Blackstone Inc S-3ASR, filed Dec 2, 2024
Blackstone Inc. (BX)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 2, 2024
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
BLACKSTONE INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Delaware | 20-8875684 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
345 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10154
Telephone: (212) 583-5000
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
John G. Finley
Chief Legal Officer
Blackstone Inc.
345 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10154
Telephone: (212) 583-5000
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Joshua Ford Bonnie
William R. Golden III
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
900 G Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Telephone: (202) 636-5500
Facsimile: (202) 636-5502
Approximate date of commencement of the proposed sale of the securities to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon 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. ☐
TABLE OF ADDITIONAL REGISTRANTS
| Exact Name of Registrant as |
State or other |
IRS Employer Identification Number (if none write N/A) |
Address, Including Zip |
Phone Number | ||||
| Blackstone Holdings I L.P. | Delaware | 26-0288589 | 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 |
212-583-5000 | ||||
| Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. | Delaware | 47-5186314 | 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 |
212-583-5000 | ||||
| Blackstone Holdings II L.P. | Delaware | 26-0288604 | 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 |
212-583-5000 | ||||
| Blackstone Holdings III L.P. | Québec | 26-0450202 | 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 |
212-583-5000 | ||||
| Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. | Québec | 26-0450259 | 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 |
212-583-5000 | ||||
| Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. | Delaware | 33-1441498 | 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154 |
212-583-5000 |
PROSPECTUS
Blackstone Inc.
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Depositary Shares
Warrants
Purchase Contracts
Units
This prospectus relates to the following types of securities that may be offered for sale from time to time by us and any selling securityholders, together or separately:
| • | shares of our common stock; |
| • | shares of our preferred stock; |
| • | debt securities; |
| • | depositary shares; |
| • | warrants to purchase debt or equity securities; |
| • | purchase contracts; and |
| • | units. |
This prospectus describes the general manner in which these securities may be offered and sold. We will provide specific terms of any offering of these securities in a prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus. Any of these securities may be offered together or separately and in one or more series, if any, in amounts, at prices and on other terms to be determined at the time of the offering. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus we may provide to you, as well as the documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest. Any debt securities offered and sold pursuant to this prospectus may be (i) issued by Blackstone Inc. and may or may not be guaranteed by one or more of its subsidiaries, or (ii) issued by Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. and guaranteed by Blackstone Inc. and may be guaranteed by one or more of its other subsidiaries.
We or any selling securityholders may sell any of these securities on a continuous or delayed basis directly, through agents, dealers or underwriters as designated from time to time, or through a combination of these methods. We and any selling securityholders reserve the sole right to accept, and we and any selling securityholders and any agents, dealers and underwriters reserve the right to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of these securities. If any agents, dealers or underwriters are involved in the sale of any of these securities, the applicable prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus will set forth any applicable commissions or discounts payable to them. The names of the selling securityholders, if any, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. Our net proceeds from the sale of these securities also will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of these securities by any selling securityholders.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the ticker symbol “BX.”
In reviewing this prospectus, you should carefully consider the matters described under the caption “Risk Factors” beginning on page 2 of this prospectus and in the “Risk Factors” section of our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is December 2, 2024
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We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you in connection with an offering of the securities described in this prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus does not constitute, and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus that we may provide to you in connection with an offering of the securities described in this prospectus will not constitute, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, the offered securities in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom or from whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus, in any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus that we may provide to you in connection with an offering of the securities described in this prospectus, or in any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the date of that document. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus that we may provide to you in connection with an offering of the securities described in this prospectus nor any distribution of the securities pursuant to this prospectus or any such prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus shall, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in the information set forth in this prospectus, any such prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement since the date thereof.
For investors outside the United States: neither we nor any selling securityholders have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to an offering of the securities described in this prospectus and the distribution of this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus.
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This prospectus is part of an automatic shelf registration statement that we filed with the SEC as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we or any selling securityholders may sell any of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus contains certain information about Blackstone Inc. and provides a general description of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depositary shares, warrants, purchase contracts and units that we or any selling securityholders may offer. This prospectus is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before making an investment in any of the securities described in this prospectus. To the extent required, each time we or any selling securityholders sell these securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the terms of the offering and of the securities being offered and information regarding the selling securityholders, if any. The prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus together with information incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and therein, and the additional information described under “Where You Can Find More Information” before making an investment in any of the securities described in this prospectus.
Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “Blackstone,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Blackstone Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., Blackstone Holdings II L.P., Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. to which we collectively refer as the “Blackstone Holdings Partnerships.”
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies and assets in which we invest. Our more than $1.1 trillion in Total Assets Under Management as of September 30, 2024 include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries and hedge funds.
Our businesses use a solutions-oriented approach to drive better performance. We believe our scale, diversified business, long record of investment performance, rigorous investment process and strong client relationships position us to continue to perform well in a variety of market conditions, expand our assets under management, and innovate.
We invest across asset classes on behalf of our investors, including pension funds, insurance companies and individual investors. Our mission is to fulfill our fiduciary duty by creating long-term value for our investors. We aim to do this by strengthening the companies, real estate assets and other investments in our portfolio, equipping them to thrive in the global economy. To the extent our funds perform well, we can support a better retirement for tens of millions of pensioners, including teachers, nurses and firefighters.
Our principal executive offices are located in leased office space at 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York, 10154 and our telephone number is (212) 583-5000. Our principal internet address is www.blackstone.com. Our website is included in this prospectus as an inactive textual reference only. Except for the documents specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus, information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement and should not be considered to be a part of this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement.
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Investing in our securities involves risks. In addition to the risks discussed below under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forwarding-Looking Statements,” you should carefully review the risks discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and under the caption “Risk Factors” or any similar caption in the other documents that we have filed or subsequently file with the SEC that are incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus as described below under “Where You Can Find More Information” and in any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus that we provide you in connection with an offering of the securities pursuant to this prospectus. You should also carefully review the other risks and uncertainties discussed in the documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any such prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus. The risks and uncertainties discussed below and in the documents referred to above and other matters discussed in those documents could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations and the market price of our securities. Moreover, the risks and uncertainties discussed below and in the foregoing documents are not the only risks and uncertainties that we face, and our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations and the market price of our securities could be materially adversely affected by other matters that are not known to us or that we currently do not consider to be material risks to our business.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference herein contain, and any prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus that we may provide to you in connection with an offering of the securities described in this prospectus may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, our operations, taxes, earnings and financial performance, share repurchases and dividends. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “outlook,” “indicator,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “opportunity,” “leads,” “forecast” or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. We believe these factors include but are not limited to those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this prospectus and in our other periodic filings.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described by our forward-looking statements might not occur. We qualify any and all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary factors. Please keep this cautionary note in mind as you read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus that we may provide to you in connection with an offering of the securities described in this prospectus, and the documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and therein.
The documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference herein contain or may contain, and any prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus that we may provide to you in connection with an offering of the securities described in this prospectus may contain, market data, industry statistics and other data that have been obtained from, or compiled from, information made available by third parties. We have not independently verified this data or these statistics.
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The debt securities described in this prospectus may be (i) issued by Blackstone Inc. and may or may not be guaranteed by one or more of the additional registrants, or (ii) issued by Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. and guaranteed by Blackstone Inc. and may be guaranteed by one or more of the other the additional registrants. We refer to Blackstone Inc., Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., Blackstone Holdings II L.P., Blackstone Holdings III L.P., Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. and Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. collectively as the “Obligor Group.” Any guarantees will be full and unconditional, and may be subject to certain conditions for release, which will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to the offering of such debt securities. For a brief description of the general terms of the debt securities that we may offer and the guarantees that we or the additional registrants may offer, see the information under the headings “Description of Debt Securities and Guarantees” in this prospectus and as may be further described in an applicable prospectus supplement.
On a basis that excludes investments in subsidiaries that are not issuers or guarantors of any securities offered hereby as contemplated by Rule 13-01(a)(4) of Regulation S-X, the Obligor Group does not have material assets, liabilities and results of operations, with the exception of certain amounts already disclosed in our consolidated financial statements (specifically, goodwill, the majority of our deferred tax assets, the Tax Receivable Agreement liability and obligations under indebtedness incurred by the Obligor Group from time to time). Therefore, we have excluded summarized financial information for the Obligor Group due to management’s belief that such summarized financial information would be repetitive and would not provide material information to investors beyond that which is already disclosed in our consolidated financial statements.
Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. is a finance subsidiary of Blackstone. Blackstone Inc. and the Blackstone Holdings Partnerships are all holding companies, which are dependent upon distributions from their respective subsidiaries to meet the obligations under any indebtedness incurred by the Obligor Group from time to time. The debt securities that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus will not be guaranteed by any of our fee generating businesses or funds.
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Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus prepared in connection with an offering of the securities pursuant to this prospectus, the net proceeds from the sale of any securities described in this prospectus will be used for general corporate purposes.
We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the securities described in this prospectus by any selling securityholders.
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General
The following description summarizes important terms of our capital stock. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our “certificate of incorporation”) and our amended and restated bylaws (our “bylaws”), copies of which have been filed by us with the SEC. For a complete description of our capital stock, you should refer to our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and applicable provisions of Delaware law. As used in this section, “we,” “us,” “our,” and “Blackstone” mean Blackstone Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its successors, but not any of its subsidiaries.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 100,000,000,000 shares, all with a par value of $0.00001 per share, of which:
| • | 90,000,000,000 are designated as common stock; and |
| • | 10,000,000,000 are designated as preferred stock, of which (x) 999,999,000 are designated as Series I preferred stock, (y) 1,000 are designated as Series II preferred stock and (z) the remaining 9,000,000,000 may be designated from time to time in accordance with our certificate of incorporation. |
Capital Stock
Our capital stock consists of common stock, Series I preferred stock and Series II preferred stock.
Economic Rights
Dividends. Subject to preferences that apply to any shares of additional series of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available therefor if our board of directors, in its discretion, determines to declare and pay dividends and then only at the times and in the amounts that our board of directors may determine. Our certificate of incorporation provides that dividends shall not be declared or paid on our Series I preferred stock or our Series II preferred stock.
Liquidation. If we become subject to an event giving rise to our dissolution, liquidation or winding up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of our common stock and any participating preferred stock outstanding at that time ranking on a parity with our common stock with respect to such distribution, subject to prior satisfaction of all outstanding debt and liabilities and the preferential rights of and the payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of additional series of preferred stock. Our certificate of incorporation provides that upon our dissolution, liquidation or winding up, the holders of our Series I preferred stock and our Series II preferred stock are each entitled to receive, out of our assets available for distribution, distributions equal to $0.0001 per share of Series I preferred stock and Series II preferred stock, respectively.
Voting Rights
Pursuant to Delaware law, holders of our common stock are entitled to vote with respect to:
| • | A conversion of the legal entity form of Blackstone; |
| • | A transfer, domestication or continuance of Blackstone to a foreign jurisdiction; |
| • | Any amendment of our certificate of incorporation to change the par value of our common stock or the powers, preferences or special rights of our common stock in a way that would affect our common stock adversely; |
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| • | Any amendment of our certificate of incorporation that requires for action the vote of a greater number or portion of the holders of common stock than is required by any section of Delaware law; and |
| • | Any amendment of our certificate of incorporation to elect to become a close corporation under Delaware law. |
In addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that holders of our common stock and our Series I preferred stock, voting together as a single class, have the right to vote on the following matters:
| • | A sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of our and our subsidiaries’ assets, taken as a whole, in a single transaction or series of related transactions (except (i) for the sole purpose of changing our legal form into another limited liability entity and where the governing instruments of the new entity provide our stockholders with substantially the same rights and obligations and (ii) mortgages, pledges, hypothecations or grants of a security interest by us in all or substantially all of our assets (including for the benefit of affiliates of the holder of the Series II preferred stock (the “Series II Preferred Stockholder”)) and any forced sale of any or all of our or our subsidiaries’ assets pursuant to the foreclosure of, or other realization upon, any such encumbrance); |
| • | A merger, consolidation or other combination (except for the sole purpose of changing our legal form into another limited liability entity and where the governing instruments of the new entity provide our stockholders with substantially the same rights and obligations); |
| • | The removal of the Series II Preferred Stockholder and forced transfer by the Series II Preferred Stockholder of its shares of Series II preferred stock and the designation of a successor Series II Preferred Stockholder. See “—Removal of Series II Preferred Stockholder” below; and |
| • | Any amendment of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws enlarging the obligations of the common stockholders; |
| • | Any amendment of our certificate of incorporation requiring the vote of the holders of a percentage of the voting power of the outstanding common stock and Series I preferred stock, voting together as a single class, to take any action in a manner that would have the effect of reducing such voting percentage; and |
| • | Any amendments of our certificate of incorporation that are not included in the specified set of amendments that the Series II Preferred Stockholder has the sole right to vote on. |
In addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that holders of our Series I preferred stock will be entitled to vote separately as a class on certain matters, including any amendment to our certificate of incorporation that changes certain terms of the Series I preferred stock or is inconsistent with such terms. Delaware law would also permit the holders of our Series I preferred stock to vote separately as a class on any amendment to our certificate of incorporation that changes the par value of the shares of Series I preferred stock or alters or changes the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series I preferred stock in a way that would affect them adversely.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that the number of authorized shares of any class of stock, including our common stock, may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares of such class then outstanding) solely with the approval of the Series II Preferred Stockholder. As a result, the Series II Preferred Stockholder can approve an increase or decrease in the number of authorized shares of any class of our stock without a separate vote of the holders of such class of stock. This could allow us to increase and issue additional shares of any class of our stock beyond what is currently authorized in our certificate of incorporation without the consent of such holders of stock. Blackstone Group Management L.L.C., an entity owned by senior managing directors of Blackstone and controlled by Mr. Schwarzman, is the initial holder of the Series II preferred stock.
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Except as described below under “Anti-Takeover Provisions—Loss of voting rights,” each record holder of common stock will be entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of shares of common stock held with respect to any matter on which the holders of common stock are entitled to vote.
In addition, holders of our Series I preferred stock, as such, will collectively be entitled to a number of votes equal to the aggregate number of Blackstone Holdings Partnership Units (as defined below) held by the limited partners of the Blackstone Holdings Partnerships (as defined below) on the relevant record date and will vote together with holders of our common stock as a single class. Blackstone Partners L.L.C., an entity owned by senior managing directors of Blackstone and controlled by Mr. Schwarzman, is the initial holder of the Series I preferred stock. If Blackstone Partners L.L.C. directs us to do so, we will issue one share of Series I preferred stock to each of the limited partners of the Blackstone Holdings Partnerships, whereupon each holder of Series I preferred stock will be entitled to a number of votes that is equal to the number of Blackstone Holdings Partnership Units held by such holder of Series I preferred stock on the relevant record date. If the holders of common stock become entitled to a number of votes other than one vote per share or the ratio at which Blackstone Holdings Partnership Units are exchangeable for our common stock changes from a one-for-one basis, the number of votes to which the holders of the Series I preferred stock are entitled will be adjusted accordingly.
No Preemptive or Similar Rights
The holders of our common stock, Series I preferred stock and Series II preferred stock are not entitled to preemptive rights, and, except in the case of impermissible transfers of Series II preferred stock, which would result in the cancellation of such Series II preferred stock, are not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions.
Transferability
Without the approval of any other stockholder, the Series II Preferred Stockholder may transfer all or any part of the Series II preferred stock held by it with the prior written approval of our board of directors so long as the transferee agrees to assume the rights and duties of the Series II Preferred Stockholder under our certificate of incorporation, agrees to be bound by the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and we receive an opinion of counsel regarding certain limited liability matters. The foregoing limitations do not preclude the members or other interest holders of the Series II Preferred Stockholder from selling or transferring all or part of their outstanding equity or other interests in the Series II Preferred Stockholder at any time.
Removal of Series II Preferred Stockholder
The Series II Preferred Stockholder may, upon (i) the approval of the stockholders holding at least two-thirds of the voting power of our outstanding shares of common stock and Series I preferred stock, voting together as a single class, and (ii) our receipt of an opinion of counsel regarding certain limited liability and tax matters, be required to transfer its shares of Series II preferred stock to a successor holder of Series II preferred stock designated by the stockholders holding a majority of the voting power of such classes, voting together as a single class (such designated successor, a “Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder”) (the “Series II Preferred Stockholder Removal”).
In the event of a Series II Preferred Stockholder Removal under circumstances where cause (as such term is defined in the certificate of incorporation) exists, the Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder will have the option to purchase the Series II Preferred Stockholder’s shares of Series II preferred stock and the Series II Preferred Stockholder’s general partner interest (or equivalent interest), if any, in our subsidiaries (collectively, the “Combined Interest”) for a cash payment equal to the fair market value of such Combined Interest. In the event of a Series II Preferred Stockholder Removal under all other circumstances, the Series II Preferred Stockholder will have the option to require the Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder to purchase its
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Combined Interest for a cash payment equal to the fair market value of such Combined Interest. In each case, this fair market value will be determined by agreement between the Series II Preferred Stockholder and the Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder. If no agreement is reached within 30 days after the Series II Preferred Stockholder Removal, an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert selected by the Series II Preferred Stockholder and the Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder will determine the fair market value. If the Series II Preferred Stockholder and the Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder cannot agree upon an expert within 45 days of the Series II Preferred Stockholder Removal, then an independent investment banking firm or other independent expert mutually chosen by the investment banking firms or experts designated by each of them will determine the fair market value.
If the option described above is not exercised by either the Series II Preferred Stockholder or the Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder, we will issue to the Series II Preferred Stockholder (or its transferee) shares of common stock having a value equal to the Combined Interest determined pursuant to a valuation of such Combined Interest as determined by an investment banking firm or other independent expert selected in the manner described in the preceding paragraph, without reduction in such shares of Series II preferred stock (but subject to proportionate dilution by reason of the Successor Series II Preferred Stockholder).
In addition, we are required to reimburse the Series II Preferred Stockholder for all amounts due to the Series II Preferred Stockholder, including all employee-related liabilities, including severance liabilities, incurred for the termination of any employees employed by the Series II Preferred Stockholder or its affiliates for our benefit.
Exchange
The limited partner interests (the “Blackstone Holdings Partnership Units”) in Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., Blackstone Holdings II L.P., Blackstone Holdings III L.P., and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. (collectively, the “Blackstone Holdings Partnerships”) are exchangeable for our common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to customary adjustments for splits, unit distributions and reclassifications and compliance with applicable lock-up, vesting and transfer restrictions. When Blackstone Holdings Partnership Units are exchanged for shares of common stock, the number of votes to which the shares of our Series I preferred stock are entitled shall automatically be reduced by the number of Blackstone Holdings Partnership Units so exchanged.
Limited Call Right
If at any time less than 10% of the then issued and outstanding shares of any class (other than Series I preferred stock and Series II preferred stock) is held by persons other than the Series II Preferred Stockholder and its affiliates, we will have the right, which we may assign in whole or in part to the Series II Preferred Stockholder or any of its affiliates, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the remaining shares of the class held by unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by us, on at least ten but not more than 60 days’ notice. The purchase price in the event of this purchase is the greater of:
| (1) | the current market price as of the date three days before the date the notice is mailed, and |
| (2) | the highest cash price paid by us or any of our affiliates for any share of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which we first mail notice of our election to purchase those shares. |
As a result of our right to purchase outstanding shares of stock, including common stock, as described in the foregoing paragraph, a stockholder may have their shares purchased at an undesirable time or price.
Additional Series of Preferred Stock
Our board of directors is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, and
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to fix the designation, powers (including voting powers), preferences and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our stockholders (except as may be required by the terms of any preferred stock then outstanding). Our board of directors can also increase (but not above the total number of shares of preferred stock then authorized and available for issuance and not committed for other issuance) or decrease (but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series of preferred stock without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the proportion of voting power held by, or other relative rights of, the holders of our common stock. The issuance of additional series of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in our control of our company and might adversely affect the market price of the common stock or the proportion of voting power held by, or other relative rights of, the holders of the common stock.
Conflicts of Interest
Delaware law permits corporations to adopt provisions renouncing any interest or expectancy in certain opportunities that are presented to the corporation or its officers, directors or stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Delaware law, renounces any interest or expectancy that we have in any business ventures of (a) the Series II Preferred Stockholder, (b) our former general partner, (c) any person who is or was a controlling affiliate of the Series II Preferred Stockholder or our former general partner, (d) any person who is or was a director or officer of Blackstone, the Series II Preferred Stockholder or our former general partner, (e) any person in clause (d) who is or was serving at the request of Blackstone, the Series II Preferred Stockholder or our former general partner as an officer, director, employee, member, partner, agent, fiduciary or trustee of another person (subject to certain limitations) and (f) certain other persons designated by the Corporation (collectively, the “Indemnitees”), except with respect to any corporate opportunity expressly offered to any Indemnitee solely through their service to us or our subsidiaries. Our certificate of incorporation provides that each Indemnitee has the right to engage in businesses of every type and description, including business interests and activities in direct competition with our business and activities. Our certificate of incorporation also waives and renounces any interest or expectancy that we may have in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, business opportunities that are from time to time presented to the Indemnitees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, the Series II Preferred Stockholder, for so long as it owns Series II preferred stock, has agreed that its sole business will be to act as the Series II Preferred Stockholder and as a general partner or managing member of any partnership or limited liability company that we may hold an interest in and that it will not engage in any business or activity or incur any debts or liabilities except (x) in connection therewith or incidental thereto or (y) in connection with or incidental to the acquisition, owning or disposing of debt or equity securities of us or any of our subsidiaries.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) contain provisions, which are summarized in the following paragraphs, that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of our company. These provisions are intended to avoid costly takeover battles, reduce our vulnerability to a hostile change in control or other unsolicited acquisition proposal, and enhance the ability of our board of directors to maximize stockholder value in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire us. However, these provisions may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a merger or acquisition of our company by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.
Common stock. Our certificate of incorporation provides that generally, with respect to any matter on which the common stock is entitled to vote, such vote shall require a majority in voting power or more of all the
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outstanding common stock and Series I preferred stock, voting together as a single class. With respect to any matter as to which common stock may be entitled to vote, depending on the number of shares of outstanding shares of common stock and Series I preferred stock actually voted, our senior managing directors, as the owners of Blackstone Partners L.L.C., the initial holder of Series I preferred stock, and the persons to whom the shares of Series I preferred stock will be issued at the direction of Blackstone Partners L.L.C., should generally have sufficient voting power to significantly influence matters subject to the vote. Given the nature of the voting rights of our common stock, which is the class of our capital stock listed on the NYSE, we believe based on discussions with the NYSE that the stockholder approval requirements of the NYSE do not apply.
Election of directors. Subject to the rights granted to one or more additional series of preferred stock then outstanding, the Series II Preferred Stockholder has the sole authority to elect directors.
Removal of directors. Subject to the rights granted to one or more additional series of preferred stock then outstanding, the Series II Preferred Stockholder has the sole authority to remove and replace any director, with or without cause, at any time.
Vacancies. In addition, our bylaws also provide that, subject to the rights granted to one or more additional series of preferred stock then outstanding, any newly created directorship on the board of directors that results from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on our board of directors will be filled only by the Series II Preferred Stockholder.
Loss of voting rights. If at any time any person or group (other than the Series II Preferred Stockholder and its affiliates, a direct or indirect transferee of the Series II Preferred Stockholder or its affiliates (provided that, with respect to any indirect transferee, our board of directors shall have provided such transferee with written notification that this limitation shall not apply) or a person or group that has acquired such stock with the prior approval of our board of directors) acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the common stock then outstanding, that person or group will lose voting rights on all of its shares of common stock and such shares of common stock may not be voted on any matter as to which the holders of such shares of common stock may be entitled to vote and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of stockholders, calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes, in each case, as applicable and to the extent the holders of such shares of common stock are entitled to any vote.
Requirements for advance notification of stockholder proposals. Stockholders are only permitted to make stockholder proposals with respect to the limited matters on which they are entitled to vote. Further, our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals relating to the limited matters on which the holders of our common stock may be entitled to vote. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days or more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. Our bylaws allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings, which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may deter, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from attempting to influence or obtain control of our company.
Special stockholder meetings. Our certificate of incorporation provides that special meetings of our stockholders may be called at any time only by or at the direction of our board of directors, the Series II Preferred Stockholder or, if at any time any stockholders other than the Series II Preferred Stockholder are entitled under applicable law or our certificate of incorporation to vote on specific matters proposed to be brought before a special meeting, stockholders owning 50% or more of the voting power of the outstanding stock of the class or classes of stock which are entitled to vote at such meeting. Common stock and Series I preferred stock are considered the same class for this purpose.
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Stockholder action by written consent. Pursuant to Section 228 of the DGCL, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our stock entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise or it conflicts with the rules of the NYSE. Our certificate of incorporation permits the Series II Preferred Stockholder to act by written consent. Under our certificate of incorporation, stockholders (other than the Series II Preferred Stockholder) may only act by written consent if consented to by the Series II Preferred Stockholder.
Amendments to our certificate of incorporation requiring only Series II Preferred Stockholder approval. Except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law, only the vote of the Series II Preferred Stockholder, together with the approval of our board of directors, shall be required in order to amend certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and none of our other stockholders shall have the right to vote with respect to any such amendments, which include, without limitation:
| (1) | a change in our name, our registered agent or our registered office; |
| (2) | an amendment that our board of directors has determined to be necessary or appropriate to address changes in U.S. federal income tax regulations, legislation or interpretation; |
| (3) | an amendment that is necessary, in the opinion of our counsel, to prevent us or our directors, officers, trustees or agents from having a material risk of being in any manner subjected to the provisions of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or “plan asset” regulations adopted under the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, whether or not substantially similar to plan asset regulations currently applied or proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor; |
| (4) | an amendment that is a change in our fiscal year or taxable year or that our board of directors has determined is necessary or appropriate as a result of such change; |
| (5) | an amendment that our board of directors has determined to be necessary or appropriate for the creation, authorization or issuance of any class or series of our capital stock or options, rights, warrants or appreciation rights relating to our capital stock; |
| (6) | any amendment expressly permitted in our certificate of incorporation to be voted on solely by the Series II Preferred Stockholder acting alone; |
| (7) | an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by an agreement of merger, consolidation or other business combination agreement that has been approved under the terms of our certificate of incorporation; |
| (8) | an amendment effected, necessitated or contemplated by an amendment to the partnership agreement of a Blackstone Holdings Partnership that requires unitholders of the Blackstone Holdings Partnership to provide a statement, certification or other proof of evidence regarding whether such unitholder is subject to U.S. federal income taxation on the income generated by the Blackstone Holdings Partnership; |
| (9) | any amendment that our board of directors has determined is necessary or appropriate to reflect and account for our formation of, or our investment in, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity, in connection with the conduct of the activities permitted by our certificate of incorporation; |
| (10) | any amendment that reflects a merger into, or conveyance of all of our assets to, another limited liability entity that is newly formed and has no assets, liabilities or operations at the time of the merger or conveyance other than those it receives by way of the merger or conveyance consummated solely to effect a mere change in our legal form, the governing instruments of which provide the stockholders with substantially the same rights and obligations as provided by our certificate of incorporation; or |
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| (11) | any other amendments substantially similar to any of the matters described in (1) through (10) above or the immediately following paragraph. |
In addition, except as otherwise provided by applicable law, the Series II Preferred Stockholder, together with the approval of our board of directors, can amend our certificate of incorporation without the approval of any other stockholder to adopt any amendments that our board of directors has determined:
| (1) | do not adversely affect the stockholders (other than the Series II Preferred Stockholder) considered as a whole (including any particular class or series of stock as compared to other classes or series) in any material respect; |
| (2) | are necessary or appropriate to satisfy any requirements, conditions or guidelines contained in any opinion, directive, order, ruling or regulation of any federal or state or non-U.S. agency or judicial authority or contained in any federal or state or non-U.S. statute (including the DGCL); |
| (3) | are necessary or appropriate to facilitate the trading of our stock or to comply with any rule, regulation, guideline or requirement of any securities exchange on which our stock is or will be listed for trading; |
| (4) | are necessary or appropriate for any action taken by us relating to distributions, splits or combinations of shares of our capital stock under the provisions of our certificate of incorporation; or |
| (5) | are required to effect the intent of or are otherwise contemplated by our certificate of incorporation. |
Super-majority requirements for certain amendments to our certificate of incorporation. Except for amendments to our certificate of incorporation that require only the approval of the Series II Preferred Stockholder, any amendments to our certificate of incorporation require, in addition to the consent of the Series II Preferred Stockholder, the vote or consent of stockholders holding at least 90% of the voting power of our common stock and Series I preferred stock, voting together as a single class, unless we obtain an opinion of counsel confirming that such amendment would not affect the limited liability of any stockholder under the DGCL. Any amendment of this provision of our certificate of incorporation also requires the vote or consent of stockholders holding at least 90% in voting power of our common stock and Series I preferred stock, voting together as a single class.
Merger, sale or other disposition of assets. Our certificate of incorporation provides that we may, with the approval of the Series II Preferred Stockholder and with the approval of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of our common stock and Series I preferred stock, voting together as a single class, sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, or consummate any merger, consolidation or other similar combination, or approve the sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of our subsidiaries, except that no approval of our common stock and Series I preferred stock shall be required in the case of certain limited transactions involving our reorganization into another limited liability entity. See “—Capital Stock—Voting Rights.” We may in our sole discretion mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in all or substantially all of our assets (including for the benefit of persons other than us or our subsidiaries) without the prior approval of the holders of our common stock and Series I preferred stock. We may also sell all or substantially all of our assets under any forced sale of any or all of our assets pursuant to the foreclosure or other realization upon those encumbrances without the prior approval of the holders of our common stock and Series I preferred stock.
Exclusive Forum
To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former
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directors, officers, stockholders or employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising under the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws (as may be amended or restated) or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
In addition, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. As such, our bylaws further provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the federal securities laws of the United States, including, in each case, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. It is possible that a court could find our forum selection provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable and, accordingly, we could be required to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions, incur additional costs or otherwise not receive the benefits that we expect our forum selection provisions to provide.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of capital stock of our company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, investors will not be deemed to have waived compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder as a result of our forum selection provisions.
Business Combinations
We have opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL, which provides that an “interested stockholder” (a person other than the corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or, if such person is an affiliate or associate of the corporation, within three years did own, 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of a corporation) may not engage in “business combinations” (which is broadly defined to include a number of transactions, such as mergers, consolidations, asset sales and other transactions in which an interested stockholder receives or could receive a financial benefit on other than a pro rata basis with other stockholders) with the corporation for a period of three years after the date on which the person became an interested stockholder without certain statutorily mandated approvals.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219, and its telephone number is (718) 921-8300 or (800) 937-5449.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “BX.”
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES AND GUARANTEES
Please note that in this section entitled “Description of Debt Securities and Guarantees,” “we,” “us” and “our” mean Blackstone Inc. and its successors, but not any of its subsidiaries. The term “issuer” means us and/or Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., depending on which registrant is offering the debt securities, and the term “issuers” is a collective reference to Blackstone Inc. and Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.
We may issue debt securities. Unless otherwise expressly stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be our unsubordinated and unsecured obligations and may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. may also issue debt securities and, unless otherwise expressly stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.’s unsubordinated and unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series. The debt securities of any series of the applicable issuer may have the benefit of guarantees (each, a “guarantee”) by one or more of our subsidiaries (each, a “subsidiary guarantor”). In the case of debt securities issued by Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., the debt securities will also be guaranteed by us (collectively with the subsidiary guarantors, the “guarantors”). Unless otherwise expressly stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the guarantees will be unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the respective guarantors. If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the issuers may issue debt securities that are secured by specified collateral or that have the benefit of one or more guarantees that are secured by specified collateral. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, as used in this section, the term “guaranteed debt securities” means any debt securities that, as described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto, are guaranteed by one or more guarantors pursuant to the applicable indenture (as defined below); the term “secured debt securities” means any debt securities that, as described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto, are secured by collateral; the term “unsecured debt securities” means any debt securities that are not secured debt securities; and the term “debt securities” includes both unsecured debt securities and secured debt securities and both guaranteed and unguaranteed debt securities.
Any subordinated debt securities offered pursuant to the applicable prospectus supplement will constitute part of the issuer’s subordinated debt and will be subordinate in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all the issuer’s “Senior Indebtedness,” as defined in such applicable subordinated debt indenture.
The debt securities issued by us will be issued under one or more indentures, each to be entered into by us, one or more subsidiary guarantors, a trustee, registrar, paying agent and transfer agent and/or a collateral agent, as applicable. The debt securities issued by our Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. will be issued under one or more indentures, each to be entered into by Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., us, one or more subsidiary guarantors, a trustee, registrar, paying agent and transfer agent and/or a collateral agent, as applicable. The trustee, registrar, paying agent, transfer agent, collateral agent, calculation agent and/or foreign currency agent (collectively, the “agents”), as applicable, shall be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise expressly stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the issuers may issue both secured and unsecured debt securities and both unsubordinated and subordinated debt securities under their respective indentures. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references in this section to the “indenture” and the “trustee” refer to the applicable indenture pursuant to which any particular series of debt securities is issued and to the trustee under that indenture. The terms of any series of debt securities and, if applicable, any guarantees of the debt securities of such series will be those specified in or pursuant to the applicable indenture and in the certificates evidencing that series of debt securities and those made part of the indenture by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”).
The following summary of selected provisions of the indentures, the debt securities and the guarantees is not complete, and the summary of selected terms of a particular series of debt securities and, if applicable, the guarantees of the debt securities of that series included in the applicable prospectus supplement also will not be complete. You should review the form of applicable indenture, the form of any applicable supplemental indenture and the form of certificate evidencing the applicable debt securities, which forms have been or will be
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filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or as exhibits to documents which have been or will be incorporated by reference in this prospectus. To obtain a copy of the form of indenture, the form of any such supplemental indenture or the form of certificate for any debt securities, see “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus. The following summary and the summary in the applicable prospectus supplement are qualified in their entirety by reference to all of the provisions of the applicable indenture, any supplemental indenture and the certificates evidencing the applicable debt securities, which provisions, including defined terms, are incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
The following description of debt securities describes general terms and provisions of a series of debt securities and, if applicable, the guarantees of the debt securities of that series to which any prospectus supplement may relate. Unless otherwise noted, the general terms and provisions of our debt securities discussed below apply to both our unsubordinated debt securities and our subordinated debt securities. The debt securities may be issued from time to time in one or more series. The particular terms of each series that is offered by a prospectus supplement, including the issuer of the debt securities, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If any particular terms of the debt securities or, if applicable, any guarantees of the debt securities of that series or the applicable indenture described in a prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described in this prospectus, the terms described in the applicable prospectus supplement will supersede the terms described in this prospectus.
