrants 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; |
| (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 SEC 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 (i), (ii) and (iii) 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 SEC by such registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act,
that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
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| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| (4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser: |
| (i) | Each prospectus filed by such registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
| (ii) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which 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. |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of such registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities in a primary offering of securities of such 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, such 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 such 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 such registrant or used or referred to by such registrant; |
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about such registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of such registrant; and |
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by such registrant to the purchaser. |
| (6) | That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of such registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) 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. |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of such registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, such
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registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by such registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of such 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, such registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on October 23, 2020.
| Acuity Brands, Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Karen J. Holcom | |
| Name: Karen J. Holcom | ||
| Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Neil M. Ashe and Karen J. Holcom, and each of them individually, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact (with full power of substitution and resubstitution) to act for him or her in his or her name, place, and stead in his or her capacity as a director or officer of Acuity Brands, Inc., to sign, execute and file this registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any or all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments), with all exhibits and any and all documents required to be filed with respect thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them individually, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in 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 or either of them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on October 23, 2020.
| Signature | Title | |
| /s/ Neil M. Ashe |
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director | |
| Neil M. Ashe | (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| /s/ Karen J. Holcom |
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| Karen J. Holcom | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |
| /s/ Vernon J. Nagel |
Executive Chairman and Director | |
| Vernon J. Nagel | ||
| /s/ W. Patrick Battle |
Director | |
| W. Patrick Battle | ||
| /s/ Peter C. Browning |
Director | |
| Peter C. Browning | ||
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| /s/ G. Douglas Dillard, Jr. |
Director | |
| G. Douglas Dillard, Jr. | ||
| /s/ James H. Hance, Jr. |
Director | |
| James H. Hance, Jr. | ||
| /s/ Maya Leibman |
Director | |
| Maya Leibman | ||
| /s/ Robert F. McCullough |
Director | |
| Robert F. McCullough | ||
| /s/ Laura O’Shaughnessy |
Director | |
| Laura O’Shaughnessy | ||
| /s/ Dominic J. Pileggi |
Director | |
| Dominic J. Pileggi | ||
| /s/ Ray M. Robinson |
Director | |
| Ray M. Robinson | ||
| /s/ Mary A. Winston |
Director | |
| Mary A. Winston | ||
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on October 23, 2020.
| Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Neil M. Ashe | |
| Name: Neil M. Ashe | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Neil M. Ashe and Karen J. Holcom, and each of them individually, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact (with full power of substitution and resubstitution) to act for him or her in his or her name, place, and stead in his or her capacity as a director or officer of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc., to sign, execute and file this registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any or all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments), with all exhibits and any and all documents required to be filed with respect thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them individually, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in 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 or either of them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on October 23, 2020.
| Signature | Title | |
| /s/ Neil M. Ashe |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | |
| Neil M. Ashe | (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| /s/ Karen J. Holcom |
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| Karen J. Holcom | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |
| /s/ Barry R. Goldman |
Director | |
| Barry R. Goldman | ||
| /s/ Richard K. Reece |
Director | |
| Richard K. Reece | ||
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on October 23, 2020.
| ABL IP Holding LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Neil M. Ashe | |
| Name: Neil M. Ashe | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Neil M. Ashe and Karen J. Holcom, and each of them individually, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact (with full power of substitution and resubstitution) to act for him or her in his or her name, place, and stead in his or her capacity as a director or officer of ABL IP Holding LLC, to sign, execute and file this registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any or all amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments), with all exhibits and any and all documents required to be filed with respect thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them individually, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in 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 or either of them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on October 23, 2020.
| Signature | Title | |
| /s/ Neil M. Ashe |
Chief Executive Officer | |
| Neil M. Ashe | (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| /s/ Karen J. Holcom |
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |
| Karen J. Holcom | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |
| /s/ Barry R. Goldman |
Manager | |
| Barry R. Goldman | ||
| /s/ Richard K. Reece |
Manager | |
| Richard K. Reece | ||
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Exhibit 4.7
ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC.
INDENTURE
Dated as of [ ]
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
as Trustee
CONTENTS
| Page | ||||||||
| Article 1 Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application | 1 | |||||||
| Section 1.01. |
Definitions | 1 | ||||||
| Section 1.02. |
Compliance Certificates and Opinions | 7 | ||||||
| Section 1.03. |
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee | 8 | ||||||
| Section 1.04. |
Acts of Holders | 9 | ||||||
| Section 1.05. |
Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company | 11 | ||||||
| Section 1.06. |
Notice to Holders; Waiver | 11 | ||||||
| Section 1.07. |
Language of Notices, Etc. | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.08. |
Conflict With Trust Indenture Act | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.09. |
Effect of Headings and Table of Contents | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.10. |
Successors and Assigns | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.11. |
Separability Clause | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.12. |
Benefits of Indenture | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.13. |
Governing Law | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.14. |
Legal Holidays | 12 | ||||||
| Section 1.15. |
Computations | 13 | ||||||
| Section 1.16. |
Waiver of Jury Trial | 13 | ||||||
| Article 2 Security Forms | 13 | |||||||
| Section 2.01. |
Forms Generally | 13 | ||||||
| Section 2.02. |
Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication | 14 | ||||||
| Section 2.03. |
Form of Legend for Global Securities | 14 | ||||||
| Article 3 The Securities | 15 | |||||||
| Section 3.01. |
Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series | 15 | ||||||
| Section 3.02. |
Denominations | 17 | ||||||
| Section 3.03. |
Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating | 17 | ||||||
| Section 3.04. |
Temporary Securities | 19 | ||||||
| Section 3.05. |
Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange | 19 | ||||||
| Section 3.06. |
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities | 22 | ||||||
| Section 3.07. |
Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved | 23 | ||||||
| Section 3.08. |
Persons Deemed Owners | 24 | ||||||
| Section 3.09. |
Cancellation | 24 | ||||||
| Section 3.10. |
Computation of Interest | 25 | ||||||
| Section 3.11. |
CUSIP Numbers | 25 | ||||||
| Article 4 Satisfaction and Discharge | 25 | |||||||
| Section 4.01. |
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 25 | ||||||
| Section 4.02. |
Application of Trust Money | 26 | ||||||
| Section 4.03. |
Discharge and Defeasance of Securities of Any Series | 26 | ||||||
| Section 4.04. |
Reinstatement | 28 | ||||||
i
| Article 5 Remedies | 28 | |||||||
| Section 5.01. |
Events of Default | 28 | ||||||
| Section 5.02. |
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment | 29 | ||||||
| Section 5.03. |
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee | 30 | ||||||
| Section 5.04. |
Trustee May Enforce Claims | 31 | ||||||
| Section 5.05. |
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities | 31 | ||||||
| Section 5.06. |
Application of Money Collected | 32 | ||||||
| Section 5.07. |
Limitation on Suits | 32 | ||||||
| Section 5.08. |
Unconditional Rights of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest | 33 | ||||||
| Section 5.09. |
Restoration of Rights and Remedies | 33 | ||||||
| Section 5.10. |
Rights and Remedies Cumulative | 33 | ||||||
| Section 5.11. |
Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 33 | ||||||
| Section 5.12. |
Control by Holders | 33 | ||||||
| Section 5.13. |
Waiver of Past Defaults | 34 | ||||||
| Section 5.14. |
Undertaking for Costs | 34 | ||||||
| Section 5.15. |
Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws | 34 | ||||||
| Article 6 The Trustee | 35 | |||||||
| Section 6.01. |
Certain Duties and Responsibilities | 35 | ||||||
| Section 6.02. |
Notice of Defaults | 36 | ||||||
| Section 6.03. |
Certain Rights of Trustee | 36 | ||||||
| Section 6.04. |
Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities | 38 | ||||||
| Section 6.05. |
May Hold Securities | 38 | ||||||
| Section 6.06. |
Money Held in Trust | 38 | ||||||
| Section 6.07. |
Compensation and Reimbursement | 38 | ||||||
| Section 6.08. |
Disqualification; Conflicting Interests | 39 | ||||||
| Section 6.09. |
Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility | 39 | ||||||
| Section 6.10. |
Resignation and Removal; Appointment of a Successor | 39 | ||||||
| Section 6.11. |
Acceptance of Appointment by Successor | 41 | ||||||
| Section 6.12. |
Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business | 42 | ||||||
| Section 6.13. |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company | 42 | ||||||
| Section 6.14. |
Appointment of Authenticating Agent | 42 | ||||||
| Article 7 Holders’ Lists and Reports by Trustee and Company | 44 | |||||||
| Section 7.01. |
Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders of Securities | 44 | ||||||
| Section 7.02. |
Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders | 44 | ||||||
| Section 7.03. |
Reports by the Trustee | 44 | ||||||
| Section 7.04. |
Reports by Company | 45 | ||||||
| Article 8 Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance, Transfer or Lease | 46 | |||||||
| Section 8.01. |
Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms | 46 | ||||||
| Section 8.02. |
Successor Substituted | 47 | ||||||
| Article 9 Supplemental Indentures | 47 | |||||||
| Section 9.01. |
Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders | 47 | ||||||
ii
| Section 9.02. |
Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders | 48 | ||||||
| Section 9.03. |
Execution of Supplemental Indentures | 49 | ||||||
| Section 9.04. |
Effect of Supplemental Indentures | 49 | ||||||
| Section 9.05. |
Conformity With Trust Indenture Act | 49 | ||||||
| Section 9.06. |
Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures | 49 | ||||||
| Article 10 Covenants | 50 | |||||||
| Section 10.01. |
Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest | 50 | ||||||
| Section 10.02. |
Maintenance of Office or Agency | 50 | ||||||
| Section 10.03. |
Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust | 50 | ||||||
| Section 10.04. |
Statement as to Compliance | 51 | ||||||
| Section 10.05. |
Corporate Existence | 52 | ||||||
| Section 10.06. |
Waiver of Certain Covenants | 52 | ||||||
| Section 10.07. |
Additional Amounts | 52 | ||||||
| Article 11 Redemption of Securities | 53 | |||||||
| Section 11.01. |
Applicability of This Article | 53 | ||||||
| Section 11.02. |
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee | 53 | ||||||
| Section 11.03. |
Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed | 53 | ||||||
| Section 11.04. |
Notice of Redemption | 54 | ||||||
| Section 11.05. |
Deposit of Redemption Price | 54 | ||||||
| Section 11.06. |
Securities Payable on Redemption Date | 55 | ||||||
| Section 11.07. |
Securities Redeemed in Part | 55 | ||||||
| Article 12 Sinking Funds | 55 | |||||||
| Section 12.01. |
Applicability of Article | 55 | ||||||
| Section 12.02. |
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments With Securities | 56 | ||||||
| Section 12.03. |
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund | 56 | ||||||
| Article 13 Meetings of the Holders of Securities | 56 | |||||||
| Section 13.01. |
Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called | 56 | ||||||
| Section 13.02. |
Call, Notice and Place of Meetings | 56 | ||||||
| Section 13.03. |
Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings | 57 | ||||||
| Section 13.04. |
Quorum; Action | 57 | ||||||
| Section 13.05. |
Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meeting | 58 | ||||||
| Section 13.06. |
Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings | 59 | ||||||
| Section 13.07. |
Force Majeure | 59 | ||||||
| Section 13.08. |
U.S.A. Patriot Act | 59 | ||||||
Exhibit A. Form of Security
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INDENTURE, dated as of [ ] from ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called the “Company”) having its principal office at 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7676, to U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking corporation (hereinafter called the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (hereinafter called the “Securities”) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount, to be issued in one or more series as in this Indenture provided. All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of a series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 1.01. Definitions. For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;
(b) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;
(c) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles which are generally accepted in the United States at the date or time of such computation;
(d) any reference herein to a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, consolidation, assignment, sale, disposition or transfer, or similar term, shall be deemed to apply to a division of or by a limited liability company or a limited partnership, or an allocation of assets to a series of a limited liability company or a limited partnership (or the unwinding of such a division or allocation), as if it were a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, consolidation, assignment, sale or transfer, or similar term, as applicable, to, of or with a separate Person. Any division of a limited liability company or a limited partnership shall constitute a separate Person hereunder (and each division of any limited liability company or any limited partnership that is a Subsidiary, joint venture or any other like term shall also constitute such a Person or entity);
(e) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article” or a “Section” refers to an Article or Section, as the case may be, of this Indenture; and
(f) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
Certain terms, used principally in Article Six, are defined in that Article.