General
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that the issuer may issue under that indenture. The issuer may, without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of any series, issue additional debt securities ranking equally with, and otherwise similar in all respects to, the debt securities of the series (except for the public offering price, the issue date, the issue price, the date from which interest will accrue and, if applicable, the date on which interest will first be paid) so that those additional debt securities will be consolidated and form a single series with the debt securities of the series previously offered and sold.
The debt securities of each series will be issued in fully registered form without interest coupons. We currently anticipate that the debt securities of each series offered and sold pursuant to this prospectus will be issued as global debt securities as described under “—Book-Entry; Delivery and Form; Global Securities” and will trade in book-entry form only.
Debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars will be issued in denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. If the debt securities of a series are denominated in a foreign or composite currency, the applicable prospectus supplement will specify the denomination or denominations in which those debt securities will be issued.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the issuer will repay the debt securities of each series at 100% of their principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon at maturity, except if those debt securities have been previously redeemed or purchased and cancelled.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities of each series will not be listed on any securities exchange. The applicable prospectus supplement will include a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the debt securities.
Guarantees
The debt securities of any series of each issuer may be guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries and, in the case of debt securities issued by Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., such debt securities may also be guaranteed by us. The guarantors of any series of guaranteed debt securities of each issuer may differ from the guarantors of any other series of guaranteed debt securities of such issuer or any other issuer. In the event the
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issuer issues a series of guaranteed debt securities, the specific guarantors of the debt securities of that series will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and a description of some of the terms of guarantees of those debt securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a series of guaranteed debt securities, each guarantor of the debt securities of such series will unconditionally guarantee the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on each debt security of such series and the due and punctual performance of all of the applicable issuer’s other obligations under the applicable indenture with respect to the debt securities of such series, all in accordance with the terms of such debt securities and the applicable indenture.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a series of guaranteed debt securities, the applicable indenture will contain provisions to the effect that the obligations of each guarantor under its guarantees and such indenture shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such guarantor, result in the obligations of such guarantor under such guarantees and such indenture not constituting a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law. However, there can be no assurance that, notwithstanding such limitation, a court would not determine that a guarantee constituted a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under applicable law. If that were to occur, the court could void the applicable guarantor’s obligations under that guarantee, subordinate that guarantee to other debt and other liabilities of that guarantor or take other action detrimental to holders of the debt securities of the applicable series, including directing the holders to return any payments received from the applicable guarantor.
The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any series of guaranteed debt securities will specify other terms of the applicable guarantees, which may include provisions that allow a guarantor to be released from its obligations under its guarantee under specified circumstances or that provide for one or more guarantees to be secured by specified collateral.
Unless otherwise expressly stated in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a series of guaranteed debt securities, each guarantee will be the unsubordinated and unsecured obligation of the applicable guarantor and will rank on a parity in right of payment with all other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees of such guarantor. Each guarantee (other than a secured guarantee) will be effectively subordinated to all existing and future secured indebtedness and secured guarantees of the applicable guarantor to the extent of the value of the collateral securing that indebtedness and those guarantees. Consequently, in the event of a bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or similar proceeding with respect to any guarantor that has provided an unsecured guarantee of any debt securities, the holders of that guarantor’s secured indebtedness and secured guarantees will be entitled to proceed directly against the collateral that secures that secured indebtedness or those secured guarantees, as the case may be, and such collateral will not be available for satisfaction of any amount owed by such guarantor under its unsecured indebtedness and unsecured guarantees, including its unsecured guarantees of any debt securities, until that secured debt and those secured guarantees are satisfied in full. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indentures will not limit the ability of any guarantor to incur secured indebtedness or issue secured guarantees.
Unless otherwise expressly stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, each secured guarantee will be an unsubordinated obligation of the applicable guarantor and will rank on a parity in right of payment with all other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees of such guarantor, except that such secured guarantee will effectively rank senior to such guarantor’s unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness and guarantees in respect of claims against the collateral securing that secured guarantee.
Provisions of Indenture
The indenture provides that debt securities may be issued under it from time to time in one or more series. For each series of debt securities, this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement will describe the following terms and conditions of that series of debt securities:
| • | the title of the series; |
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| • | the maximum aggregate principal amount, if any, established for debt securities of the series; |
| • | the person to whom any interest on a debt security of the series will be payable, if other than the person in whose name that debt security (or one or more predecessor debt securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest; |
| • | the date or dates on which the principal of any debt securities of the series will be payable or the method used to determine or extend those dates; |
| • | the rate or rates at which any debt securities of the series will bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which any such interest will accrue, the interest payment dates on which any such interest will be payable and the regular record date for any such interest payable on any interest payment date; |
| • | the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on any debt securities of the series will be payable and the manner in which any payment may be made; |
| • | the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any debt securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option and, if other than by a board resolution, the manner in which any election by us to redeem the debt securities will be evidenced; |
| • | our obligation or right, if any, to redeem or purchase any debt securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or at the option of the holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any debt securities of the series will be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation; |
| • | if other than denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, the denominations in which any debt securities of the series will be issuable; |
| • | if the amount of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any debt securities of the series may be determined with reference to a financial or economic measure or index or pursuant to a formula, the manner in which such amounts will be determined; |
| • | if other than U.S. dollars, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any debt securities of the series will be payable and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in U.S. dollars for any purpose; |
| • | if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any debt securities of the series is to be payable, at our election or the election of the holder thereof, in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such debt securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on such debt securities as to which such election is made will be payable, the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made and the amount so payable (or the manner in which such amount will be determined); |
| • | if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of any debt securities of the series which will be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to the indenture; |
| • | if the principal amount payable at the stated maturity of any debt securities of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount which will be deemed to be the principal amount of such debt securities as of any such date for any purpose thereunder or hereunder, including the principal amount thereof which will be due and payable upon any maturity other than the stated maturity or which will be deemed to be outstanding as of any date prior to the stated maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount will be determined); |
| • | if other than by a board resolution, the manner in which any election by us to defease any debt securities of the series pursuant to the indenture will be evidenced; whether any debt securities of the |
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| series other than debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate are to be subject to the defeasance provisions of the indenture; or, in the case of debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate, if applicable, that the debt securities of the series, in whole or any specified part, will not be defeasible pursuant to the indenture; |
| • | if applicable, that any debt securities of the series will be issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities and, in such case, the respective depositaries for such global securities and the form of any legend or legends which will be borne by any such global securities, and any circumstances in which any such global security may be exchanged in whole or in part for debt securities registered, and any transfer of such global security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name or names of persons other than the depositary for such global security or a nominee thereof and any other provisions governing exchanges or transfers of such global security; |
| • | any addition to, deletion from or change in the events of default applicable to any debt securities of the series and any change in the right of the trustee or the requisite holders of such debt securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable; |
| • | any addition to, deletion from or change in the covenants applicable to debt securities of the series; |
| • | with respect to subordinated debt securities only, any amendments or modifications of the subordination provisions in the subordinated debt indenture; |
| • | if the debt securities of the series are to be convertible into or exchangeable for cash and/or any securities or other property of any person (including us), the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable; |
| • | whether the debt securities of the series will be guaranteed by any persons and, if so, the identity of such persons, the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be guaranteed and, if applicable, the terms and conditions upon which such guarantees may be subordinated to other indebtedness of the respective guarantors; |
| • | whether the debt securities of the series and if applicable, any guarantees of such debt securities will be subordinated to other indebtedness of the issuer and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be subordinated; |
| • | whether the debt securities of the series will be secured by any collateral and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be secured and, if applicable, upon which such liens may be subordinated to other liens securing other indebtedness of us or of any guarantor; |
| • | if a trustee other than the trustee named in the indenture is to act as trustee for the securities of a series, the name and corporate trust office of such trustee; and |
| • | any other terms of the debt securities of the series (which terms will not be inconsistent with the provisions of the indenture, except as permitted thereunder). |
Interest
In the applicable prospectus supplement, the issuer will designate the debt securities of a series as being either debt securities bearing interest at a fixed rate of interest or debt securities bearing interest at a floating rate of interest.
Each debt security will begin to accrue interest from the date on which it is originally issued. Interest on each such debt security will be payable in arrears on the interest payment dates set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and as otherwise described below and at maturity or, if earlier, the redemption date described below. Interest will be payable to the holder of record of the debt securities at the close of business on the record date for each interest payment date, which record dates will be specified in such prospectus supplement.
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As used in the indenture, the term “business day” means, with respect to debt securities of a series, any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is not a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close in the place where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities are payable.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement:
| • | For fixed rate debt securities, if the maturity date, the redemption date or an interest payment date is not a business day, the issuer will pay principal, premium, if any, the redemption price, if any, and interest on the next succeeding business day, and no interest will accrue from and after the relevant maturity date, redemption date or interest payment date to the date of that payment. Interest on the fixed rate debt securities will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. |
| • | For floating rate debt securities, if any interest payment date for the debt securities of a series bearing interest at a floating rate (other than the maturity date or the redemption date, if any) would otherwise be a day that is not a business day, then the interest payment date will be postponed to the following date which is a business day, unless that business day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, in which case the interest payment date will be the immediately preceding business day; if the maturity date or the redemption date, if any, is not a business day, the issuer will pay principal, premium, if any, the redemption price, if any, and interest on the next succeeding business day, and no interest will accrue from and after the maturity date or the redemption date, if any, to the date of that payment. Interest on the floating rate debt securities will be computed on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed during the relevant interest period and a 360-day year. |
Optional Redemption
If specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the issuer may elect to redeem all or part of the outstanding debt securities of a series from time to time before the maturity date of the debt securities of that series. Upon such election, the issuer will notify the trustee of the redemption date and the principal amount of debt securities of the series to be redeemed accompanied by an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel certifying that the conditions precedent for such redemption have been satisfied. If less than all the debt securities of the series are to be redeemed, the particular debt securities of that series to be redeemed will be selected by the trustee by such method as the trustee deems fair and appropriate, including by lot or pro rata or, in the case debt securities held in global form registered in the name of or held by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), the applicable procedures of DTC. The applicable prospectus supplement will specify the redemption price for the debt securities to be redeemed (or the method of calculating such price), in each case in accordance with the terms and conditions of those debt securities.
Notice of redemption will be given to each holder of the debt securities to be redeemed not less than 15 nor more than 60 days prior to the date set for such redemption. This notice will include the following information: the redemption date; the redemption price (or the method of calculating such price); if less than all of the outstanding debt securities of such series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption, the respective principal amounts) of the particular debt securities to be redeemed; that on the date of redemption, the redemption price will become due and payable upon each debt security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after the redemption date; the place or places where such debt securities are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; for any debt securities that by their terms may be converted, the terms of conversion, the date on which the right to convert will terminate and the place or places where such debt securities may be surrendered for conversion; that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case; and the CUSIP, ISIN or any similar number of the debt securities to be redeemed.
By no later than 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any redemption date, the issuer will deposit or cause to be deposited with the trustee or with a paying agent (or, if any of the Credit Parties (as defined in “—Covenants—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” below) is acting as paying agent with respect to the debt securities being
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redeemed, such Credit Party will segregate and hold in trust as provided in the indenture) an amount of money sufficient to pay the aggregate redemption price of, and (except if the redemption date shall be an interest payment date or the debt securities of such series provide otherwise) accrued interest on, all of the debt securities or the part thereof to be redeemed on that date. On the redemption date, the redemption price will become due and payable upon all of the debt securities to be redeemed, and interest, if any, on the debt securities to be redeemed will cease to accrue from and after that date. Upon surrender of any such debt securities for redemption, the issuer will pay those debt securities surrendered at the redemption price together, if applicable, with accrued interest to the redemption date.
Any debt securities to be redeemed only in part must be surrendered at the office or agency established by us for such purpose, and the issuer will execute, and the trustee will authenticate and deliver to a holder without service charge, new debt securities of the same series and of like tenor, of any authorized denominations as requested by that holder, in a principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the debt securities that holder surrenders.
Payment and Transfer or Exchange
Principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities of each series will be payable, and the debt securities may be exchanged or transferred, at the office or agency maintained by us for such purpose. Payment of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on a global security registered in the name of or held by DTC or its nominee 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. If any of the debt securities is no longer represented by a global security, payment of interest on certificated debt securities in definitive form may, at our option, be made by check mailed directly to holders at their registered addresses. See “—Book-Entry; Delivery and Form; Global Securities.”
A holder may transfer or exchange any certificated debt securities in definitive form at the same location given in the preceding paragraph. No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities, but the issuer may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
If the debt securities of any series (or of any series and specified tenor) are to be redeemed in part, the issuer is not required to (i) issue, register the transfer of or exchange any debt security selected for redemption (or of such series and specific tenor, as the case may be) for a period of 15 days before mailing of a notice of redemption of the debt security to be redeemed or (ii) register the transfer of or exchange any debt security selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities being redeemed in part.
The registered holder of a debt security will be treated as the owner of it for all purposes.
Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, all amounts of principal of and premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities paid by us that remain unclaimed two years after such payment was due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holders of such debt securities will thereafter look solely to us for payment.
Covenants
The indenture sets forth limited covenants, including the covenant described below, that will apply to each series of debt securities issued under the indenture, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. However, these covenants do not, among other things:
| • | limit the amount of indebtedness or lease obligations that may be incurred by the issuer and the guarantors; |
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| • | limit the ability of the issuer or the guarantor to issue, assume or guarantee debt secured by liens; or |
| • | restrict the issuer or the guarantor from paying dividends or making distributions on our capital stock or purchasing or redeeming our capital stock. |
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
The indenture provides that none of the Credit Parties (as defined below) may be a party to a Substantially All Merger (as defined below) or participate in a Substantially All Sale (as defined below), unless:
| • | such Credit Party (as defined below) is the surviving person, or the person formed by or surviving such Substantially All Merger or to which such Substantially All Sale has been made is organized under the laws of the Permitted Jurisdictions (as defined below) and has assumed by supplemental indenture all of the obligations of such Credit Party under the indenture; |
| • | immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no default or event of default under the indenture has occurred and is continuing; and |
| • | the issuer delivers to the trustee an officers’ certificate of the issuer and an opinion of counsel, each stating that such transaction and any supplemental indenture relating thereto comply with the indenture and that all conditions precedent provided for in the indenture relating to such transaction have been complied with. |
For as long as debt securities of any series under the Indenture remain outstanding, all equity and voting interests in the issuer (other than Blackstone Inc.) shall be owned directly or indirectly by one or more guarantors and each of the Credit Parties must be organized under the laws of a Permitted Jurisdiction.
Upon the consummation of such transaction, the successor person will be substituted for the applicable Credit Party in the indenture, with the same effect as if it had been an original party to the indenture. As a result, the successor person may exercise the applicable Credit Party’s rights and powers under the indenture, and, except in the case of a lease, the applicable Credit Party will be released from all of its liabilities and obligations under the indenture and under the debt securities (including the guarantees).
Any substitution of the successor person for the applicable Credit Party might be deemed for federal income tax purposes to be an exchange of the debt securities for “new” debt securities, resulting in recognition of gain or loss for such purposes and possibly certain other adverse tax consequences to beneficial owners of the debt securities. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of any such substitution.
For purposes of this covenant:
| • | “Credit Group” means the Credit Parties and the Credit Parties’ direct and indirect subsidiaries (to the extent of their economic ownership interest in such subsidiaries) taken as a whole; |
| • | “Credit Parties” means Blackstone Inc., Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. and the Blackstone Holdings Partnerships; |
| • | “Permitted Jurisdictions” means the laws of the United States, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or British Crown Dependencies, a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing; |
| • | a “person” any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity; |
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| • | a “Substantially All Merger” means a merger or consolidation of one or more Credit Parties with or into another person that would, in one or a series of related transactions, result in the transfer or other disposition, directly or indirectly, of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Credit Group to a person that is not within the Credit Group immediately prior to such transaction; and |
| • | a “Substantially All Sale” means a sale, assignment, transfer, lease or conveyance to any other person, in one or a series of related transactions, directly or indirectly, of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Credit Group to a Person that is not within the Credit Group immediately prior to such transaction. |
No Gross Up
The issuer and the trustee will be entitled to deduct amount required pursuant to an agreement described in Section 1471(b) of the Code or otherwise imposed pursuant to Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such sections commonly referred to as “FATCA”), and neither the issuer nor the trustee shall have any obligation to gross-up any payment to pay any additional amount as a result of such deduction. In addition, unless otherwise provided in an applicable supplemental indenture, the issuer shall not be obligated to pay any additional amounts with respect to our debt securities as a result of any withholding or deduction for, or on account of, any other present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges.
Events of Default
Each of the following events are defined in the indenture as an “event of default” (whatever the reason for such event of default and whether or not it will 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) with respect to the debt securities of any series:
| (1) | default in the payment of any installment of interest on any debt securities of that series, and such default continues for a period of 30 days after the payment becomes due and payable; |
| (2) | default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any debt securities of that series when it becomes due and payable, regardless of whether the payment became due and payable at its stated maturity, upon redemption, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise; |
| (3) | default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due by the terms of any debt securities of that series; |
| (4) | default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or agreement of any Credit Party (as defined in “—Covenants—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” above) in the indenture with respect to the debt securities of that series (other than as referred to in clause (1), (2) or (3) above), which continues for a period of 90 days after written notice to the issuer and the guarantors by the trustee or to the issuer, the guarantors and the trustee by the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series; |
| (5) | the issuer or any guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor (as defined below)) pursuant to or within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Law (as defined below): |
| • | commence a voluntary case or proceeding; |
| • | consent to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case or proceeding; |
| • | consent to the appointment of a Custodian (as defined below) of it or for all or substantially all of its property; |
| • | make a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; |
| • | file a petition in bankruptcy or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief; |
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| • | consent to the filing of such petition or the appointment of or taking possession by a Custodian; or |
| • | take any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency; |
| (6) | a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that: |
| • | is for relief against the issuer or any guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor (as defined below)) in an involuntary case, or adjudicates the issuer or any guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) insolvent or bankrupt; |
| • | appoints a Custodian of the issuer or any guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) or for all or substantially all of the issuer’s or any guarantor’s (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) property; or |
| • | orders the winding-up or liquidation of the issuer or any guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) (or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws); and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days; |
| (7) | except as otherwise provided in the indenture, a guarantee of any guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) ceases to be in full force and effect or is declared to be null and void and unenforceable or such guarantee is found to be invalid or a guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) denies its liability under its guarantee (other than by reason of release of such guarantee in accordance with the terms of the indenture); or |
| (8) | any other event of default provided with respect to debt securities of that series occurs. |
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, United States Code or any similar federal or state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.
“Custodian” means any custodian, receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or other similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
“Insignificant Guarantor” means a guarantor (or a group of guarantors taken together) that would not, on a combined and consolidated basis and taken as a whole together with all then-existing non-guarantor entities designated pursuant to the indenture, constitute a Significant Subsidiary (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act or any successor provision) of Blackstone Inc.
If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series (other than an event of default specified in clause (5) or (6) above) occurs and is continuing, the trustee by notice to us and the guarantors, or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us, the guarantors and the trustee, may declare the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable. Upon such a declaration, such principal and accrued and unpaid interest will be due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in clause (5) or (6) above with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding and is continuing, the principal and accrued and unpaid interest on the debt securities of that series will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holders.
The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind a declaration of acceleration and its consequences, if the issuer or any guarantor has deposited certain sums with the trustee and all events of default with respect to the debt securities of that series, other than the nonpayment of the principal which have become due solely by such acceleration, have been cured or waived, as provided in the indenture.
An event of default for a particular series of debt securities does not necessarily constitute an event of default for any other series of debt securities issued under the indenture.
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The issuer is required to furnish the trustee annually a statement by certain of our officers to the effect that, to the best of their knowledge, the issuer is not in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions under the indenture or, if there has been a default, specifying each such default and the nature and status thereof which such officers may have knowledge.
No holder of any debt securities of any series will have any right to institute any judicial or other proceeding with respect to the indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator or sequestrator (or similar official), or for any other remedy unless:
| (1) | an event of default has occurred and is continuing and such holder has given the trustee prior written notice of such continuing event of default, specifying an event of default with respect to the debt securities of that series; |
| (2) | the holders of not less than 25% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have requested the trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such event of default; |
| (3) | the trustee has been offered indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against its costs, expenses and liabilities in complying with such request; |
| (4) | the trustee has failed to institute proceedings 60 days after the receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity; and |
| (5) | no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given for 60 days by the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series. |
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of outstanding debt securities of a series 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 that series, and to waive certain defaults. The indenture provides that if an event of default occurs and is continuing, the trustee will 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 such person’s 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 the debt securities of a series unless they will have offered to the trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
Modification and Waivers
Modification and amendments of the indenture and the debt securities of any series may be made by us, the guarantors and the trustee with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series affected thereby; provided, however, that no such modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of that series affected thereby:
| • | change the stated maturity of the principal of, or installment of interest on, any debt security; |
| • | reduce the principal amount of any debt security or reduce the amount of the principal of any debt security which would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof or reduce the rate of or extend the time of payment of interest on any debt security; |
| • | reduce any premium payable on the redemption of any debt security or change the date on which any debt security may or must be redeemed; |
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| • | change the coin or currency in which the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any debt security is payable; |
| • | impair the right of any holder to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or after the stated maturity of any debt security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the redemption date); |
| • | reduce the percentage in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities, the consent of whose holders is required in order to take certain actions; |
| • | modify any provisions in the indenture regarding (i) the modifications and amendments requiring the consent of the holders of each affected debt security and (ii) the waiver of past defaults by the holders of debt securities and (iii) the waiver of certain covenants by the holders of debt securities, except to increase any percentage vote required or to provide that certain other provisions of the indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of each debt security affected thereby; |
| • | make any change that adversely affects the right to convert or exchange any debt security or decreases the conversion or exchange rate or increases the conversion price of any convertible or exchangeable debt security, unless such decrease or increase is permitted by the terms of the debt securities; |
| • | subordinate the debt security of any series or any guarantee of a guarantor in respect thereof to any of other obligation of ours or such guarantor; |
| • | modify the terms of any guarantee in a manner adverse to the holders of debt securities; or |
| • | modify any of the above provisions. |
The issuer, the guarantors and the trustee may, without the consent of any holders, modify or amend the terms of the indenture and the debt securities of any series with respect to the following:
| • | to add to our covenants for the benefit of holders of the debt securities of all or any series or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us or any guarantor thereunder; |
| • | to evidence the succession of another person to, and the assumption by the successor person of the issuer’s or any guarantor’s covenants, agreements and obligations under, the indenture pursuant to the covenant described under “— Covenants—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets”; |
| • | to add any additional events of default for the benefit of holders of the debt securities of all or any series; |
| • | to add new guarantors; |
| • | to provide for the release of any guarantor in accordance with the indenture; |
| • | to secure the debt securities; |
| • | to add or appoint a successor or separate trustee or other agent; |
| • | to provide for the issuance of additional debt securities of any series; |
| • | to establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture; |
| • | to comply with the rules of any applicable securities depository; |
| • | to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities; |
| • | to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of the indenture in respect of one or more series of debt securities; provided that any such addition, change or elimination (a) shall neither (1) apply to any debt security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (2) modify the rights of the holder of any such debt security with respect to such provision or (b) shall become effective only when there is no debt security described in clause (1) outstanding; |
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| • | to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision of the indenture; |
| • | to change any other provision contained in the debt securities of any series or under the indenture; provided that the change does not adversely affect the interests of the holders of debt securities of any series in any material respect; or |
| • | to conform any provision of the indenture or the debt securities of any series to the description of such debt securities contained in the Company’s prospectus, prospectus supplement, offering memorandum or similar document with respect to the offering of the debt securities of such series |
The holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series, waive compliance by the issuer or the guarantors, as the case may be, with certain restrictive provisions of the indenture. The holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may, on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series, waive any past default and its consequences under the indenture with respect to the debt securities of that series, except a default (1) in the payment of principal or premium, if any, or interest on debt securities of that series or (2) in respect of a covenant or provision of the indenture that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each debt security of that series. Upon any such waiver, such default will cease to exist, and any event of default arising therefrom will be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of the indenture; however, no such waiver will extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any rights consequent thereon.
Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
The issuer may discharge or defease our and the guarantors’ respective obligations under the indenture as set forth below, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The issuer may discharge certain obligations to holders of the debt securities of a series that have not already been delivered to the trustee for cancellation and which have either become due and payable or will become due and payable within one year (or scheduled for redemption within one year) by (i) depositing with the trustee, in trust, money in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such debt securities not previously delivered to the trustee for cancellation, for principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of debt securities which have become due and payable) or to the stated maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, (ii) paying all other sums payable under the indenture and (iii) delivering to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent in the indenture relating to the discharge as to that series have been complied with.
The indenture provides that the issuer may elect either (i) to defease and be discharged (along with the guarantors) from any and all obligations with respect to the debt securities of a series and related guarantees (except for, among other things, obligations to register the transfer or exchange of the debt securities, to replace temporary or mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities, to maintain an office or agency with respect to the debt securities and to hold moneys for payment in trust) (“legal defeasance”) or (ii) to be released from our and the guarantors’ respective obligations to comply with the restrictive covenants under the indenture, and any omission to comply with such obligations will not constitute a default or an event of default with respect to the debt securities of a series and clauses (4) and (8) under “—Events of Default” will no longer be applied (“covenant defeasance”). Legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, as the case may be, will be conditioned upon, among other things, the irrevocable deposit by us with the trustee, in trust, of (x) money in an amount, (y) U.S. government obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount, or (z) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient to pay and discharge the principal or premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities.
As a condition to legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, the issuer must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of such debt securities will not recognize gain or loss for federal income
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tax purposes as a result of the deposit and such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and legal defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred. Such opinion of counsel, in the case of defeasance under clause (i) above, must be based upon a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable federal income tax law occurring after the date of the relevant indenture. In addition, in the case of either legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, the issuer shall have delivered to the trustee (i) an officers’ certificate to the effect that the neither such debt securities nor any other debt securities of the same series will be delisted as a result of such deposit and (ii) an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with.
The issuer may exercise our legal defeasance option notwithstanding our prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option.
Book-Entry; Delivery and Form; Global Securities
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities of each series will be issued in the form of one or more global debt securities, in definitive, fully registered form without interest coupons, each of which we refer to as a “global security.” Each such global security will be deposited with the trustee as custodian for DTC and registered in the name of a nominee of DTC in New York, New York for the accounts of participants in DTC.
Investors may hold their interests in a global security directly through DTC if they are DTC participants, or indirectly through organizations that are DTC participants. The indenture provides that the global securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for debt securities registered, and no transfer of a global security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name of any person other than DTC or its nominee unless:
| (1) | DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable or no longer permitted under applicable law to continue as depository for such global security; |
| (2) | an event of default with respect to such global security has occurred and be continuing; |
| (3) | the issuer delivers to the trustee an order to such effect; or |
| (4) | there shall exist such circumstances, if any, in addition to or in lieu of the foregoing as have been specified for this purpose in the indenture. |
The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC and DTC’s book-entry system has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information.
Governing Law
The indenture, the debt securities and the guarantees will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities and the guarantees may only be brought and enforced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, other than with respect to a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, if such court does not have jurisdiction over such action, suit or proceeding, the Supreme Court of New York County (Commercial Division) in the State of New York of the State of New York), which will be the exclusive forum for any such actions, suits or proceedings, except that any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Exchange Act may also be brought and enforced in any federal district court of the United States, which will be the exclusive forum for such actions, suits or proceedings. Holders of the debt securities will be deemed to have consented to the jurisdiction of such courts and have waived any objection that such courts represent an inconvenient forum for any such suit, action or proceeding.
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Regarding the Trustee
The trustee under the indenture will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The trustee under the indenture will be permitted to engage in transactions, including commercial banking and other transactions, with us and our subsidiaries from time to time; provided that if the trustee acquires any conflicting interest it must eliminate such conflict upon the occurrence of an event of default, or else resign.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
We may issue fractional interests in shares of common stock or preferred stock, rather than shares of common stock or preferred stock, with those rights and subject to the terms and conditions that we may specify in a prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus. If we do so, we will provide for a depositary (either a bank or trust company depositary that has its principal office in the United States) to issue receipts for depositary shares, each of which will represent a fractional interest in a share of common stock or preferred stock. The shares of common stock or preferred stock underlying the depositary shares will be deposited under a deposit agreement between us and the depositary. The prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus will include the name and address of the depositary and will include a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the common stock, preferred stock and depositary shares, as applicable.
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We may issue warrants to purchase debt or equity securities. Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase for cash the amount of debt or equity securities at the exercise price stated or determinable in a prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus for the warrants. We may issue warrants independently or together with any offered securities. The warrants may be attached to or separate from those offered securities. We will issue the warrants under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as described in a related prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.
The prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus relating to any warrants that we may offer will contain the specific terms of the warrants. These terms will include some or all of the following:
| • | the title of the warrants; |
| • | the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued; |
| • | the designation, amount and terms of the securities for which the warrants are exercisable; |
| • | the designation and terms of the other securities, if any, with which the warrants are to be issued and the number of warrants issued with each other security; |
| • | the aggregate number of warrants; |
| • | any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the warrants or the exercise price of the warrants; |
| • | the price or prices at which the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased; |
| • | the date on and after which the warrants and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable, if applicable; |
| • | if applicable, a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations; |
| • | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire; |
| • | the maximum or minimum number of warrants that may be exercised at any time; |
| • | information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; and |
| • | any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants. |
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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS
We may issue purchase contracts, including options or other instruments obligating holders to purchase from us and us to sell to the holders, a specified principal amount of debt securities or a specified number of shares of common stock, preferred stock or depositary shares at a future date or dates, as specified in a related prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus. Alternatively, the purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specified principal amount of debt securities or a specified or varying number of shares of common stock, preferred stock or depositary shares. The consideration for the debt securities, common stock, preferred stock or depositary shares and the principal amount of debt securities or number of shares of each may be fixed at the time the purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by a specific reference to a formula set forth in the purchase contracts. The purchase contracts may provide for settlement by delivery by us or on our behalf of the underlying security, or they may provide for settlement by reference or linkage to the value, performance or trading price of the underlying security. The purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of purchase units consisting of a purchase contract and other securities or obligations issued by us or third parties, including U.S. treasury securities, which may secure the holders’ obligations to purchase or sell, as the case may be, shares of common stock, preferred stock or depositary shares under the purchase contracts. The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders thereof or vice versa, and these payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis and may be paid on a current or on a deferred basis. The purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations thereunder in a specified manner and may provide for the prepayment of all or part of the consideration payable by holders in connection with the purchase of the underlying security pursuant to the purchase contracts.
The securities related to the purchase contracts may be pledged to a collateral agent for our benefit pursuant to a pledge agreement to secure the obligations of holders of purchase contracts to purchase the underlying security under the related purchase contracts. The rights of holders of purchase contracts to the related pledged securities will be subject to our security interest therein created by the pledge agreement. No holder of purchase contracts will be permitted to withdraw the pledged securities related to such purchase contracts from the pledge arrangement.
We may issue units consisting of one or more purchase contracts, warrants, depositary shares, debt securities, shares of preferred stock, shares of common stock, or any combination of such of our securities (but not securities of third parties), as specified in a related prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus.
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We or any selling securityholders may sell the securities offered by this prospectus:
| • | through underwriters or dealers; |
| • | directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser; |
| • | in “at the market offerings,” within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act, to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise; |
| • | through agents; or |
| • | through a combination of any of these methods of sale. |
The securities covered by this prospectus may be sold in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices relating to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.
We will describe in a prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus, to the extent required, the particular terms of the offering of the securities covered by this prospectus, including the following:
| • | the method of distribution of the securities offered thereby; |
| • | the names of any underwriters or agents; |
| • | the proceeds we will receive from the sale, if any; |
| • | any discounts and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation; |
| • | any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
| • | any securities exchanges on which the applicable securities may be listed. |
The securities may be offered to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate, and may also be offered through standby underwriting or purchase arrangements entered into by us or any selling securityholders. We or any selling securityholders may also sell the securities through agents or dealers designated by us or any selling securityholders. We or any selling securityholders also may sell the securities directly, in which case no underwriters or agents would be involved.
Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us or any selling securityholders and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.
We or any selling securityholders may have agreements with the underwriters, dealers and agents involved in the offering of the securities to indemnify them against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make.
Underwriters, dealers and agents involved in the offering of the securities may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us, our subsidiaries or other affiliates or any selling securityholders in the ordinary course of their businesses.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters or agents, as the case may be, involved in the offering of such securities may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the
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market price of such securities or other securities that may be issued upon conversion, exchange or exercise of such securities or the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, the underwriters or agents, as the case may be, may over-allot in connection with the offering, creating a short position in such securities for their own account. In addition, to cover over-allotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of such other securities, the underwriters or agents, as the case may be, may bid for, and purchase, such securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing such securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. The underwriters or agents, as the case may be, are not required to engage in these activities and, if they engage in any of these activities, may end any of these activities at any time without notice.
To comply with applicable state securities laws, the securities offered by this prospectus will be sold, if necessary, in such jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, securities may not be sold in some states absent registration or pursuant to an exemption from applicable state securities laws.
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The validity of the securities will be passed upon for us by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Washington, D.C. Investment vehicles comprised of certain partners of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, members of their families, related parties and others own interests representing less than 1% of the capital commitments of investment funds that we manage.
The consolidated financial statements of Blackstone Inc. as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference to Blackstone Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 25, 2024, and the effectiveness of Blackstone Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference to Blackstone Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference to Blackstone Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 25, 2024. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities to be sold pursuant to this prospectus. The registration statement, including the exhibits attached or incorporated by reference to the registration statement, contains additional relevant information about us and our securities. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit certain information from this prospectus.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the SEC. The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede such information, as well as the information included in this prospectus. Some documents or information, such as that called for by Items 2.02 and 7.01 of Form 8-K, or the exhibits related thereto under Item 9.01 of Form 8-K, are deemed furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules. None of those documents and none of that information is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus also contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by reference to the actual documents.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the following documents or information filed by Blackstone Inc. with the SEC:
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024; |
| • | our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024, filed on May 3, 2024, August 2, 2024 and November 1, 2024, respectively; |
| • | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 13, 2024 and November 25, 2024; and |
| • | the description of our capital stock, contained in Exhibit 4.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 23, 2024, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
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We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and are required to file reports and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon his or her written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered with this prospectus, excluding exhibits to those documents unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents. You may request copies of those documents from Blackstone Inc., 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, Attention: Shareholder Relations. You also may contact us at (212) 583-5000 or visit our website at www.blackstone.com for copies of those documents. Our website is included in this prospectus as an inactive textual reference only. Except for the documents specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus, information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement and should not be considered to be a part of this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement.
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PART II. INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| ITEM 14 | OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION. |
The following is a statement of the expenses (all of which are estimated) to be incurred by the registrant in connection with a distribution of the securities being registered hereby:
| Amount to be paid |
||||
| SEC Registration Fee |
$ | * | ||
| Legal Fees and Expenses |
** | |||
| Accounting Fees and Expenses |
** | |||
| Printing Fees |
** | |||
| Rating Agency Fees |
** | |||
| Miscellaneous |
** | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
$ | * | ||
|
|
|
|||
| * | The registrant is registering an indeterminate amount of securities under this registration statement and in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of the registration fee. |
| ** | The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the estimated aggregate amount of expenses payable in respect of any offering of securities. |
| ITEM 15 | INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. |
Delaware
Blackstone Inc.
Blackstone Inc. is incorporated under the laws of Delaware.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which such person is made a party by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation, including a derivative action), 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. A similar standard is applicable in the case of an action by or in the right of the corporation, including any derivative action, except that indemnification only extends to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification of expenses where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. Section 145 also provides that a corporation may pay expenses incurred by its directors and officers and other parties in defending against any action, suit or proceeding in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding, subject to, in the case of any current director or officer, the provision of an undertaking to repay the amounts advanced in the event it is determined such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified. The statute provides that it is not exclusive of other indemnification or other rights that may be granted by a corporation’s bylaws, disinterested director vote, stockholder vote, agreement or otherwise.
Under our certificate of incorporation, in most circumstances we will indemnify the following persons, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, expenses (including legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties, interest, settlements or other amounts:
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(a) the Series II Preferred Stockholder; (b) Blackstone Group Management L.L.C. (the “Former General Partner”) in its capacity as the former general partner of The Blackstone Group L.P. (our entity form prior to our conversion to a corporation on July 1, 2019); (c) any person who is or was a controlling affiliate of the Series II Preferred Stockholder or the Former General Partner; (d) any person who is or was a director or an officer of Blackstone Inc., the Series II Preferred Stockholder or the Former General Partner; (e) any person in clause (d) who is or was serving at the request of Blackstone Inc., the Series II Preferred Stockholder or the Former General Partner as an officer, director, employee, member, partner, agent, fiduciary or trustee of another person; provided that a person shall not be an indemnitee by reason of providing, on a fee-for-services basis, trustee, fiduciary or custodial services; or (f) any person Blackstone Inc. in its sole discretion designates as an indemnitee. Under our certificate of incorporation, we are also required to advance the expenses incurred by such indemnitees in appearing at, participating in or defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding prior to its final disposition upon (i) our receipt of an undertaking on behalf of the indemnitee to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified and (ii) to the extent determined by our board of directors in its sole discretion to be necessary or advisable, our receipt of security or other assurances satisfactory to the board of directors in its sole discretion that the indemnitee will be able to repay such amount if it ultimately shall be determined that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified as authorized.
Any indemnification under these provisions will only be out of our assets. Unless it otherwise agrees, the Series II Preferred Stockholder will not be personally liable for, or have any obligation to contribute or loan any monies or property to us to enable us to effectuate, such indemnification. The indemnification of the persons described above shall be in addition to any other any indemnification such person is entitled to the extent applicable. We may purchase insurance against liabilities asserted against and expenses incurred by persons in connection with its activities, regardless of whether we would have the power to indemnify the person against liabilities under our certificate of incorporation.
Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a provision that limits or eliminates the liability of its directors and officers for monetary damages to the corporation and its stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty. However, no provision may limit or eliminate the liability of a director or officer for:
| • | any breach of the director’s or officer’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; |
| • | any act or omission not in good faith or which involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law by a director or officer; |
| • | any unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock repurchase or redemption; |
| • | any transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal benefit; or |
| • | in the case of an officer, any action by or in the right of the corporation (including any derivative claim) against the officer. |
Our certificate of incorporation provides that our directors shall not be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL.
Section 145(g) of the DGCL authorizes a corporation to purchase and maintain insurance for its directors and officers and other persons. We currently maintain liability insurance for our directors and officers. Such insurance would be available to our directors and officers in accordance with its terms.
In any underwriting agreement we enter into in connection with the sale of the securities registered hereby, the underwriters may agree to indemnify, or contribute to, under certain conditions, us, our directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
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Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.
Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. is organized under the laws of Delaware.
Section 18-108 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act authorizes a limited liability company to indemnify and hold harmless any member or manager or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever, subject to such standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth in its limited liability company agreement.
The limited liability company agreement of Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. provides that Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. shall indemnify its members, officers and their respective affiliates and agents to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law for any loss, damage or claim incurred by such person, except in cases of bad faith or outside the scope of authority. Any indemnity shall be provided out of and to the extent of Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.’s assets only.
In any underwriting agreement Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. enters into in connection with the sale of the securities registered hereby, the underwriters may agree to indemnify, or contribute to, under certain conditions, Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., its directors and officers, and persons who control the company within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. and Blackstone Holdings II L.P.
Each of Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. and Blackstone Holdings II L.P. is organized under the laws of Delaware.
Section 17-108 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act provides that a limited partnership may, and shall have the power to, indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever, subject to such standards and restrictions set forth in the partnership agreement.
The limited partnership agreements of each of Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. and Blackstone Holdings II L.P. provides that the partnership shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any person (and such person’s heirs, executors or administrators) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (brought in the right of the partnership or otherwise), whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, and whether formal or informal, including appeals, by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person was the legal representative, is or was the general partner or a director or officer of the general partner or the partnership or, while a director or officer of the general partner or the partnership, is or was serving at the request of the partnership as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, nonprofit entity or other enterprise, for and against all loss and liability suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement reasonably incurred by such person or such heirs, executors or administrators, except in cases of bad faith. The partnership must also pay expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by law, incurred in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition, upon (i) presentation of an undertaking on behalf of such indemnified person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such indemnified person is not entitled to be indemnified and (ii) to the extent determined by the general partner in its sole discretion to be necessary or advisable, receipt by the partnership of security or other assurances satisfactory to the general partner in its sole discretion that such person will be able to repay such amount if it ultimately shall be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified.
In any underwriting agreement Blackstone Holdings I L.P. enters into in connection with the sale of the securities registered hereby, the underwriters may agree to indemnify, or contribute to, under certain conditions, Blackstone Holdings I L.P., its directors and officers, and persons who control the company within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
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In any underwriting agreement Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. enters into in connection with the sale of the securities registered hereby, the underwriters may agree to indemnify, or contribute to, under certain conditions, Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., its directors and officers, and persons who control the company within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
In any underwriting agreement Blackstone Holdings II L.P. enters into in connection with the sale of the securities registered hereby, the underwriters may agree to indemnify, or contribute to, under certain conditions, Blackstone Holdings II L.P., its directors and officers, and persons who control the company within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
Québec
Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P.
Each of Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. is formed and organized under the laws of the Province of Québec.
The Civil Code of Québec provides that a partner of a Québec limited partnership is entitled to recover the amount of the disbursements it has made on behalf of the partnership and to be indemnified for the obligations it has contracted or the losses it has suffered in acting for the partnership if it was in good faith. No provision of the Civil Code of Québec precludes a partnership from reimbursing its general partner for costs, charges and expenses actually incurred in the performance of its duties thereunder, including costs, charges expenses directly incurred for the benefit of the partnership and costs incurred by the general partner in compensating its directors, officers and employees. Such a provision would apply to costs of indemnification of directors, officers and employees incurred by the general partner, with respect to the conduct of the business and activities of the partnership.
The limited partnership agreements of each of Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. provides that the partnership shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any person (and such person’s heirs, executors or administrators) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (brought in the right of the partnership or otherwise), whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, and whether formal or informal, including appeals, by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person was the legal representative, is or was the general partner or a director or officer of the general partner or the partnership or, while a director or officer of the general partner or the partnership, is or was serving at the request of the partnership as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, nonprofit entity or other enterprise, for and against all loss and liability suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement reasonably incurred by such person or such heirs, executors or administrators, except in cases of bad faith. The partnership must also pay expenses, to the fullest extent permitted by law, incurred in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition, upon (i) presentation of an undertaking on behalf of such indemnified person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such indemnified person is not entitled to be indemnified and (ii) to the extent determined by the general partner in its sole discretion to be necessary or advisable, receipt by the partnership of security or other assurances satisfactory to the general partner in its sole discretion that such person will be able to repay such amount if it ultimately shall be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified.
In any underwriting agreement Blackstone Holdings III L.P. enters into in connection with the sale of the securities registered hereby, the underwriters may agree to indemnify, or contribute to, under certain conditions, Blackstone Holdings III L.P., its directors and officers, and persons who control the company within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
In any underwriting agreement Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. enters into in connection with the sale of the securities registered hereby, the underwriters may agree to indemnify, or contribute to, under certain conditions,
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Blackstone Holdings IV L.P., its directors and officers, and persons who control the company within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.
| ITEM 16 | EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES. |
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| * | To be filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K or other document to be incorporated by reference herein or to a post-effective amendment hereto, if applicable. |
| ** | To be filed as a 305B2 filing later if a trustee is to be named later. |
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| ITEM 17 | UNDERTAKINGS |
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (i) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933. |
| (ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement. |
| (iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
Provided, however, that Paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section 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 the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| (4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
| (i) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; |
| (ii) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or |
II-7
| prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; and |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| (i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| (ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
| (b) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (c) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
| (d) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act. |
II-8
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on December 2, 2024.
| Blackstone Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Michael S. Chae | |
| Name: Michael S. Chae | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan D. Gray, Michael S. Chae, John G. Finley and David Payne and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any Registration Statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman Stephen A. Schwarzman |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (Principal Executive Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Jonathan D. Gray Jonathan D. Gray |
President, Chief Operating Officer and Director | December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Chae Michael S. Chae |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ David Payne David Payne |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Joseph P. Baratta Joseph P. Baratta |
Director | December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ James W. Breyer James W. Breyer |
Director | December 2, 2024 | ||
II-9
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Reginald J. Brown Reginald J. Brown |
Director | December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Rochelle B. Lazarus Rochelle B. Lazarus |
Director | December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ William G. Parrett William G. Parrett |
Director | December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Ruth Porat Ruth Porat |
Director | December 2, 2024 | ||
II-10
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on December 2, 2024.
| Blackstone Holdings I L.P. | ||
| By: | Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Michael S. Chae | |
| Name: Michael S. Chae | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan D. Gray, Michael S. Chae, John G. Finley and David Payne and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any Registration Statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman Stephen A. Schwarzman |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (Principal Executive Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Chae Michael S. Chae |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ David Payne David Payne |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
II-11
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on December 2, 2024.
| Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. | ||
| By: | Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Michael S. Chae | |
| Name: Michael S. Chae | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan D. Gray, Michael S. Chae, John G. Finley and David Payne and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any Registration Statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman Stephen A. Schwarzman |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (Principal Executive Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Chae Michael S. Chae |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ David Payne David Payne |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
II-12
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on December 2, 2024.
| Blackstone Holdings II L.P. | ||
| By: | Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Michael S. Chae | |
| Name: Michael S. Chae | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan D. Gray, Michael S. Chae, John G. Finley and David Payne and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any Registration Statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman Stephen A. Schwarzman |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (Principal Executive Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Chae Michael S. Chae |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ David Payne David Payne |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
II-13
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on December 2, 2024.
| Blackstone Holdings III L.P. | ||
| By: | Blackstone Holdings III GP L.P. its general partner | |
| By: | Blackstone Holdings III GP Management L.L.C., | |
| its general partner | ||
| By: | /s/ Michael S. Chae | |
| Name: Michael S. Chae | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan D. Gray, Michael S. Chae, John G. Finley and David Payne and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any Registration Statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman Stephen A. Schwarzman |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (Principal Executive Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Chae Michael S. Chae |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ David Payne David Payne |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
II-14
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on December 2, 2024.
| Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. | ||
| By: | Blackstone Holdings IV GP L.P., its general partner | |
| By: | Blackstone Holdings IV GP Management (Delaware) L.P., its general partner | |
| By: | Blackstone Holdings IV GP Management L.L.C., its general partner | |
| By: | /s/ Michael S. Chae | |
| Name: Michael S. Chae | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan D. Gray, Michael S. Chae, John G. Finley and David Payne and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any Registration Statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman Stephen A. Schwarzman |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (Principal Executive Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Chae Michael S. Chae |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ David Payne David Payne |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
II-15
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New York, New York, on December 2, 2024.
| Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. | ||
| By: | /s/ Michael S. Chae | |
| Name: Michael S. Chae | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Jonathan D. Gray, Michael S. Chae, John G. Finley and David Payne and each of them, any of whom may act without the joinder of the other, the individual’s true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the person and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement and any or all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement, including a prospectus or an amended prospectus therein and any Registration Statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and all other documents in connection therewith to be filed with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact as agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated below.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Stephen A. Schwarzman Stephen A. Schwarzman |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (Principal Executive Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael S. Chae Michael S. Chae |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
| /s/ David Payne David Payne |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
December 2, 2024 | ||
II-16
Exhibit 3.8
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AGREEMENT
OF
BLACKSTONE REG FINANCE CO. L.L.C.
This Limited Liability Company Agreement (this “Agreement”) of Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), dated as of September 26, 2024, is entered into by Blackstone Holdings I L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, as the sole member of the Company (the “Sole Member”) for the purpose of forming the Company pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, 6 Del. C. § 18-101 et seq., as amended from time to time (the “Act”), and does hereby agree as follows:
1. Formation. A certificate of formation of the Company (the “Certificate”) was executed and filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 26, 2024.
2. Name. The name of the limited liability company shall be “Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.”, or such other name as the Sole Member may from time to time hereafter designate.
3. Definitions. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth therefor in Section 18-101 of the Act.
4. Purpose. The Company is formed for the purpose of engaging in any lawful business permitted by the Act or the laws of any jurisdiction in which the Company may do business. The Company shall have the power to engage in all activities and transactions which the Sole Member deems necessary or advisable in connection with the foregoing.
5. Offices. The principal place of business and office of the Company shall be located at, and the Company’s business shall be conducted from, such place or places as the Sole Member may designate from time to time. As of the date hereof, the principal place of business and office of the Company is located at c/o Blackstone Inc., 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154.
6. Registered Agent; Registered Office. The Company’s registered office and agent for service of process in the State of Delaware is as set forth in the Certificate, or such other registered agent or office as the Sole Member may designate from time to time.
7. Members. The name and the mailing address of the Sole Member and the Sole Member’s percentage of limited liability company interest in the Company (the “Membership Interests”) is set forth on Schedule A attached hereto, as the same may be amended from time to time.
8. Term. The term of the Company commenced on the date of filing of the Certificate in accordance with the Act and shall continue until the Company is dissolved and its affairs are wound up in accordance with Section 16 of this Agreement and a certificate of cancellation is filed in accordance with the Act.
9. Management. The business and affairs of the Company shall be managed by the Sole Member in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. The Sole Member shall have the power to do any and all acts necessary or convenient to or for the furtherance of the purposes described herein, including all powers, statutory or otherwise, possessed by any member under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Sole Member and Officers are hereby designated as an authorized person, within the meaning of the Act, with the nonexclusive power and authority to act as an agent of the Company and, in such capacity, to bind the Company in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and to execute any and all documents to be signed by the Company.
10. Officers. The Company, and the Sole Member on behalf of the Company, acting singly or jointly, may employ and retain persons as the Sole Member may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the Company’s business (subject to the supervision and control of the Sole Member), including employees and agents who may be designated as officers (each, an “Officer”) with titles, including, but not limited to, “chairman,” “chief executive officer,” “president,” “vice president,” “assistant vice president-taxes,” “treasurer,” “secretary,” “managing director,” “senior managing director”, “chief financial officer,” “assistant treasurer” and “assistant secretary” as and to the extent authorized by the Sole Member.
11. Capital Contributions. On or prior to the date hereof, the Sole Member has made, and after the date of this Agreement the Sole Member may make, capital contributions to the Company from time to time, which amounts shall be set forth in the books and records of the Company.
12. Transfers of Membership Interests. No Member may sell, assign, pledge or otherwise transfer or encumber all or a portion of its Membership Interests to any Person, except with the consent of the Sole Member. If the Sole Member transfers any of its Membership Interests pursuant to this Section 12, the transferee shall be admitted to the Company upon its execution of an instrument signifying its agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement and such other documents and instruments as the Sole Member determines to be necessary or appropriate and the Sole Member shall amend Schedule A person to reflect such new person as a member.
13. Resignation. No Member shall have the right to resign from the Company, except with the consent of the Sole Member.
14. Allocations and Distributions. Distributions of cash or other assets of the Company to the Sole Member shall be made at such times and in such amounts as the Sole Member may determine.
15. Return of Capital. The Sole Member has the right to receive any distributions which include a return of all or any part of the Sole Member’s capital contribution, provided that upon the dissolution and winding up of the Company, the assets of the Company shall be distributed as provided in Section 18-804 of the Act.
2
16. Dissolution. The Company shall be dissolved and its affairs wound up upon the first to occur of the following: (a) the written consent of the Sole Member, (b) any time there are no members of the Company unless the Company is to continue in accordance with the Act or (c) the entry of a decree of judicial dissolution under Section 18-802 of the Act. In the event of dissolution, the Company shall conduct only such activities as are necessary to wind up its affairs (including the sale of the assets of the Company in an orderly manner), and the assets of the Company shall be applied in the manner, and in the order of priority set forth in Section 18-804 of the Act.
17. Amendments. This Agreement may only be amended by a writing duly signed by the Sole Member.
18. Other Business. The Sole Member may engage in or possess an interest in other business ventures of every kind and description, independently or with others. The Company shall not have any rights in or to such independent ventures or the income or profits therefrom by virtue of this Agreement.
19. Limited Liability. The Sole Member shall not have any liability for the debts, obligations or liabilities of the Company except to the extent provided by the Act.
20. Exculpation; Indemnification. Neither the Members, the Officers nor any of their respective affiliates or agents (collectively, “Covered Persons”) shall be liable to the Company or any other person or entity who has an interest in the Company for any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Covered Person in good faith on behalf of the Company and in a manner reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such Member or Officer, as applicable, by this Agreement. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Covered Person shall be entitled to indemnification from the Company for any loss, damage or claim incurred by such Covered Person by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Covered Person in good faith on behalf of the Company and in a manner reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such Member or Officer, as applicable, by this Agreement; provided, however, that any indemnity under this Section 20 shall be provided out of and to the extent of Company assets only, and neither the Member nor the Officer, as applicable, nor any other Covered Person, shall have personal liability on account thereof.
21. Banking Matters. The Sole Member and each Officer and any agent or employee of the Company, or other person designated by the Sole Member or such Officer is hereby authorized and empowered (A) to (i) establish one or more domestic or international accounts (including but not limited to, depository, checking, disbursement, custodian, or investment accounts, and other accounts as deemed necessary or expeditious for business purposes of the Company) (“Accounts”), in the name of the Company with any bank, trust company, savings and loan institution, brokerage firm or other financial institution which the Sole Member or said Officer shall from time to time designate as a depository of funds, securities or other property of the Company, for any purpose and on terms and conditions deemed appropriate by such person on behalf of the Company; and (ii) close Accounts of the Company now or hereafter established; and (B) to assign, limit or revoke any and all authority of any agent or employee of the Company, or other person designated by the Sole Member or such
3
Officer to (i) sign checks, drafts and orders for the payment of money drawn on the Company’s Accounts, and all notes of the Company and all acceptances and endorsements of the Company; (ii) execute or initiate electronic fund transfers; (iii) execute or initiate foreign currency exchange transactions; (iv) execute or initiate the investment of monies; and (v) initiate requests for information for any Account of the Company.
22. Authorized Person. Amy Donofrio is hereby designated as an “authorized person” within the meaning of the Act, and has executed, delivered and filed the Certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. Upon the filing of the Certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, Amy Donofrio’s powers as an “authorized person” ceased.
23. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed under, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law rules.
[Signature Page Follows]
4
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has duly executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
| SOLE MEMBER: | ||||
| BLACKSTONE HOLDINGS I L.P. | ||||
| By: Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | ||||
| By: | /s/ Tabea Hsi | |||
| Name: | Tabea Hsi | |||
| Title: | Senior Managing Director — Assistant Secretary | |||
[Signature Page to the Limited Liability Company Agreement]
SCHEDULE A
| Sole Member and Address |
Membership Interests | |
| Blackstone Holdings I L.P. c/o Blackstone Inc. 345 Park Avenue New York, New York 10154 |
100% |
Exhibit 4.5
INDENTURE
Dated as of [•], [•]
Among
BLACKSTONE REG FINANCE CO. L.L.C.,
As Issuer,
THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
as Trustee
CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS INDENTURE
RELATING TO SECTIONS 310 THROUGH 318 INCLUSIVE,
OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939
| Trust Indenture Act Section |
Indenture Section | |
| Section 310(a)(1) |
Section 609 | |
| (a)(2) |
Section 609 | |
| (a)(3) |
Not Applicable | |
| (a)(4) |
Not Applicable | |
| (b) |
Section 608 | |
| Section 610 | ||
| Section 311(a) |
Section 613 | |
| (b) |
Section 613 | |
| Section 312(a) |
Section 701 | |
| Section 702 | ||
| (b) |
Section 702 | |
| (c) |
Section 702 | |
| Section 313(a) |
Section 703 | |
| (b) |
Section 703 | |
| (c) |
Section 703 | |
| (d) |
Section 703 | |
| Section 314(a) |
Section 704 | |
| (a)(4) |
Section 1004 | |
| (b) |
Not Applicable | |
| (c)(1) |
Section 102 | |
| (c)(2) |
Section 102 | |
| (c)(3) |
Not Applicable | |
| (d) |
Not Applicable | |
| (e) |
Section 102 | |
| Section 315(a) |
Section 601 | |
| (b) |
Section 602 | |
| (c) |
Section 601 | |
| (d) |
Section 601 | |
| (e) |
Section 513 | |
| Section 316(a) |
Section 101 | |
| (a)(1)(A) |
Section 502 | |
| Section 511 | ||
| (a)(1)(B) |
Section 512 | |
| (a)(2) |
Not Applicable | |
| (b) |
Section 508 | |
| (c) |
Section 104 | |
| Section 317(a)(1) |
Section 504 | |
| (a)(2) |
Section 504 | |
| (b) |
Section 1003 | |
| Section 318(a) |
Section 107 |
NOTE: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of this Indenture.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||||||
| ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION | 1 | |||||||
|
|
Section 101 |
Definitions |
1 | |||||
| Section 102 |
Compliance Certificates and Opinions |
8 | ||||||
| Section 103 |
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee |
8 | ||||||
| Section 104 |
Acts of Holders; Record Dates |
9 | ||||||
| Section 105 |
Notices, Etc., to Trustee, Company and Guarantors |
11 | ||||||
| Section 106 |
Notice to Holders; Waiver |
12 | ||||||
| Section 107 |
Conflict with Trust Indenture Act |
12 | ||||||
| Section 108 |
Effect of Headings and Table of Contents |
12 | ||||||
| Section 109 |
Successors and Assigns |
12 | ||||||
| Section 110 |
Separability Clause |
12 | ||||||
| Section 111 |
Benefits of Indenture |
12 | ||||||
| Section 112 |
Governing Law, Jurisdiction, Venue |
13 | ||||||
| Section 113 |
Legal Holidays |
13 | ||||||
| Section 114 |
No Recourse Against Others |
13 | ||||||
| Section 115 |
Waiver of Jury Trial |
13 | ||||||
| Section 116 |
Compliance with Applicable Law |
14 | ||||||
| ARTICLE II SECURITY FORMS | 14 | |||||||
| Section 201 |
Forms Generally |
14 | ||||||
| Section 202 |
Form of Legend for Global Securities |
14 | ||||||
| Section 203 |
Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication |
15 | ||||||
| ARTICLE III THE SECURITIES | 16 | |||||||
| Section 301 |
Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series |
16 | ||||||
| Section 302 |
Denominations |
19 | ||||||
| Section 303 |
Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating |
19 | ||||||
| Section 304 |
Temporary Securities |
20 | ||||||
| Section 305 |
Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange |
20 | ||||||
| Section 306 |
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities |
22 | ||||||
| Section 307 |
Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved |
23 | ||||||
| Section 308 |
Persons Deemed Owner |
24 | ||||||
| Section 309 |
Cancellation |
24 | ||||||
| Section 310 |
Computation of Interest |
24 | ||||||
| Section 311 |
CUSIP or ISIN Numbers |
25 | ||||||
| Section 312 |
Original Issue Discount |
25 | ||||||
| Section 313 |
General Provisions Relating to Global Securities |
25 | ||||||
| ARTICLE IV SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE | 25 | |||||||
| Section 401 |
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture |
25 | ||||||
| Section 402 |
Application of Trust Money |
27 | ||||||
| ARTICLE V REMEDIES | 27 | |||||||
| Section 501 |
Events of Default |
27 | ||||||
| Section 502 |
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment |
29 | ||||||
| Section 503 |
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee |
30 | ||||||
| Section 504 |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
30 | ||||||
ii
|
|
Section 505 |
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities |
31 | |||||
| Section 506 |
Application of Money Collected |
31 | ||||||
| Section 507 |
Limitation on Suits |
31 | ||||||
| Section 508 |
Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest and to Convert Securities |
32 | ||||||
| Section 509 |
Rights and Remedies Cumulative |
32 | ||||||
| Section 510 |
Delay or Omission Not Waiver |
32 | ||||||
| Section 511 |
Control by Holders |
32 | ||||||
| Section 512 |
Waiver of Past Defaults |
33 | ||||||
| Section 513 |
Undertaking for Costs |
33 | ||||||
| Section 514 |
Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws |
33 | ||||||
| Section 515 |
Restoration of Rights and Remedies |
33 | ||||||
| ARTICLE VI THE TRUSTEE | 34 | |||||||
| Section 601 |
Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee |
34 | ||||||
| Section 602 |
Notice of Defaults |
35 | ||||||
| Section 603 |
Certain Rights of Trustee |
35 | ||||||
| Section 604 |
Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities |
37 | ||||||
| Section 605 |
May Hold Securities |
37 | ||||||
| Section 606 |
Money Held in Trust |
37 | ||||||
| Section 607 |
Compensation and Reimbursement |
37 | ||||||
| Section 608 |
Conflicting Interests |
38 | ||||||
| Section 609 |
Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility |
38 | ||||||
| Section 610 |
Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor |
38 | ||||||
| Section 611 |
Acceptance of Appointment by Successor |
40 | ||||||
| Section 612 |
Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business |
41 | ||||||
| Section 613 |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company |
41 | ||||||
| Section 614 |
Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company |
41 | ||||||
| ARTICLE VII HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE TRUSTEE, THE COMPANY AND THE GUARANTORS | 42 | |||||||
| Section 701 |
Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders |
42 | ||||||
| Section 702 |
Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders |
42 | ||||||
| Section 703 |
Reports by Trustee |
42 | ||||||
| Section 704 |
Reports by the Company and the Guarantors |
42 | ||||||
| ARTICLE VIII CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE OF ASSETS AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS | 43 | |||||||
| Section 801 |
Company and Guarantors May Merge or Transfer Assets on Certain Terms |
43 | ||||||
| Section 802 |
Successor Person Substituted |
43 | ||||||
| ARTICLE IX SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES | 43 | |||||||
| Section 901 |
Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders |
43 | ||||||
| Section 902 |
Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders |
45 | ||||||
| Section 903 |
Execution of Supplemental Indentures |
46 | ||||||
| Section 904 |
Effect of Supplemental Indentures |
46 | ||||||
| Section 905 |
Conformity with Trust Indenture Act |
46 | ||||||
| Section 906 |
Notice of Supplemental Indenture; Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures |
46 | ||||||
iii
| ARTICLE X COVENANTS | 47 | |||||||
|
|
Section 1001 |
Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest |
47 | |||||
| Section 1002 |
Maintenance of Office or Agency |
47 | ||||||
| Section 1003 |
Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust |
48 | ||||||
| Section 1004 |
Statement by Officers as to Default |
49 | ||||||
| Section 1005 |
Waiver of Certain Covenants |
49 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XI REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES | 49 | |||||||
| Section 1101 |
Applicability of Article |
49 | ||||||
| Section 1102 |
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee |
49 | ||||||
| Section 1103 |
Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed |
50 | ||||||
| Section 1104 |
Notice of Redemption |
50 | ||||||
| Section 1105 |
Deposit of Redemption Price |
51 | ||||||
| Section 1106 |
Securities Payable on Redemption Date |
52 | ||||||
| Section 1107 |
Securities Redeemed in Part |
52 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XII SINKING FUNDS | 52 | |||||||
| Section 1201 |
Applicability of Article |
52 | ||||||
| Section 1202 |
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities |
52 | ||||||
| Section 1203 |
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund |
53 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XIII DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE | 53 | |||||||
| Section 1301 |
Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
53 | ||||||
| Section 1302 |
Defeasance and Discharge |
53 | ||||||
| Section 1303 |
Covenant Defeasance |
54 | ||||||
| Section 1304 |
Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
54 | ||||||
| Section 1305 |
Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions |
55 | ||||||
| Section 1306 |
Reinstatement |
56 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XIV GUARANTEE OF SECURITIES | 56 | |||||||
| Section 1401 |
Guarantee |
56 | ||||||
| Section 1402 |
Additional Guarantors |
56 | ||||||
| Section 1403 |
Waiver |
57 | ||||||
| Section 1404 |
Guarantee of Payment |
57 | ||||||
| Section 1405 |
No Discharge or Diminishment of Guarantee |
57 | ||||||
| Section 1406 |
Defenses of Company Waived |
57 | ||||||
| Section 1407 |
Continued Effectiveness |
58 | ||||||
| Section 1408 |
Subrogation |
58 | ||||||
| Section 1409 |
Subordination |
58 | ||||||
| Section 1410 |
Release of Guarantor and Termination of Guarantee |
59 | ||||||
| Section 1411 |
Limitation of Guarantors’ Liability |
59 | ||||||
| Section 1412 |
No Obligation to Take Action Against the Company |
60 | ||||||
| Section 1413 |
Execution and Delivery |
60 | ||||||
iv
INDENTURE, dated as of [•], [•], among Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., a limited liability company duly organized and existing under the laws of Delaware (herein called the “Company”), each of the Guarantors named herein (the “Guarantors”) and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).
RECITALS
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured debt securities (herein called the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as provided in this Indenture.
Each Guarantor has duly authorized its guarantee of the Securities (the “Guarantees”) and to provide therefor each Guarantor has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of each of the Company and the Guarantors, 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 (as defined herein) thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of any series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 101 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) the terms defined in this Article I have the meanings assigned to them in this Article I and include the plural as well as the singular;
(2) 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;
(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with GAAP;
(4) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article,” a “Section” or a “Schedule” refers to an Article, a Section or a Schedule, as the case may be, of this Indenture;
(5) 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;
(6) “including” means including without limitation;
(7) when used with respect to any Security, the words “convert,” “converted” and “conversion” are intended to refer to the right of the Holder, the Company or the Guarantors to convert or exchange such Security into or for securities or other property in accordance with such terms, if any, as may hereafter be specified for such Security as contemplated by Section 301, and these words are not
intended to refer to any right of the Holder, the Company or the Guarantors to exchange such Security for other Securities of the same series and of like tenor pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1107 or another similar provisions of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires; and references herein to the terms of any Security that may be converted mean such terms as may be specified for such Security as contemplated in Section 301; and
(8) unless otherwise provided, references to agreements and other instruments shall be deemed to include all amendments and other modifications to such agreements and instruments, but only to the extent such amendments and other modifications are not prohibited by the terms of this Indenture.
“Act,” when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 104.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“Applicable Law” has the meaning specified in Section 116.
“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to a Depositary, as to any matter at any time, the policies and procedures of such Depositary, if any, that are applicable to such matter at such time.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, United States Code, or any similar Federal or state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.
“Business Day” means, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, which is not a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close in that Place of Payment.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this Indenture 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.
“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture 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” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed by or on behalf of the Company by any Officer, manager, member or partner thereof (or any Person designated in writing as authorized to execute and deliver Company Requests and Company Orders), and delivered to the Trustee.
“Company Resolution” means a copy of one or more resolutions certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the member or members of the Company or board of managers of the Company, as the case may be, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification and delivered to the Trustee.
2
“Corporate Trust Office” means the principal office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be conducted (or any successor division or unit), which office is located as of the date of this Indenture at The Bank of New York Trust Company, 500 Ross Street, 12th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15262, Attention: Corporate Trust, Email: Nestor.F.Tapia@bnymellon.com, or at any other time at such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Company).
“Corporation” means Blackstone Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1303.
“Credit Group” means the Credit Parties and the Credit Parties’ direct and indirect Subsidiaries (to the extent of their economic ownership interest in such Subsidiaries) taken as a whole.
“Credit Parties” means the Company and the Guarantors.
“Custodian” means any custodian, receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or other similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 307.
“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1302.
“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated to act as Depositary for such Securities as contemplated by Section 301.