“Act”, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 1.04.
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“Authenticating Agent” means any Person authorized by the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.14 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate securities.
“Authorized Officer”, when used with respect to the Company, means the Chairman of the Board, a Senior Vice President, a Vice President, the General Counsel, an Assistant General Counsel, the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, an Assistant Controller, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company.
“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee of that board.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee. Where any provision of this Indenture refers to action to be taken pursuant to a Board Resolution (including the establishment of any series of the Securities and the forms and terms thereof), such action may be taken by any officer or employee of the Company authorized to take such action by the Board of Directors as evidenced by a Board Resolution.
“Business Day”, when used with respect to any Place of Payment or any other particular location referred to in the Indenture or in the Securities, means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment or other location are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close, unless otherwise specified for a particular series of Securities.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
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“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.
“Company Request” and “Company Order” mean, respectively, a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by one or more Authorized Officers of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the designated corporate trust office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date of this Indenture is located at the address first set forth in Section 1.05(a) herein, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the designated 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).
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or the passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 3.07.
“Depositary” means the Person that is designated by the Company in Article 3 to act as depositary for any series of Securities with respect to such series (or any successor to such depositary).
“Dollar or $” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company or a nominee thereof or successor thereto.
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
“Government Obligations” means, with respect to a series of Securities, (i) direct obligations of a government that issues the currency in which the Securities of the series are payable (or, in the case of any series of Securities denominated in Euros, direct obligations of a government of a country in the European Monetary Union) for the payment of which the full faith and credit of such government is pledged, or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of such government, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such government, which, in either case under clause (i) or (ii) above, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof; or (iii) depository receipts issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such Government Obligations or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
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“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of a series of Securities issued to the Depositary or its nominee for such series, and registered in the name of such Depositary or its nominee and bearing the legend set forth in Section 2.03.
“Holder” means the Person in whose name the Security is registered in the Security Register.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and shall include the terms of a particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“Interest”, when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Internal Revenue Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended to the date hereof and from time to time hereafter, and any successor statute.
“Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.
“Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 5.01.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate executed by one or more Authorized Officers (or any Person designated in writing by an Authorized Officer as authorized to execute Officer’s Certificates) and delivered to the Trustee.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Any Opinion of Counsel required to be delivered under this Indenture may have qualifications customary for opinions of the type required and counsel delivering such Opinion of Counsel may rely as to factual matters on certificates of the Company or governmental or other officials customary for opinions of the type required.
“Original Issue Date” means the date of issuance specified as such in each Security.
“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02.
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“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities of all Series or Securities of any Series means, as of the date of determination, all such Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(i) Such Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(ii) Such Securities or portions thereof for whose payment or redemption (A) money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited in trust with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities appertaining thereto or (B) Government Obligations as contemplated by Section 4.03 in the necessary amount have been theretofore deposited in satisfaction of the requirements of Section 4.03 with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 6.09) in trust for the Holders of such Securities thereto appertaining in accordance with Section 4.02; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made; and
(iii) such Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 3.06 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a protected purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of such Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or whether a quorum is present at a meeting of Holders of such Securities, (i) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02, (ii) the principal amount of Securities denominated in more than one currency (including composite currencies) shall be the Dollar equivalent (determined, unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01, on the basis of the spot rate of exchange, on the date of such determination, for any currency other than Dollars as determined by the Company or by an authorized exchange rate agent and evidenced to the Trustee by an Officer’s Certificate) of the principal amount (or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Security, the Dollar equivalent on the date of such determination of the amount determined as provided in (i) above) of such Securities, and (iii) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, or upon any such determination as to the presence of a quorum only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the
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pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor. For purposes of clause (ii) above, an exchange rate agent may be authorized in advance or from time to time by the Company, and may be the Trustee. Any such determination by the Company or by any such exchange rate agent shall be conclusive and binding on all Holders of Securities and, in the case of such determination by the Company, neither the Trustee nor such exchange rate agent shall be liable therefor or, in the case of such determination by such exchange rate agent, the Trustee shall not be liable therefor.
“Parent Guarantor” means any parent entity of the Company that has guaranteed the Securities.
“Paying Agent” means any Person (including the Company) appointed by the Company to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any securities on behalf of the Company and who initially shall be the Trustee.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture association, joint-stock company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to any series of Securities, means the place or places where, subject to the provisions of Section 10.02, the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of that series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.06 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security, as the case may be, shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security, as the case may be.
“Redemption Date”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
“Redemption Price”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture (including any premium with respect thereto).
“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“Responsible Officer”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department (or any successor group of the Trustee) to whom any corporate trust matter is referred having direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture, and also means, any other officer because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
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“Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture substantially in the form of Securities set forth in Exhibit A or established pursuant to Section 2.01.
“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.05.
“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.07.
“Stated Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the United States Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended and as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed, except as provided in Section 9.05; provided, however, that in the event that the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.
“United States” means the United States of America (including the States and the District of Columbia), its territories and possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.
Section 1.02. Compliance Certificates and Opinions. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, if requested by the Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished (subject in all cases to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act).
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Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than certificates provided pursuant to Subsection Section 7.04(a)(iv)) shall include:
(a) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such condition or covenant and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(c) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such condition or covenant has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 1.03. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee. In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any Officer’s Certificate may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous.
Any Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Authorized Officer or Authorized Officers of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
Any Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to accounting matters, upon a certificate or opinion of or representations by an accountant or firm of accountants in the employ of the Company or otherwise, unless such officer or counsel, as the case may be, knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the accounting matters upon which such certificate or opinion may be based are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
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Section 1.04. Acts of Holders. (a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing, or in a writing that constitutes a record of any meeting of Holders of Securities pursuant to Article 13. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record, or both, are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments and any such record (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments or so voting at any such meeting. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent or proxy, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 6.01) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company and any agent of the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section. The record of any meeting of Holders of Securities shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 13.06.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by an officer of a corporation or association or a member of a partnership, or an official of a public or governmental body, on behalf of such corporation, association, partnership or public or governmental body or by a fiduciary, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority. The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which shall be satisfactory to the Trustee.
(c) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.
(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
(e) The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities entitled to give, make or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given, made or taken by Holders of Securities, provided that the Company may not set a record date for, and the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, the giving or making of any notice, declaration, request or direction referred to in the next paragraph. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to take the relevant action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date (as defined below) by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Company from setting a new
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record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company, at its own expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Trustee in writing and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 1.06.
(f) The Trustee may set (but shall not be obligated to set) any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 5.02, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 5.07(b) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 5.12. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to join in such notice, declaration, request or direction, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that no such action shall be effective hereunder unless taken on or prior to the applicable Expiration Date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Trustee from setting a new record date for any action for which a record date has previously been set pursuant to this paragraph (whereupon the record date previously set shall automatically and with no action by any Person be cancelled and of no effect), and nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Trustee, at the Company’s expense, shall cause notice of such record date, the proposed action by Holders and the applicable Expiration Date to be given to the Company in writing and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 1.06.
(g) With respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which sets such record dates may designate any day as the “Expiration Date” and from time to time may change the Expiration Date to any earlier or later day; provided that no such change shall be effective unless notice of the proposed new Expiration Date is given to the other party hereto in writing, and to each Holder of Securities in the manner set forth in Section 1.06, on or prior to the existing Expiration Date. If an Expiration Date is not designated with respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section, the party hereto which set such record date shall be deemed to have initially designated the 180th day after such record date as the Expiration Date with respect thereto, subject to its right to change the Expiration Date as provided in this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Expiration Date shall be later than the 180th day after the applicable record date.
Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any part of such principal amount.
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Section 1.05. Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company. Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
(a) the Trustee, Security Registrar and Paying Agent by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing in English to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, which, as of the date of this Indenture, is: U.S. Bank National Association, Global Corporate Trust Services, 1349 W. Peachtree St. NW, Ste. 1050, Atlanta, GA 30309, Attn: Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. Administrator, Fax: (404) 898-2467, Email: david.ferrell@usbank.com; or
(b) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument, to the attention of the Treasurer or at any other address furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company prior to the date of such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document.
Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be deemed to have received any such notice, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders unless given, furnished or filed as provided in this Section 1.05.
All notices, approvals, consents, requests and other communications hereunder must be in writing (and any communication sent to the Trustee hereunder must be in the form of a document that is signed manually or by way of a digital signature provided via DocuSign (or such other digital signature provider as specified in writing to the Trustee by the Company) or an electronic copy thereof), in English, and may only be delivered (a) by personal delivery, or (b) by national overnight courier service, or (c) by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or (d) by facsimile transmission, with confirmed receipt or (e) by email by way of a PDF attachment thereto. Notice will be effective upon receipt except for notice via email, which will be effective only when the recipient, by return email or notice delivered by other method provided for in this Section, acknowledges having received that email (with an automatically generated receipt or similar notice not constituting an acknowledgement of an email receipt for purposes of this Section). The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of DocuSign digital signatures and 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 of interception and misuse by third parties.