“Electronic Means” shall mean the following communications methods: e-mail, secure electronic transmission containing applicable authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys issued by the Trustee, or another method or system specified by the Trustee as available for use in connection with its services hereunder.
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 501.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
“Expiration Date” has the meaning specified in Section 104.
“FATCA Withholding Tax” shall mean any withholding or deduction required pursuant to an agreement described in Section 1471(b) of the Internal Revenue Code or otherwise imposed pursuant to Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code (or any regulations or agreements thereunder or official interpretations thereof) or any intergovernmental agreement between the United States and another jurisdiction facilitating the implementation thereof (or any law implementing such an intergovernmental agreement).
3
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (including, if applicable, International Financial Reporting Standards) as in effect from time to time.
“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of the Securities of any series and bears the legend set forth in Section 202 (or such legend as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities).
“Guarantees” has the meaning specified in the second recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Guarantee made by each of the Guarantors as set forth in Article XIV hereof.
“Guarantors” means (i) each of the Persons listed on Schedule I attached hereto and (ii) in the future, any New Holdings Partnership Entity that becomes a Guarantor pursuant to Article XIV, but in each case excluding Persons who cease to be Guarantors in accordance with this Indenture.
“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.
“Indenture” means this Indenture as originally executed and 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, including, for all purposes of this Indenture and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this Indenture and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term “Indenture” shall also include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301.
“Insignificant Guarantor” means a Guarantor (or a group of Guarantors taken together) that would not, on a combined and consolidated basis and taken as a whole together with all then-existing Non-Guarantor Entities designated pursuant to clause (ii) of the definition of Non-Guarantor Entity set forth in Section 1410, constitute a Significant Subsidiary.
“Interest” means, when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, interest payable after Maturity.
“Interest Payment Date” means, when used with respect to any Security, the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Internal Revenue Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Maturity” means, when used with respect to any Security, 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.
“New Holdings Partnership Entity” means any Subsidiary (other than a directly or indirectly wholly owned Subsidiary) of the Corporation other than (i) a then-existing Guarantor, (ii) any Person in which the Corporation directly or indirectly owns its interest through one or more of the then-existing Guarantors or (iii) any Person through which the Corporation directly or indirectly owns its interests in one or more the then-existing Guarantors.
“Non-Guarantor Entity” means any Person so designated by the Company pursuant to Section 1410.
“Non-Guarantor Limitation” has the meaning specified in Section 1410.
4
“Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 501.
“Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 1401.
“Obligor” has the meaning given to such term in the Trust Indenture Act.
“Officer” means the Chairman, any Vice Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, any Corporate Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Principal Accounting Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting Officer, the Chief Legal Officer, any Senior Managing Director, any Managing Director, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company or any Guarantor (or any sole or managing member or general partner of the Company or any Guarantor), as the case may be, or, in the case of the Company, any Person designated as a manager pursuant to the limited liability company agreement of the Company.
“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers of the Company or any Guarantor (or any sole or managing member or general partner of the Company or any Guarantor), as the case may be, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be counsel for, including an employee of, the Company or for any Guarantor) and which opinion shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
“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 Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502.
“Outstanding” means, when used with respect to Securities, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(1) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(2) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; 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;
(3) Securities as to which Defeasance has been effected pursuant to Section 1302;
(4) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 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 bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company; and
(5) Securities as to which any property deliverable upon conversion thereof has been delivered (or such delivery has been made available), or as to which any other particular conditions have been satisfied, in each case as may be provided for such Securities as contemplated in Section 301; provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given, made or taken any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
5
consent, waiver or other action hereunder as of any date, (A) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof which would be due and payable as of such date upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof to such date pursuant to Section 502, (B) if, as of such date, the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of a Security is not determinable, the principal amount of such Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount as specified or determined as contemplated by Section 301, (C) the principal amount of a Security denominated in one or more foreign currencies, composite currencies or currency units which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined as of such date in the manner provided as contemplated by Section 301, of the principal amount of such Security (or, in the case of a Security described in clause (A) or (B) above, of the amount determined as provided in such clause), and (D) Securities owned by the Company, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, any Guarantor or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding (except in the case where the Securities are 100% owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company), except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, only Securities which a Responsible Officer 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 pledgee is not the Company, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, any Guarantor or such other obligor.
“Paying Agent” means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company or any Guarantor.
“Permitted Jurisdictions” has the meaning specified in Section 801(a)(1).
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.
“Place of Payment” means, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of such series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 301.
“Predecessor Security” means, with respect to any particular Security, 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 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
“Redemption Date” means, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
“Redemption Price” means, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
“Regular Record Date” means, for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series, the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 301.
6
“Responsible Officer” means with respect to the Trustee, an officer of the Trustee located at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture and, for the purposes of Section 601(3)(B) and the second sentence of Section 602, shall also include any other officer of the Trustee to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
“Securities” has the meaning specified in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the U.S. 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 305.
“Significant Subsidiary” means a “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act or any successor provision) of the Corporation.
“Special Record Date” means, for the payment of any Defaulted Interest, a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.
“Stated Maturity” means, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, 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.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of a Person that is or would be consolidated with such Person in the preparation of segment information with respect to the combined financial statements of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP, but shall not include (a) any private equity fund, real estate fund, hedge fund or other investment fund or vehicle or (b) any portfolio company of any such fund or vehicle.
“Substantially All Merger” means a merger or consolidation of one or more Credit Parties with or into another Person that would, in one or a series of related transactions, result in the transfer or other disposition, directly or indirectly, of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Credit Group to a Person that is not within the Credit Group immediately prior to such transaction.
“Substantially All Sale” means a sale, assignment, transfer, lease or conveyance to any other Person, in one or a series of related transactions, directly or indirectly, of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Credit Group to a Person that is not within the Credit Group immediately prior to such transaction.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this Indenture was executed; provided, however, that in the event 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.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture 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 such series.
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“U.S. Government Obligation” means (x) any security which is (i) a direct obligation of the United States of America for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged or (ii) an obligation of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case (i) or (ii), is not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and (y) any depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act) as custodian with respect to any U.S. Government Obligation which is specified in clause (x) above and held by such bank for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt, or with respect to any specific payment of principal of or interest on any U.S. Government Obligation which is so specified and held; 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 depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal or interest evidenced by such depositary receipt.
“Vice President” means, when used with respect to the Company or any Guarantor (or any sole or managing member or general partner of the Company or any Guarantor) or the Trustee, any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president.”
Section 102 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company or any Guarantor to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be, shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (except for certificates provided for in Section 1004) shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 103 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.
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Any certificate or opinion of an Officer 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 such Officer’s certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Officer or Officers stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company or a Guarantor, as the case may be, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Section 104 Acts of Holders; Record Dates.
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 may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company or the Guarantors. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and, subject to Section 601, conclusive in favor of the Trustee, the Company and the Guarantors, if made in the manner provided in this Section 104.
The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved in any manner which the Trustee reasonably deems sufficient. Where such execution is by a Person acting in a capacity other than such Person’s individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of such Person’s authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient. The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of 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, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent or the Company or any Guarantor in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
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The Company or any Guarantor may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series 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 of such series; provided that none of the Company or any Guarantor may 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 of the relevant series 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 by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Company or any Guarantor 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 of the relevant series on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company or any Guarantor, 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 of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 106.
The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 502, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 507(2) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 511, in each case with respect to Securities of such series. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series 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 of such series 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 of the relevant series 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 and the Guarantors in writing and to each Holder of Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 106.
With respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section 104, 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 of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 106, 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 104, 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.
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 105 Notices, Etc., to Trustee, Company and Guarantors.
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,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company or a Guarantor shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing (which may be by mail, first-class postage prepaid, by courier or email) to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office at the location specified in Section 101; or
(2) the Company or a Guarantor 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 or any Guarantor addressed to the attention of the Secretary of the Company or such Guarantor at the address of the Company’s principal office specified in writing to the Trustee by the Company and, until further notice, at 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, Attention: Eric Liaw (Eric.Liaw@Blackstone.com), Joseph Rocco (Joe.Rocco@Blackstone.com), and Tabea Hsi (Tabea.Hsi@Blackstone.com), with a copy to WCMGlobalMiddleOffice@Blackstone.com.
The Trustee shall have the right to accept and act upon instructions, including funds transfer instructions (“Instructions”) given pursuant to this Indenture and delivered using Electronic Means; provided, however, that the Company shall provide to the Trustee an incumbency certificate listing officers with the authority to provide such Instructions (“Authorized Officers”) and containing specimen signatures of such Authorized Officers, which incumbency certificate shall be amended by the Company whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the listing. If the Company elects to give the Trustee Instructions using Electronic Means and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such Instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such Instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Company understands and agrees that the Trustee cannot determine the identity of the actual sender of such Instructions and that the Trustee shall conclusively presume that directions that purport to have been sent by an Authorized Officer listed on the incumbency certificate provided to the Trustee have been sent by such Authorized Officer. The Company shall be responsible for ensuring that only Authorized Officers transmit such Instructions to the Trustee and that the Company and all Authorized Officers are solely responsible to safeguard the use and confidentiality of applicable user and authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys upon receipt by the Company. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such Instructions notwithstanding such directions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees: (i) to assume all risks arising out of the use of Electronic Means to submit Instructions 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; (ii) that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to the Trustee and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method(s) selected by the Company; (iii) that the security procedures (if any) to be followed in connection with its transmission of Instructions provide to it a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances; and (iv) to notify the Trustee immediately upon learning of any compromise or unauthorized use of the security procedures.
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Section 106 Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at such Holder’s address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, if any, and not earlier than the earliest date, if any, prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. 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.
In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.
Where this Indenture provides for notice of any event to a Holder of a Global Security, such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary for such Security (or its designee), pursuant to the Applicable Procedures of the Depositary, not later than the latest date, if any, and not earlier than the earliest date, if any, prescribed for the giving of such notice.
Section 107 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under the Trust Indenture Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.
Section 108 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 109 Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company and the Guarantors shall bind their respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 110 Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in 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 111 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
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Section 112 Governing Law, Jurisdiction, Venue.
This Indenture, the Securities and the Guarantees shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. The Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture, and the Company, the Guarantors and holders of the Securities by purchase of their Security agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Securities, may be instituted, brought and enforced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, other than with respect to a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, if such court does not have jurisdiction over such action, suit or proceeding, the Supreme Court of New York County (Commercial Division) in the State of New York of the State of New York), which will be the exclusive forum for any such actions, suits or proceedings, except that any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Exchange Act may also be brought and enforced in any federal district court of the United States, which will be the exclusive forum for such actions, suits or proceedings. The Company, the Guarantors and the holders of the Securities by purchase of their Security will be deemed to have consented to the jurisdiction of such courts and have waived any objection that such courts represent an inconvenient forum for any such suit, action or proceeding.
Section 113 Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security, or any date on which a Holder has the right to convert such Holder’s Security, shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities (other than a provision of any Security which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section 113)) payment of principal and premium, if any, or interest, or the Redemption Price or conversion of such Security, 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 on such conversion date. In the case, however, of Securities of a series bearing interest at a floating rate, if any Interest Payment Date (other than the Redemption Date or Stated Maturity) would otherwise be a date that is not a Business Day, then the Interest Payment Date shall be postponed to the following date which is a Business Day, unless that Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, in which case the Interest Payment Date will be the immediately preceding Business Day. No interest shall accrue for the period from and after any such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Stated Maturity or conversion date, as the case may be, to the date of such payment.
Section 114 No Recourse Against Others.
A director, partner, officer, employee, member, manager or stockholder as such of the Company or any Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities, the Guarantees or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. By accepting a Security, each Holder shall waive and release all such liability. The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.
Section 115 Waiver of Jury Trial.
EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE GUARANTORS, THE TRUSTEE AND THE HOLDERS, BY THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE SECURITIES, HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING AS AMONG THE COMPANY, THE GUARANTORS AND THE TRUSTEE ONLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE GUARANTEES.
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Section 116 Compliance with Applicable Law.
In order to comply with applicable tax laws, rules and regulations, including FATCA, (inclusive of directives, guidelines and interpretations promulgated by competent authorities) in effect from time to time (“Applicable Law”), the Trustee shall be entitled to make any withholding or deduction from payments under the Indenture to the extent necessary to comply with Applicable Law (and shall timely pay the amounts so withheld or deducted to the applicable governmental authority) for which The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. shall not have any liability. Each of the Company and the Trustee agrees to reasonably cooperate and, at the reasonable request of the other, to provide the other with such information as each may have in its possession that is necessary to enable the determination of whether any payments hereunder are subject to FATCA Withholding Tax.
ARTICLE II
SECURITY FORMS
Section 201 Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series shall be in substantially such form or forms as shall be established by or pursuant to a Company Resolution or, subject to Section 303, set forth in, or determined in the manner provided in, an Officers’ Certificate of the Company pursuant to a Company Resolution, or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, 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 applicable tax laws or the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary therefor or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the Officer executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Company 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 Company Order contemplated by Section 303 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities. If all of the Securities of any series established by action taken pursuant to a Company Resolution are not to be issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver a record of such action at the time of issuance of each Security of such series, but an appropriate record of such action shall be delivered at or before the time of issuance of the first Security of such series.
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the Officers of the Company executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
Section 202 Form of Legend for Global Securities.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for the Securities evidenced thereby, every Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (“DTC”) TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS 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.
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THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF. TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO DTC, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.
Section 203 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| Dated: |
The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee | |||||
| By: |
||||||
| Authorized Signatory | ||||||
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ARTICLE III
THE SECURITIES
Section 301 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) a Company Resolution or pursuant to authority granted by a Company Resolution and, subject to Section 303, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in an Officers’ Certificate of the Company, or (b) one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:
(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from Securities of any other series);
(2) the limit, if any, on the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1107 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
(3) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be payable, if other than 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;
(4) the date or dates on which the principal of any Securities of the series is payable or the method used to determine or extend those dates;
(5) the rate or rates at which any Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which any such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for any such interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;
(6) the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable and the manner in which any payment may be made;
(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company and, if other than by a Company Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to redeem the Securities shall be evidenced;
(8) the obligation or the right, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase any Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or at the option of the Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(9) if other than denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, the denominations in which any Securities of the series shall be issuable;
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(10) if the amount of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of the series may be determined with reference to a financial or economic measure or index or pursuant to a formula, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
(11) if other than the currency of the United States of America, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in the currency of the United States of America for any purpose, including for purposes of the definition of “Outstanding” in Section 101;
(12) if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the Company or the Holder thereof, in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on such Securities as to which such election is made shall be payable, the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made and the amount so payable (or the manner in which such amount shall be determined);
(13) if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of any Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502;
(14) if the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of any Securities of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the Stated Maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the principal amount of such Securities as of any such date for any purpose thereunder or hereunder, including the principal amount thereof which shall be due and payable upon any Maturity other than the Stated Maturity or which shall be deemed to be Outstanding as of any date prior to the Stated Maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount shall be determined);
(15) if other than by a Company Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to defease any Securities of the series pursuant to Section 1302 or Section 1303 shall be evidenced; whether any Securities of the series other than Securities denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate are to be subject to Section 1302 or Section 1303; or, in the case of Securities denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate, if applicable, that the Securities of the series, in whole or any specified part, shall not be defeasible pursuant to Section 1302 or Section 1303 or both such Sections;
(16) if applicable, that any Securities of the series shall be issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the respective Depositaries for such Global Securities, the form of any legend or legends which shall be borne by any such Global Security in addition to or in lieu of that set forth in Section 202 and any circumstances in addition to or in lieu of those set forth in clause (2) of the last paragraph of Section 305 in which any such Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and any transfer of such Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name or names of Persons other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof and any other provisions governing exchanges or transfers of such Global Security;
(17) any addition to, deletion from or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 502;
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(18) any addition to, deletion from or change in the covenants set forth in Article X which applies to Securities of the series;
(19) if the Securities of the series are to be convertible into or exchangeable for cash and/or any securities or other property of any Person (including the Company), the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable;
(20) whether the Securities of the series will be guaranteed by any Person or Persons other than the Guarantors and, if so, the identity of such Person or Persons, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be guaranteed and, if applicable, the terms and conditions upon which such guarantees may be subordinated to other indebtedness of the respective guarantors;
(21) whether the Securities of the series and, if applicable, any guarantees of such Securities will be senior or subordinated obligations as specified in or pursuant to the applicable indenture and in the certificates evidencing such Securities and those made part of the indenture by the Trust Indenture Act;
(22) whether the Securities of the series will be secured by any collateral and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be secured and, if applicable, upon which such liens may be subordinated to other liens securing other indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor;
(23) if a party other than The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. is to act as Trustee for the Securities of such series, the name and Corporate Trust Office of such Trustee; and
(24) any other terms of the series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 901(12)).
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 the Company Resolution referred to above or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions and, subject to Section 303, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officers’ Certificate of the Company referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.
All Securities of any one series need not be issued at one time and, unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to the Company Resolution referred to above and, subject to Section 303, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officers’ Certificate of the Company referred to above or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions or in any such indenture supplemental hereto with respect to a series of Securities, additional Securities of a series may be issued, at the option of the Company, without the consent of any Holder, at any time and from time to time.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Company 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 Officers’ Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.
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Section 302 Denominations.
The Securities of each series shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons and only in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 301. In the absence of any such specified denomination with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.
Section 303 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman, one of its Vice Chairmen, its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, its Principal Accounting Officer, its Treasurer, its Secretary, one of its Corporate Vice Presidents, one of its Senior Managing Directors, one of its Managing Directors, one of its Assistant Treasurers or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature on the Securities may be manual, electronic or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual, facsimile or electronic 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 the form or terms of the Securities of the series have been established by or pursuant to one or more Company Resolutions or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions as permitted by Sections 201 and 301, in authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and, subject to Section 601, shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating,
(1) if the form of such Securities has been established by or pursuant to Company Resolution or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions as permitted by Section 201, that such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) if the terms of such Securities have been established by or pursuant to Company Resolution or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions as permitted by Section 301, that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(3) that such Securities and the related Guarantees, when the Securities are authenticated by the Trustee and issued and delivered 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 and each Guarantor, respectively, enforceable against the Company and each Guarantor, respectively, in accordance with their terms, subject to (i) the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general equitable principles and (iii) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
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If such form 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 adversely affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 301 and of the preceding paragraph of this Section 303, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, including in the event that the aggregate principal amount of a series of Outstanding Securities is increased as contemplated by Section 301, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Officers’ Certificate of the Company otherwise required pursuant to Section 301 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel otherwise required pursuant to this Section 303 at or prior to the 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.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
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 or electronic 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 309, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 304 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 of such series in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the Officer or Officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution thereof.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of such 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 in a Place of Payment for such 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 one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount. 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 and tenor.
Section 305 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 of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.
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Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of a series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for such 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 like tenor and principal amount.
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 like tenor and principal amount, 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.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company and the respective Guarantors, 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 Trustee) 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 such Holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 906 or 1107 not involving any transfer.
If the Securities of any series (or of any series and specified tenor) are to be redeemed in part, the Company shall not be required (A) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of such series (or of such series and specified tenor, as the case may be) during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of any such Securities selected for redemption under Section 1103 and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (B) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
Neither the Trustee nor the Security Registrar shall have any 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 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.
The provisions of clauses (1), (2), (3) and (4) of this paragraph shall apply only to Global Securities:
(1) Each Global Security authenticated under this Indenture shall be registered in the name of the Depositary designated for such Global Security or a nominee thereof and delivered to such Depositary or a nominee thereof or custodian therefor, and each such Global Security shall constitute a single Security for all purposes of this Indenture.
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(2) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, and subject to such applicable provisions, if any, as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301, no Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and no transfer of a Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name of any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof unless (A) such Depositary has notified the Company that it is unwilling or unable or no longer permitted under applicable law to continue as Depositary for such Global Security, (B) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to such Global Security, (C) the Company so directs the Trustee by a Company Order or (D) there shall exist such circumstances, if any, in addition to or in lieu of the foregoing as have been specified for this purpose as contemplated by Section 301.
(3) Subject to clause (2) above and to such applicable provisions, if any, as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301, any exchange of a Global Security for other Securities may be made in whole or in part, and all Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security or any portion thereof shall be registered in such names as the Depositary for such Global Security shall direct.
(4) Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global Security or any portion thereof, whether pursuant to this Section 305, Section 304, 306, 906 or 1107 or otherwise, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Security, unless such Security is registered in the name of a Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof.
Section 306 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, 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.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (1) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (2) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and 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, having the Guarantees noted therein, 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 306, the Company 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 counsel to the Company and the fees and expenses of the Trustee and its counsel) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section 306 in lieu of any mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company and the respective Guarantors, whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of such series and Guarantees duly issued hereunder.
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The provisions of this Section 306 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 307 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (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 (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest payable on Securities of a series to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (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 in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be given to each Holder of Securities of such series in the manner set forth in Section 106, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, 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 (2).
(2) 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 such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
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Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section 307, 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.
In the case of any Security which is converted after any Regular Record Date and on or prior to the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (other than any Security whose Maturity is prior to such Interest Payment Date), interest whose Stated Maturity is on such Interest Payment Date shall be payable on such Interest Payment Date notwithstanding such conversion, and such interest (whether or not punctually paid or made available for payment) 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 such Regular Record Date. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the immediately preceding sentence, in the case of any Security which is converted, interest whose Stated Maturity is after the date of conversion of such Security shall not be payable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the terms of any Security that may be converted may provide that the provisions of this paragraph do not apply, or apply with such additions, changes or omissions as may be provided thereby, to such Security.
Section 308 Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee and any agent of the Company, a Guarantor or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and, subject to Section 307, any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and none of the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company, a Guarantor or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 309 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or conversion or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company or any Guarantor may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company or such Guarantor may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, 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 309, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of in accordance with its customary procedures. The Trustee shall provide the Company or any Guarantor a list of all Securities that have been cancelled from time to time as requested by the Company or such Guarantor.
Section 310 Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
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Section 311 CUSIP or ISIN Numbers.
The Company in issuing any series of the Securities may use “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers and/or other similar numbers, if then generally in use, and thereafter with respect to such series, the Trustee may use such numbers in any notice of redemption with respect to such series; 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 of such series or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities of such series, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
Section 312 Original Issue Discount.
If any of the Securities is an Original Issue Discount Security, the Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (1) a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on such Outstanding Original Issue Discount Securities as of the end of such year and (2) such other specific information relating to such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 313 General Provisions Relating to Global Securities.
Owners of beneficial interests in the Securities evidenced by a Global Security will not be entitled to any rights under this Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and the Depositary or its nominee may be treated by the Company, the Guarantors, and the Trustee and any agent of the Company, the Guarantors or the Trustee, including any Security Registrar or Paying Agent as the owner and Holder of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Security Registrar, the Paying Agent or any other agent of the Company, the Guarantors or of the Trustee shall 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 for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests. None of the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee, the Security Registrar, the Paying Agent or any other agent of the Company or of the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability to any person for any acts or omissions of the Depositary or its nominee in respect of a Global Security, for the records of any such Depositary, including records in respect of beneficial ownership interests in respect of such Global Security, for any transactions between such Depositary and any participant or indirect participant in such Depositary or between or among such Depositary, any participant or indirect participant in such Depositary and/or any Holder or owner of a beneficial interest in such Global Security, or for any transfers of beneficial interests in any such Global Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, the Security Registrar or the Paying Agent or such agent from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or its nominee or impair, as between the Depositary or its nominee and such owners of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary or its nominee as Holder of any Global Security.
ARTICLE IV
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 401 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall, upon Company Request, cease to be of further effect with respect to any series of Securities specified in such Company Request (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series herein expressly provided for), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as to such series, when:
(1) either
(A) all Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 306 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 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
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(B) all such Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year of the date of deposit, or
(iii) 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 (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose money in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as to such series have been complied with.
In the event there are Securities of two or more series hereunder, the Trustee shall be required to execute an instrument acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture only if requested to do so with respect to Securities of such series as to which it is Trustee and if the other conditions thereto are met.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 607 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (1) of this Section 401, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.
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Section 402 Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable series of Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal and premium, if any, and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee. All money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 (and held by it or any Paying Agent) for the payment of Securities subsequently converted into other property shall be returned to the Company upon Company Request. The Company may direct by a Company Order the investment of any money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401, without distinction between principal and income, in (1) United States Treasury securities with a maturity of one year or less or (2) a money market fund that invests solely in short-term United States Treasury securities (including money market funds for which the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee serves as investment advisor, administrator, shareholder, servicing agent and/or custodian or sub-custodian, notwithstanding that (a) the Trustee charges and collects fees and expenses from such funds for services rendered and (b) the Trustee charges and collects fees and expenses for services rendered pursuant to this Indenture at any time) and from time to time the Company may direct the reinvestment of all or a portion of such money in other securities or funds meeting the criteria specified in clause (1) or (2) of this Section 402.
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES
Section 501 Events of Default.
Except as may be otherwise provided pursuant to Section 301 for Securities of any series, an “Event of Default” means, whenever used herein or in a Security issued hereunder with respect to Securities of any series, 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):
(1) the Company defaults in the payment of any installment of interest on any Security of such series, and such default continues for a period of 30 days after such payment becomes due and payable;
(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security of such series when the same becomes due and payable, regardless of whether such payment became due and payable at its Stated Maturity, upon redemption, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise;
(3) the Company defaults in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due by the terms of a Security of such series;
(4) any Credit Party defaults in the performance of, or breaches, any of its covenants and agreements in respect of any Security of such series contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of such series (other than those referred to in (1), (2) or (3) above), and such default or breach continues for a period of 90 days after the notice specified below;
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(5) the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor), pursuant to or within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Law (as defined below):
(A) commences a voluntary case or proceeding;
(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case or proceeding;
(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian (as defined below) of it or for all or substantially all of its property;
(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
(E) files a petition in bankruptcy or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief;
(F) consents to the filing of such petition or the appointment of or taking possession by a Custodian; or
(G) takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency;
(6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(A) is for relief against the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) in an involuntary case, or adjudicates the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) insolvent or bankrupt;
(B) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor); or
(C) orders the winding-up or liquidation of the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) (or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws), and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days;
(7) except as otherwise provided herein, a Guarantee of any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) ceases to be in full force and effect or is declared to be null and void and unenforceable or such Guarantee is found to be invalid or a Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) denies its liability under its Guarantee (other than by reason of release of such Guarantee in accordance with the terms of this Indenture); or
(8) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of such series occurs.
A Default with respect to Securities of any series under clause (4) of this Section 501 shall not be an Event of Default until the Trustee (by written notice to the Company and the Guarantors) or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series (by written notice to the Company and the Guarantors and the Trustee) gives notice of the Default and the Company and the Guarantors does not cure such Default within the time specified in clause (4) after receipt of such notice. Such notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that such notice is a “Notice of Default.”
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Section 502 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or (6)) occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series may declare the principal amount of all the Securities of such series (or, if any Securities of such series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified by the terms thereof), together with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company and the Guarantors (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration, such principal amount (or specified amount), together with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or (6) with respect to the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs, the principal amount of all the Securities of such series (or, in the case of any Security of such series which specifies an amount to be due and payable thereon upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof, such amount as may be specified by the terms thereof), together with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable. Upon payment of such amount, all obligations of the Company in respect of the payment of principal and interest of the Securities of such series shall terminate.
Except as may otherwise be provided pursuant to Section 301 for all or any specific Securities of any series, at any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due based on such acceleration has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article V provided, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, by written notice to the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
(1) the Company or any Guarantor has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay:
(A) all overdue interest on all Securities of such series,
(B) the principal of and premium, if any, on any Securities of such series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in the Securities of such series,
(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and
(D) 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
(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of such series, other than the nonpayment of the principal of Securities of such series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 512.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
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Section 503 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if (1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or (2) default is made in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security at the Maturity thereof, it will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, 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 and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue 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 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 necessary 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 504 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company, any Guarantor or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company or any Guarantor for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
(1) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and premium, if any, and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(2) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator (or other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by the Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to 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 for any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607.
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.
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Section 505 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, any predecessor Trustee under Section 607, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 506 Application of Money Collected.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article V, and any money or other property distributable in respect of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture after the occurrence of an Event of Default, 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, 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 (including any predecessor Trustee) under Section 607;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and premium, if any, and interest 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, respectively; and
THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or the Guarantors.
Section 507 Limitation on Suits.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 508, 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, assignee, trustee, liquidator or sequestrator (or similar official) or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
(1) Such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default, specifying an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series 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;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee has failed to institute any such proceeding for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity; and
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(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series; it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.
Section 508 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest and to Convert Securities.
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 Section 307, interest on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption or repayment, on the Redemption Date or date for repayment, as the case may be, and, if the terms of such Security so provide, to convert such Security in accordance with its terms) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and, if applicable, any such right to convert, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 509 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 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 510 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities 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 V or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 511 Control by Holders.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such series; provided that
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture and shall not involve the Trustee in any personal liability, and
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
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Before proceeding to exercise any right or power hereunder at the direction of the Holders, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive from such Holders security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
Section 512 Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate 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 such series and its consequences, except a Default
(1) in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Security of such series, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article IX 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 513 Undertaking for Costs.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and may assess reasonable costs against any such party litigant, in the manner and to the extent provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that neither this Section 513 nor the Trust Indenture Act shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking or to make such an assessment in any suit instituted by the Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee, a suit by a Holder under Section 508, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities.
Section 514 Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.
Each of the Company and the Guarantors 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 usury, 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 each of the Company and the Guarantors (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.
Section 515 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee and the Holders shall 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.
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ARTICLE VI
THE TRUSTEE
Section 601 Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.
(1) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default with respect to any series of Securities,
(A) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee with respect to such series; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely with respect to the Securities of such series, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts, statements, opinions or conclusions stated therein).
(2) In case an Event of Default with respect to any series of Securities has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series, 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.
(3) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(A) this Section 601(3) shall not be construed to limit the effect of Section 601(1) or Section 601(4);
(B) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(C) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, determined as provided in Sections 101, 104 and 511, 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.
(4) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its 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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(5) 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 601.
Section 602 Notice of Defaults.
If a Default occurs with respect to Securities of any series and is continuing and written notice of such Default specifying the Default and this Indenture and the Securities has been received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, the Trustee shall give to each Holder of Securities of such series notice of Default within 90 days after such written notice is received by such Responsible Officer. Except in the case of a Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security, the Trustee may withhold notice if and so long as a committee of Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding such notice is in the interests of Holders of Securities of such series.
Section 603 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 601:
(1) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall fully be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, 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;
(2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, and any resolution of the member or members of the Company or board of managers of the Company, as the case may be, shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Resolution thereof;
(3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, conclusively rely upon an Officers’ Certificate of the Company or the Guarantors;
(4) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its 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;
(5) 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 shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
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(6) 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, 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 or the Guarantors, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company or the Guarantors and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;
(7) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(8) the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder and to its agents;
(9) 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;
(10) anything in this Indenture notwithstanding, in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action;
(11) in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, pandemics or epidemics, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services (it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances);
(12) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless written notice of such Default or Event of Default, as the case may be, has been received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice describes such Default or Event of Default and references the Securities and this Indenture;
(13) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded; and
(14) the permissive right of the Trustee to take or refrain from taking action hereunder shall not be construed as a duty.
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Section 604 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 Guarantors, as the case may be, 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 or the Guarantees. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.
Section 605 May Hold Securities.
The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company or the Guarantors, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 608 and 613, 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 606 Money Held in Trust.
Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but 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 with the Company.
Section 607 Compensation and Reimbursement.
The Company and each Guarantor jointly and severally agrees:
(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time such reasonable compensation as shall be agreed to in writing between the parties hereto 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);
(2) 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 reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel and all Persons not regularly in its employ), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or willful misconduct, and the Trustee shall provide the Company reasonable notice of any expenditure not in the ordinary course of business; and
(3) to indemnify each of the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee and their officers, agents, directors and employees for, and to hold them harmless against, any and all loss, damage, claims, liability or expense incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on its part as determined in a final, non-appealable order by a court of competent jurisdiction, arising out of or in connection with this Indenture, the Securities and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the reasonable 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.
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In addition to, but without prejudice to its other rights under this Indenture, when the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or (6), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
“Trustee” for purposes of this Section shall include any predecessor Trustee; provided, however, that the negligence or willful misconduct of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.
As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by it hereunder for any amount owing it or any predecessor Trustee pursuant to this Section 607, except with respect to funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities for the payment of principal of and premium, if any, or interest.
The provisions of this Section 607 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of the Securities, the termination for any reason of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.
Section 608 Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of Section 310(b) 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 and this Indenture.
To the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest by virtue of being a trustee under this Indenture with respect to Securities of more than one series.
Section 609 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be one (and only one) Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of each series, which may be Trustee hereunder for Securities of one or more other series. Each Trustee shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act to act as such, has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and has its Corporate Trust Office in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York or any other major city in the United States that is acceptable to the Company. If any such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section 609 and to the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent annual report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 609, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article VI.
Section 610 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article VI shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611.
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The Trustee or any successor hereafter appointed 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 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
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 aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, upon written notice delivered to the Trustee and to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of removal, the Trustee being removed may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 608 after written request therefor by the Company, the Guarantors or any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months,
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 609 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company, the Guarantors or any such Holder, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or commence a voluntary bankruptcy proceeding, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or consented to, 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 or the Guarantors may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities or (B) subject to Section 513, Holders of 10% in aggregate principal amount of Securities of any series who have been bona fide Holders of such Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of themselves 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 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 or the Guarantors 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 611. 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 aggregate 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 611, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company or the Guarantors. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company, the Guarantors or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 611, Holders of 10% in aggregate principal amount of Securities of any series who have been bona fide Holders of Securities of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of themselves 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.
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The Company or the Guarantors 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 to all Holders of Securities of such series in the manner provided in Section 106. 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 611 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
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, the Guarantors and the retiring Trustee a written 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 the request of the Company, the Guarantors or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver a written instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder subject nonetheless to the lien provided for in Section 607.
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 Guarantors, 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 (1) 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, (2) 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 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 (3) 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 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, the Guarantors 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 subject nonetheless to the lien provided for in Section 607.
Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company and the Guarantors 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 the first or second preceding paragraph, as the case may be.