Section 1.06. Notice to Holders; Waiver. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given to Holders of Securities if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, or electronically delivered to each Holder of a Security affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, or in the case of a Global Security, sent in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.
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If, by reason of the suspension of regular mail service, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impracticable to mail notice of any event to Holders of Securities when such notice is required to be given pursuant to any provision of this Indenture, then such manner of giving such notice as shall be acceptable to the Trustee shall constitute sufficient giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders of Securities is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder of a Security shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders of Securities.
Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
Section 1.07. Language of Notices, Etc. Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver, Act of Holders or other document required or permitted under this Indenture shall be in the English language.
Section 1.08. Conflict With Trust Indenture Act. If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with any obligation or requirement included or deemed included herein by operation of the Trust Indenture Act, such obligation or requirement of the Trust Indenture Act shall control.
Section 1.09. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents. The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 1.10. Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements in this Indenture and the Securities by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 1.11. Separability Clause. In case any provision in this Indenture or the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 1.12. Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Indenture or the Securities, expressed or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, their successors hereunder and the Holders of Securities, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 1.13. Governing Law. This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. This Indenture is also subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.
Section 1.14. Legal Holidays. In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity or Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the
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Securities other than a provision in the Securities of any series which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section) payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity or Maturity, provided that no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Stated Maturity or Maturity, as the case may be.
Section 1.15. Computations. Unless otherwise specifically provided, the certificate or opinion of any independent firm of public accountants of recognized standing selected by the Board of Directors shall be conclusive evidence of the correctness of any computation made under the provisions of this Indenture. The Company shall furnish to the Trustee upon its request a copy of any such certificate or opinion. The Trustee shall not have any liability or responsibility for any calculation or computation contemplated by this Indenture.
Section 1.16. Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the Company, the Trustee, the Securities Registrar and the Paying Agent 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 or the Securities.
Section 1.17 No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders. No past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator or stockholder of the Company, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. Each Holder of Securities by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Securities. The waiver may not be effective to waive liabilities under the federal securities laws.
ARTICLE 2
SECURITY FORMS
Section 2.01. Forms Generally. The Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit A to this Indenture, or in such other form (including temporary or permanent global form) as shall be established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or approved from time to time by or pursuant to a Board Resolution (or, if authority has been delegated to any Authorized Officer by a Board Resolution, as approved by such Authorized Officer pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate), in each case in accordance with Section 3.01, and in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary thereof, or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the Authorized Officer executing such Securities (or any Person designated in writing by an Authorized Officer as authorized to execute such Securities), as evidenced by their execution of the Securities. If the forms of Securities of any series (or the form of any such temporary or permanent global Security) are established by action taken by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to delegated authority granted by a Board Resolution to an Authorized Officer, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the
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Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 3.03 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities (or any such temporary or permanent global Security).
The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form set forth in this Article.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons.
Section 2.02. Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication. The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein referred to in the within mentioned Indenture.
| U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee | ||
| By: |
| |
| Authorized Signatory | ||
Section 2.03. Form of Legend for Global Securities. Every Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder shall, in addition to the provisions contained in Exhibit A, bear a legend in substantially the following form:
UNLESS THIS SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY SECURITY ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF DTC OR A NOMINEE THEREOF. THIS SECURITY MAY NOT BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR A SECURITY REGISTERED, AND NO TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY IN WHOLE OR IN PART MAY BE REGISTERED, IN THE NAME OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN DTC OR SUCH NOMINEE, EXCEPT IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE.
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ARTICLE 3
THE SECURITIES
Section 3.01. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series. The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate, if authority was granted to an Authorized Officer by a Board Resolution, and, subject to Section 3.03, set forth, in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series,
(a) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other Securities);
(b) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 9.06 or 11.07);
(c) the Stated Maturity or Maturities on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable or the method of determination thereof;
(d) the rate or rates (which may be fixed or floating) at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for the interest payable on Securities on any Interest Payment Date or the formula or method by which such rate or rates, or date or dates may be determined;
(e) the place or places where, subject to the provisions of Section 10.02, the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on Securities of the series shall be payable, any Securities of the series may be surrendered for registration of transfer, Securities of the series may be surrendered for exchange and notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of the series and this Indenture may be served;
(f) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(g) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(h) the denominations in which any Securities of the series shall be issuable, if other than denominations of $2,000 and any higher integral multiples of $1,000;
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(i) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02;
(j) whether and under what circumstances any additional amounts with respect to any Securities, subject to Section 10.07, will be payable;
(k) any paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or any other agents with respect to the Securities of the series;
(l) the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Securities shall be payable if other than the currency of the United States;
(m) if the principal of (and premium, if any), or interest, if any, on such Securities are to be payable, at the election of the Company or any Holder thereof, in a coin or currency or currencies, including composite currencies, other than that or those in which such Securities are stated to be payable, the coin or currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payment of the principal of (and premium, if any), or interest, if any, on Securities of such series as to which such election is made shall be payable, and the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made;
(n) if such Securities are to be denominated in more than one currency, including composite currencies, the basis of determining the equivalent price in the currency of the United States (if other than as set forth in the definition of Outstanding) for purposes of determining the voting rights of Holders of such Securities under this Indenture;
(o) if the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any), or portions thereof, or interest, if any, on such Securities may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
(p) whether any Securities of the series are to be issuable initially in temporary global form and whether any Securities of the series are to be issuable in permanent global form and, if so, whether beneficial owners of interests in any such permanent global Security may exchange such interests for Securities of such series and of like tenor of any authorized form and denomination and the circumstances under which any such exchanges may occur, if other than in the manner provided in Section 3.05;
(q) any restrictions or other provisions relating to the transfer or exchange of any Securities, subject to Section 3.05;
(r) the applicability of Section 4.03 of this Indenture to the Securities of such series;
(s) any other terms of or provisions applicable to the series (which terms and provisions shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture); and
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(t) whether any of the Company’s parent entities or direct or indirect Subsidiaries will guarantee the Securities of that Series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees.
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to such Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate referred to above and, subject to Section 3.03, set forth in such Officer’s Certificate referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto. All Securities of one series need not be issued at the same time and, unless otherwise provided, a series may be reopened for issuances of additional Securities of such series; provided that if such additional Securities are not fungible with the then-outstanding Securities of such series for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the additional Securities shall have a separate CUSIP number, subject to Section 3.11. Securities may differ between series in respect of any matters.
If any of the terms of the Securities of any series are established by action taken by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate pursuant to authority granted by a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate setting forth the terms of the Securities of such series.
Section 3.02. Denominations. The Securities of each series shall be in registered form without coupons and shall be issuable in denominations of $2,000 and any higher integral multiples of $1,000, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01.
Section 3.03. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating. The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer (or any Person designated in writing by an Authorized Officer as authorized to execute the Securities). The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual, electronic or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual, electronic or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. If any Security shall be represented by a permanent global Security, then, for purposes of this Section and Section 3.04, the notation of a beneficial owner’s interest therein upon original issuance of such Security or upon exchange of a portion of a temporary global Security shall be deemed to be delivery in connection with its original issuance of such beneficial owner’s interest in such permanent global Security.
If the forms or terms of the Securities of the series have been established in or pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Board Resolutions as permitted by Sections 2.01 and 3.01, in authenticating such Securities, and
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accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating,
(a) if the forms of such Securities have been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to authority granted to an Authorized Officer by a Board Resolution as permitted by Section 2.01, that such forms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(b) if the terms of such Securities have been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or pursuant to authority granted to an Authorized Officer by a Board Resolution as permitted by Section 3.01, that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(c) that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
If such forms or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or will otherwise affect the Trustee in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities under this Section if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken or if the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to existing Holders.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.01 and of the preceding paragraph, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Officer’s Certificate, Board Resolution or supplemental indenture otherwise required pursuant to Section 3.01 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel otherwise required pursuant to such preceding paragraph at or prior to the time of authentication of each Security of such series if such documents are delivered at or prior to the authentication upon original issuance of the first Security of such series to be issued.
A Company Order delivered in the circumstances set forth in the preceding paragraph may provide that Securities which are the subject thereof will be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee on original issue from time to time upon the written order of persons designated in such Company Order and that such persons are authorized to determine, consistent with the Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate referred to in Section 3.01 or any applicable supplemental indenture, such terms and conditions of said Securities as are specified in such Company Order, provided the foregoing procedure is acceptable to the Trustee.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
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No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by manual, electronic or facsimile signature, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that such Security is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Minor typographical and other minor errors in the text of any Security shall not affect the validity and enforceability of such Security if it has been duly authenticated and delivered by the Trustee.
Except in the case of Securities of any series as to which it is specified, as contemplated by Section 3.01, that such Securities shall be issued initially in definitive certificated form, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver one or more Global Securities with respect to each series of Securities that (i) shall represent an aggregate amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of the initially issued Securities of such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary’s instruction, (iv) shall bear a legend substantially in the form required in Section 2.03 and (v) shall bear such other legends or endorsements as contemplated by Section 2.01. Neither the Trustee nor any agent shall have any responsibility or liability for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary.
Section 3.04. Temporary Securities. Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, in registered form and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such series at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 10.02 in a Place of Payment for that series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities of the same series and of like tenor of authorized denominations. Until so exchanged the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series.
Section 3.05. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange. The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office and in any other office or agency to be maintained by the Company in accordance with Section 10.02 being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide
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for the registration of Securities and of transfers and exchanges of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 10.02 for such purpose in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the definitive Securities represented thereby, a Global Security representing all or a portion of the Securities may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of such Depositary, or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary, or by such Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or nominee of such successor Depositary.
At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount and tenor, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
If at any time the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary or if at any time the Depositary shall cease to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act as provided in Section 3.03, the Company shall appoint a successor Depositary. If a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such ineligibility, the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of definitive Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery, definitive Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing the Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.
The Company may at any time and in its sole discretion determine that definitive Securities issued in the form of one or more Global Securities shall no longer be represented by such Global Security or Securities. In such event the Company will execute, and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of definitive Securities, will authenticate and make available for delivery, definitive Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security or Securities representing the Securities in exchange for such Global Security or Securities.
The Depositary may surrender a Global Security in exchange in whole or in part for definitive Securities on such terms as are acceptable to the Company, the Trustee and such Depositary. Thereupon, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, without service charge:
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(a) to each Person specified by such Depositary a new definitive Security or Securities of any authorized denomination as requested by such Person in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for such Person’s beneficial interest in the Global Security; and
(b) to such Depositary a new Global Security in a denomination equal to the difference, if any, between the principal amount of the surrendered Global Security and the aggregate principal amount of definitive Securities delivered to Holders thereof.
Upon the exchange of a Global Security for definitive Securities in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such Global Security, such Global Security shall be canceled by the Trustee in accordance with its applicable procedures. Definitive Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security pursuant to this Section shall be registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary for such Global Security, pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall make available for delivery such definitive Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so registered.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing. The Company and the Trustee shall be entitled to request an opinion of counsel providing that the transfer complies with applicable securities laws.
No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Sections 3.04, 9.06 or 11.07 or Article 12 not involving any transfer.
Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be required, pursuant to the provisions of this Section: (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Security of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 Business Days before the day of the mailing or delivering of a notice of redemption of any such Securities selected for redemption of Securities pursuant to Article Eleven and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing or delivering of notice of redemption; or (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except, in the case of any Security to be redeemed in part, any portion thereof that is not redeemed.
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 Security (including any transfers between or among Depositary participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Security) other
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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.
None of the Trustee, the Security Registrar or the Paying Agent shall have any responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner of an interest in a Global Security, any agent member or other member of, or a participant in, the Depositary or other Person with respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depositary or any nominee or participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the Securities or with respect to the delivery to any agent member or other participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary) of any notice or the payment of any amount or delivery of any Securities (or other security or property) under or with respect to such Securities. All notices and communications to be given to the Holders and all payments to be made to Holders in respect of the Securities shall be given or made only to or upon the order of the registered Securities (which shall be the Depositary or its nominee in the case of a Global Security). The rights of beneficial owners in any Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary, subject to its applicable rules and procedures. The Trustee, Security Registrar and Paying Agent may rely and shall be fully protected in relying upon information furnished by the Depositary with respect to its agent members and other members, participants and any beneficial owners.
Section 3.06. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities. If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, together with such security or indemnity as may be required by the Company or the Trustee, to save each of them harmless, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
Provided that there shall have been delivered to the Company and the Trustee (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security, and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them, including an indemnity bond satisfactory to them, to save each of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a protected purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon receipt of a Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company or the Trustee may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
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Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and any such new Security shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 3.07. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved. Interest on any Security of any series which is payable, and is timely paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest in respect of Securities of such series. The initial payment of interest on any Security of any series which is issued between a Regular Record Date and the related Interest Payment Date shall be payable as provided in such Security or in the Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate pursuant to Section 3.01 with respect to the related series of Securities.
Any interest on any Security which is payable, but is not timely paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of such series (herein called “Defaulted Interest”), shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (a) or (b) below:
(a) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series in respect of which interest is in default (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as provided in this clause. Thereupon the Company shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, the Company shall instruct the Trustee to cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first class, postage prepaid or otherwise delivered, to each Holder of a Security of such series at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date or, in the case of a Global Security, to be sent in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depositary. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so sent, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following clause (b).
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(b) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of the series in respect of which interest is in default may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange (or by the Trustee if the Securities are not listed), if, after written notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section and Section 3.05, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
The Trustee shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine the Defaulted Interest or with respect to the nature, extent, or calculation of the amount of Defaulted Interest owed, or with respect to the method employed in such calculation of the Defaulted Interest.
Section 3.08. Persons Deemed Owners. The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered in the Securities Register as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Sections 3.05 and 3.07) interest, if any, on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
None of the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests of a Global Security or maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
Section 3.09. Cancellation. All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and such Securities shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, including, without limitation in open market purchases, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be cancelled by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures.
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Section 3.10. Computation of Interest. Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for the Securities of any series, interest, if any, on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Section 3.11. CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use the “CUSIP” number for the Securities in notices to the Holders as a convenience to such Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such notice shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any changes in the “CUSIP” numbers.
ARTICLE 4
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 4.01. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect with respect to any series of Securities (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series herein expressly provided for or in the form of Security for such series and any right to receive additional amounts, as provided in Section 10.07), and the Trustee, per the instruction in the Company Request and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as to such series, when:
(a) either
(i) all Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.06 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in Section 10.03) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) all such Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(A) have become due and payable (by reason of the marking of a notice of redemption or otherwise), or
(B) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year of the date of deposit, or
(C) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company,
and the Company, in the case of (A), (B) or (C) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge
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the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable), or to the Stated Maturity or the Redemption Date, as the case may be;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company with respect to such series; and
(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that, with respect to such series, all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to such series, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee with respect to such series under this Section 4.01 and Section 6.07, the obligations of the Company to any Authenticating Agent under Section 6.14, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (ii) of clause (a) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.02 and the last paragraph of Section 10.03, shall survive.
Section 4.02. Application of Trust Money. Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.03, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01, all money and Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee (or a successor trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 6.09) pursuant to Section 4.03 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.03 shall be held in trust and shall be applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the series of Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities for which payment of such money has been deposited with the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Section 4.03.
Section 4.03. Discharge and Defeasance of Securities of Any Series. If this Section 4.03 is specified, as contemplated by Section 3.01, to be applicable to the Securities of any series, then, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4.01, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the Outstanding Securities of any such series on the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (i) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such Outstanding Securities, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, upon Company Request execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:
(a) the rights of Holders of Securities of such series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (i) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and each installment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Outstanding Securities of such series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) any mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments applicable to the Securities of such series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and such Securities; and
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(b) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder with respect to such series, including those set forth in Section 6.07; and
(c) either (i) if this Section 4.03(c)(i) is specified, as contemplated by Section 3.01, to be applicable to the Securities of any series, the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities of such series under Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 10.02 and 10.03; or, alternatively, (ii) if this Section 4.03(c)(ii) is specified, as contemplated by Section 3.01, to be applicable to the Securities of any series, the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities under Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 10.01, 10.02 and 10.03;
provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(i) the Company shall have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited (in accordance with Section 4.02) with the Trustee (or another trustee satisfying the requirements of Section 6.09) as trust funds in trust specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of that series, with reference to this Section 4.03 (1) money in an amount, or (2) Government Obligations which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide not later than one Business Day before the due date of any payment referred to in clause (A) or (B) of this subparagraph (i) money in an amount, or (3) a combination thereof, sufficient to pay and discharge (A) the principal of (and premium, if any) and each installment of principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Outstanding Securities of such series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest or on the applicable Redemption Date and (B) any mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments applicable to the Securities of such series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and of such Securities;
(ii) such deposit shall not cause the Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series to have a conflicting interest as defined in Section 6.08 or for purposes of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to the Securities of any series;
(iii) if this subparagraph (iii) is specified, as contemplated by Section 3.01, to be applicable to the Securities of any series, such provision would not cause any Outstanding Securities of such series then listed on the New York Stock Exchange or other nationally recognized securities exchange to be de-listed as a result thereof;
(iv) no Event of Default or event which with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;
(v) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that, based upon applicable United States Federal income tax law or a ruling published by the Internal Revenue Service (which opinion, for the purposes contemplated by Section 4.03(c)(i), must be based on a change in applicable United States Federal income tax law after the date of this Indenture or a ruling published by the Internal Revenue Service after the date of this Indenture), the beneficial owners of the Securities
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of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times, as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred; and
(vi) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Trustee nor any of its agents are responsible for determining the sufficiency of any amounts deposited in trust in connection with a discharge or defeasance of any series of Securities under the Indenture and neither the Trustee nor any of its agents shall have any obligation or liability whatsoever with respect to the sufficiency of such amounts.
Section 4.04. Reinstatement.
If the Trustee is unable to apply any money in accordance with Section 4.03 by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities of such series shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 4.03 until such time as the Trustee is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 4.03; provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Security following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of the Securities of such series to receive such payment from the money held by the Trustee.
ARTICLE 5
REMEDIES
Section 5.01. Events of Default. “Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
(a) default in the payment of any installment of interest upon any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(b) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security of that series at its Maturity; or
(c) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due by the terms of a Security of that series; or
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(d) default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with or which has expressly been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a particular series of Securities other than that series) and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the affected series (voting as a single class) a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; or
(e) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (i) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case in respect of the Company under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or (ii) a decree or order appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs and such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days; or
(f) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or the consent by it to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case in respect of it under any such law, or the consent by it to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company, or the making by it of any general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or
(g) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that series.
Section 5.02. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment. If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series affected (voting as a single class) may declare the principal amount (or, if the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms thereof) of all of the Securities of all such series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) shall become immediately due and payable; provided, that if an Event of Default specified in clause (e) or (f) of Section 5.01 hereof occurs with respect to the Company, the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and any accrued and unpaid interest on all the Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without further action or notice on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
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(a) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay
(i) all overdue installments of interest on all Securities of that series,
(ii) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest, if any, thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities,
(iii) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon any overdue installments of interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and
(iv) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel;
and
(b) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the nonpayment of the principal of Securities of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.03. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee. The Company covenants that if
(a) default is made in the payment of any installment of interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(b) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security at its Maturity,
the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on the overdue principal (and premium, if any) and on any overdue installments of interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and called the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
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If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 5.04. Trustee May Enforce Claims. In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), its property or its creditors:
(a) the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,
(i) to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such proceeding, and
(ii) in particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same in accordance with Section 5.06; and
(b) any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee for distribution in accordance with Section 5.06, and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, 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 6.07.
No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided, however, that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors’ or other similar committee.
Section 5.05. Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities. All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
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Section 5.06. Application of Money Collected. Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee (acting in any capacity hereunder) and its agents and counsel under Section 6.07;
Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, respectively; and
Third: The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons determined to be entitled thereto.
Section 5.07. Limitation on Suits. No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless
(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;
(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding securities of all series affected (voting as a single class) shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;
(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity or security has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(e) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series affected (voting as a single class);
it being understood and intended that no one or more of the Holders of Securities of such series shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other such Holders (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders), or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.
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Section 5.08. Unconditional Rights of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and (subject to Sections 3.05 and 3.07) interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 5.09. Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or any Holder of any Security has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of such Securities shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding, be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 5.10. Rights and Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 3.06, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 5.11. Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders of Securities as the case may be.
Section 5.12. Control by Holders. (a) The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all affected series (voting as a single class) shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such series, provided that:
(i) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, involve the Trustee in personal liability or be unduly prejudicial to the Holders of Securities not joining in the action, and
(ii) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
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(b) The Company may set a 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 by this Section 5.12 and Section 5.13. Such record date shall be the later of (i) 30 days prior to the first solicitation of such consent or (ii) the date of the most recent list of Holders furnished to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.01 prior to such solicitation.
Section 5.13. Waiver of Past Defaults. Subject to Section 5.02, the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such series waive any past default hereunder with respect to the Securities of such series and its consequences, except a default:
(a) in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Securities of such series, or
(b) with respect to a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.14. Undertaking for Costs. All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard for the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all affected series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder of any Security for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date).