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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 VI.
Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section, the Company shall transmit notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Holders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. If the Company fails to transmit such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be transmitted at the expense of the Company.
Section 612 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any Person into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder; provided that such Person shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article VI, 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, consolidation or sale 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; and in case at that time any Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor to the Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have.
Section 613 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company or any Guarantor (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company or any Guarantor (or any such other obligor).
Section 614 Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company.
Any application by the Trustee for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Trustee, set forth in writing any action proposed (to the extent not provided for in this Indenture) to be taken or omitted by the Trustee under this Indenture and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Trustee in accordance with a proposal included in such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than 10 Business Days after the date any officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to any earlier date) unless prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Trustee shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
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ARTICLE VII
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE TRUSTEE, THE COMPANY AND THE GUARANTORS
Section 701 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
If the Trustee is not the Security Registrar, the Company shall cause the Security Registrar to furnish to the Trustee, in writing at least five Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders of Securities of each series.
Section 702 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 701 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may dispose of any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 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 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 names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 703 Reports by 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 times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. The Trustee shall, within 60 days after each [•] following the date of this Indenture, deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such [•], pursuant to this Section 703.
A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange and automated quotation system, if any, upon which any Securities are listed, with the Commission (if accepted for filing by the Commission) and the Company. The Company will notify the Trustee when any Securities are listed on any stock exchange or automated quotation system or delisted therefrom.
Section 704 Reports by the Company and the Guarantors.
Each of the Company and the Guarantors shall comply with all the applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act. Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute a representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the reports, information and documents. The Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute actual or constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s or the Guarantors’ compliance with any of their covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates of the Company).
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ARTICLE VIII
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE OF ASSETS AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS
Section 801 Company and Guarantors May Merge or Transfer Assets on Certain Terms.
(a) None of the Credit Parties shall be a party to a Substantially All Merger or participate in a Substantially All Sale, unless:
(1) such Credit Party is the surviving Person, or the Person formed by or surviving such Substantially All Merger or to which such Substantially All Sale has been made is organized under the laws of the United States, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or British Crown Dependencies, a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Permitted Jurisdictions”), and has expressly assumed by supplemental indenture all of the obligations of such Credit Party under this Indenture;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; and
(3) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such transaction and any supplemental indenture relating thereto comply with this Indenture and that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to such transaction have been complied with.
(b) For as long as any Securities of any series under this Indenture remain outstanding, all equity and voting interests in the Company shall be owned directly or indirectly by one or more Guarantors and each of the Credit Parties must be organized under the laws of a Permitted Jurisdiction.
Section 802 Successor Person Substituted.
Upon the consummation of a transaction contemplated by and consummated in accordance with Section 801, the successor Person shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the applicable Credit Party under this Indenture, with the same effect as if such successor Person had been an original party to this Indenture, and, except in the case of a lease, the applicable Credit Party shall be released from all of its liabilities and obligations under this Indenture and the Securities (including the Guarantees).
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 901 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, the Guarantors 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:
(1) to add to the covenants 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 conferred upon the Company or any Guarantor hereunder, under any indenture supplemental hereto or under any series of Securities;
(2) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company or any Guarantor, or successive successions, and the assumption by the successor Person of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company or such Guarantor pursuant to Article VIII;
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(3) to add any additional Events of Default for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such additional Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such additional Events of Default are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series);
(4) to add new Guarantors;
(5) to provide for the release of any Guarantor in accordance with this Indenture;
(6) to secure the Securities;
(7) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 611;
(8) to provide for the issuance of additional Securities of any series;
(9) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 201 and 301;
(10) to comply with the rules of any applicable Depositary;
(11) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form;
(12) to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture in respect of one or more series of Securities; provided that any such addition, change or elimination (A) shall neither (i) apply to any Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (ii) modify the rights of the Holder of any such Security with respect to such provision or (B) shall become effective only when there is no Security described in clause (i) Outstanding;
(13) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision of this Indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein;
(14) to change any other provision contained in the Securities of any series or under this Indenture; provided that such action pursuant to this clause (14) shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; and
(15) to conform any provision of this Indenture or the Securities of any series to the description of such Securities contained in the Company’s prospectus, prospectus supplement, offering memorandum or similar document with respect to the offering of the Securities of such series.
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Section 902 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange for Securities), by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, the Company, the Guarantors 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, no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected thereby:
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security;
(2) reduce the principal amount of any Security or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security or any other Security which would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502, or reduce the rate of or extend the time of payment of interest on any Security;
(3) reduce any premium payable upon the redemption of or change the date on which any Security may or must be redeemed;
(4) change the coin or currency in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Security is payable;
(5) impair the right of any Holder 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);
(6) 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;
(7) modify any of the provisions of this Section 902, Section 512 or Section 1005, 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 with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section 902 and Section 1005, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Section 611 and Section 901(7);
(8) if the Securities of any series are convertible into or for any other securities or property of the Company, make any change that adversely affects in any material respect the right to convert any Security of such series (except as permitted by Section 901) or decrease the conversion rate or increase the conversion price of any such Security of such series, unless such decrease or increase is permitted by the terms of such Security;
(9) subordinate the Securities of any series or any Guarantee of a Guarantor in respect thereof to any other obligation of the Company or such Guarantor;
(10) modify the terms of any Guarantee in a manner adverse to the Holders of Securities of a series; or
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(11) modify clauses (1) through (10) above.
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 902 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 903 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article IX or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and, subject to Section 601, shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that all conditions precedent in this Indenture to the execution of such supplemental indenture, if any, have been complied with; provided, however, that no such Opinion of Counsel shall be required in the case of any supplemental indenture executed and delivered concurrently with the original execution and delivery of this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 904 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article IX, 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 shall be bound thereby.
Section 905 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article IX shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 906 Notice of Supplemental Indenture; Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
After a supplemental indenture under Section 901 and 902 becomes effective, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee a notice briefly describing such supplemental indenture or a copy of such supplemental indenture and the Trustee shall on behalf of the Company and at the expense of the Company deliver such notice or supplemental indenture to Holders affected thereby. Any failure of the Trustee to deliver such notice, or any defect therein, or any failure of the Trustee to deliver such supplemental indenture, shall not in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article IX may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form accepted by 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 X
COVENANTS
Section 1001 Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of such series in accordance with the terms of the Securities and this Indenture. Principal and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if, on or before 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on such date, the Trustee or the Paying Agent (or, if the Company or any Subsidiary of the Corporation is the Paying Agent, the segregated account or separate trust fund maintained by the Company or such Subsidiary pursuant to Section 1003) holds in accordance with this Indenture money sufficient to pay all principal and interest then due.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the rate specified therefor in the Securities, and it shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate to the extent lawful as provided in Section 307.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Indenture, the Company, the Guarantors or the Paying Agent may, to the extent it is required to do so by law, deduct or withhold income or other similar taxes imposed by the United States of America or other domestic or foreign taxing authorities from principal or interest payments hereunder.
Section 1002 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an office or agency where Securities of such series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where Securities may be surrendered for conversion but not for service of process on the Company or Guarantors. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders and notices (except for service of process on the Company or Guarantors). Notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series and this Indenture may be served at The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19801.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies 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 in each Place of Payment 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.
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With respect to any Global Security, and except as otherwise may be specified for such Global Security as contemplated by Section 301, the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall be the Place of Payment where such Global Security may be presented or surrendered for payment or for registration of transfer or exchange, or where successor Securities may be delivered in exchange therefor; provided, however, that any such payment, presentation, surrender or delivery effected pursuant to the Applicable Procedures of the Depositary for such Global Security shall be deemed to have been effected at the Place of Payment for such Global Security in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.
Section 1003 Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date for the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of such series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities a sum sufficient to pay the principal and premium, if any, and interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, no later than 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on each due date for the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of such series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount, such sum to be held in trust for the Holders of such Securities entitled to the same, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent for 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 1003, that such Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by such Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities and shall notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment.
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.
Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, 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 or premium, if any, or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable shall 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.
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Section 1004 Statement by Officers as to Default.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and one of the two Officers signing must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer, stating whether or not, to the best knowledge of such Officer, the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture applicable to it (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 such Officer may have knowledge.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the details of such Default or Event of Default, its status and the actions which the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 1005 Waiver of Certain Covenants.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series, the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, may, with respect to the Securities of any series, omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in any covenant provided pursuant to Section 301(18), Section 901(1) or Section 901(12) for the benefit of the Holders of such series or in Article VIII, if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
ARTICLE XI
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 1101 Applicability of 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 301 for such Securities) in accordance with this Article XI.
Section 1102 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Company Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate of the Company or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of the Securities of any series (including any such redemption affecting only a single Security), the Company shall, at least 15 days prior to the date any notice of a redemption is to be given to the Holders pursuant to Section 1104 (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel certifying that the conditions precedent for such redemption have been satisfied. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate of the Company evidencing compliance with such restriction.
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Section 1103 Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed (unless all the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed or unless such redemption affects only a single Security), 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 such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate, including by lot or pro rata or, in the case of Global Securities, pursuant to the Applicable Procedures, and which may provide for the selection for redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such series; provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. If less than all the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed (unless such redemption affects only a single Security), 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 and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.
If any Security selected for partial redemption is converted in part before termination of the conversion right with respect to the portion of the Security so selected, the converted portion of such Security shall be deemed (so far as may be) to be the portion selected for redemption.
Securities which have been converted during a selection of securities to be redeemed shall be treated by the Trustee as Outstanding for the purpose of such selection.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption as aforesaid and, in case of any Securities selected for partial redemption as aforesaid, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
The provisions of the three preceding paragraphs shall not apply with respect to any redemption affecting only a single Security, whether such Security is to be redeemed in whole or in part. In the case of any such redemption in part, the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of the Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security.
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.
Section 1104 Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be transmitted not less than 15 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date (or within such period as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of a series), to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at such Holder’s address appearing in the Security Register.
All notices of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date;
(2) the Redemption Price (or the method of calculating such price);
(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series consisting of more than a single Security are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any such Securities, the respective principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed and, if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series consisting of a single Security are to be redeemed, the principal amount of the particular Security to be redeemed;
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(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date;
(5) the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price;
(6) for any Securities that by their terms may be converted, the terms of conversion, the date on which the right to convert the Security to be redeemed will terminate and the place or places where such Securities may be surrendered for conversion;
(7) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case; and
(8) if applicable, the CUSIP, ISIN or any similar numbers of the Securities of such series; provided, however, that no representation will be made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP, ISIN or any similar number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request (which may be rescinded or revoked at any time prior to the time at which the Trustee shall have given such notice to the Holders), by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company. The notice, if mailed in the manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Security designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities.
Section 1105 Deposit of Redemption Price.
By no later than 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if any of the Credit Parties is acting as Paying Agent, such Credit Party will segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date or the Securities of the series provide otherwise) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date, other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption which are owned by any of the Credit Parties and have been delivered by such Credit Party to the Trustee for cancellation. All money, if any, earned on funds held by the Paying Agent shall be remitted to the Company. In addition, the Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Company any money deposited with the Paying Agent by the Company in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the Redemption Price of, and accrued interest, if any, on, all Securities to be redeemed.
If any Security called for redemption is converted, any money deposited with the Trustee or with any Paying Agent or so segregated and held in trust for the redemption of such Security shall (subject to any right of the Holder of such Security or any Predecessor Security to receive interest as provided in the last paragraph of Section 307 or in the terms of such Security) be paid to the Company upon Company Request or, if then held by the Company, shall be discharged from such trust.
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Section 1106 Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, 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 Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together, if applicable, with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant record dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307; provided further that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, if the Redemption Date is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the Interest Payment Date, the accrued and unpaid interest shall be payable to the Holder of the redeemed Securities registered on the relevant Regular Record Date.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and premium, if any, shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
Section 1107 Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a 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 such Holder’s 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 such Holder, in principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE XII
SINKING FUNDS
Section 1201 Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article XII shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of any series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of any series of Securities 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 such Securities is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of any series of Securities, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 1202. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of the series as provided for by the terms of such Securities.
Section 1202 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (1) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other than any previously called for redemption) and (2) may apply as a credit 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
52
satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to any Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as and to the extent provided for by the terms of such Securities; provided that the Securities to be so credited have not been previously so credited. The Securities to be so credited shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price, as specified in the Securities so to be redeemed, for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 1203 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 60 days (or such shorter period as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for such Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, 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 pursuant to Section 1202 and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days prior to 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 1103 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 1104. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 1106 and 1107.
ARTICLE XIII
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 1301 Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301, Sections 1302 and 1303 shall apply to all Securities and each series of Securities, denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate, in accordance with any applicable requirements provided pursuant to Section 301 and upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII; and the Company may elect, at its option at any time, to have Section 1302 and Section 1303 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, designated pursuant to Section 301 as being defeasible pursuant to such Section 1302 or Section 1303, in accordance with any applicable requirements provided pursuant to Section 301 and upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII. Any such election shall be evidenced by a Company Resolution, Officers’ Certificate of the Company or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities.
Section 1302 Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company’s exercise of its option, if any, to have this Section 1302 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, or if this Section 1302 shall otherwise apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, the Company and the Guarantors shall be deemed to have been discharged from their respective obligations with respect to such Securities and related Guarantees as provided in this Section 1302 on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that each of the Company and the Guarantors shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by such Securities and Guarantees and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and Guarantees and this Indenture insofar as such Securities and Guarantees are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), subject to the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (1) the rights of Holders of such Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 1304
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and as more fully set forth in such Section 1305, payments in respect of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities when payments are due, (2) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities and the Guarantors’ obligations with respect to such Guarantees under Sections 304, 305, 306, 1002 and 1003, (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (4) this Article XIII. Subject to compliance with this Article XIII, the Company or the Guarantors may exercise their option, if any, to have this Section 1302 applied to the Securities of any series and the related Guarantees notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option, if any, to have Section 1303 applied to such Securities and Guarantees.
Section 1303 Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company’s exercise of its option, if any, to have this Section 1303 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, or if this Section 1303 shall otherwise apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, (1) the Company and the Guarantors shall be released from their respective obligations under Section 801 and any covenants provided pursuant to Section 301(18), Section 901(1) or Section 901(12) for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Section 501(4) and Section 501(8) shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with respect to such Securities and Guarantees as provided in this Section 1303 on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to such Securities and Guarantees, each of the Company and the Guarantors may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section, whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities and Guarantees shall be unaffected thereby.
Section 1304 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to the application of Section 1302 or 1303 to any Securities or any series of Securities:
(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee which satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 609 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article XIII applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefits of the Holders of such Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities on the respective Stated Maturities, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and such Securities.
(2) In the event of an election to have Section 1302 apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case (A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.
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(3) In the event of an election to have Section 1303 apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.
(4) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company to the effect that neither such Securities nor any other Securities of the same series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will be delisted as a result of such deposit.
(5) No Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities or any other Securities shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, insofar as Section 501(5) or Section 501(6) are concerned, at any time on or prior to the 90th day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until after such 90th day).
(6) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.
(7) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with (in each case, subject to the satisfaction of the condition in clause (5)).
Before or after a deposit, the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities at a future date in accordance with Article XI.
Section 1305 Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section 1305 and Section 1306, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 1304 in respect of any Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and premium, if any, and interest, but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 1304 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities; provided that the Trustee shall be entitled to charge any such tax, fee or other charge to such Holder’s account.
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Anything in this Article XIII to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 1304 with respect to any Securities which are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect the Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, as the case may be, with respect to such Securities.
Section 1306 Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article XIII with respect to any Securities by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the obligations under this Indenture and such Securities and Guarantees from which the Company and the Guarantors have been discharged or released pursuant to Section 1302 or 1303 shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article XIII with respect to such Securities and Guarantees, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 1305 with respect to such Securities and Guarantees in accordance with this Article XIII; provided, however, that (a) if the Company or the Guarantors makes any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any such Security following such reinstatement of its obligations, the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, shall be subrogated to the rights, if any, of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money so held in trust and (b) unless otherwise required by any legal proceeding or any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall return all such money and U.S. Government Obligations to the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, promptly after receiving a written request therefor at any time, if such reinstatement of the obligations of the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, has occurred and continues to be in effect.
ARTICLE XIV
GUARANTEE OF SECURITIES
Section 1401 Guarantee.
Each Guarantor hereby jointly and severally and fully and unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a Security authenticated and delivered by the Trustee hereunder, and to the Trustee on behalf of each such Holder, the due and punctual payment in full of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Security when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal and (to the extent permitted by law) interest, if any, on such Security (collectively, the “Obligations”), in accordance with the terms of such Security and this Indenture. If the Company shall fail to pay when due any Obligations, for whatever reason, each Guarantor shall be jointly and severally obligated to pay in cash the same promptly. An Event of Default under this Indenture or the Security of any series shall entitle the Holders of such Securities to accelerate the Obligations of the Guarantors hereunder in the same manner and to the same extent as the Obligations of the Company.
Section 1402 Additional Guarantors.
The Company and each Guarantor shall cause each New Holdings Partnership Entity (other than a Non-Guarantor Entity) to become a Guarantor pursuant to this Indenture and provide a Guarantee in respect of the Securities.
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Section 1403 Waiver.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor hereby waives the benefits of diligence, presentment, demand for payment, any requirement that the Trustee or any of the Holders exhaust any right or take any action against the Company or any other Person, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest or notice with respect to any Security or the indebtedness evidenced thereby and all demands whatsoever, and covenants that no Guarantee will be discharged in respect of any Security except by complete performance of the Obligations contained in such Security and in this Article.
Section 1404 Guarantee of Payment.
Each Guarantee shall constitute a guarantee of payment when due and not a guarantee of collection. The Guarantors hereby agree that, in the event of a default in payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Security, whether at its Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, legal proceedings may be instituted by the Trustee on behalf of, or by, the Holder of such Security, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Indenture, directly against the Guarantors to enforce the Guarantee without first proceeding against the Company.
Section 1405 No Discharge or Diminishment of Guarantee.
Subject to Section 1410, the obligations of each of the Guarantors hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional and not be subject to any reduction, limitation, termination or impairment for any reason (other than the payment in full in cash of the Obligations), including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise of any of the Obligations, and shall not be subject to any defense or setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Securities, this Indenture or the Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each of the Guarantors hereunder shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of the Trustee or any Holder of the Securities to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Indenture or any Security, any other guarantee or any other agreement, by any waiver, modification or indulgence of any provision thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the Obligations, by any release of any other Guarantor pursuant to Section 1410 or by any other act or omission or delay to do any other act that may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Guarantor or that would otherwise operate as a discharge of any Guarantor as a matter of law or equity (other than the payment in full in cash of all the Obligations); provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, no such waiver, modification or indulgence shall, without the consent of the Guarantors, increase the principal amount of such Security, or increase the interest rate thereon, change any redemption provisions thereof (including any change to increase any premium payable upon redemption thereof) or change the Stated Maturity of any payment thereon, or increase the principal amount of any Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration or the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502 of this Indenture.
Section 1406 Defenses of Company Waived.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, each of the Guarantors waives any defense based on or arising out of any defense of the Company or any other Guarantor or the unenforceability of the Obligations or any part thereof from any cause, or the cessation from any cause of the liability of the Company, other than final payment in full in cash of the Obligations. Each of the Guarantors waives any defense arising out of any such election even though such election operates to impair or to extinguish any right of reimbursement or subrogation or other right or remedy of each of the Guarantors against the Company or any security.
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Section 1407 Continued Effectiveness.
Subject to Section 1410, each of the Guarantors further agrees that its Guarantee with respect to any Security hereunder shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be irrevocable notwithstanding any petition filed by or against the Company for liquidation or reorganization, the Company becoming insolvent or making an assignment for the benefit of creditors or a receiver or trustee being appointed for all or any significant part of the Company’s assets, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or interest on any Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by the Trustee or any Holder of any Security, whether as a “voidable preference,” “fraudulent transfer” upon bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise, all as though such payment or performance had not been made, until the date upon which the entire Obligation, if any, and interest on such Security has been, or has been deemed pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture to have been paid in full. In the event that any payment, or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned on any Security, such Security shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be reinstated and deemed paid only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.
Section 1408 Subrogation.
In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right of each of the Guarantors by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay any Obligation when and as the same shall become due, each of the Guarantors hereby promises to and will, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee or any Holder of the Securities of any series, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, to the Holders in cash the amount of such unpaid Obligations, and thereupon the Holders shall, assign (except to the extent that such assignment would render a Guarantor a “creditor” of the Company within the meaning of Section 547 of Title 11 of the United States Code as now in effect or hereafter amended or any comparable provision of any successor statute) the amount of the Obligations owed to it and paid by such Guarantor pursuant to this Guarantee to such Guarantor, such assignment to be pro rata to the extent the Obligations in question were discharged by such Guarantor, or make such other disposition thereof as such Guarantor shall direct (all without recourse to the Holders, and without any representation or warranty by the Holders). If (a) a Guarantor shall make payment to the Holders of all or any part of the Obligations and (b) all the Obligations and all other amounts payable under this Indenture shall be paid in full, the Trustee will, at such Guarantor’s request, execute and deliver to such Guarantor appropriate documents, without recourse and without representation or warranty, necessary to evidence the transfer by subrogation to such Guarantor of an interest in the Obligations resulting from such payment by such Guarantor.
Section 1409 Subordination.
Upon payment by any Guarantor of any sums to the Holders, as provided above, all rights of such Guarantor against the Company, arising as a result thereof by way of right of subrogation or otherwise, shall in all respects be subordinated and junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full in cash of all the Obligations to the Trustee; provided, however, that any right of subrogation that such Guarantor may have pursuant to this Indenture is subject to Section 1408.
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Section 1410 Release of Guarantor and Termination of Guarantee.
A Guarantor shall, upon the occurrence of any of the following events, be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from all obligations under this Indenture and its Guarantee without any action required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder; provided that such Guarantor would not, immediately after such release and discharge, be required to become a Guarantor pursuant to Section 1402:
(1) at any time such Guarantor is not the Corporation and is sold or disposed of (whether by merger, consolidation or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets) to an entity that is not required to become a Guarantor, if such sale or disposition is otherwise in compliance with this Indenture;
(2) such Guarantor is designated a Non-Guarantor Entity in accordance with this Indenture; or
(3) the Company effects a Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance in accordance with Article XIII hereof.
The Company may designate any Person as a “Non-Guarantor Entity” if (i) such Person is directly or indirectly wholly owned by one or more of the Credit Parties or (ii) such Person, together with all then-existing Non-Guarantor Entities designated pursuant to this clause (ii) on a combined and consolidated basis and taken as a whole, would not constitute a Significant Subsidiary (the foregoing, the “Non-Guarantor Limitation”). The Company may also, from time to time, remove the designation of any Person as a Non-Guarantor Entity and must remove the designation as to one or more Non-Guarantor Entities designated pursuant to clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence to the extent as of the end of any fiscal quarter such Non-Guarantor Entities exceed the Non-Guarantor Limitation. Any such designation or removal by the Company shall be evidenced to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a Company Resolution giving effect to such designation or removal, and in the case of a designation, a certificate of a financial officer of the Company certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions. The Company shall promptly file with the Trustee a notice of any such release of a Guarantor in accordance with this Indenture.
The Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing such release upon receipt of a request of the Company accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate certifying as to the compliance with this Section.
Section 1411 Limitation of Guarantors’ Liability.
Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance hereof each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Guarantee by such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Title 11 of the United States Code, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Guarantor. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Holders and such Guarantor hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Guarantor under this Indenture and its Guarantee shall be limited to the maximum aggregate amount which, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor, and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of, any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under this Indenture, will result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee not constituting such fraudulent transfer or conveyance.
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Each Guarantee is expressly limited so that in no event, including the acceleration of the Maturity of the Securities, shall the amount paid or agreed to be paid in respect of interest on the Securities (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) exceed the maximum permissible amount under applicable law, as in effect on the date hereof and as subsequently amended or modified to allow a greater amount of interest (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) to be paid under such Guarantee. If for any reason the amount in respect of interest (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) required by a Guarantee exceeds such maximum permissible amount, the obligation to pay interest under such Guarantee (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) shall be automatically reduced to such maximum permissible amount and any amounts collected by any Holder of any Security in excess of the permissible amount shall be automatically applied to reduce the outstanding principal on such Security.
Section 1412 No Obligation to Take Action Against the Company.
Neither the Trustee, any Holder nor any other Person shall have any obligation to enforce or exhaust any rights or remedies or take any other steps under any security for the Obligations or against the Company or any other Person or any property of the Company or any other Person before the Trustee, such Holder or such other Person is entitled to demand payment and performance by any or all Guarantors of their liabilities and obligations under their Guarantee.
Section 1413 Execution and Delivery.
To evidence its Guarantee set forth in this Article XIV, each Guarantor hereby agrees that this Indenture shall be executed on behalf of such Guarantor by an Officer of such Guarantor, and in the case of any New Holdings Partnership Entity that becomes a Guarantor in accordance with this Indenture, such New Holdings Partnership Entity’s Guarantee shall be evidenced by the execution and delivery on behalf of such New Holdings Partnership Entity of a supplemental indenture hereto by an Officer of such New Holdings Partnership Entity.
Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Guarantee set forth in this Article XIV shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the absence of the endorsement of any notation of such Guarantee on any Securities.
If an Officer whose signature is on this Indenture no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates any Security, the Guarantee shall be valid nevertheless.
The delivery of any Security by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, shall constitute due delivery of the Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Guarantors.
* * *
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Indenture or any document to be signed in connection with this Indenture shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., as Issuer | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Inc., as Guarantor | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings I L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
| Blackstone Holdings II L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings III L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings III GP L.P. , its general partner | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings III GP Management L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings IV GP L.P., its general partner | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings IV GP Management (Delaware) L.P., its general partner | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings IV GP Management L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
| The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
SCHEDULE I
GUARANTORS
Blackstone Inc., a Delaware corporation
Blackstone Holdings I L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
Blackstone Holdings II L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
Blackstone Holdings III L.P., a Québec société en commandite
Blackstone Holdings IV L.P., a Québec société en commandite
Schedule I-1
Exhibit 4.6
SUBORDINATED INDENTURE
Dated as of [•], [•]
Among
BLACKSTONE REG FINANCE CO. L.L.C.,
As Issuer,
THE GUARANTORS NAMED HEREIN
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.,
as Trustee
CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THIS INDENTURE
RELATING TO SECTIONS 310 THROUGH 318 INCLUSIVE,
OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939
| Trust Indenture Act Section |
Indenture Section | |
| Section 310(a)(1) |
Section 609 | |
| (a)(2) |
Section 609 | |
| (a)(3) |
Not Applicable | |
| (a)(4) |
Not Applicable | |
| (b) |
Section 608 | |
| Section 610 | ||
| Section 311(a) |
Section 613 | |
| (b) |
Section 613 | |
| Section 312(a) |
Section 701 | |
| Section 702 | ||
| (b) |
Section 702 | |
| (c) |
Section 702 | |
| Section 313(a) |
Section 703 | |
| (b) |
Section 703 | |
| (c) |
Section 703 | |
| (d) |
Section 703 | |
| Section 314(a) |
Section 704 | |
| (a)(4) |
Section 1004 | |
| (b) |
Not Applicable | |
| (c)(1) |
Section 102 | |
| (c)(2) |
Section 102 | |
| (c)(3) |
Not Applicable | |
| (d) |
Not Applicable | |
| (e) |
Section 102 | |
| Section 315(a) |
Section 601 | |
| (b) |
Section 602 | |
| (c) |
Section 601 | |
| (d) |
Section 601 | |
| (e) |
Section 513 | |
| Section 316(a) |
Section 101 | |
| (a)(1)(A) |
Section 502 | |
| Section 511 | ||
| (a)(1)(B) |
Section 512 | |
| (a)(2) |
Not Applicable | |
| (b) |
Section 508 | |
| (c) |
Section 104 | |
| Section 317(a)(1) |
Section 504 | |
| (a)(2) |
Section 504 | |
| (b) |
Section 1003 | |
| Section 318(a) |
Section 107 |
NOTE: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of this Indenture.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||||||
| ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION | 1 | |||||||
|
|
Section 101 |
Definitions |
1 | |||||
| Section 102 |
Compliance Certificates and Opinions |
9 | ||||||
| Section 103 |
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee |
9 | ||||||
| Section 104 |
Acts of Holders; Record Dates |
10 | ||||||
| Section 105 |
Notices, Etc., to Trustee, Company and Guarantors |
11 | ||||||
| Section 106 |
Notice to Holders; Waiver |
12 | ||||||
| Section 107 |
Conflict with Trust Indenture Act |
13 | ||||||
| Section 108 |
Effect of Headings and Table of Contents |
13 | ||||||
| Section 109 |
Successors and Assigns |
13 | ||||||
| Section 110 |
Separability Clause |
13 | ||||||
| Section 111 |
Benefits of Indenture |
13 | ||||||
| Section 112 |
Governing Law, Jurisdiction, Venue |
13 | ||||||
| Section 113 |
Legal Holidays |
14 | ||||||
| Section 114 |
No Recourse Against Others |
14 | ||||||
| Section 115 |
Waiver of Jury Trial |
14 | ||||||
| Section 116 |
Compliance with Applicable Law |
14 | ||||||
| ARTICLE II SECURITY FORMS | 15 | |||||||
| Section 201 |
Forms Generally |
15 | ||||||
| Section 202 |
Form of Legend for Global Securities |
15 | ||||||
| Section 203 |
Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication |
16 | ||||||
| ARTICLE III THE SECURITIES | 17 | |||||||
| Section 301 |
Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series |
17 | ||||||
| Section 302 |
Denominations |
20 | ||||||
| Section 303 |
Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating |
20 | ||||||
| Section 304 |
Temporary Securities |
21 | ||||||
| Section 305 |
Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange |
21 | ||||||
| Section 306 |
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities |
23 | ||||||
| Section 307 |
Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved |
24 | ||||||
| Section 308 |
Persons Deemed Owners |
25 | ||||||
| Section 309 |
Cancellation |
25 | ||||||
| Section 310 |
Computation of Interest |
25 | ||||||
| Section 311 |
CUSIP or ISIN Numbers |
26 | ||||||
| Section 312 |
Original Issue Discount |
26 | ||||||
| Section 313 |
General Provisions Relating to Global Securities |
26 | ||||||
| ARTICLE IV SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE | 27 | |||||||
| Section 401 |
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture |
27 | ||||||
| Section 402 |
Application of Trust Money |
28 | ||||||
| ARTICLE V REMEDIES | 28 | |||||||
| Section 501 |
Events of Default |
28 | ||||||
| Section 502 |
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment |
30 | ||||||
| Section 503 |
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee |
31 | ||||||
| Section 504 |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
31 | ||||||
ii
|
|
Section 505 |
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities |
32 | |||||
| Section 506 |
Application of Money Collected |
32 | ||||||
| Section 507 |
Limitation on Suits |
32 | ||||||
| Section 508 |
Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest and to Convert Securities |
33 | ||||||
| Section 509 |
Rights and Remedies Cumulative |
33 | ||||||
| Section 510 |
Delay or Omission Not Waiver |
33 | ||||||
| Section 511 |
Control by Holders |
33 | ||||||
| Section 512 |
Waiver of Past Defaults |
34 | ||||||
| Section 513 |
Undertaking for Costs |
34 | ||||||
| Section 514 |
Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws |
34 | ||||||
| Section 515 |
Restoration of Rights and Remedies |
34 | ||||||
| ARTICLE VI THE TRUSTEE | 35 | |||||||
| Section 601 |
Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee |
35 | ||||||
| Section 602 |
Notice of Defaults |
36 | ||||||
| Section 603 |
Certain Rights of Trustee |
36 | ||||||
| Section 604 |
Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities |
38 | ||||||
| Section 605 |
May Hold Securities |
38 | ||||||
| Section 606 |
Money Held in Trust |
38 | ||||||
| Section 607 |
Compensation and Reimbursement |
38 | ||||||
| Section 608 |
Conflicting Interests |
39 | ||||||
| Section 609 |
Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility |
39 | ||||||
| Section 610 |
Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor |
39 | ||||||
| Section 611 |
Acceptance of Appointment by Successor |
41 | ||||||
| Section 612 |
Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business |
42 | ||||||
| Section 613 |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company |
42 | ||||||
| Section 614 |
Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company |
42 | ||||||
| ARTICLE VII HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE TRUSTEE, THE COMPANY AND THE GUARANTORS | 43 | |||||||
| Section 701 |
Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders |
43 | ||||||
| Section 702 |
Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders |
43 | ||||||
| Section 703 |
Reports by Trustee |
43 | ||||||
| Section 704 |
Reports by the Company and the Guarantors |
43 | ||||||
| ARTICLE VIII CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE OF ASSETS AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS | 44 | |||||||
| Section 801 |
Company and Guarantors May Merge or Transfer Assets on Certain Terms |
44 | ||||||
| Section 802 |
Successor Person Substituted |
44 | ||||||
| ARTICLE IX SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES | 44 | |||||||
| Section 901 |
Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders |
44 | ||||||
| Section 902 |
Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders |
46 | ||||||
| Section 903 |
Execution of Supplemental Indentures |
47 | ||||||
| Section 904 |
Effect of Supplemental Indentures |
47 | ||||||
| Section 905 |
Conformity with Trust Indenture Act |
47 | ||||||
| Section 906 |
Notice of Supplemental Indenture; Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures |
47 | ||||||
iii
| ARTICLE X COVENANTS | 48 | |||||||
|
|
Section 1001 |
Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest |
48 | |||||
| Section 1002 |
Maintenance of Office or Agency |
48 | ||||||
| Section 1003 |
Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust |
49 | ||||||
| Section 1004 |
Statement by Officers as to Default |
50 | ||||||
| Section 1005 |
Waiver of Certain Covenants |
50 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XI REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES | 50 | |||||||
| Section 1101 |
Applicability of Article |
50 | ||||||
| Section 1102 |
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee |
50 | ||||||
| Section 1103 |
Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed |
51 | ||||||
| Section 1104 |
Notice of Redemption |
51 | ||||||
| Section 1105 |
Deposit of Redemption Price |
52 | ||||||
| Section 1106 |
Securities Payable on Redemption Date |
53 | ||||||
| Section 1107 |
Securities Redeemed in Part |
53 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XII SINKING FUNDS | 53 | |||||||
| Section 1201 |
Applicability of Article |
53 | ||||||
| Section 1202 |
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities |
53 | ||||||
| Section 1203 |
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund |
54 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XIII DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE | 54 | |||||||
| Section 1301 |
Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
54 | ||||||
| Section 1302 |
Defeasance and Discharge |
54 | ||||||
| Section 1303 |
Covenant Defeasance |
55 | ||||||
| Section 1304 |
Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
55 | ||||||
| Section 1305 |
Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions |
56 | ||||||
| Section 1306 |
Reinstatement |
57 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XIV GUARANTEE OF SECURITIES | 57 | |||||||
| Section 1401 |
Guarantee |
57 | ||||||
| Section 1402 |
Additional Guarantors |
57 | ||||||
| Section 1403 |
Waiver |
58 | ||||||
| Section 1404 |
Guarantee of Payment |
58 | ||||||
| Section 1405 |
No Discharge or Diminishment of Guarantee |
58 | ||||||
| Section 1406 |
Defenses of Company Waived |
58 | ||||||
| Section 1407 |
Continued Effectiveness |
59 | ||||||
| Section 1408 |
Subrogation |
59 | ||||||
| Section 1409 |
Subordination |
59 | ||||||
| Section 1410 |
Release of Guarantor and Termination of Guarantee |
60 | ||||||
| Section 1411 |
Limitation of Guarantors’ Liability |
60 | ||||||
| Section 1412 |
No Obligation to Take Action Against the Company |
61 | ||||||
| Section 1413 |
Execution and Delivery |
61 | ||||||
| ARTICLE XV SUBORDINATION | 61 | |||||||
| Section 1501 |
Agreement to Subordinate |
61 | ||||||
| Section 1502 |
Rights of Senior Indebtedness in the Event of Insolvency, Etc., of the Company |
62 | ||||||
| Section 1503 |
Payment Over of Proceeds Received on Securities |
62 | ||||||
| Section 1504 |
Payments to Holders |
63 | ||||||
| Section 1505 |
Holders of Securities Authorize Trustee to Effectuate Subordination of Securities |
64 | ||||||
iv
|
|
Section 1506 |
Notice to Trustee |
64 | |||||
| Section 1507 |
Trustee May Hold Senior Indebtedness |
64 | ||||||
| Section 1508 |
Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness |
64 | ||||||
| Section 1509 |
Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent |
65 | ||||||
| Section 1510 |
Applicability of Article XV to Paying Agents |
65 |
v
INDENTURE, dated as of [•], [•], among Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., a limited liability company duly organized and existing under the laws of Delaware (herein called the “Company”), each of the Guarantors named herein (the “Guarantors”) and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).