Section 5.15. Waiver of Stay or Extension Laws. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
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ARTICLE 6
THE TRUSTEE
Section 6.01. Certain Duties and Responsibilities. (a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series,
(i) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture with respect to such series, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(ii) the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall only be under a duty to examine the same 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 therein).
(b) In case an Event of Default has occurred with respect to Securities of any series and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture with respect to such series of Securities, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(c) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, to the extent the same shall have been finally adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, except that
(i) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of Subsection (a) of this Section;
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable for any act, omission or error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, determined as provided in Section 5.12, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series; and
(iv) no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any liability, financial or otherwise, in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
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(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.
Section 6.02. Notice of Defaults. Within 90 days after a Responsible Officer has actual knowledge of the occurrence of any default hereunder with respect to the Securities of any series, the Trustee shall transmit in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 7.03, notice of such default hereunder known to the Trustee, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment with respect to Securities of such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders of Securities of such series, and provided, further, that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 5.01(d) with respect to Securities of such series, no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 60 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section, the term “default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series.
Section 6.03. Certain Rights of Trustee. Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.01 and subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, coupon, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order or as otherwise expressly provided herein and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;
(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically presented) may, in the absence of negligence or willful misconduct on its part, to the extent the same shall have been finally adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, conclusively rely upon an Officer’s Certificate;
(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its own selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
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(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders of Securities of any series shall have offered, and if requested, provided to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, coupon, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation; provided that (1) the Trustee provide the Company with reasonable notice of any such examination, (2) such examination is to take place at a location and time reasonable in the circumstances, and (3) the Trustee have good cause and be acting in good faith in the interest of Holders in carrying out such examination;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any acts or omissions on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(h) the Trustee’s immunities and protections from liability and its rights to compensation and indemnification in connection with the performance of its duties under this Indenture shall extend to the Trustee’s officers, directors, agents and employees and its services as Paying Agent, Security Registrar or any other role assumed by the Trustee hereunder or to which it has been appointed with respect to the Securities issued hereunder. Such immunities and protections and right to indemnification, together with the Trustee’s right to compensation, shall survive the Trustee’s resignation or removal and final payment of the Securities;
(i) the Trustee is not required to give any bond or surety with respect to the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers under this Indenture;
(j) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default or Event of Default hereunder except (i) during any period it is serving as Paying Agent for the Securities of a series, any Event of Default pursuant to Section 5.01(a) or (b), or (ii) any Default or Event of Default of which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received written notification at the Corporate Trust Office from the Company or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of all affected Securities of the series with respect to which such Default or Event of Default has occurred (voting as a single class) and is continuing and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture or obtained “actual knowledge,” which shall mean the actual fact or statement of knowing by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee without independent investigation with respect thereto;
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(k) the permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties;
(l) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers or other Persons authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officer’s Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officer’s Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded;
(m) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture; and
(n) in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, incidental, 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.
Section 6.04. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities. The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.
Section 6.05. May Hold Securities. The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 6.08 and 6.13, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or such other agent.
Section 6.06. Money Held in Trust. Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.
Section 6.07. Compensation and Reimbursement. The Company agrees:
(a) to pay to the Trustee (in any capacity hereunder) from time to time compensation as agreed between the Company and the Trustee from time to time in writing for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(b) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or willful misconduct; and
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(c) to indemnify the Trustee (in any capacity hereunder) or any predecessor Trustee and their respective agents for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, claim or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses and the costs of enforcement of this Indenture or any provision thereof) incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on its part, to the extent the same shall have been finally adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, or any Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, or in connection with enforcing the provisions of this Section.
The obligations of the Company under this Section shall constitute additional indebtedness hereunder and shall survive the termination, satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee. Such additional indebtedness shall be a senior claim to that of the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities, and the Securities are hereby subordinated to such senior claim. If the Trustee incurs expenses after the occurrence of a default specified in Section 5.01(e) or Section 5.01(f), such expenses are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy law.
Section 6.08. Disqualification; Conflicting Interests. If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 6.09. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility. There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of any State or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000, subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State or District of Columbia authority and having its Corporate Trust Office, in the United States of America. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article. Neither the Company nor any Affiliate of the Company may serve as Trustee.
Section 6.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of a Successor. (a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under Section 6.11.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 6.11 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30
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days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may, at the expense of the Company, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(i) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 6.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months; or
(ii) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.09 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder; or
(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation;
then, in any such case, (A) the Company may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities, or (B) subject to Section 5.14, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to all Securities and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 6.11 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of removal, the Trustee being so removed may, at the expense of the Company, petition a court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Securities of that or those series (it being understood that any such successor Trustee may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more or all of such series and that at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to the Securities of any particular series) and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 6.11, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders of
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Securities of that series and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 6.11, any Holder of a Security who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security of such series for at least six months, subject to Section 5.14, may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series in the manner provided in Section 1.06. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.
Section 6.11. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor. (a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on written request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of the charges due it pursuant to Section 6.07, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee, and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder. Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts. The Trustee shall have no liability or responsibility for any action or inaction of a successor Trustee.
(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (i) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (ii) if the retiring Trustee is not retiring with respect to all Securities, shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties, including its right to be indemnified, of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (iii) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee; and upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the
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retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.
(c) Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.
Section 6.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business. Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
Section 6.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. The Trustee shall comply with the provisions of Section 311 of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 6.14. Appointment of Authenticating Agent. The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 3.06, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State, territory or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent files reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so filed.
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If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor Authenticating Agent hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and shall give notice of such appointment in the manner provided in Section 1.06 to all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such Authenticating Agent will serve. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent.
No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.
The Company agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time compensation as agreed between the Company and each such Authenticating Agent for its services under this Section.
If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternative certificate of authentication in the following form:
This is one of the Securities referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated:
| U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee | ||
| By: |
| |
| As Authenticating Agent | ||
| By: |
| |
| Authorized Signatory |
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ARTICLE 7
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
Section 7.01. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders of Securities. The Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee with respect to the Securities of each series:
(a) semi-annually, not more than 15 days after each Regular Record Date, or in the case of any series of Securities on which semi-annual interest is not payable, not more than 15 days after such semi-annual dates as may be specified by the Trustee, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of such Securities as of such Regular Record Date or such semi-annual date, as the case may be, and
(b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished,
provided, however, that so long as the Trustee is the Security Registrar, no such list need be furnished.
Section 7.02. Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders. The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.01 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 7.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to the names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to Section 312(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.03. Reports by the Trustee. The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the time and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall, within 60 days after each July 15 following the date of this Indenture, deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such July 15, which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a). The Trustee shall also comply with Section 313(b) and Section 313(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon which any Securities are listed in accordance with Section 313(d) of the Trust Indenture Act, with the Commission and with the Company (Attn: Treasurer). The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing whenever any Securities are listed on any stock exchange and any delisting thereof.
Section 7.04. Reports by Company.
(a) The Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, shall:
(i) file with the Trustee, within 15 days after the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, files the same with the Commission, copies of the quarterly and annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; or, if the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, is not required to file information, documents or reports pursuant to either of said Sections, then it will file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such of the supplementary and periodic information, documents and reports which may be required pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in respect of a security listed and registered on a national securities exchange as may be prescribed from time to time in such rules and regulations;
(ii) file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents, and reports with respect to compliance by the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, with the conditions and covenants of this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations; and
(iii) transmit by mail or electronically to all Holders, within 30 days after the filing thereof with the Trustee, in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 7.03 with respect to reports pursuant to Section 7.03, such summaries of any information, documents and reports required to be filed by the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, pursuant to paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission.
(iv) furnish to the Trustee, not less often than annually, the certificate referred to in Section 10.04. For purposes of such certificate, compliance by the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, with respect to the conditions and covenants under this Indenture shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture.
(b) All required information, documents and reports referred to in clauses (a)(i),(a)(ii) and (a)(iii) above shall be deemed filed with the Trustee and transmitted to the Holders at the time such information, documents and reports are publicly filed with the Commission via the
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Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) filing system (or any successor system); provided, however, that the Trustee shall have no obligation whatsoever to determine whether or not such information, documents or reports have been filed pursuant to the EDGAR filing system (or its successor).
Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such reports shall not constitute actual or 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). The Trustee will have no liability or responsibility for the filing, timeliness or content of any such reports. The Trustee will not be obligated to monitor or confirm, on a continuing basis or otherwise, the Company’s compliance with the covenants or with respect to any reports or other documents filed with the SEC or EDGAR or the Company’s website under this Indenture, or participate in any conference calls.
ARTICLE 8
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 8.01. Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms. The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person or sell, convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person unless:
(a) The Company is the surviving corporation in such merger or consolidation; or the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by sale, conveyance, transfer or lease the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall be a Person organized and existing under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
(b) the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by sale, conveyance, transfer or lease the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety shall expressly assume, by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any (including all additional amounts, if any, payable pursuant to Section 10.07), on all the Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;
(c) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, and treating any indebtedness which becomes an obligation of the Company as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by the Company at the time of such transaction no Default or Event of Default shall have happened and be continuing; and
(d) the Company or such Person has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or lease and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
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Section 8.02. Successor Substituted. Upon any consolidation or merger by the Company with or into any other Person, or any sale, conveyance, transfer or lease by the Company of the properties and assets of the Company substantially as an entirety to any Person in accordance with Section 8.01, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such sale, conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein; and thereafter, the Company (which term shall for this purpose mean the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture or any successor Person which shall theretofore become such in the manner described in Section 8.01) shall be discharged from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities, and may be dissolved and liquidated.
ARTICLE 9
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.01. Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders. Without the consent of any Holder of Securities, the Company and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities contained; or
(b) to add to the covenants of the Company, for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or
(c) to add any additional Events of Default; or
(d) to permit the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form, provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or
(e) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only with respect to Securities not outstanding at the time of the execution of such supplemental indenture; or
(f) to add guarantees with respect to Securities; or
(g) to secure the Securities; or
(h) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.01 and 3.01; or
(i) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and/or to add to or change
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any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.11(b);
(j) to cure any ambiguity or omission, to correct or supplement any provision herein, as supplemented, which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein or to conform any provision herein applicable to Securities of any series to the description of the terms of such Securities in any prospectus supplement applicable to the issuance of such Securities; or
(k) to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect.
Section 9.02. Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders. With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture (voting as a single class), by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby,
(a) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or any interest on, any security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or any rate of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or change any obligation of the Company to pay additional amounts pursuant to Section 10.07 (except as contemplated by Section 8.01(a) and permitted by Section 9.01(a)), or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02, or change the method in which amounts of payments of principal or any interest thereon are determined, or change any Place of Payment, or change the coin or currency in which any Security or any premium or any interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or
(b) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture, or
(c) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 5.13 or Section 10.06, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby, provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder of a Security with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section and Section 10.06, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Section 6.11(b) and 9.01(h).
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A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof. A consent to any indenture supplemental hereto by or on behalf of any Holder of Securities given in connection with a purchase of, or tender or exchange offer for, such Holder’s Securities will not be rendered invalid by such purchase, tender or exchange.
Section 9.03. Execution of Supplemental Indentures. In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each in compliance with Section 1.02 and each stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and that such supplemental indenture, when executed and delivered by the Company, will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company in accordance with its terms. The Trustee shall execute any such supplemental indenture; however, the Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to enter into any supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 9.04. Effect of Supplemental Indentures. Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder appertaining thereto shall be bound thereby.
Section 9.05. Conformity With Trust Indenture Act. Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
Section 9.06. Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures. Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form acceptable to the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.
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ARTICLE 10
COVENANTS
Section 10.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest. The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay or cause the Paying Agent to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of that series in accordance with the terms of such series of Securities and this Indenture. The Company shall deposit an amount sufficient to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of that series with the Paying Agent not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the applicable Interest Payment Date.
Section 10.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for each series of Securities an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company with respect to the Securities of that series and this Indenture may be served, any one or more of which offices or agencies may be the same for one or more series of Securities.
The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee and prompt notice to the Holders of Securities of such series, as provided in Section 1.06, of the location, and of any change in the location, of any such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency in respect of any series of Securities or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, or if so specified in the Securities, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies (in or outside any Place of Payment) where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
Section 10.03. Money for Security Payments to Be Held in Trust. If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any of the Securities of that series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Securities of that series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
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The Company will cause each Paying Agent of any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will:
(a) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Securities of that series in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(b) give the Trustee written notice of any Default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series) in the making of any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the Securities of that series; and
(c) at any time during the continuance of any such Default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, has become due and payable shall, unless otherwise required by mandatory provisions of applicable escheat, or abandoned or unclaimed property law, be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease.
Section 10.04. Statement as to Compliance. (a) For so long as any Securities remain outstanding under this Indenture, the Company will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof, a written statement, which need not comply with Section 1.02 hereof, signed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer, of the Company, stating whether or not, to the best knowledge of the signer thereof, the Company is in Default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture (without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided hereunder) and, if the Company shall be in Default, specifying all such Defaults and the nature and status thereof of which they may have knowledge.
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(b) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 30 days after becoming aware of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default an Officer’s Certificate setting forth the details of such Default or Event of Default and the action which the Company proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 10.05. Corporate Existence. Subject to Article Eight, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence.
Section 10.06. Waiver of Certain Covenants. The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in any covenant pursuant to 3.01(s), 9.01(b) or 9.01(g), if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision, covenant or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision, covenant or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee with respect to any such term, provision, covenant or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 10.07. Additional Amounts. If the Securities of a series provide for the payment of additional amounts, the Company will pay to the Holder of any Security of such series additional amounts as provided therein. Whenever in this Indenture there is mentioned, in any context, the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on, or in respect of, any Security of any series or the net proceeds received on the sale or exchange of any Security of any series, such mention shall be deemed to include mention of the payment of additional amounts provided for in this Section to the extent that, in such context, additional amounts are, were or would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of this Section and express mention of the payment of additional amounts (if applicable) in any provisions hereof shall not be construed as excluding additional amounts in those provisions hereof where such express mention is not made.
If the Securities of a series provide for the payment of additional amounts, at least 10 days prior to the first Interest Payment Date with respect to that series of Securities (or if the Securities of that series will not bear interest prior to Maturity, the first day on which a payment of principal and any premium is made), and at least 10 days prior to each date of payment of principal and any premium or interest if there has been any change with respect to the matters set forth in the below-mentioned Officer’s Certificate, the Company will furnish the Trustee and the Company’s principal Paying Agent or Paying Agents, if other than the Trustee, with an Officer’s Certificate instructing the Trustee and such Paying Agent or Paying Agents whether such payment of principal of and any premium or interest on the Securities of that series shall be made to one or more Holders of Securities of that series without withholding for or on account of any tax, assessment or other governmental charge described in the Securities of that series. If any such withholding shall be required, then such Officer’s Certificate shall specify by country the amount, if any, required to be withheld on such payments to such Holders of Securities and the Company will pay to the Trustee or such Paying Agent the additional amounts required by this Section. The Company covenants to indemnify the Trustee and any Paying Agent for, and to hold them harmless against, any loss, liability or expense reasonably incurred without negligence
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or willful misconduct on their part arising out of or in connection with actions taken or omitted by any of them in reliance on any Officer’s Certificate furnished pursuant to this Section. The Trustee shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine the Additional Amounts or with respect to the nature, extent, or calculation of the amount of Additional Amounts owed, or with respect to the method employed in such calculation of the Additional Amounts.
ARTICLE 11
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 11.01. Applicability of This Article. Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article.
Section 11.02. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee. The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate of an Authorized Officer authorized to make such election pursuant to a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of Securities of any series, the Company shall, subject to Section 11.04 at least 15 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee in writing of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed, such notice to be accompanied by a written statement signed by an Authorized Officer of the Company stating that no defaults in the payment of interest or Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series have occurred (which have not been waived or cured). In the case of any redemption of Securities (a) prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, or (b) pursuant to an election of the Company which is subject to a condition, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction or condition.
Section 11.03. Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed. If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption by lot, pro rata or by such other method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and in the case of a Global Security, in accordance with the Depositary’s applicable procedures, and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or of portions of the principal amount of global Securities of such series.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.
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Section 11.04. Notice of Redemption. Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided in Section 1.06 not more than 60 days nor less than 10 days prior to the Redemption Date, to the Holders of Securities to be redeemed. Notices of redemption may be conditioned upon the occurrence of one or more subsequent events specified in the notice.
All notices of redemption shall state:
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the Redemption Price and any accrued interest;
(iii) if less than all Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed;
(iv) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price, and any accrued interest thereon, will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and that interest thereon shall cease to accrue from and after said date;
(v) the place or places where such Securities are maturing after the Redemption Date, to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and any accrued interest thereon;
(vi) if such be the case, that the installment of interest on Securities whose Stated Maturity is the Redemption Date is payable to the Persons in whose names such Securities are registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date immediately preceding the Redemption Date;
(vii) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case;
(viii) any condition to such redemption; and
(ix) the CUSIP number of the Securities to be redeemed.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s written request to the Trustee no less than five days (or such shorter period as agreed by the Trustee) prior to the date on which such redemption notice is to be sent to Holders of such series of Securities, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company.
Section 11.05. Deposit of Redemption Price. Not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 10.03) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) any accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.
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Section 11.06. Securities Payable on Redemption Date. Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall (provided any conditions specified in such notice of redemption shall have been satisfied or waived), on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified together with any accrued interest thereon and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest), such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Securities for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Securities shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with any accrued interest to the Redemption Date (provided any conditions specified in such notice of redemption shall have been satisfied or waived).
If the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest on any Security called for redemption, the principal (and premium, if any) of such Security shall, until paid or until payment is provided for in accordance herewith, bear interest for the Redemption Date at the rate, if any, prescribed therefor in the Security.
So long as it is actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee that an Event of Default is continuing hereunder, the Trustee shall not redeem any Securities of any series pursuant to this Article (unless all Outstanding Securities of such series are to be redeemed) or give any notice of redemption of Securities except that, where the giving of notice of redemption of any Securities shall theretofore have been made, the Trustee shall redeem or cause to be redeemed such Securities, provided that it shall have received from the Company a sum sufficient for such redemption. Except as aforesaid, any monies theretofore or thereafter received by the Trustee shall, during the continuance of such Event of Default, be deemed to have been collected under Article Five and held for the payment of all such Securities. In case such Event of Default shall have been waived as provided in Section 5.13 or the Default cured on or before the sixtieth day preceding the Redemption Date, such monies shall thereafter be applied in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
Section 11.07. Securities Redeemed in Part. Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at any Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing) and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series and of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by the Holder, in an aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE 12
SINKING FUNDS
Section 12.01. Applicability of Article. The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for the Securities of such series.
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The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment”, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of the Securities of any series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of the Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 12.02. Each sinking fund payment made on the Securities of a series shall be applied to the redemption of the Securities of such series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such series.
Section 12.02. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments With Securities. The Company (a) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other than any previously called for redemption) and (b) may apply as a credit the Securities of a series which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment as specified in the Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 12.03 with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series; provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 12.03. Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund. Not less than 60 days or such other shorter period as may be acceptable to the Trustee prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 12.02 and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.03 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 11.04. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 11.06 and 11.07.
ARTICLE 13
MEETINGS OF THE HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Section 13.01. Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called. A meeting of Holders of Securities of any series may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to this Article to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders of Securities of such series.
Section 13.02. Call, Notice and Place of Meetings. (a) The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders of Securities of any series issuable as Securities for any purpose specified
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in Section 13.01, to be held at such time and at such place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, or as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of Holders of Securities of any series, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given, in the manner provided in Section 1.06, not less than 21 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
(b) In case at any time the Company shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of the Holders of Securities of such series for any purpose specified in Section 13.01, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have sent the notice of such meeting within 21 days after receipt of such request or shall not thereafter proceed to cause the meeting to be held as provided herein, then the Company may determine the time and the place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, for such meeting and may call such meeting for such purposes by giving notice thereof as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.
Section 13.03. Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings. To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series, a Person shall be (a) a Holder of one or more Outstanding Securities of such series, or (b) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy for a Holder or Holders of one or more Outstanding Securities of which series by such Holder or Holders. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel, any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel. The Company may set a record date for purposes of determining the identity of Holders entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders of Securities.
Section 13.04. Quorum; Action. The Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of Holders of Securities of such series; provided, however, that if any action is to be taken at such meeting with respect to a consent or waiver which this Indenture or the terms of such series expressly provides may be given by the Holders of not less than a specified percentage of the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series, the Persons entitled to vote such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes of the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of Holders of Securities of such series be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may be adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. In the absence of a quorum at any such adjourned meeting, such adjourned meeting may be further adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such adjourned meeting. Notice of the reconvening of any adjourned meeting shall be given as provided in Section 13.02(a), except that such notice need be given only once not less than five days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of an adjourned meeting shall state expressly the percentage, as provided above, of the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series which shall constitute a quorum.
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Except as limited by the proviso to Section 9.02, any resolution presented to a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present as aforesaid may be adopted by the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series; provided, however, that, except as limited by the proviso to Section 9.02, any resolution with respect to any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which this Indenture or the terms of such series expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series may be adopted at a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a quorum is present as aforesaid by the affirmative vote of the Holders of such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series.
Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series duly held in accordance with this Section shall be binding on all the Holders of Securities of such series, whether or not present or represented at the meeting.
Section 13.05. Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meeting. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee, or the Company, if the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders of Securities as provided in Section 13.02(b), may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders of Securities of a series in regard to proof of the holding of Securities of such series and of the appointment of proxies and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem appropriate. Except as otherwise permitted or required by any such regulations, the holding of Securities shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 1.04 and the appointment of any proxy shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 1.04 or by having the signature of the person executing the proxy witnessed or guaranteed by any trust company, bank or banker authorized by Section 1.04 to certify to the holding of Securities. Such regulations may provide that written instruments appointing proxies, regular on their face, may be presumed valid and genuine without the proof specified in Section 1.04 or other proof.
(b) The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders of Securities as provided in Section 13.02(b), in which case the Company or the Holders of Securities of the series calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by vote of the Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series represented at the meeting.
(c) At any meeting each Holder of a Security of such series or proxy shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote, except as a Holder of a Security of such series or proxy.
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(d) Any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series duly called pursuant to Section 13.02 at which a quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series represented at the meeting; and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.
Section 13.06. Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings. The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders of Securities of such series or of their representatives by proxy and the principal amounts and serial numbers of the Outstanding Securities of such series held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in duplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record, at least in duplicate, of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders of Securities of any series shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the Notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was given as provided in Section 13.02 and, if applicable, Section 13.04. Each copy shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one such copy shall be delivered to the Company, and another to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.
Section 13.07. Force Majeure. The Trustee shall not incur any liability for not performing any act or fulfilling any duty, obligation or responsibility hereunder by reason of any occurrence beyond the control of the Trustee (including but not limited to any act or provision of any present or future law or regulation or governmental authority, any act of God or war, civil unrest, local or national disturbance or disaster, pandemic, any act of terrorism, or the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or facsimile or other wire or communication facility).
Section 13.08. U.S.A. Patriot Act. The parties hereto acknowledge that in order to help the United States government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, pursuant to federal regulations that became effective on October 1, 2003 (Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act) all financial institutions are required to obtain, verify, record and update information that identifies each person establishing a relationship or opening an account. The parties to this Indenture agree that it will provide to the Trustee such information as they may request, from time to time, in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act, including but not limited to the name, address, tax identification number and other information that will allow it to identify the individual or entity who is establishing the relationship or opening the account and may also ask for formation documents such as articles of incorporation or other identifying documents to be provided.
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.
59
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC. | ||||
| By: | /s/ | |||
| Name: | [●] | |||
| Title: | [●] | |||
| U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||||
| By: | /s/ | |||
| Name: | [●] | |||
| Title: | [●] | |||
EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF SECURITY]1
[Form of Face]
[If an Original Issue Discount Security, insert any legend required by the Internal Revenue Code and the Regulations thereunder.]
ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC.
| No. [●] | [U.S. $] [●] |
ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC., a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (herein called the “Company”, which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to , or registered assigns, the principal sum of [United States] Dollars on [If the Security is interest bearing, insert, and to pay interest thereon from or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, [semi-annually in arrears on and in each year] [annually in arrears on in each year], commencing at the rate of % per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment [If applicable, insert, and (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable) at the rate of % per annum on any overdue principal [and premium, if any,] and on any overdue installment of interest]. The interest so payable, and timely paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the or (whether or not a Business Date), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so timely paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Company, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture.]
[If the Security is not to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert- The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a default in payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption or at Stated Maturity, and in such case the overdue principal of this Security shall bear interest at the rate of % per annum (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue from the date of such default in payment
| 1 | To be completed and supplemented to reflect the terms of any series of Securities. |
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to the date payment of such principal has been made or duly provided for. Interest on any overdue principal shall be payable on demand. Any such interest on any overdue principal that is not so paid on demand shall bear interest at the rate of % per annum (to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), which shall accrue from the date of such demand for payment to the date payment of such interest has been made or duly provided for, and such interest shall also be payable on demand.]
[Payment of the principal of [(and premium, if any)] and [If applicable, insert- any such] interest on this Security will be made at [the offices or agencies of the Company maintained for that purpose in , ] [the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee] in such coin or currency [of the United States of America] as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debt; provided, however, [If applicable, insert- (a) in the case of Securities in global form registered in the name of or held by DTC or its nominee, payment of the principal of [(and premium, if any)] and [If applicable, insert- any such] interest] will be made in immediately available funds to DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered holder of such Global Security, and (b) in the case of other Securities,] at the option of the Company payment of the principal of [(and premium, if any)] and [If applicable, insert- any such] interest may be made by [United States dollar] check delivered to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse side hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof, directly or through an Authenticating Agent, by manual signature of an authorized signatory, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
Dated:
| ACUITY BRANDS LIGHTING, INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
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[Form of Reverse]
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of [ ] (herein called the “Indenture”), between the Company and , as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof[, limited in aggregate principal amount to [U.S.] [$] ], subject to the Company’s right from time to time, without giving notice to or seeking the consent of the holders of the Securities, to issue an unlimited amount of additional securities in one or more series having the same ranking and the same interest rate, maturity and other terms as the Securities other than issue date, issue price and the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date of the additional securities (such additional securities having such similar terms, together with the Securities of this series, constituting a single issue of Securities under the Indenture), provided that if such additional securities are not fungible with the then-outstanding Securities of this series for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the additional securities shall have a separate CUSIP number. The Securities of this series are issuable as Securities only in registered form, without coupons in denominations of [U.S. $] , and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this Series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this Series and of like tenor of any authorized denominations, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same, upon surrender of the Security or Securities to be exchanged at any office or agency described below where Securities of this series may be presented for registration of transfer.
[If applicable, insert- The Securities of this series are subject to redemption [(1)] [If applicable, insert- on in any year commencing with the year and ending with the year through operation of the sinking fund for this series at a Redemption Price equal to [100% of the principal amount] [or insert formula for determining the amount], [and] (2) [If applicable, insert- at any time [on or after, 20 ], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the following Redemption Prices (expressed as percentages of the principal amount): If redeemed [or before , % and if redeemed] during the 12-month period beginning of the years indicated,
| Year |
Redemption Price |
Year |
Redemption Price | |||
and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to % of the principal amount,] [If applicable, insert- [and ( )] under the circumstances described in the next [two] succeeding paragraph[s] at a Redemption Price equal to [100% of the principal amount,] [or insert formula for determining the amount]] [If the Security is interest-bearing, insert-, together in the case of any such redemption [If applicable, insert- (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise)] with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments
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of interest on this Security whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holder of this Security, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture].
[If applicable, insert- The Securities of this series are subject to redemption [(1)] on in any year commencing with the year and ending with the year through operation of the sinking fund for this series at the Redemption Prices for redemption through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table below, and (2) at any time [on or after , ], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the Redemption Prices for redemption otherwise than through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table below. If redeemed during the 12-month period beginning of the years indicated,
| Year |
Redemption Price for Redemption - Through Operation of the Sinking Fund |
Redemption Price for Redemption- Otherwise Than Through Operation of the Sinking Fund | ||
and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to % of the principal amount, [If applicable, insert- and (3) under the circumstances described in the next [two] succeeding paragraph[s] at a Redemption Price equal to [100% of the principal amount,] [or insert formula for determining the amount]] [If the Security is interest-bearing, insert-, together in the case of any such redemption (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that installments of interest on this Security whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holder of this Security, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture].]
Partial redemption must be made in an amount not less than [U.S. $2,000 or in integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof].
[Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not, prior to , redeem any Securities of this series as contemplated by Clause [(2)] above as a part of, or in anticipation of, any refunding operation by the application, directly or indirectly, of moneys borrowed having an interest cost to the Company (calculated in accordance with generally accepted financial practice) of less than % per annum.]
[The sinking fund for this series provides for the redemption on in each year, beginning with the year and ending with the year of [not less than] [U.S.] $ [(“mandatory sinking fund”) and not more than [U.S.] $ ] aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series. [Securities of this series acquired or redeemed by the Company otherwise than through [mandatory] sinking fund payments may be credited against subsequent [mandatory] sinking fund payments otherwise required to be made in the inverse order in which they become due.]]
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[Notice of redemption will be given by mail or delivered to Holders of Securities, not more than 60 days nor less than 10 days prior to the date fixed for redemption, all as provided in the Indenture.]
In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.
Subject to certain conditions set forth in the Indenture, the Company at any time may discharge or defease some of or all its obligations under this Security and the Indenture in accordance with Section 4.03 of the Indenture.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, [the] [If an Original Issue Discount Security, insert- an amount of] principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. [If an Original Issue Discount Security, insert- Such amount shall be equal to -insert formula for determining the amount. Upon payment (i) of the amount of principal so declared due and payable and (ii) of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest (in each case to the extent that the payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), all of the Company’s obligations in respect of the payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall terminate.]
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding (with each series voting as a separate class in certain cases specified in the Indenture, or with all series voting as one class, in certain other cases specified in the Indenture), on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notification of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
As set forth in, and subject to, the provisions of the Indenture, no Holder of any Security of this series will have any right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for any remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given to the Trustee written notice at the Corporate Trust Office of a continuing Event of
Default with respect to this series, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of this series and all other affected series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute such proceeding as trustee (and offered security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee), and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all affected series a direction
E-5
inconsistent with such request and shall have failed to institute such proceedings within 60 days; provided, however, that such limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by the Holder hereof for the enforcement of payment of the principal of [(and premium, if any)] or [any] interest on this Security on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of [(and premium, if any)] and [any] interest [(including additional amounts, as described on the face hereof)] on this Security at the times, place[s] and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of [(and premium, if any)] and any interest on such Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. The Company and the Trustee shall be entitled to request an opinion of counsel providing that the transfer complies with applicable securities laws.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security is overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Notwithstanding anything in the Indenture or in the terms of this Security to the contrary, the exchange of this Security for a Security will be subject to satisfaction of the provisions of the United States tax laws in effect at the time of the exchange. Neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be required to exchange this Security for a Security if (i) as a result thereof and in the Company’s judgment, the Company would incur adverse consequences under then applicable United States Federal income tax laws and (ii) in the case of the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee, the Company shall have delivered to such Person an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as to the matters set forth in clause (i) above.
The Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
E-6
Exhibit 5.1
|
|
King & Spalding LLP | |||
| 1180 Peachtree Street N.E. Ste. 1600 | ||||
| Atlanta, GA 30309-3521 | ||||
| Tel: +1 404 572 4600 | ||||
| Fax: +1 404 572 5100 | ||||
| www.kslaw.com | ||||
October 23, 2020
Acuity Brands, Inc.