RECITALS
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured subordinated debt securities (herein called the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as provided in this Indenture.
Each Guarantor has duly authorized its guarantee of the Securities (the “Guarantees”) and to provide therefor each Guarantor has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of each of the Company and the Guarantors, 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 (as defined herein) thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of any series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 101 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) the terms defined in this Article I have the meanings assigned to them in this Article I and include the plural as well as the singular;
(2) 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;
(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with GAAP;
(4) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an “Article,” a “Section” or a “Schedule” refers to an Article, a Section or a Schedule, as the case may be, of this Indenture;
(5) 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;
(6) “including” means including without limitation;
(7) when used with respect to any Security, the words “convert,” “converted” and “conversion” are intended to refer to the right of the Holder, the Company or the Guarantors to convert or exchange such Security into or for securities or other property in accordance with such terms, if any, as may hereafter be specified for such Security as contemplated by Section 301, and these words are not
intended to refer to any right of the Holder, the Company or the Guarantors to exchange such Security for other Securities of the same series and of like tenor pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1107 or another similar provisions of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires; and references herein to the terms of any Security that may be converted mean such terms as may be specified for such Security as contemplated in Section 301; and
(8) unless otherwise provided, references to agreements and other instruments shall be deemed to include all amendments and other modifications to such agreements and instruments, but only to the extent such amendments and other modifications are not prohibited by the terms of this Indenture.
“Act,” when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 104.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“Applicable Law” has the meaning specified in Section 116.
“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to a Depositary, as to any matter at any time, the policies and procedures of such Depositary, if any, that are applicable to such matter at such time.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, United States Code, or any similar Federal or state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.
“Business Day” means, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, which is not a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close in that Place of Payment.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the execution of this Indenture 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.
“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture 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” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed by or on behalf of the Company by any Officer, manager, member or partner thereof (or any Person designated in writing as authorized to execute and deliver Company Requests and Company Orders), and delivered to the Trustee.
“Company Resolution” means a copy of one or more resolutions certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the member or members of the Company or board of managers of the Company, as the case may be, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification and delivered to the Trustee.
2
“Corporate Trust Office” means the principal office of the Trustee at which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be conducted (or any successor division or unit), which office is located as of the date of this Indenture at The Bank of New York Trust Company, 500 Ross Street, 12th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15262, Attention: Corporate Trust, Email: Nestor.F.Tapia@bnymellon.com, or at any other time at such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Company).
“Corporation” means Blackstone Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1303.
“Credit Group” means the Credit Parties and the Credit Parties’ direct and indirect Subsidiaries (to the extent of their economic ownership interest in such Subsidiaries) taken as a whole.
“Credit Parties” means the Company and the Guarantors.
“Custodian” means any custodian, receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or other similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 307.
“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 1302.
“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated to act as Depositary for such Securities as contemplated by Section 301.
“Electronic Means” shall mean the following communications methods: e-mail, secure electronic transmission containing applicable authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys issued by the Trustee, or another method or system specified by the Trustee as available for use in connection with its services hereunder.
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 501.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any statute successor thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
“Expiration Date” has the meaning specified in Section 104.
“FATCA Withholding Tax” shall mean any withholding or deduction required pursuant to an agreement described in Section 1471(b) of the Internal Revenue Code or otherwise imposed pursuant to Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code (or any regulations or agreements thereunder or official interpretations thereof) or any intergovernmental agreement between the United States and another jurisdiction facilitating the implementation thereof (or any law implementing such an intergovernmental agreement).
3
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (including, if applicable, International Financial Reporting Standards) as in effect from time to time.
“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of the Securities of any series and bears the legend set forth in Section 202 (or such legend as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities).
“Guarantees” has the meaning specified in the second recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Guarantee made by each of the Guarantors as set forth in Article XIV hereof.
“Guarantors” means (i) each of the Persons listed on Schedule I attached hereto and (ii) in the future, any New Holdings Partnership Entity that becomes a Guarantor pursuant to Article XIV, but in each case excluding Persons who cease to be Guarantors in accordance with this Indenture.
“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.
“Indebtedness” means (a) any obligation of, or any obligation guaranteed by, the Issuer or any Guarantor for which such Person is responsible or liable as obligor or otherwise including principal, premium and interest (whether accruing before or after filing of any petition in bankruptcy or any similar proceedings by or against us and whether or not allowed as a claim in bankruptcy or similar proceedings) for (i) indebtedness for money borrowed, (ii) indebtedness evidenced by securities, bonds, debentures, notes or other similar written instruments, (iii) any deferred obligation for the payment of the purchase price or conditional sale obligation of property or assets acquired other than in the ordinary course of business, (iv) all obligations for the reimbursement of any letter of credit, banker’s acceptance, security purchase facility or similar credit transaction, (v) all obligations under “keep-well” agreements required by insurance regulators or (vi) any obligation referred to in (i) through (v) above of other persons secured by any lien on any property or asset of the Credit Parties (to the extent of the value of such property or asset subject to such lien) and (b) all indebtedness for obligations to make payment in respect of derivative products such as interest and foreign exchange rate contracts, commodity contracts (including future or options contracts), swap agreements, cap agreements, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements and similar arrangements, whether outstanding on the first issuance of the notes or thereafter created, assumed or incurred.
“Indebtedness Ranking Junior to the Securities” means any Indebtedness, whether outstanding on the date of the first issuance of Securities of a series or thereafter created, assumed or incurred, which specifically by its terms ranks junior to and not equally with or prior to such Securities (and any Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with such Securities) in right of payment upon the Issuer’s or any Guarantor’s dissolution, winding-up, liquidation, reorganization, or similar events. The securing of any Indebtedness in compliance with the Indenture, otherwise constituting Indebtedness Ranking Junior to such Securities, shall not be deemed to prevent such Indebtedness from constituting Indebtedness Ranking Junior to such Securities.
“Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with the Securities” means Indebtedness, whether outstanding on the date of first issuance of Securities of a series or thereafter created, assumed or incurred, which specifically by its terms ranks equally with and not prior to such Securities in right of payment upon the Issuer’s or any Guarantor’s dissolution, winding-up, liquidation, reorganization or similar events. The securing of any Indebtedness in compliance with the Indenture, otherwise constituting Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with such Securities, shall not be deemed to prevent such Indebtedness from constituting Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with such Securities.
4
“Indenture” means this Indenture as originally executed and 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, including, for all purposes of this Indenture and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this Indenture and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term “Indenture” shall also include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301.
“Insignificant Guarantor” means a Guarantor (or a group of Guarantors taken together) that would not, on a combined and consolidated basis and taken as a whole together with all then-existing Non-Guarantor Entities designated pursuant to clause (ii) of the definition of Non-Guarantor Entity set forth in Section 1410, constitute a Significant Subsidiary.
“Interest” means, when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, interest payable after Maturity.
“Interest Payment Date” means, when used with respect to any Security, the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Internal Revenue Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
“Maturity” means, when used with respect to any Security, 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.
“New Holdings Partnership Entity” means any Subsidiary (other than a directly or indirectly wholly owned Subsidiary) of the Corporation other than (i) a then-existing Guarantor, (ii) any Person in which the Corporation directly or indirectly owns its interest through one or more of the then-existing Guarantors or (iii) any Person through which the Corporation directly or indirectly owns its interests in one or more the then-existing Guarantors.
“Non-Guarantor Entity” means any Person so designated by the Company pursuant to Section 1410.
“Non-Guarantor Limitation” has the meaning specified in Section 1410.
“Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 501.
“Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 1401.
“Obligor” has the meaning given to such term in the Trust Indenture Act.
“Officer” means the Chairman, any Vice Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, any Corporate Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Principal Accounting Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting Officer, the Chief Legal Officer, any Senior Managing Director, any Managing Director, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Company or any Guarantor (or any sole or managing member or general partner of the Company or any Guarantor), as the case may be, or, in the case of the Company, any Person designated as a manager pursuant to the limited liability company agreement of the Company.
5
“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers of the Company or any Guarantor (or any sole or managing member or general partner of the Company or any Guarantor), as the case may be, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel (who may be counsel for, including an employee of, the Company or for any Guarantor) and which opinion shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
“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 Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502.
“Outstanding” means, when used with respect to Securities, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(1) Securities theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(2) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust or set aside and segregated in trust by the Company (if the Company shall act as Paying Agent) for the Holders of such Securities; 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;
(3) Securities as to which Defeasance has been effected pursuant to Section 1302;
(4) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 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 bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company; and
(5) Securities as to which any property deliverable upon conversion thereof has been delivered (or such delivery has been made available), or as to which any other particular conditions have been satisfied, in each case as may be provided for such Securities as contemplated in Section 301; provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given, made or taken any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action hereunder as of any date, (A) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof which would be due and payable as of such date upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof to such date pursuant to Section 502, (B) if, as of such date, the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of a Security is not determinable, the principal amount of such Security which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount as specified or determined as contemplated by Section 301, (C) the principal amount of a Security denominated in one or more foreign currencies, composite currencies or currency units which shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined as of such date in the manner provided as contemplated by Section 301, of the principal amount of such Security (or, in the case of a Security described in clause (A) or (B) above, of the amount determined as provided in such clause), and (D) Securities owned by the Company, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, any Guarantor or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding (except in the case where the Securities are 100% owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company), except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall
6
be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, only Securities which a Responsible Officer 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 pledgee is not the Company, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company, any Guarantor or such other obligor.
“Paying Agent” means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company or any Guarantor.
“Permitted Jurisdictions” has the meaning specified in Section 801(a)(1).
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.
“Place of Payment” means, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of such series are payable as specified as contemplated by Section 301.
“Predecessor Security” means, with respect to any particular Security, 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 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
“Redemption Date” means, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
“Redemption Price” means, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
“Regular Record Date” means, for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series, the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 301.
“Responsible Officer” means with respect to the Trustee, an officer of the Trustee located at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture and, for the purposes of Section 601(3)(B) and the second sentence of Section 602, shall also include any other officer of the Trustee to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
“Securities” has the meaning specified in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the U.S. 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 305.
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“Senior Indebtedness” means all Indebtedness, whether outstanding on the date of the first issuance of Securities of a series or thereafter created, assumed or incurred, except Indebtedness Ranking on a Parity with such Securities or Indebtedness Ranking Junior to such Securities, and any deferrals, renewals or extensions of such Senior Indebtedness. Senior Indebtedness does not include obligations to trade creditors created or assumed by any of the Credit Parties in the ordinary course of business, which will rank pari passu with the Securities in right of payment upon liquidation.
“Significant Subsidiary” means a “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act or any successor provision) of the Corporation.
“Special Record Date” means, for the payment of any Defaulted Interest, a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.
“Stated Maturity” means, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, 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.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of a Person that is or would be consolidated with such Person in the preparation of segment information with respect to the combined financial statements of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP, but shall not include (a) any private equity fund, real estate fund, hedge fund or other investment fund or vehicle or (b) any portfolio company of any such fund or vehicle.
“Substantially All Merger” means a merger or consolidation of one or more Credit Parties with or into another Person that would, in one or a series of related transactions, result in the transfer or other disposition, directly or indirectly, of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Credit Group to a Person that is not within the Credit Group immediately prior to such transaction.
“Substantially All Sale” means a sale, assignment, transfer, lease or conveyance to any other Person, in one or a series of related transactions, directly or indirectly, of all or substantially all of the properties and assets of the Credit Group to a Person that is not within the Credit Group immediately prior to such transaction.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this Indenture was executed; provided, however, that in the event 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.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture 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 such series.
“U.S. Government Obligation” means (x) any security which is (i) a direct obligation of the United States of America for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged or (ii) an obligation of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case (i) or (ii), is not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and (y) any depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act) as custodian with respect to any U.S. Government
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Obligation which is specified in clause (x) above and held by such bank for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt, or with respect to any specific payment of principal of or interest on any U.S. Government Obligation which is so specified and held; 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 depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal or interest evidenced by such depositary receipt.
“Vice President” means, when used with respect to the Company or any Guarantor (or any sole or managing member or general partner of the Company or any Guarantor) or the Trustee, any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president.”
Section 102 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company or any Guarantor to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company or such Guarantor, as the case may be, shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (except for certificates provided for in Section 1004) shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him or her to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 103 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.
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Any certificate or opinion of an Officer 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 such Officer’s certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Officer or Officers stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company or a Guarantor, as the case may be, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Section 104 Acts of Holders; Record Dates.
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 may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company or the Guarantors. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and, subject to Section 601, conclusive in favor of the Trustee, the Company and the Guarantors, if made in the manner provided in this Section 104.
The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved in any manner which the Trustee reasonably deems sufficient. Where such execution is by a Person acting in a capacity other than such Person’s individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of such Person’s authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient. The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of 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, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee, any Security Registrar, any Paying Agent or the Company or any Guarantor in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
The Company or any Guarantor may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series 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 of such series; provided that none of the Company or any Guarantor may 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 of the relevant series 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 by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date. Nothing in this paragraph shall be
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construed to prevent the Company or any Guarantor 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 of the relevant series on the date such action is taken. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company or any Guarantor, 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 of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 106.
The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 502, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 507(2) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 511, in each case with respect to Securities of such series. If any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series 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 of such series 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 of the relevant series 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 and the Guarantors in writing and to each Holder of Securities of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 106.
With respect to any record date set pursuant to this Section 104, 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 of the relevant series in the manner set forth in Section 106, 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 104, 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.
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.
Section 105 Notices, Etc., to Trustee, Company and Guarantors.
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,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company or a Guarantor shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing (which may be by mail, first-class postage prepaid, by courier or email) to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office at the location specified in Section 101; or
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(2) the Company or a Guarantor 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 or any Guarantor addressed to the attention of the Secretary of the Company or such Guarantor at the address of the Company’s principal office specified in writing to the Trustee by the Company and, until further notice, at 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, Attention: Eric Liaw (Eric.Liaw@Blackstone.com), Joseph Rocco (Joe.Rocco@Blackstone.com), and Tabea Hsi (Tabea.Hsi@Blackstone.com), with a copy to WCMGlobalMiddleOffice@Blackstone.com.
The Trustee shall have the right to accept and act upon instructions, including funds transfer instructions (“Instructions”) given pursuant to this Indenture and delivered using Electronic Means; provided, however, that the Company shall provide to the Trustee an incumbency certificate listing officers with the authority to provide such Instructions (“Authorized Officers”) and containing specimen signatures of such Authorized Officers, which incumbency certificate shall be amended by the Company whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the listing. If the Company elects to give the Trustee Instructions using Electronic Means and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such Instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such Instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Company understands and agrees that the Trustee cannot determine the identity of the actual sender of such Instructions and that the Trustee shall conclusively presume that directions that purport to have been sent by an Authorized Officer listed on the incumbency certificate provided to the Trustee have been sent by such Authorized Officer. The Company shall be responsible for ensuring that only Authorized Officers transmit such Instructions to the Trustee and that the Company and all Authorized Officers are solely responsible to safeguard the use and confidentiality of applicable user and authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys upon receipt by the Company. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such Instructions notwithstanding such directions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Company agrees: (i) to assume all risks arising out of the use of Electronic Means to submit Instructions 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; (ii) that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to the Trustee and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method(s) selected by the Company; (iii) that the security procedures (if any) to be followed in connection with its transmission of Instructions provide to it a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances; and (iv) to notify the Trustee immediately upon learning of any compromise or unauthorized use of the security procedures.
Section 106 Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at such Holder’s address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, if any, and not earlier than the earliest date, if any, prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. 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.
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In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.
Where this Indenture provides for notice of any event to a Holder of a Global Security, such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary for such Security (or its designee), pursuant to the Applicable Procedures of the Depositary, not later than the latest date, if any, and not earlier than the earliest date, if any, prescribed for the giving of such notice.
Section 107 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act which is required under the Trust Indenture Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be.
Section 108 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 109 Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company and the Guarantors shall bind their respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 110 Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in 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 111 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 112 Governing Law, Jurisdiction, Venue.
This Indenture, the Securities and the Guarantees shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. The Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture, and the Company, the Guarantors and holders of the Securities by purchase of their Security agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Securities, may be instituted, brought and enforced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (or, other than with respect to a cause
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of action arising under the Securities Act, if such court does not have jurisdiction over such action, suit or proceeding, the Supreme Court of New York County (Commercial Division) in the State of New York of the State of New York), which will be the exclusive forum for any such actions, suits or proceedings, except that any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Exchange Act may also be brought and enforced in any federal district court of the United States, which will be the exclusive forum for such actions, suits or proceedings. The Company, the Guarantors and the holders of the Securities by purchase of their Security will be deemed to have consented to the jurisdiction of such courts and have waived any objection that such courts represent an inconvenient forum for any such suit, action or proceeding.
Section 113 Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security, or any date on which a Holder has the right to convert such Holder’s Security, shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities (other than a provision of any Security which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section 113)) payment of principal and premium, if any, or interest, or the Redemption Price or conversion of such Security, 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 on such conversion date. In the case, however, of Securities of a series bearing interest at a floating rate, if any Interest Payment Date (other than the Redemption Date or Stated Maturity) would otherwise be a date that is not a Business Day, then the Interest Payment Date shall be postponed to the following date which is a Business Day, unless that Business Day falls in the next succeeding calendar month, in which case the Interest Payment Date will be the immediately preceding Business Day. No interest shall accrue for the period from and after any such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Stated Maturity or conversion date, as the case may be, to the date of such payment.
Section 114 No Recourse Against Others.
A director, partner, officer, employee, member, manager or stockholder as such of the Company or any Guarantor shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities, the Guarantees or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. By accepting a Security, each Holder shall waive and release all such liability. The waiver and release shall be part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.
Section 115 Waiver of Jury Trial.
EACH OF THE COMPANY, THE GUARANTORS, THE TRUSTEE AND THE HOLDERS, BY THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE SECURITIES, HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING AS AMONG THE COMPANY, THE GUARANTORS AND THE TRUSTEE ONLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE GUARANTEES.
Section 116 Compliance with Applicable Law.
In order to comply with applicable tax laws, rules and regulations, including FATCA, (inclusive of directives, guidelines and interpretations promulgated by competent authorities) in effect from time to time (“Applicable Law”), the Trustee shall be entitled to make any withholding or deduction from payments under the Indenture to the extent necessary to comply with Applicable Law (and shall timely
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pay the amounts so withheld or deducted to the applicable governmental authority) for which The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. shall not have any liability. Each of the Company and the Trustee agrees to reasonably cooperate and, at the reasonable request of the other, to provide the other with such information as each may have in its possession that is necessary to enable the determination of whether any payments hereunder are subject to FATCA Withholding Tax.
ARTICLE II
SECURITY FORMS
Section 201 Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series shall be in substantially such form or forms as shall be established by or pursuant to a Company Resolution or, subject to Section 303, set forth in, or determined in the manner provided in, an Officers’ Certificate of the Company pursuant to a Company Resolution, or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, 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 applicable tax laws or the rules of any securities exchange or Depositary therefor or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the Officer executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Company 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 Company Order contemplated by Section 303 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities. If all of the Securities of any series established by action taken pursuant to a Company Resolution are not to be issued at one time, it shall not be necessary to deliver a record of such action at the time of issuance of each Security of such series, but an appropriate record of such action shall be delivered at or before the time of issuance of the first Security of such series.
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner, all as determined by the Officers of the Company executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
Section 202 Form of Legend for Global Securities.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for the Securities evidenced thereby, every Global Security authenticated and delivered hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (“DTC”) TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS 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.
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THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF. TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO DTC, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE INDENTURE REFERRED TO ON THE REVERSE HEREOF.
Section 203 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| Dated: |
The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee | |||||
| By: |
||||||
| Authorized Signatory | ||||||
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ARTICLE III
THE SECURITIES
Section 301 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) a Company Resolution or pursuant to authority granted by a Company Resolution and, subject to Section 303, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in an Officers’ Certificate of the Company, or (b) one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:
(1) the title of the Securities of the series (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from Securities of any other series);
(2) the limit, if any, on the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1107 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
(3) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be payable, if other than 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;
(4) the date or dates on which the principal of any Securities of the series is payable or the method used to determine or extend those dates;
(5) the rate or rates at which any Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which any such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for any such interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;
(6) the place or places where the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable and the manner in which any payment may be made;
(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company and, if other than by a Company Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to redeem the Securities shall be evidenced;
(8) the obligation or the right, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase any Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or at the option of the Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which any Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(9) if other than denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, the denominations in which any Securities of the series shall be issuable;
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(10) if the amount of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of the series may be determined with reference to a financial or economic measure or index or pursuant to a formula, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
(11) if other than the currency of the United States of America, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in the currency of the United States of America for any purpose, including for purposes of the definition of “Outstanding” in Section 101;
(12) if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the Company or the Holder thereof, in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on such Securities as to which such election is made shall be payable, the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made and the amount so payable (or the manner in which such amount shall be determined);
(13) if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of any Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502;
(14) if the principal amount payable at the Stated Maturity of any Securities of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the Stated Maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the principal amount of such Securities as of any such date for any purpose thereunder or hereunder, including the principal amount thereof which shall be due and payable upon any Maturity other than the Stated Maturity or which shall be deemed to be Outstanding as of any date prior to the Stated Maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount shall be determined);
(15) if other than by a Company Resolution, the manner in which any election by the Company to defease any Securities of the series pursuant to Section 1302 or Section 1303 shall be evidenced; whether any Securities of the series other than Securities denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate are to be subject to Section 1302 or Section 1303; or, in the case of Securities denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate, if applicable, that the Securities of the series, in whole or any specified part, shall not be defeasible pursuant to Section 1302 or Section 1303 or both such Sections;
(16) if applicable, that any Securities of the series shall be issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the respective Depositaries for such Global Securities, the form of any legend or legends which shall be borne by any such Global Security in addition to or in lieu of that set forth in Section 202 and any circumstances in addition to or in lieu of those set forth in clause (2) of the last paragraph of Section 305 in which any such Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and any transfer of such Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name or names of Persons other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof and any other provisions governing exchanges or transfers of such Global Security;
(17) any addition to, deletion from or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 502;
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(18) any addition to, deletion from or change in the covenants set forth in Article X which applies to Securities of the series;
(19) any amendments or modifications to the subordination provisions in Article XV;
(20) if the Securities of the series are to be convertible into or exchangeable for cash and/or any securities or other property of any Person (including the Company), the terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be so convertible or exchangeable;
(21) whether the Securities of the series will be guaranteed by any Person or Persons other than the Guarantors and, if so, the identity of such Person or Persons, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be guaranteed and, if applicable, the terms and conditions upon which such guarantees may be subordinated to other indebtedness of the respective guarantors;
(22) whether the Securities of the series and, if applicable, any guarantees of such Securities will be senior or subordinated obligations as specified in or pursuant to the applicable indenture and in the certificates evidencing such Securities and those made part of the indenture by the Trust Indenture Act;
(23) whether the Securities of the series will be secured by any collateral and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be secured and, if applicable, upon which such liens may be subordinated to other liens securing other indebtedness of the Company or any Guarantor;
(24) if a party other than The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. is to act as Trustee for the Securities of such series, the name and Corporate Trust Office of such Trustee;
(25) any other terms of the series (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, except as permitted by Section 901(12)).
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 the Company Resolution referred to above or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions and, subject to Section 303, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officers’ Certificate of the Company referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.
All Securities of any one series need not be issued at one time and, unless otherwise provided in or pursuant to the Company Resolution referred to above and, subject to Section 303, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officers’ Certificate of the Company referred to above or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions or in any such indenture supplemental hereto with respect to a series of Securities, additional Securities of a series may be issued, at the option of the Company, without the consent of any Holder, at any time and from time to time.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Company 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 Officers’ Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.
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Section 302 Denominations.
The Securities of each series shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons and only in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 301. In the absence of any such specified denomination with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.
Section 303 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman, one of its Vice Chairmen, its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, its Principal Accounting Officer, its Treasurer, its Secretary, one of its Corporate Vice Presidents, one of its Senior Managing Directors, one of its Managing Directors, one of its Assistant Treasurers or one of its Assistant Secretaries. The signature on the Securities may be manual, electronic or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual, facsimile or electronic 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 the form or terms of the Securities of the series have been established by or pursuant to one or more Company Resolutions or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions as permitted by Sections 201 and 301, in authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and, subject to Section 601, shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating,
(1) if the form of such Securities has been established by or pursuant to Company Resolution or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions as permitted by Section 201, that such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) if the terms of such Securities have been established by or pursuant to Company Resolution or pursuant to authority granted by one or more Company Resolutions as permitted by Section 301, that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(3) that such Securities and the related Guarantees, when the Securities are authenticated by the Trustee and issued and delivered 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 and each Guarantor, respectively, enforceable against the Company and each Guarantor, respectively, in accordance with their terms, subject to (i) the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general equitable principles and (iii) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
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If such form 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 adversely affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 301 and of the preceding paragraph of this Section 303, if all Securities of a series are not to be originally issued at one time, including in the event that the aggregate principal amount of a series of Outstanding Securities is increased as contemplated by Section 301, it shall not be necessary to deliver the Officers’ Certificate of the Company otherwise required pursuant to Section 301 or the Company Order and Opinion of Counsel otherwise required pursuant to this Section 303 at or prior to the 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.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
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 or electronic 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 309, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 304 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 of such series in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the Officer or Officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution thereof.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of such 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 in a Place of Payment for such 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 one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount. 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 and tenor.
Section 305 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 of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.
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Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of a series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for such 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 like tenor and principal amount.
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 like tenor and principal amount, 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.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company and the respective Guarantors, 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 Trustee) 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 such Holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 906 or 1107 not involving any transfer.
If the Securities of any series (or of any series and specified tenor) are to be redeemed in part, the Company shall not be required (A) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of such series (or of such series and specified tenor, as the case may be) during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of any such Securities selected for redemption under Section 1103 and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (B) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
Neither the Trustee nor the Security Registrar shall have any 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 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.
The provisions of clauses (1), (2), (3) and (4) of this paragraph shall apply only to Global Securities:
(1) Each Global Security authenticated under this Indenture shall be registered in the name of the Depositary designated for such Global Security or a nominee thereof and delivered to such Depositary or a nominee thereof or custodian therefor, and each such Global Security shall constitute a single Security for all purposes of this Indenture.
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(2) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, and subject to such applicable provisions, if any, as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301, no Global Security may be exchanged in whole or in part for Securities registered, and no transfer of a Global Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name of any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof unless (A) such Depositary has notified the Company that it is unwilling or unable or no longer permitted under applicable law to continue as Depositary for such Global Security, (B) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to such Global Security, (C) the Company so directs the Trustee by a Company Order or (D) there shall exist such circumstances, if any, in addition to or in lieu of the foregoing as have been specified for this purpose as contemplated by Section 301.
(3) Subject to clause (2) above and to such applicable provisions, if any, as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301, any exchange of a Global Security for other Securities may be made in whole or in part, and all Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security or any portion thereof shall be registered in such names as the Depositary for such Global Security shall direct.
(4) Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global Security or any portion thereof, whether pursuant to this Section 305, Section 304, 306, 906 or 1107 or otherwise, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Security, unless such Security is registered in the name of a Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof.
Section 306 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, 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.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (1) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (2) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and 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, having the Guarantees noted therein, 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 306, the Company 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 counsel to the Company and the fees and expenses of the Trustee and its counsel) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section 306 in lieu of any mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company and the respective Guarantors, whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of such series and Guarantees duly issued hereunder.
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The provisions of this Section 306 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 307 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (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 (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest payable on Securities of a series to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (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 in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be given to each Holder of Securities of such series in the manner set forth in Section 106, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, 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 (2).
(2) 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 such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
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Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section 307, 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.
In the case of any Security which is converted after any Regular Record Date and on or prior to the next succeeding Interest Payment Date (other than any Security whose Maturity is prior to such Interest Payment Date), interest whose Stated Maturity is on such Interest Payment Date shall be payable on such Interest Payment Date notwithstanding such conversion, and such interest (whether or not punctually paid or made available for payment) 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 such Regular Record Date. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the immediately preceding sentence, in the case of any Security which is converted, interest whose Stated Maturity is after the date of conversion of such Security shall not be payable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the terms of any Security that may be converted may provide that the provisions of this paragraph do not apply, or apply with such additions, changes or omissions as may be provided thereby, to such Security.
Section 308 Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee and any agent of the Company, a Guarantor or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and, subject to Section 307, any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and none of the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company, a Guarantor or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 309 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or conversion or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company or any Guarantor may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company or such Guarantor may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, 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 309, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of in accordance with its customary procedures. The Trustee shall provide the Company or any Guarantor a list of all Securities that have been cancelled from time to time as requested by the Company or such Guarantor.
Section 310 Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
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Section 311 CUSIP or ISIN Numbers.
The Company in issuing any series of the Securities may use “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers and/or other similar numbers, if then generally in use, and thereafter with respect to such series, the Trustee may use such numbers in any notice of redemption with respect to such series; 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 of such series or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities of such series, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
Section 312 Original Issue Discount.
If any of the Securities is an Original Issue Discount Security, the Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (1) a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on such Outstanding Original Issue Discount Securities as of the end of such year and (2) such other specific information relating to such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal Revenue Code.
Section 313 General Provisions Relating to Global Securities.
Owners of beneficial interests in the Securities evidenced by a Global Security will not be entitled to any rights under this Indenture with respect to such Global Security, and the Depositary or its nominee may be treated by the Company, the Guarantors, and the Trustee and any agent of the Company, the Guarantors or the Trustee, including any Security Registrar or Paying Agent as the owner and Holder of such Global Security for all purposes whatsoever. None of the Company, the Trustee, the Security Registrar, the Paying Agent or any other agent of the Company, the Guarantors or of the Trustee shall 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 for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests. None of the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee, the Security Registrar, the Paying Agent or any other agent of the Company or of the Trustee shall have any responsibility or liability to any person for any acts or omissions of the Depositary or its nominee in respect of a Global Security, for the records of any such Depositary, including records in respect of beneficial ownership interests in respect of such Global Security, for any transactions between such Depositary and any participant or indirect participant in such Depositary or between or among such Depositary, any participant or indirect participant in such Depositary and/or any Holder or owner of a beneficial interest in such Global Security, or for any transfers of beneficial interests in any such Global Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, the Security Registrar or the Paying Agent or such agent from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or its nominee or impair, as between the Depositary or its nominee and such owners of beneficial interests, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of the Depositary or its nominee as Holder of any Global Security.
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ARTICLE IV
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 401 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall, upon Company Request, cease to be of further effect with respect to any series of Securities specified in such Company Request (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series herein expressly provided for), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as to such series, when:
(1) either
(A) all Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 306 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 1003) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(B) all such Securities of such series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year of the date of deposit, or
(iii) 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 (i), (ii) or (iii) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose money in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and premium, if any, and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be;
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as to such series have been complied with.
In the event there are Securities of two or more series hereunder, the Trustee shall be required to execute an instrument acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture only if requested to do so with respect to Securities of such series as to which it is Trustee and if the other conditions thereto are met.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 607 and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (1) of this Section 401, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 402 and the last paragraph of Section 1003 shall survive.