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.
ABL IP Holding LLC
| c/o | Acuity Brands, Inc. |
1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7676
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have acted as counsel to Acuity Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ABL”), and ABL IP Holding LLC, a Georgia limited liability company (“IP Holding”), in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on October 23, 2020. The Registration Statement relates to the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale, from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, of an indeterminate amount of the following securities (collectively, the “Securities”): (i) shares of Parent’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”); (ii) shares of Parent’s preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”), (iii) depositary shares representing fractional interests in shares of Preferred Stock (“Depositary Shares”); (iv) debt securities of ABL (the “Debt Securities”); and (v) guarantees (the “Guarantees”) of the Debt Securities by Parent or IP Holding.
In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the accuracy of original, certified, conformed or photographic copies of such records, agreements, certificates and other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinions set forth below. In all such examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of signatures on original documents and the conformity to such original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or photographic copies and, as to certificates of public officials, we have assumed the same to have been properly given and to be accurate. As to matters of fact material to this opinion, we have relied, without independent verification, upon certificates, statements and representations of public officials and representatives of Parent, ABL and IP Holding.
Acuity Brands, Inc.
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.
ABL IP Holding LLC
October 23, 2020
Page 2
We have also assumed that (i) the form of indenture filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement pursuant to which the Debt Securities and Guarantees are to be issued (the “Indenture”), any necessary supplemental indenture or officer’s certificate setting forth the terms of the Debt Securities and Guarantees to be issued, and any contract governing or establishing the terms of the Depositary Shares will be the valid and binding obligations of each party thereto (other than Parent, ABL or IP Holding, as applicable) enforceable against each party thereto (other than Parent, ABL or IP Holding, as applicable) in accordance with their respective terms, (ii) the execution and delivery of, and performance by, Parent, ABL or IP Holding, as applicable, pursuant to, any Security (A) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (B) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon Parent, ABL or IP Holding, as applicable, (iii) any contract governing or establishing the terms of the Depositary Shares will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, and (iv) any Securities issuable upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any Security being offered or issued will be duly authorized, created and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, exchange or exercise.
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the additional assumptions, qualifications and limitations set forth below, we are of the opinion that:
(1) Any shares of Common Stock, when (i) the terms of their issuance and sale, and all related matters, have been duly authorized and established by all necessary corporate action and (ii) such shares of Common Stock have been duly delivered to the purchasers thereof upon the payment of the consideration therefor (which consideration is not less than the par value of the Common Stock), will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The shares of Common Stock covered by the opinion in this paragraph include any shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon the conversion, exchange, exercise or otherwise pursuant to the terms of any other Securities.
(2) Any shares of Preferred Stock, when (i) the terms of the series of such shares of Preferred Stock and of their issuance and sale, and all related matters, have been duly authorized and established by all necessary corporate action, (ii) a Certificate of Designations setting forth the powers, designations, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the series of such shares of Preferred Stock has been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and (iii) such shares of Preferred Stock have been duly delivered to the purchasers thereof upon the payment of the consideration therefor (which consideration is not less than the par value of the Preferred Stock), will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The shares of Preferred Stock covered by the opinion in this paragraph include any shares of Preferred Stock that may be represented by Depositary Shares, or that may be issued upon the conversion, exchange, exercise or otherwise pursuant to the terms of any other Securities.
Acuity Brands, Inc.
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.
ABL IP Holding LLC
October 23, 2020
Page 3
(3) Any Depositary Shares, when (i) the terms of the Depositary Shares, of any contract governing or establishing the terms of the Depositary Shares, of the related series of Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares and of the issuance and sale of such Depositary Shares and such related series of Preferred Stock, and all related matters, have been duly authorized and established by all necessary corporate action, (ii) any contract governing or establishing the terms of the Depositary Shares has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by Parent, (iii) a Certificate of Designations setting forth the powers, designations, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the related series of Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares has been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, (iv) the shares of the related series of Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares have been duly delivered to the applicable depositary, and (v) depositary receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares have been duly executed by Parent and countersigned by the applicable depositary against deposit of shares of the related series of Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares in accordance with the terms of any contract governing or establishing the terms of the Depositary Shares and duly delivered to the purchasers thereof upon the payment of the consideration therefor, will constitute valid and binding interests in shares of the related series of Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares and will entitle the holders thereof to the rights specified in any contract governing or establishing the terms of the Depositary Shares, subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity. The Depositary Shares covered by the opinion in this paragraph include any Depositary Shares that may be issued pursuant to the terms of any other Securities.
(4) Any Debt Securities, when (i) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by ABL in the form attached to the Registration Statement, (ii) a supplemental indenture or officer’s certificate setting forth the terms of such series of Debt Securities has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by ABL, (iii) the terms of such series of Debt Securities and of their issuance and sale, and all related matters, have been duly authorized and established by all necessary corporate action, and (iv) such Debt Securities have been duly executed by ABL and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture (including any necessary supplemental indenture or officer’s certificate) and duly delivered to the purchasers thereof upon the payment of the consideration therefor, will constitute valid and binding obligations of ABL enforceable against ABL in accordance with their terms, subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity.
(5) Any Guarantees of Parent or IP Holding related to a series of Debt Securities, when (i) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by ABL in the form attached to the Registration Statement, (ii) a supplemental indenture or officer’s certificate setting forth the terms of the related series of Debt Securities and such Guarantees has been
Acuity Brands, Inc.
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.
ABL IP Holding LLC
October 23, 2020
Page 4
duly authorized, executed and delivered by ABL, Parent or IP Holding, as applicable, (iii) the definitive terms and provisions of the related series of Debt Securities and such Guarantees, and of their respective issuance and sale, have been duly authorized and established, and (iv) the related series of Debt Securities and such Guarantees have been executed by ABL, Parent or IP Holding, as applicable, and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture (including any necessary supplemental indenture) and duly delivered to the purchasers thereof upon the payment of the consideration therefor, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of Parent and IP Holding, as applicable, enforceable against Parent and IP Holding, as applicable, in accordance with their terms, subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity. The Guarantees covered by the opinion in this paragraph include any Guarantees that may be issued pursuant to the terms of any other Securities.
This opinion is limited in all respects to the federal laws of the United States of America, the laws of the State of New York and Georgia and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and no opinion is expressed with respect to the laws of any other jurisdiction or any effect that such laws may have on the opinions expressed herein. This opinion is limited to the matters stated herein, and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein.
This opinion is given as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to advise you after the date hereof of facts or circumstances that come to our attention or changes in law that occur which could affect the opinions contained herein. This opinion is being rendered for the benefit of Parent, ABL and IP Holding in connection with the matters addressed herein.
We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us under the caption “Validity of the Securities” in the Prospectus that forms a part thereof. In giving such consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ King & Spalding LLP
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in this Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of Acuity Brands, Inc. for the registration of common stock, preferred stock, guarantees of debt securities and depositary shares of Acuity Brands, Inc., debt securities of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc., and guarantees of debt securities of ABL IP Holding LLC and to the incorporation by reference therein of our reports dated October 23, 2020, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Acuity Brands, Inc., and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Acuity Brands, Inc., included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended August 31, 2020 and the financial statement schedule of Acuity Brands, Inc. included therein, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
| /s/ Ernst & Young LLP |
| Atlanta, Georgia |
| October 23, 2020 |
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 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(Exact name of Trustee as specified in its charter)
31-0841368
I.R.S. Employer Identification No.
| 800 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, Minnesota |
55402 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
David Ferrell
U.S. Bank National Association
1349 West Peachtree Street, Suite 1050
Atlanta, GA
(404) 898-8821
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc.*
* and each of the additional registrant guarantors listed on the next page
(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 58-2633371 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia |
30309-7676 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
Debt Securities and
Guarantees of Debt Securities
(Title of the Indenture Securities)
Table of Additional Registrant Guarantors*
| Exact name of additional registrant guarantor as specified in its charter |
State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization |
I.R.S. Employer Identification No. | ||
| Acuity Brands, Inc. | Delaware | 58-2632672 | ||
| ABL IP Holding LLC | Georgia | 58-2632672 |
| * | The address of principal executive offices for each of the additional registrant guarantors is c/o Acuity Brands, Inc., 1170 Peachtree Street, N.E. Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30309-7676. |
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.* |
| 2. | A copy of the certificate of authority of the Trustee to commence business, attached as Exhibit 2. |
| 3. | A copy of the certificate of authority of the Trustee to exercise corporate trust powers, attached as Exhibit 3. |
| 4. | A copy of the existing bylaws of the Trustee.** |
| 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 June 30, 2020 published pursuant to law or the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, attached as Exhibit |
* Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 25.1 to Amendment No. 2 to registration statement on S-4, Registration Number 333-128217 filed on November 15, 2005.
** Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 25.1 to registration statement on form S-3ASR, Registration Number 333-199863 filed on November 5, 2014.
2
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, the Trustee, U.S. BANK 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 Atlanta, State of Georgia on the 23rd of October, 2020.
| By: | /s/ David Ferrell | |
| David Ferrell | ||
| Vice President |
3
Exhibit 2
4
Exhibit 3
5
Exhibit 6
CONSENT
In accordance with Section 321(b) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the undersigned, U.S. BANK 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: October 23, 2020
| By: | /s/ David Ferrell | |
| David Ferrell | ||
| Vice President |
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Exhibit 7
U.S. Bank National Association
Statement of Financial Condition
As of 6/30/2020
($000’s)
| 6/30/2020 | ||||
| Assets |
||||
| Cash and Balances Due From Depository Institutions |
$ | 52,265,124 | ||
| Securities |
126,598,837 | |||
| Federal Funds |
806 | |||
| Loans & Lease Financing Receivables |
311,129,409 | |||
| Fixed Assets |
7,834,494 | |||
| Intangible Assets |
12,365,020 | |||
| Other Assets |
26,097,656 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total Assets |
$ | 536,291,346 | ||
| Liabilities |
||||
| Deposits |
$ | 425,279,286 | ||
| Fed Funds |
2,453,923 | |||
| Treasury Demand Notes |
0 | |||
| Trading Liabilities |
1,018,213 | |||
| Other Borrowed Money |
36,976,115 | |||
| Acceptances |
0 | |||
| Subordinated Notes and Debentures |
3,850,000 | |||
| Other Liabilities |
14,538,821 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total Liabilities |
$ | 484,116,358 | ||
| Equity |
||||
| Common and Preferred Stock |
18,200 | |||
| Surplus |
14,266,915 | |||
| Undivided Profits |
37,089,306 | |||
| Minority Interest in Subsidiaries |
800,567 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total Equity Capital |
$ | 52,174,988 | ||
| Total Liabilities and Equity Capital |
$ | 536,291,346 | ||
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