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Section 402 Application of Trust Money.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable series of Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons entitled thereto, of the principal and premium, if any, and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee. All money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401 (and held by it or any Paying Agent) for the payment of Securities subsequently converted into other property shall be returned to the Company upon Company Request. The Company may direct by a Company Order the investment of any money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 401, without distinction between principal and income, in (1) United States Treasury securities with a maturity of one year or less or (2) a money market fund that invests solely in short-term United States Treasury securities (including money market funds for which the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee serves as investment advisor, administrator, shareholder, servicing agent and/or custodian or sub-custodian, notwithstanding that (a) the Trustee charges and collects fees and expenses from such funds for services rendered and (b) the Trustee charges and collects fees and expenses for services rendered pursuant to this Indenture at any time) and from time to time the Company may direct the reinvestment of all or a portion of such money in other securities or funds meeting the criteria specified in clause (1) or (2) of this Section 402.
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES
Section 501 Events of Default.
Except as may be otherwise provided pursuant to Section 301 for Securities of any series, an “Event of Default” means, whenever used herein or in a Security issued hereunder with respect to Securities of any series, 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):
(1) the Company defaults in the payment of any installment of interest on any Security of such series, and such default continues for a period of 30 days after such payment becomes due and payable;
(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security of such series when the same becomes due and payable, regardless of whether such payment became due and payable at its Stated Maturity, upon redemption, upon declaration of acceleration or otherwise;
(3) the Company defaults in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due by the terms of a Security of such series;
(4) any Credit Party defaults in the performance of, or breaches, any of its covenants and agreements in respect of any Security of such series contained in this Indenture or in the Securities of such series (other than those referred to in (1), (2) or (3) above), and such default or breach continues for a period of 90 days after the notice specified below;
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(5) the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor), pursuant to or within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Law (as defined below):
(A) commences a voluntary case or proceeding;
(B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case or proceeding;
(C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian (as defined below) of it or for all or substantially all of its property;
(D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors;
(E) files a petition in bankruptcy or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief;
(F) consents to the filing of such petition or the appointment of or taking possession by a Custodian; or
(G) takes any comparable action under any foreign laws relating to insolvency;
(6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(A) is for relief against the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) in an involuntary case, or adjudicates the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) insolvent or bankrupt;
(B) appoints a Custodian of the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) or for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor); or
(C) orders the winding-up or liquidation of the Company or any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) (or any similar relief is granted under any foreign laws), and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days;
(7) except as otherwise provided herein, a Guarantee of any Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) ceases to be in full force and effect or is declared to be null and void and unenforceable or such Guarantee is found to be invalid or a Guarantor (other than an Insignificant Guarantor) denies its liability under its Guarantee (other than by reason of release of such Guarantee in accordance with the terms of this Indenture); or
(8) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of such series occurs.
A Default with respect to Securities of any series under clause (4) of this Section 501 shall not be an Event of Default until the Trustee (by written notice to the Company and the Guarantors) or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series (by written notice to the Company and the Guarantors and the Trustee) gives notice of the Default and the Company and the Guarantors does not cure such Default within the time specified in clause (4) after receipt of such notice. Such notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that such notice is a “Notice of Default.”
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Section 502 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or (6)) occurs and is continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series may declare the principal amount of all the Securities of such series (or, if any Securities of such series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified by the terms thereof), together with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company and the Guarantors (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration, such principal amount (or specified amount), together with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or (6) with respect to the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs, the principal amount of all the Securities of such series (or, in the case of any Security of such series which specifies an amount to be due and payable thereon upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof, such amount as may be specified by the terms thereof), together with any accrued and unpaid interest thereon, shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable. Upon payment of such amount, all obligations of the Company in respect of the payment of principal and interest of the Securities of such series shall terminate.
Except as may otherwise be provided pursuant to Section 301 for all or any specific Securities of any series, at any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due based on such acceleration has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article V provided, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, by written notice to the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
(1) the Company or any Guarantor has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay:
(A) all overdue interest on all Securities of such series,
(B) the principal of and premium, if any, on any Securities of such series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in the Securities of such series,
(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and
(D) 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
(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of such series, other than the nonpayment of the principal of Securities of such series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 512.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
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Section 503 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if (1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or (2) default is made in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security at the Maturity thereof, it will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, 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 and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue 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 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 necessary 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 504 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company, any Guarantor or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company, any Guarantor or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company or any Guarantor for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
(1) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and premium, if any, and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(2) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator (or other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by the Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to 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 for any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 607.
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.
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Section 505 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, any predecessor Trustee under Section 607, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 506 Application of Money Collected.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article V, and any money or other property distributable in respect of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture after the occurrence of an Event of Default, 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, 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 (including any predecessor Trustee) under Section 607;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and premium, if any, and interest 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, respectively; and
THIRD: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or the Guarantors.
Section 507 Limitation on Suits.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 508, 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, assignee, trustee, liquidator or sequestrator (or similar official) or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
(1) Such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default, specifying an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series 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;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee has failed to institute any such proceeding for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity; and
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(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series; it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.
Section 508 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest and to Convert Securities.
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 Section 307, interest on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption or repayment, on the Redemption Date or date for repayment, as the case may be, and, if the terms of such Security so provide, to convert such Security in accordance with its terms) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and, if applicable, any such right to convert, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 509 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 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 510 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities 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 V or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 511 Control by Holders.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such series; provided that
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture and shall not involve the Trustee in any personal liability, and
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
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Before proceeding to exercise any right or power hereunder at the direction of the Holders, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive from such Holders security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
Section 512 Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate 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 such series and its consequences, except a Default
(1) in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Security of such series, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article IX 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 513 Undertaking for Costs.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and may assess reasonable costs against any such party litigant, in the manner and to the extent provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that neither this Section 513 nor the Trust Indenture Act shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking or to make such an assessment in any suit instituted by the Company, any Guarantor or the Trustee, a suit by a Holder under Section 508, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities.
Section 514 Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.
Each of the Company and the Guarantors 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 usury, 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 each of the Company and the Guarantors (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.
Section 515 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Guarantors, the Trustee and the Holders shall 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.
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ARTICLE VI
THE TRUSTEE
Section 601 Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.
(1) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default with respect to any series of Securities,
(A) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee with respect to such series; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely with respect to the Securities of such series, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts, statements, opinions or conclusions stated therein).
(2) In case an Event of Default with respect to any series of Securities has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such series, 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.
(3) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(A) this Section 601(3) shall not be construed to limit the effect of Section 601(1) or Section 601(4);
(B) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(C) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, determined as provided in Sections 101, 104 and 511, 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.
(4) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its 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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(5) 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 601.
Section 602 Notice of Defaults.
If a Default occurs with respect to Securities of any series and is continuing and written notice of such Default specifying the Default and this Indenture and the Securities has been received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, the Trustee shall give to each Holder of Securities of such series notice of Default within 90 days after such written notice is received by such Responsible Officer. Except in the case of a Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security, the Trustee may withhold notice if and so long as a committee of Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding such notice is in the interests of Holders of Securities of such series.
Section 603 Certain Rights of Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 601:
(1) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall fully be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, 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;
(2) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, and any resolution of the member or members of the Company or board of managers of the Company, as the case may be, shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Resolution thereof;
(3) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, conclusively rely upon an Officers’ Certificate of the Company or the Guarantors;
(4) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its 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;
(5) 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 shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
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(6) 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, 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 or the Guarantors, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company or the Guarantors and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such inquiry or investigation;
(7) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(8) the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder and to its agents;
(9) 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;
(10) anything in this Indenture notwithstanding, in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action;
(11) in no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, pandemics or epidemics, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services (it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances);
(12) the Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless written notice of such Default or Event of Default, as the case may be, has been received by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice describes such Default or Event of Default and references the Securities and this Indenture;
(13) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded; and
(14) the permissive right of the Trustee to take or refrain from taking action hereunder shall not be construed as a duty.
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Section 604 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 Guarantors, as the case may be, 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 or the Guarantees. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.
Section 605 May Hold Securities.
The Trustee, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company or the Guarantors, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 608 and 613, 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 606 Money Held in Trust.
Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in trust for the purposes for which they were received, but 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 with the Company.
Section 607 Compensation and Reimbursement.
The Company and each Guarantor jointly and severally agrees:
(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time such reasonable compensation as shall be agreed to in writing between the parties hereto 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);
(2) 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 reasonable expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel and all Persons not regularly in its employ), except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or willful misconduct, and the Trustee shall provide the Company reasonable notice of any expenditure not in the ordinary course of business; and
(3) to indemnify each of the Trustee or any predecessor Trustee and their officers, agents, directors and employees for, and to hold them harmless against, any and all loss, damage, claims, liability or expense incurred without negligence or willful misconduct on its part as determined in a final, non-appealable order by a court of competent jurisdiction, arising out of or in connection with this Indenture, the Securities and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the reasonable 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.
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In addition to, but without prejudice to its other rights under this Indenture, when the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 501(5) or (6), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
“Trustee” for purposes of this Section shall include any predecessor Trustee; provided, however, that the negligence or willful misconduct of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.
As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by it hereunder for any amount owing it or any predecessor Trustee pursuant to this Section 607, except with respect to funds held in trust for the benefit of the Holders of particular Securities for the payment of principal of and premium, if any, or interest.
The provisions of this Section 607 shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of the Securities, the termination for any reason of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.
Section 608 Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of Section 310(b) 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 and this Indenture.
To the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest by virtue of being a trustee under this Indenture with respect to Securities of more than one series.
Section 609 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be one (and only one) Trustee hereunder with respect to the Securities of each series, which may be Trustee hereunder for Securities of one or more other series. Each Trustee shall be a Person that is eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act to act as such, has a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and has its Corporate Trust Office in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York or any other major city in the United States that is acceptable to the Company. If any such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section 609 and to the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent annual report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section 609, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article VI.
Section 610 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article VI shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 611.
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The Trustee or any successor hereafter appointed 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 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
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 aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series, upon written notice delivered to the Trustee and to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 611 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of removal, the Trustee being removed may petition, at the expense of the Company, any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series.
If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 608 after written request therefor by the Company, the Guarantors or any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months,
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 609 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company, the Guarantors or any such Holder, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged bankrupt or insolvent, or commence a voluntary bankruptcy proceeding, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or consented to, 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 or the Guarantors may remove the Trustee with respect to all Securities or (B) subject to Section 513, Holders of 10% in aggregate principal amount of Securities of any series who have been bona fide Holders of such Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of themselves 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 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 or the Guarantors 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 611. 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 aggregate 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 611, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company or the Guarantors. If no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have been so appointed by the Company, the Guarantors or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 611, Holders of 10% in aggregate principal amount of Securities of any series who have been bona fide Holders of Securities of such series for at least six months may, on behalf of themselves 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.
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The Company or the Guarantors 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 to all Holders of Securities of such series in the manner provided in Section 106. 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 611 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
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, the Guarantors and the retiring Trustee a written 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 the request of the Company, the Guarantors or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver a written instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder subject nonetheless to the lien provided for in Section 607.
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 Guarantors, 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 (1) 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, (2) 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 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 (3) 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 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, the Guarantors 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 subject nonetheless to the lien provided for in Section 607.
Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company and the Guarantors 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 the first or second preceding paragraph, as the case may be.
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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 VI.
Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as provided in this Section, the Company shall transmit notice of the succession of such trustee hereunder by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Holders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. If the Company fails to transmit such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall cause such notice to be transmitted at the expense of the Company.
Section 612 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any Person into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder; provided that such Person shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article VI, 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, consolidation or sale 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; and in case at that time any Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may authenticate such Securities either in the name of any predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor to the Trustee; and in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture provided that the certificate of the Trustee shall have.
Section 613 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company or any Guarantor (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company or any Guarantor (or any such other obligor).
Section 614 Trustee’s Application for Instructions from the Company.
Any application by the Trustee for written instructions from the Company may, at the option of the Trustee, set forth in writing any action proposed (to the extent not provided for in this Indenture) to be taken or omitted by the Trustee under this Indenture and the date on and/or after which such action shall be taken or such omission shall be effective. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken by, or omission of, the Trustee in accordance with a proposal included in such application on or after the date specified in such application (which date shall not be less than 10 Business Days after the date any officer of the Company actually receives such application, unless any such officer shall have consented in writing to any earlier date) unless prior to taking any such action (or the effective date in the case of an omission), the Trustee shall have received written instructions in response to such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
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ARTICLE VII
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE TRUSTEE, THE COMPANY AND THE GUARANTORS
Section 701 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
If the Trustee is not the Security Registrar, the Company shall cause the Security Registrar to furnish to the Trustee, in writing at least five Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders of Securities of each series.
Section 702 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 701 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may dispose of any list furnished to it as provided in Section 701 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 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 names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 703 Reports by 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 times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. The Trustee shall, within 60 days after each [•] following the date of this Indenture, deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such [•], pursuant to this Section 703.
A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange and automated quotation system, if any, upon which any Securities are listed, with the Commission (if accepted for filing by the Commission) and the Company. The Company will notify the Trustee when any Securities are listed on any stock exchange or automated quotation system or delisted therefrom.
Section 704 Reports by the Company and the Guarantors.
Each of the Company and the Guarantors shall comply with all the applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act. Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute a representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the reports, information and documents. The Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute actual or constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s or the Guarantors’ compliance with any of their covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates of the Company).
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ARTICLE VIII
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE OF ASSETS AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS
Section 801 Company and Guarantors May Merge or Transfer Assets on Certain Terms.
(a) None of the Credit Parties shall be a party to a Substantially All Merger or participate in a Substantially All Sale, unless:
(1) such Credit Party is the surviving Person, or the Person formed by or surviving such Substantially All Merger or to which such Substantially All Sale has been made is organized under the laws of the United States, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or British Crown Dependencies, a member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Permitted Jurisdictions”), and has expressly assumed by supplemental indenture all of the obligations of such Credit Party under this Indenture;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; and
(3) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such transaction and any supplemental indenture relating thereto comply with this Indenture and that all conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to such transaction have been complied with.
(b) For as long as any Securities of any series under this Indenture remain outstanding, all equity and voting interests in the Company shall be owned directly or indirectly by one or more Guarantors and each of the Credit Parties must be organized under the laws of a Permitted Jurisdiction.
Section 802 Successor Person Substituted.
Upon the consummation of a transaction contemplated by and consummated in accordance with Section 801, the successor Person shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the applicable Credit Party under this Indenture, with the same effect as if such successor Person had been an original party to this Indenture, and, except in the case of a lease, the applicable Credit Party shall be released from all of its liabilities and obligations under this Indenture and the Securities (including the Guarantees).
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 901 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, the Guarantors 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:
(1) to add to the covenants 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 conferred upon the Company or any Guarantor hereunder, under any indenture supplemental hereto or under any series of Securities;
(2) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company or any Guarantor, or successive successions, and the assumption by the successor Person of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company or such Guarantor pursuant to Article VIII;
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(3) to add any additional Events of Default for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such additional Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such additional Events of Default are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series);
(4) to add new Guarantors;
(5) to provide for the release of any Guarantor in accordance with this Indenture;
(6) to secure the Securities;
(7) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 611;
(8) to provide for the issuance of additional Securities of any series;
(9) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 201 and 301;
(10) to comply with the rules of any applicable Depositary;
(11) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form;
(12) to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture in respect of one or more series of Securities; provided that any such addition, change or elimination (A) shall neither (i) apply to any Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (ii) modify the rights of the Holder of any such Security with respect to such provision or (B) shall become effective only when there is no Security described in clause (i) Outstanding;
(13) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision of this Indenture which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein;
(14) to change any other provision contained in the Securities of any series or under this Indenture; provided that such action pursuant to this clause (14) shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; and
(15) to conform any provision of this Indenture or the Securities of any series to the description of such Securities contained in the Company’s prospectus, prospectus supplement, offering memorandum or similar document with respect to the offering of the Securities of such series.
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Section 902 Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange for Securities), by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, the Company, the Guarantors 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, no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected thereby:
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security;
(2) reduce the principal amount of any Security or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security or any other Security which would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502, or reduce the rate of or extend the time of payment of interest on any Security;
(3) reduce any premium payable upon the redemption of or change the date on which any Security may or must be redeemed;
(4) change the coin or currency in which the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Security is payable;
(5) impair the right of any Holder 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);
(6) 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;
(7) modify any of the provisions of this Section 902, Section 512 or Section 1005, 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 with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section 902 and Section 1005, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Section 611 and Section 901(7);
(8) if the Securities of any series are convertible into or for any other securities or property of the Company, make any change that adversely affects in any material respect the right to convert any Security of such series (except as permitted by Section 901) or decrease the conversion rate or increase the conversion price of any such Security of such series, unless such decrease or increase is permitted by the terms of such Security;
(9) subordinate the Securities of any series or any Guarantee of a Guarantor in respect thereof to any other obligation of the Company or such Guarantor;
(10) modify the terms of any Guarantee in a manner adverse to the Holders of Securities of a series; or
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(11) modify clauses (1) through (10) above.
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 902 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 903 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article IX or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and, subject to Section 601, shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that all conditions precedent in this Indenture to the execution of such supplemental indenture, if any, have been complied with; provided, however, that no such Opinion of Counsel shall be required in the case of any supplemental indenture executed and delivered concurrently with the original execution and delivery of this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 904 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article IX, 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 shall be bound thereby.
Section 905 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article IX shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 906 Notice of Supplemental Indenture; Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
After a supplemental indenture under Section 901 and 902 becomes effective, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee a notice briefly describing such supplemental indenture or a copy of such supplemental indenture and the Trustee shall on behalf of the Company and at the expense of the Company deliver such notice or supplemental indenture to Holders affected thereby. Any failure of the Trustee to deliver such notice, or any defect therein, or any failure of the Trustee to deliver such supplemental indenture, shall not in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article IX may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form accepted by 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 X
COVENANTS
Section 1001 Payment of Principal, Premium, if any, and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of such series in accordance with the terms of the Securities and this Indenture. Principal and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if, on or before 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on such date, the Trustee or the Paying Agent (or, if the Company or any Subsidiary of the Corporation is the Paying Agent, the segregated account or separate trust fund maintained by the Company or such Subsidiary pursuant to Section 1003) holds in accordance with this Indenture money sufficient to pay all principal and interest then due.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal at the rate specified therefor in the Securities, and it shall pay interest on overdue installments of interest at the same rate to the extent lawful as provided in Section 307.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Indenture, the Company, the Guarantors or the Paying Agent may, to the extent it is required to do so by law, deduct or withhold income or other similar taxes imposed by the United States of America or other domestic or foreign taxing authorities from principal or interest payments hereunder.
Section 1002 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series of Securities an office or agency where Securities of such series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where Securities may be surrendered for conversion but not for service of process on the Company or Guarantors. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders and notices (except for service of process on the Company or Guarantors). Notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series and this Indenture may be served at The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19801.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies 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 in each Place of Payment 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.
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With respect to any Global Security, and except as otherwise may be specified for such Global Security as contemplated by Section 301, the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee shall be the Place of Payment where such Global Security may be presented or surrendered for payment or for registration of transfer or exchange, or where successor Securities may be delivered in exchange therefor; provided, however, that any such payment, presentation, surrender or delivery effected pursuant to the Applicable Procedures of the Depositary for such Global Security shall be deemed to have been effected at the Place of Payment for such Global Security in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.
Section 1003 Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date for the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any of the Securities of such series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities a sum sufficient to pay the principal and premium, if any, and interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Holders or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, no later than 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on each due date for the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Securities of such series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount, such sum to be held in trust for the Holders of such Securities entitled to the same, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent for 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 1003, that such Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all money held by such Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities and shall notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment.
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.
Subject to any applicable abandoned property law, 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 or premium, if any, or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable shall 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.
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Section 1004 Statement by Officers as to Default.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company ending after the date hereof an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and one of the two Officers signing must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer, stating whether or not, to the best knowledge of such Officer, the Company is in default in the performance and observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions of this Indenture applicable to it (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 such Officer may have knowledge.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days after the Company becomes aware of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the details of such Default or Event of Default, its status and the actions which the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 1005 Waiver of Certain Covenants.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series, the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, may, with respect to the Securities of any series, omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in any covenant provided pursuant to Section 301(18), Section 901(1) or Section 901(12) for the benefit of the Holders of such series or in Article VIII, if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
ARTICLE XI
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 1101 Applicability of 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 301 for such Securities) in accordance with this Article XI.
Section 1102 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Company Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate of the Company or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of the Securities of any series (including any such redemption affecting only a single Security), the Company shall, at least 15 days prior to the date any notice of a redemption is to be given to the Holders pursuant to Section 1104 (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel certifying that the conditions precedent for such redemption have been satisfied. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers’ Certificate of the Company evidencing compliance with such restriction.
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Section 1103 Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed (unless all the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed or unless such redemption affects only a single Security), 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 such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate, including by lot or pro rata or, in the case of Global Securities, pursuant to the Applicable Procedures, and which may provide for the selection for redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such series; provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. If less than all the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed (unless such redemption affects only a single Security), 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 and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.
If any Security selected for partial redemption is converted in part before termination of the conversion right with respect to the portion of the Security so selected, the converted portion of such Security shall be deemed (so far as may be) to be the portion selected for redemption.
Securities which have been converted during a selection of securities to be redeemed shall be treated by the Trustee as Outstanding for the purpose of such selection.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption as aforesaid and, in case of any Securities selected for partial redemption as aforesaid, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
The provisions of the three preceding paragraphs shall not apply with respect to any redemption affecting only a single Security, whether such Security is to be redeemed in whole or in part. In the case of any such redemption in part, the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of the Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security.
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.
Section 1104 Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be transmitted not less than 15 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date (or within such period as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of a series), to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at such Holder’s address appearing in the Security Register.
All notices of redemption shall identify the Securities to be redeemed and shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date;
(2) the Redemption Price (or the method of calculating such price);
(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series consisting of more than a single Security are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any such Securities, the respective principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed and, if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series consisting of a single Security are to be redeemed, the principal amount of the particular Security to be redeemed;
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(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date;
(5) the place or places where each such Security is to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price;
(6) for any Securities that by their terms may be converted, the terms of conversion, the date on which the right to convert the Security to be redeemed will terminate and the place or places where such Securities may be surrendered for conversion;
(7) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case; and
(8) if applicable, the CUSIP, ISIN or any similar numbers of the Securities of such series; provided, however, that no representation will be made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP, ISIN or any similar number, if any, listed in such notice or printed on the Securities.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request (which may be rescinded or revoked at any time prior to the time at which the Trustee shall have given such notice to the Holders), by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company. The notice, if mailed in the manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Security designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Securities.
Section 1105 Deposit of Redemption Price.
By no later than 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit or cause to be deposited with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent (or, if any of the Credit Parties is acting as Paying Agent, such Credit Party will segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 1003) an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date or the Securities of the series provide otherwise) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date, other than Securities or portions of Securities called for redemption which are owned by any of the Credit Parties and have been delivered by such Credit Party to the Trustee for cancellation. All money, if any, earned on funds held by the Paying Agent shall be remitted to the Company. In addition, the Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Company any money deposited with the Paying Agent by the Company in excess of the amounts necessary to pay the Redemption Price of, and accrued interest, if any, on, all Securities to be redeemed.
If any Security called for redemption is converted, any money deposited with the Trustee or with any Paying Agent or so segregated and held in trust for the redemption of such Security shall (subject to any right of the Holder of such Security or any Predecessor Security to receive interest as provided in the last paragraph of Section 307 or in the terms of such Security) be paid to the Company upon Company Request or, if then held by the Company, shall be discharged from such trust.
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Section 1106 Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, 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 Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together, if applicable, with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant record dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 307; provided further that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, if the Redemption Date is after a Regular Record Date and on or prior to the Interest Payment Date, the accrued and unpaid interest shall be payable to the Holder of the redeemed Securities registered on the relevant Regular Record Date.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and premium, if any, shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
Section 1107 Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a 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 such Holder’s 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 such Holder, in principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE XII
SINKING FUNDS
Section 1201 Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article XII shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of any series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of any series of Securities 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 such Securities is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of any series of Securities, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 1202. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of the series as provided for by the terms of such Securities.
Section 1202 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (1) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other than any previously called for redemption) and (2) may apply as a credit 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
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satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to any Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as and to the extent provided for by the terms of such Securities; provided that the Securities to be so credited have not been previously so credited. The Securities to be so credited shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price, as specified in the Securities so to be redeemed, for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 1203 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 60 days (or such shorter period as shall be satisfactory to the Trustee) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for such Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, 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 pursuant to Section 1202 and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days prior to 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 1103 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 1104. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 1106 and 1107.
ARTICLE XIII
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 1301 Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301, Sections 1302 and 1303 shall apply to all Securities and each series of Securities, denominated in U.S. dollars and bearing interest at a fixed rate, in accordance with any applicable requirements provided pursuant to Section 301 and upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII; and the Company may elect, at its option at any time, to have Section 1302 and Section 1303 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, designated pursuant to Section 301 as being defeasible pursuant to such Section 1302 or Section 1303, in accordance with any applicable requirements provided pursuant to Section 301 and upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII. Any such election shall be evidenced by a Company Resolution, Officers’ Certificate of the Company or in another manner specified as contemplated by Section 301 for such Securities.
Section 1302 Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company’s exercise of its option, if any, to have this Section 1302 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, or if this Section 1302 shall otherwise apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, the Company and the Guarantors shall be deemed to have been discharged from their respective obligations with respect to such Securities and related Guarantees as provided in this Section 1302 on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Defeasance means that each of the Company and the Guarantors shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by such Securities and Guarantees and to have satisfied all its other obligations under such Securities and Guarantees and this Indenture insofar as such Securities and Guarantees are concerned (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), subject to the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (1) the rights of Holders of such Securities to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 1304
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and as more fully set forth in such Section 1305, payments in respect of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities when payments are due, (2) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities and the Guarantors’ obligations with respect to such Guarantees under Sections 304, 305, 306, 1002 and 1003, (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (4) this Article XIII. Subject to compliance with this Article XIII, the Company or the Guarantors may exercise their option, if any, to have this Section 1302 applied to the Securities of any series and the related Guarantees notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option, if any, to have Section 1303 applied to such Securities and Guarantees.
Section 1303 Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company’s exercise of its option, if any, to have this Section 1303 applied to any Securities or any series of Securities, or if this Section 1303 shall otherwise apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, (1) the Company and the Guarantors shall be released from their respective obligations under Section 801 and any covenants provided pursuant to Section 301(18), Section 901(1) or Section 901(12) for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Section 501(4) and Section 501(8) shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with respect to such Securities and Guarantees as provided in this Section 1303 on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 1304 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that, with respect to such Securities and Guarantees, each of the Company and the Guarantors may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section, whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities and Guarantees shall be unaffected thereby.
Section 1304 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to the application of Section 1302 or 1303 to any Securities or any series of Securities:
(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee which satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 609 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article XIII applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefits of the Holders of such Securities, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Securities on the respective Stated Maturities, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and such Securities.
(2) In the event of an election to have Section 1302 apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the date of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case (A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.
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(3) In the event of an election to have Section 1303 apply to any Securities or any series of Securities, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of such Securities will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to such Securities and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.
(4) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company to the effect that neither such Securities nor any other Securities of the same series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will be delisted as a result of such deposit.
(5) No Default or Event of Default with respect to such Securities or any other Securities shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, insofar as Section 501(5) or Section 501(6) are concerned, at any time on or prior to the 90th day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until after such 90th day).
(6) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.
(7) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate of the Company and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with (in each case, subject to the satisfaction of the condition in clause (5)).
Before or after a deposit, the Company may make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the redemption of Securities at a future date in accordance with Article XI.
Section 1305 Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to Be Held in Trust; Miscellaneous Provisions.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 1003, all money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section 1305 and Section 1306, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 1304 in respect of any Securities shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of such Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of such Securities, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and premium, if any, and interest, but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 1304 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge which by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities; provided that the Trustee shall be entitled to charge any such tax, fee or other charge to such Holder’s account.
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Anything in this Article XIII to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 1304 with respect to any Securities which are in excess of the amount thereof which would then be required to be deposited to effect the Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance, as the case may be, with respect to such Securities.
Section 1306 Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article XIII with respect to any Securities by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the obligations under this Indenture and such Securities and Guarantees from which the Company and the Guarantors have been discharged or released pursuant to Section 1302 or 1303 shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article XIII with respect to such Securities and Guarantees, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 1305 with respect to such Securities and Guarantees in accordance with this Article XIII; provided, however, that (a) if the Company or the Guarantors makes any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any such Security following such reinstatement of its obligations, the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, shall be subrogated to the rights, if any, of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money so held in trust and (b) unless otherwise required by any legal proceeding or any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall return all such money and U.S. Government Obligations to the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, promptly after receiving a written request therefor at any time, if such reinstatement of the obligations of the Company or the Guarantors, as the case may be, has occurred and continues to be in effect.
ARTICLE XIV
GUARANTEE OF SECURITIES
Section 1401 Guarantee.
Each Guarantor hereby jointly and severally and fully and unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a Security authenticated and delivered by the Trustee hereunder, and to the Trustee on behalf of each such Holder, the due and punctual payment in full of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on such Security when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal and (to the extent permitted by law) interest, if any, on such Security (collectively, the “Obligations”), in accordance with the terms of such Security and this Indenture. If the Company shall fail to pay when due any Obligations, for whatever reason, each Guarantor shall be jointly and severally obligated to pay in cash the same promptly. An Event of Default under this Indenture or the Security of any series shall entitle the Holders of such Securities to accelerate the Obligations of the Guarantors hereunder in the same manner and to the same extent as the Obligations of the Company.
Section 1402 Additional Guarantors.
The Company and each Guarantor shall cause each New Holdings Partnership Entity (other than a Non-Guarantor Entity) to become a Guarantor pursuant to this Indenture and provide a Guarantee in respect of the Securities.
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Section 1403 Waiver.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Guarantor hereby waives the benefits of diligence, presentment, demand for payment, any requirement that the Trustee or any of the Holders exhaust any right or take any action against the Company or any other Person, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest or notice with respect to any Security or the indebtedness evidenced thereby and all demands whatsoever, and covenants that no Guarantee will be discharged in respect of any Security except by complete performance of the Obligations contained in such Security and in this Article.
Section 1404 Guarantee of Payment.
Each Guarantee shall constitute a guarantee of payment when due and not a guarantee of collection. The Guarantors hereby agree that, in the event of a default in payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any Security, whether at its Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, legal proceedings may be instituted by the Trustee on behalf of, or by, the Holder of such Security, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Indenture, directly against the Guarantors to enforce the Guarantee without first proceeding against the Company.
Section 1405 No Discharge or Diminishment of Guarantee.
Subject to Section 1410, the obligations of each of the Guarantors hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional and not be subject to any reduction, limitation, termination or impairment for any reason (other than the payment in full in cash of the Obligations), including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise of any of the Obligations, and shall not be subject to any defense or setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of the Securities, this Indenture or the Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each of the Guarantors hereunder shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of the Trustee or any Holder of the Securities to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Indenture or any Security, any other guarantee or any other agreement, by any waiver, modification or indulgence of any provision thereof, by any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of the Obligations, by any release of any other Guarantor pursuant to Section 1410 or by any other act or omission or delay to do any other act that may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Guarantor or that would otherwise operate as a discharge of any Guarantor as a matter of law or equity (other than the payment in full in cash of all the Obligations); provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, no such waiver, modification or indulgence shall, without the consent of the Guarantors, increase the principal amount of such Security, or increase the interest rate thereon, change any redemption provisions thereof (including any change to increase any premium payable upon redemption thereof) or change the Stated Maturity of any payment thereon, or increase the principal amount of any Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration or the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 502 of this Indenture.
Section 1406 Defenses of Company Waived.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, each of the Guarantors waives any defense based on or arising out of any defense of the Company or any other Guarantor or the unenforceability of the Obligations or any part thereof from any cause, or the cessation from any cause of the liability of the Company, other than final payment in full in cash of the Obligations. Each of the Guarantors waives any defense arising out of any such election even though such election operates to impair or to extinguish any right of reimbursement or subrogation or other right or remedy of each of the Guarantors against the Company or any security.
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Section 1407 Continued Effectiveness.
Subject to Section 1410, each of the Guarantors further agrees that its Guarantee with respect to any Security hereunder shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be irrevocable notwithstanding any petition filed by or against the Company for liquidation or reorganization, the Company becoming insolvent or making an assignment for the benefit of creditors or a receiver or trustee being appointed for all or any significant part of the Company’s assets, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment, or any part thereof, of principal of or interest on any Obligation is rescinded or must otherwise be restored or returned by the Trustee or any Holder of any Security, whether as a “voidable preference,” “fraudulent transfer” upon bankruptcy or reorganization of the Company or otherwise, all as though such payment or performance had not been made, until the date upon which the entire Obligation, if any, and interest on such Security has been, or has been deemed pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture to have been paid in full. In the event that any payment, or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned on any Security, such Security shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be reinstated and deemed paid only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.
Section 1408 Subrogation.
In furtherance of the foregoing and not in limitation of any other right of each of the Guarantors by virtue hereof, upon the failure of the Company to pay any Obligation when and as the same shall become due, each of the Guarantors hereby promises to and will, upon receipt of written demand by the Trustee or any Holder of the Securities of any series, forthwith pay, or cause to be paid, to the Holders in cash the amount of such unpaid Obligations, and thereupon the Holders shall, assign (except to the extent that such assignment would render a Guarantor a “creditor” of the Company within the meaning of Section 547 of Title 11 of the United States Code as now in effect or hereafter amended or any comparable provision of any successor statute) the amount of the Obligations owed to it and paid by such Guarantor pursuant to this Guarantee to such Guarantor, such assignment to be pro rata to the extent the Obligations in question were discharged by such Guarantor, or make such other disposition thereof as such Guarantor shall direct (all without recourse to the Holders, and without any representation or warranty by the Holders). If (a) a Guarantor shall make payment to the Holders of all or any part of the Obligations and (b) all the Obligations and all other amounts payable under this Indenture shall be paid in full, the Trustee will, at such Guarantor’s request, execute and deliver to such Guarantor appropriate documents, without recourse and without representation or warranty, necessary to evidence the transfer by subrogation to such Guarantor of an interest in the Obligations resulting from such payment by such Guarantor.
Section 1409 Subordination.
The obligations of the Guarantors under its Guarantee pursuant to this Article XIV will be junior and subordinated to the Senior Indebtedness of the Guarantor on the same basis as the Securities of any series are junior and subordinated to Senior Indebtedness of the Issuer. For the purposes of the foregoing sentence, the Trustee and the Holders will have the right to receive and/or retain payments by the Guarantor only at such times as they may receive and/or retain payments in respect of the Securities of such series pursuant to this Indenture, including Article XV hereof.
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Section 1410 Release of Guarantor and Termination of Guarantee.
A Guarantor shall, upon the occurrence of any of the following events, be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged from all obligations under this Indenture and its Guarantee without any action required on the part of the Trustee or any Holder; provided that such Guarantor would not, immediately after such release and discharge, be required to become a Guarantor pursuant to Section 1402:
(1) at any time such Guarantor is not the Corporation and is sold or disposed of (whether by merger, consolidation or the sale of all or substantially all of its assets) to an entity that is not required to become a Guarantor, if such sale or disposition is otherwise in compliance with this Indenture;
(2) such Guarantor is designated a Non-Guarantor Entity in accordance with this Indenture; or
(3) the Company effects a Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance in accordance with Article XIII hereof.
The Company may designate any Person as a “Non-Guarantor Entity” if (i) such Person is directly or indirectly wholly owned by one or more of the Credit Parties or (ii) such Person, together with all then-existing Non-Guarantor Entities designated pursuant to this clause (ii) on a combined and consolidated basis and taken as a whole, would not constitute a Significant Subsidiary (the foregoing, the “Non-Guarantor Limitation”). The Company may also, from time to time, remove the designation of any Person as a Non-Guarantor Entity and must remove the designation as to one or more Non-Guarantor Entities designated pursuant to clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence to the extent as of the end of any fiscal quarter such Non-Guarantor Entities exceed the Non-Guarantor Limitation. Any such designation or removal by the Company shall be evidenced to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a Company Resolution giving effect to such designation or removal, and in the case of a designation, a certificate of a financial officer of the Company certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions. The Company shall promptly file with the Trustee a notice of any such release of a Guarantor in accordance with this Indenture.
The Trustee shall deliver an appropriate instrument evidencing such release upon receipt of a request of the Company accompanied by an Officers’ Certificate certifying as to the compliance with this Section.
Section 1411 Limitation of Guarantors’ Liability.
Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance hereof each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Guarantee by such Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Title 11 of the United States Code, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Guarantor. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Holders and such Guarantor hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Guarantor under this Indenture and its Guarantee shall be limited to the maximum aggregate amount which, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor, and after giving effect to any collections from or payments made by or on behalf of, any other Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee or pursuant to its contribution obligations under this Indenture, will result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Guarantee not constituting such fraudulent transfer or conveyance.
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Each Guarantee is expressly limited so that in no event, including the acceleration of the Maturity of the Securities, shall the amount paid or agreed to be paid in respect of interest on the Securities (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) exceed the maximum permissible amount under applicable law, as in effect on the date hereof and as subsequently amended or modified to allow a greater amount of interest (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) to be paid under such Guarantee. If for any reason the amount in respect of interest (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) required by a Guarantee exceeds such maximum permissible amount, the obligation to pay interest under such Guarantee (or fees or other amounts deemed payment for the use of funds) shall be automatically reduced to such maximum permissible amount and any amounts collected by any Holder of any Security in excess of the permissible amount shall be automatically applied to reduce the outstanding principal on such Security.
Section 1412 No Obligation to Take Action Against the Company.
Neither the Trustee, any Holder nor any other Person shall have any obligation to enforce or exhaust any rights or remedies or take any other steps under any security for the Obligations or against the Company or any other Person or any property of the Company or any other Person before the Trustee, such Holder or such other Person is entitled to demand payment and performance by any or all Guarantors of their liabilities and obligations under their Guarantee.
Section 1413 Execution and Delivery.
To evidence its Guarantee set forth in this Article XIV, each Guarantor hereby agrees that this Indenture shall be executed on behalf of such Guarantor by an Officer of such Guarantor, and in the case of any New Holdings Partnership Entity that becomes a Guarantor in accordance with this Indenture, such New Holdings Partnership Entity’s Guarantee shall be evidenced by the execution and delivery on behalf of such New Holdings Partnership Entity of a supplemental indenture hereto by an Officer of such New Holdings Partnership Entity.
Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its Guarantee set forth in this Article XIV shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the absence of the endorsement of any notation of such Guarantee on any Securities.
If an Officer whose signature is on this Indenture no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates any Security, the Guarantee shall be valid nevertheless.
The delivery of any Security by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, shall constitute due delivery of the Guarantee set forth in this Indenture on behalf of the Guarantors.
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION
Section 1501 Agreement to Subordinate.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of a Security, by its acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that the payment of the principal of and interest on, each and all of the Securities is hereby expressly subordinated, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter in this Article XV set forth, in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness.
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Section 1502 Rights of Senior Indebtedness in the Event of Insolvency, Etc., of the Company.
In the event of any insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, and any receivership, liquidation, reorganization or other similar proceedings in connection therewith, relative to the Company or to its creditors, as such, or to its property, and in the event of any proceedings for voluntary liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the Company, whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy, and in the event of any execution sale, then the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full of principal thereof and interest due thereon (including, without limitation, except to the extent, if any, prohibited by mandatory provisions of law, post-petition interest in any such proceedings) in money or money’s worth of all Senior Indebtedness before the Holders are entitled to receive any payment on account of the principal of or interest on the indebtedness evidenced by the Securities, and to that end the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive for application in payment thereof any payment or distribution of any kind or character, whether in cash or property or securities, which may be payable or deliverable in connection with any such proceedings or sale in respect of the principal of or interest on the Securities other than securities of the Company as reorganized or readjusted or securities of the Company or any other corporation provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment the payment of which is subordinate, at least to the extent provided in this Article XV with respect to the Securities, to the payment of all indebtedness of the nature of Senior Indebtedness, provided that the rights of the holders of the Senior Indebtedness are not altered by such reorganization or readjustment.
In the event and during the continuation of any default in payment of any Senior Indebtedness, or if in the event that the maturity of any Senior Indebtedness has been or would be permitted upon notice or passage of time to be accelerated because of a default, then, unless and until such default shall have been cured or waived or shall cease to exist and such acceleration shall have been rescinded or annulled, no payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities shall be made, in each case unless and until all amounts due or to become due on such Senior Indebtedness are paid in full in cash or other satisfactory consideration and the Company covenants that it will, upon ascertaining any such default or event of default, provide written notice to the Trustee of such default or event of default.
In the event that the Securities of any series are declared due and payable before their expressed maturity because of the occurrence of an Event of Default (under circumstances when the provisions of the first paragraph of this Section 1502 shall not be applicable), the holders of all Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full in money or money’s worth of such Senior Indebtedness before such Holders are entitled to receive any payment on account of the principal of or interest on the Securities.
No holder of Senior Indebtedness shall be prejudiced in his or her right to enforce subordination of the Securities by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company.
Section 1503 Payment Over of Proceeds Received on Securities.
In the event that, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1502, any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities (other than securities of the Company as reorganized or readjusted or securities of the Company or any other corporation provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment the payment of which is subordinate, at least to the extent provided in this Article XV with respect to the Securities, to the payment of all indebtedness of the nature of Senior Indebtedness, provided that the rights of the holders of the Senior Indebtedness are not altered by such reorganization or readjustment) shall be received by the Holders for their benefit in connection with any proceedings or sale referred to in the first paragraph of Section 1502 before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full in money or money’s worth, such payment or distribution shall be paid over to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their representative or representatives or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture under which any instruments evidencing any of such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, ratably according to the aggregate amounts remaining unpaid on account of the Senior Indebtedness held or represented by each, for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid until all such Senior Indebtedness shall have been paid in full in money or money’s worth, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
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From and after the payment in full in money or money’s worth of all Senior Indebtedness, the Holders (together with the holders of any other indebtedness of the Company which is subordinate in right of payment to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, which is not subordinate in right of payment to the Securities and which by its terms grants such right of subrogation to the holder thereof) shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of assets or securities of the Company applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until the Securities shall be paid in full, and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no such payments or distributions to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of assets or securities, which otherwise would have been payable or distributable to Holders, shall, as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders, be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or on account of the Senior Indebtedness, it being understood that the provisions of this Article XV are and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the Holders, on the one hand, and the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand, and nothing contained in this Article XV or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders, the obligation of the Company, which is unconditional and absolute, to pay to the Holders the principal of and interest on the Securities as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms, or to affect the relative rights of the Holders and creditors of the Company other than the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, nor shall anything herein or therein prevent the Trustee or the holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture subject to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness, under Section 1502, to receive cash, property or securities of the Company otherwise payable or deliverable to the holders of the Securities.
Upon any distribution or payment in connection with any proceedings or sale referred to in the first paragraph of Section 1502, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely upon a certificate of the liquidating trustee or agent or other Person making any distribution or payment to the Trustee for the purpose of ascertaining the holders of Senior Indebtedness entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the amount of such Senior Indebtedness or the amount payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XV. In the event that the Trustee determines, in good faith, that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Section 1503, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, as to the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, and as to other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Section 1503, and if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment.
Section 1504 Payments to Holders.
Nothing contained in this Article XV or elsewhere in this Indenture, or in any of the Securities, shall prevent at any time, (1) the Company from making payments at any time of principal of or interest on the Securities, except under the conditions described in Section 1502 or during the pendency of any proceedings or sale therein referred to, provided, however, that payments of principal of or interest on the Securities shall only be made by the Company within three Business Days of the due dates for such payments or (2) the application by the Trustee of any moneys deposited with it hereunder to the payment of or on account of the principal of or interest on the Securities, if at the time of such deposit the Trustee did not have written notice in accordance with Section 1506 of any event prohibiting the making of such deposit by the Company or if in the event of redemption, the Trustee did not have such written notice prior to the time that the notice of redemption pursuant to Section 1104 was given (which notice of redemption shall in no event be given more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption).
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Section 1505 Holders of Securities Authorize Trustee to Effectuate Subordination of Securities.
Each Holder by his or her acceptance of a Security authorizes and directs the Trustee on his or her behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to acknowledge or effectuate the subordination as provided in this Article XV and appoints the Trustee as attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes, including, in the event of any dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization of the Company (whether in bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership proceedings or upon an assignment for the benefit of creditors or otherwise) tending towards liquidation of the business and assets of the Company, the immediate filing of a claim for the unpaid balance of such Holder’s Securities in the form required in said proceedings and cause said claim to be approved.
Section 1506 Notice to Trustee.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article XV or any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts which would prohibit the making of any payment of moneys to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities of any series or the taking of any other action by the Trustee, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received at the Corporate Trust Office written notice thereof from the Company or from the holder or the representative of any class of Senior Indebtedness and before the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts exist; provided, however, that if at least three (3) Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any such monies may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of either the cash amount payable at maturity or interest on any Security) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall not have so received with respect to such monies the notice provided for in this Section 1506 then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such monies and to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary, which may be received by it on or after such three (3) Business Days prior to such date.
Section 1507 Trustee May Hold Senior Indebtedness.
The Trustee shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article XV with respect to any Senior Indebtedness which may at any time be held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness, and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of its right as such holder.
Nothing in this Article XV shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 506 and Section 607.
Section 1508 Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness.
The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and shall not be liable to any such holders if the Trustee shall in good faith pay over or distribute to Holders of Securities or to the Company or to any other Person cash, moneys, assets, property or securities to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article XV or otherwise. With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article XV and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee.
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Section 1509 Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets or securities of the Company referred to in this Article XV, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon any order or decree entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization, dissolution, winding up or similar case or proceeding is pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, custodian, receiver, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XV.
Section 1510 Applicability of Article XV to Paying Agents.
In case at any time any paying agent other than the Trustee shall be appointed by the Company and be then acting hereunder, the term “Trustee” as used in this Article XV in such case (unless the context shall otherwise require) be construed as extending to and including such paying agent within its meaning as fully for all intents and purposes as if such paying agent were named in this Article XV in place of the Trustee.
* * *
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Indenture or any document to be signed in connection with this Indenture shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
| Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., as Issuer | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Inc., as Guarantor | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings I L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
| Blackstone Holdings II L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings I/II GP L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings III L.P., as Guarantor | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings III GP L.P. , its general partner | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings III GP Management L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings IV GP L.P., its general partner | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings IV GP Management (Delaware) L.P., its general partner | ||
| By: Blackstone Holdings IV GP Management L.L.C., its general partner | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
| The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Indenture]
SCHEDULE I
GUARANTORS
Blackstone Inc., a Delaware corporation
Blackstone Holdings I L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
Blackstone Holdings AI L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
Blackstone Holdings II L.P., a Delaware limited partnership
Blackstone Holdings III L.P., a Québec société en commandite
Blackstone Holdings IV L.P., a Québec société en commandite
Schedule I-1
Exhibit 5.1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
900 G STREET NW
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001
TELEPHONE: +1-202-636-5500
FACSIMILE: +1-202-636-5502
December 2, 2024
Blackstone Inc.
345 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10154
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Blackstone Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the subsidiaries of the Company listed on Schedule I hereto (the “Schedule I Subsidiaries”) and the subsidiary of the Company listed on Schedule II hereto (the “Schedule II Subsidiary” and, collectively with the Schedule I Subsidiaries, the “Subsidiary Entities”) in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company and the Subsidiary Entities with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to (i) shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”); (ii) shares of preferred stock of the Company, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”); (iii) depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”) representing fractional interests in shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, which will be evidenced by depositary receipts (the “Depositary Receipts”); (iv) debt securities, which may be either senior (“Senior Debt Securities”) or subordinated (the “Subordinated Debt Securities”) (collectively the “Debt Securities”) of the Company and/or one or more of the Subsidiary Entities (in such capacity, a “Debt Securities Issuer”); (v) guarantees of the Company and/or one or more of the Subsidiary Entities (collectively in such capacity, the “Guarantors”) to be issued in connection with the Debt Securities (the “Guarantees”); (vi) warrants to purchase Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities and/or Guarantees (the “Warrants”); (vii) contracts for the purchase and sale of Common Stock (the “Purchase Contracts”); and (viii) units (the “Units”) consisting of one or more of the foregoing Securities (as defined below) in any combination. The Common Stock, the Preferred Stock, the Depositary Shares and related Depositary Receipts, the Debt Securities, the Guarantees, the Warrants, the Purchase Contracts and the Units are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Securities.” The Securities may be issued and sold or delivered from time to time for an indeterminate aggregate initial offering price.
The Depositary Shares and related Depositary Receipts will be issued under one or more deposit agreements (each, a “Deposit Agreement”) between the Company and the depositary as shall be named therein (the “Depositary”).
The Debt Securities and the Guarantees thereof, if any, will be issued under supplemental indentures (the “Supplemental Indentures”) among one or more Debt Securities Issuers, one or more Guarantors, as applicable, and such trustee as shall be named therein (the “Trustee”), to indentures among such Debt Securities Issuers, one or more Guarantors, as applicable, and the Trustee (the “Base Indentures” and, as amended and supplemented by the Supplemental Indentures, the “Indentures”).
The Warrants will be issued under one or more warrant agreements (each, a “Warrant Agreement”), among the Company, the applicable Subsidiary Entity or Entities, in the case of Warrants relating to Debt Securities and/or Guarantees, and such warrant agent as shall be named therein (the “Warrant Agent”).
The Purchase Contracts will be issued pursuant to one or more purchase contract agreements (each, a “Purchase Contract Agreement”), between the Company and such purchase contract agent as shall be named therein (the “Purchase Contract Agent”).
The Units will be issued pursuant to one or more unit agreements (each, a “Unit Agreement”), among the Company, the applicable Subsidiary Entity or Entities, in the case of Units relating to Debt Securities and/or Guarantees, and such unit agent as shall be named therein (the “Unit Agent”).
The Deposit Agreements, the Indentures, the Warrant Agreements, the Purchase Contract Agreements and the Unit Agreements are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Securities Agreements.”
We have examined: (i) the Registration Statement, (ii) the form of the Base Indenture to be entered into by the Company, any other Guarantor to be named therein and the Trustee and (iii) the form of the Base Indenture to be entered into by the applicable Subsidiary Entity, the Company, any other Guarantor to be named therein and the Trustee, each of which have been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, documents and other instruments and such certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company and the Subsidiary Entities and have made such other investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions hereinafter set forth.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We also have assumed that, at the time of execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of any of the Securities, the applicable Securities Agreement will be the valid and legally binding obligation of each party thereto other than the Company and any Subsidiary Entity. We also have assumed that, with respect to the issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, the amount of valid consideration paid in respect of such shares will equal or exceed the par value of such shares.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed further that, at the time of execution, authentication, issuance and delivery, as applicable, of each of the applicable Securities Agreements and Securities, (1) the Company and each Subsidiary Entity will be validly existing and in good standing under the law of the jurisdiction in which it is organized and such Securities Agreement will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and each Subsidiary Entity in accordance with its organizational documents and the law of the jurisdiction in which it is organized, (2) the execution, delivery, issuance and performance, as applicable, by the Company and each Subsidiary Entity of such Securities Agreement and such Securities will not constitute a breach or violation of its organizational documents or violate the law of the jurisdiction in which it is organized or any other jurisdiction (except that no such assumption is made with respect to the law of the State of New York, the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, assuming there shall not have been any change in such laws affecting the validity or enforceability of such Securities Agreement and such Securities) and (3) the execution, delivery, issuance and performance, as applicable, by the Company and each Subsidiary Entity of such Securities Agreement and such Securities (a) will not constitute a breach or default under any agreement or instrument which is binding upon the Company or any such Subsidiary Entity and (b) will comply with all applicable regulatory requirements.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that:
1. With respect to the Common Stock, assuming the taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance of the Common Stock and the terms of the offering thereof so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company and (b) due issuance and delivery of the Common Stock, upon payment therefor in accordance with the applicable definitive underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof (each, the “Board of Directors”) of the Company and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such agreement, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and the Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”), the Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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2. With respect to the Preferred Stock, assuming (a) the taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and terms of the Preferred Stock and the terms of the offering thereof so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company, (b) due filing of the applicable definitive Certificate of Designations with respect to such Preferred Stock and (c) due issuance and delivery of the Preferred Stock, upon payment therefor in accordance with the applicable definitive underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such agreement, the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws, the Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3. With respect to the Depositary Shares, assuming (a) the taking of all necessary corporate action by the Board of Directors of the Company to authorize and approve the issuance and delivery to the Depositary of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares, the issuance and terms of the Depositary Shares and the terms of the offering thereof so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company and (b) the due execution, issuance and delivery of Depositary Receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares against deposit of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock in accordance with the applicable definitive Deposit Agreement, upon payment therefor in accordance with the applicable definitive underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such agreement and such Deposit Agreement, the Depositary Shares will represent legal and valid interests in such Common Stock or Preferred Stock and the Depositary Receipts will constitute valid evidence of such interests in such Common Stock or Preferred Stock.
4. With respect to the Debt Securities, assuming (a) the taking of all necessary corporate action by the Board of Directors of the Company or equivalent governing body of the applicable Debt Securities Issuer or a duly constituted and acting committee of such Board of Directors or equivalent governing body or duly authorized officers of such Debt Securities Issuer (such Board of Directors or equivalent governing body, committee or authorized officers being referred to herein as the “Debt Authorizing Party”) to authorize and approve the execution and delivery of the applicable Indenture, the issuance and terms of such Debt Securities, the terms of the offering thereof so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Debt Securities Issuer, (b) the due execution and delivery of the applicable Indenture by the applicable Debt Securities Issuer and any Guarantors parties thereto and (c) the due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of such Debt Securities in accordance with the applicable Indenture, upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the Debt Authorizing Party and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such agreement and the applicable Indenture, such Debt Securities issued by such Debt Securities Issuer will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of such Debt Securities Issuer enforceable against such Debt Securities Issuer in accordance with their terms.
5. With respect to the Guarantees, assuming (a) the taking of all necessary corporate action by the Board of Directors of the Company or equivalent governing body of each Guarantor or a duly constituted and acting committee of such Board of Directors or equivalent governing body or duly authorized officers of each Guarantor (such Board of Directors or equivalent governing body, committee or authorized officers being referred to herein as the “Guarantor Authorizing Party”) to authorize and approve the execution and delivery of the applicable Indenture, the issuance and terms of the Guarantees and the terms of the offering thereof so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Guarantor, (b) the due execution and delivery of the applicable Indenture by each of the Guarantors parties thereto and the applicable Debt Securities Issuer, (c) the due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of the Debt Securities underlying such Guarantees, upon payment of the consideration therefor in accordance with the applicable definitive underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the applicable Guarantor Authorizing Party and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such agreement and the applicable Indenture and (d) the due issuance of such Guarantees, such Guarantees will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantors issuing such Guarantees enforceable against such Guarantors in accordance with their terms.
6. With respect to the Purchase Contracts, assuming (a) the taking of all necessary corporate action by the Board of Directors of the Company to authorize and approve (1) the issuance and terms of the Purchase Contracts, the terms of the offering thereof and the execution and delivery of the related Purchase Contract Agreement so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company, and (2) the issuance and terms of the other Securities that are the subject of the Purchase Contracts and related matters, (b) the due execution and delivery by the Company of the applicable Purchase Contract Agreement and (c) the due execution, issuance and delivery of such Purchase Contracts, upon payment therefor in accordance with the applicable definitive
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underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such agreement and the applicable Purchase Contract, the Purchase Contracts will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
7. With respect to the Warrants, assuming (a) the taking of all necessary corporate action by the Board of Directors of the Company and, in the case of Warrants relating to Debt Securities and/or Guarantees, any applicable Debt Authorizing Party and/or Guarantor Authorizing Party, to authorize and approve (1) the issuance and terms of the Warrants, the terms of the offering thereof and the execution and delivery of the applicable Warrant Agreement so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company and, in the case of Warrants relating to Debt Securities and/or Guarantees, any applicable Debt Authorizing Party and/or Guarantor Authorizing Party, and (2) the issuance and terms of the other Securities that are the subject of the Warrants and related matters, (b) the due execution and delivery by the Company and, in the case of Warrants relating to Debt Securities and/or Guarantees, any applicable Subsidiary Entities of the applicable Warrant Agreement and (c) the due execution, countersignature, issuance and delivery of such Warrants, upon payment therefor in accordance with the applicable definitive underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and, in the case of Warrants relating to Debt Securities and/or Guarantees, any applicable Debt Authorizing Party and/or Guarantor Authorizing Party, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Warrant Agreement and such agreement, such Warrants will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company and any such applicable Subsidiary Entity enforceable against the Company and any such applicable Subsidiary Entity in accordance with their terms.
8. With respect to the Units, assuming (a) the taking of all necessary corporate action by the Board of Directors of the Company and, in the case of Units relating to Debt Securities and/or Guarantees, any applicable Debt Authorizing Party and/or Guarantor Authorizing Party, to authorize and approve the issuance and delivery to the Unit Agent of the Securities that are the components of any Units, the issuance and terms of such Units and the terms of the offering thereof so as not to violate any applicable law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company or any applicable Subsidiary Entity, (b) the Common Stock and Preferred Stock that are components of such Units and/or issuable under any Purchase Contracts or Warrants that are components of such Units are or will be, as applicable, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, (c) the Warrants that are components of such Units are valid and legally binding obligations of the Company or any applicable Subsidiary Entity and (d) the due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery, as applicable, of such Units and the Securities that are the components of such Units, in each case upon payment therefor in accordance with the applicable definitive underwriting, purchase or similar agreement approved by the Company and any applicable Subsidiary Entity and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of such agreement, the applicable definitive Securities Agreements, the organizational documents of such entity and the law of the jurisdiction in which it is organized, such Units will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company and any such applicable Subsidiary Entity enforceable against the Company and any such applicable Subsidiary Entity in accordance with their terms.
Our opinions set forth in paragraphs 3 through 8 are subject to (i) the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and (iv) to the effects of the possible judicial application of foreign laws or foreign governmental or judicial action affecting creditors’ rights.
In connection with the provisions of the Indentures whereby the parties submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York, we note the limitations of 28 U.S.C. Sections 1331 and 1332 on subject matter jurisdiction of the federal courts. In connection with the provisions of the Indentures that relate to forum selection (including, without limitation, any waiver of any objection to venue or any objection that a court is an inconvenient forum), we note that under N.Y.C.P.L.R. Section 510 a New York State court may have discretion to transfer the place of trial, and under 28 U.S.C. Section 1404(a) a United States District Court has discretion to transfer an action from one federal court to another.
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In rendering the opinions set forth in paragraphs 4, 5, 7 and 8 above, we have assumed that under the law of any jurisdiction in whose currency (or whose currency is a component currency of a composite currency in which) any Securities are denominated or payable, if other than in U.S. dollars, (A) no consent, approval, authorization qualification or order of, or filing or registration with, any governmental agency or body or court of such jurisdiction is required for the issuance or sale of the Securities by the Company or the Guarantors and (B) the issuance or sale of the Securities and compliance with the terms and provisions thereof will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court of such jurisdiction.
We note that (i) a New York State statute provides that, with respect to a foreign currency obligation, a New York State court shall render a judgment or decree in such foreign currency and such judgment or decree shall be converted into currency of the United States at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of entry of such judgment or decree and (ii) with respect to a foreign currency obligation, a U.S. federal court sitting in New York State may award a judgment based in whole or in part in U.S. dollars, provided that we express no opinion as to the rate of exchange that such court would apply.
We do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York, the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act. We expressly disclaim coverage of any other Delaware law, except judicial decisions interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law, the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement.
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT LLP |
| SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT LLP |
5
Schedule I
Subsidiary Entities Incorporated or Formed in the State of Delaware
| Subsidiary |
State of Incorporation or Formation | |
| Blackstone Holdings I L.P. |
Delaware | |
| Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. |
Delaware | |
| Blackstone Holdings II L.P. |
Delaware | |
| Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. |
Delaware |
Schedule II
Subsidiary Entity Incorporated or Formed in Jurisdictions other than the State of Delaware
| Subsidiary |
State or Country of Formation | |
| Blackstone Holdings III L.P. |
Québec | |
| Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. |
Québec |
Exhibit 5.2
December 2, 2024
Blackstone Inc.
345 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10154
Re: Blackstone Inc. (the “Company”)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special Québec counsel to Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. (“Blackstone Holdings III and Blackstone Holdings IV” and also referred to herein as the “Québec Guarantors”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S 3 including all amendments or supplements thereto dated December 2, 2024, filed by the Company, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (including its exhibits, the “Registration Statement”) for the purpose of registering with the Commission under the Securities Act, the offering of certain securities of the Company and certain of its Subsidiaries, which may be guaranteed by the Québec Guarantors (each, a “Guarantee”).
EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS
In rendering the opinions set forth in this letter, we have examined:
| (i) | the Registration Statement; |
| (ii) | the limited partnership agreements, as amended and restated, of the Québec Guarantors (the “Partnership Agreements”), among the general partners and the limited partners party thereto; |
| (iii) | the certificates of attestation issued by the Registraire des entreprises for each of the Québec Guarantors dated November 22, 2024. |
For the purposes of the opinions expressed below, we have considered such questions of law as we have deemed necessary and have made such investigations and examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such certificates of public officials and such other certificates, documents and records as we have considered necessary or relevant and have relied, without independent verification or investigation, on all statements as to matters of fact contained in such documents.
This opinion is being provided at the request of the Company.
Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms have the meaning given to them in the Indenture.
ASSUMPTIONS AND RELIANCE
For the purposes of the opinions expressed below, we have assumed, without independent investigation or inquiry, that:
| (a) | with respect to all documents examined by us, the signatures are genuine, the individuals signing such documents had legal capacity at the time of signing, all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic, and certified, conformed or photocopied copies, or copies transmitted electronically or by facsimile, conform to the authentic original documents; |
| (b) | the indices and records in all filing systems maintained in all public offices where we have searched or inquired or have caused searches or inquiries to be conducted are accurate and current, and all certificates and information issued or provided pursuant thereto are and remain accurate and complete; and |
| (c) | the facts stated in the Certificates of Attestation are accurate as of the date given and continue to be true as of the date hereof. |
LAWS ADDRESSED
The opinions expressed in this letter are limited to the laws of the Province of Québec and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.
OPINIONS
We are of the opinion, based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications stated in this letter, that:
| 1. | Each of the Québec Guarantors has been duly formed and organized, is validly existing as a limited partnership under the laws of Québec, is duly registered under An Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises (Québec) (the “Publicity Act”), is not in default of its obligations to file annual declarations pursuant to the Publicity Act and is not in noncompliance with any request made under Section 73 of the Publicity Act. |
| 2. | Each of the Québec Guarantors has the partnership power and authority to own or lease its property and has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by the Québec Guarantors of its obligation under the Guarantees. |
| 3. | Upon the authorization, execution and unconditional delivery of a Guarantee by the Québec Guarantors, such Guarantee will have been duly executed and delivered by the Québec Guarantors and will constitute the legal valid and binding obligations of the Québec Guarantors enforceable in accordance with its term. |
Page 2
This opinion is for the benefit of its addressees in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement, and we hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our name in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving the consent, we do not admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by the Securities Act or by the rules and regulations promulgated under it. This opinion is expressed as of the date hereof unless otherwise expressly stated and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes in the facts stated herein.
Yours very truly,
/s/ GOWLING WLG (CANADA) LLP
GOWLING WLG (CANADA) LLP
Page 3
Exhibit 22.1
From time to time, (i) Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C., a subsidiary of Blackstone Inc. (the “Company”), may issue debt securities guaranteed by the Company and/or guaranteed by one or more of the Company’s other subsidiaries listed below or (ii) the Company may issue debt securities guaranteed by one or more of the subsidiaries listed below, other than Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.
| Subsidiary |
Jurisdiction of Organization | |
| Blackstone Holdings I L.P. | Delaware | |
| Blackstone Holdings AI L.P. | Delaware | |
| Blackstone Holdings II L.P. | Delaware | |
| Blackstone Holdings III L.P. | Québec | |
| Blackstone Holdings IV L.P. | Québec | |
| Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C. | Delaware |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated February 23, 2024, except for Notes 1, 3, 4, and 20 to the financial statements as it relates to the recast of historical segment reporting financial information, as to which the date is November 22, 2024, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Blackstone Inc. and subsidiaries (“Blackstone”) and the effectiveness of Blackstone’s internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2023, appearing in the Current Report on Form 8-K of Blackstone filed on November 25, 2024. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
New York, New York
December 2, 2024
Exhibit 25.3
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM T-1
STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939
OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE
| ☐ | CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b)(2) |
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)
| 95-3571558 | ||
| (Jurisdiction of incorporation if not a U.S. national bank) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 333 South Hope Street Suite 2525 Los Angeles, California |
90071 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.
(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 33-1441498 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
BLACKSTONE INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 20-8875684 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings I L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 26-0288589 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings AI L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 47-5186314 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings II L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 26-0288604 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings III L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Québec | 26-0450202 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings IV L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Québec | 26-0450259 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Senior Debt Securities
and Guarantees of Senior Debt Securities
(Title of the indenture securities)
| 1. | General information. Furnish the following information as to the trustee: |
| (a) | Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject. |
| Name |
Address | |
| Comptroller of the Currency United States Department of the Treasury |
Washington, DC 20219 | |
| Federal Reserve Bank | San Francisco, CA 94105 | |
| Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | Washington, DC 20429 | |
| (b) | Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers. |
Yes.
| 2. | Affiliations with Obligor. |
If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.
None.
| 16. | List of Exhibits. |
Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”).
| 1. | A copy of the articles of association of The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875). |
| 2. | A copy of certificate of authority of the trustee to commence business. (Exhibit 2 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948). |
| 3. | A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust powers (Exhibit 3 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875). |
2
| 4. | A copy of the existing by-laws of the trustee (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-229762). |
| 6. | The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875). |
| 7. | A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority. |
3
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., a banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Everett, and State of Massachusetts, on the 13th day of November, 2024.
| THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. | ||
| By: | /s/ Marie A. Hattinger | |
| Name: Marie A. Hattinger | ||
| Title: Vice President | ||
4
EXHIBIT 7
Consolidated Report of Condition of
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
of 333 South Hope Street, Suite 2525, Los Angeles, CA 90071
At the close of business September 30, 2024, published in accordance with Federal regulatory authority instructions.
| Dollar amounts | ||||
| in thousands | ||||
| ASSETS |
||||
| Cash and balances due from depository institutions: |
||||
| Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin |
26,798 | |||
| Interest-bearing balances |
301,825 | |||
| Securities: |
||||
| Held-to-maturity securities |
0 | |||
| Available-for-sale debt securities |
525 | |||
| Equity securities with readily determinable fair values not held for trading |
0 | |||
| Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell: |
||||
| Federal funds sold in domestic offices |
0 | |||
| Securities purchased under agreements to resell |
0 | |||
| Loans and lease financing receivables: |
||||
| Loans and leases held for sale |
0 | |||
| Loans and leases held for investment |
0 | |||
| LESS: Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases |
0 | |||
| Loans and leases held for investment, net of allowance |
0 | |||
| Trading assets |
0 | |||
| Premises and fixed assets (including right-of-use assets) |
10,600 | |||
| Other real estate owned |
0 | |||
| Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies |
0 | |||
| Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures |
0 | |||
| Intangible assets |
856,313 | |||
| Other assets |
95,524 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total assets |
$ | 1,291,585 | ||
|
|
|
|||
1
| LIABILITIES |
||||
| Deposits: |
||||
| In domestic offices |
1,118 | |||
| Noninterest-bearing |
1,118 | |||
| Interest-bearing |
0 | |||
| Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase: |
||||
| Federal funds purchased in domestic offices |
0 | |||
| Securities sold under agreements to repurchase |
0 | |||
| Trading liabilities |
0 | |||
| Other borrowed money: |
||||
| (includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases) |
0 | |||
| Not applicable |
||||
| Not applicable |
||||
| Subordinated notes and debentures |
0 | |||
| Other liabilities |
257,847 | |||
| Total liabilities |
258,965 | |||
| Not applicable |
||||
| EQUITY CAPITAL |
||||
| Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus |
0 | |||
| Common stock |
1,000 | |||
| Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock) |
107,099 | |||
| Not available |
||||
| Retained earnings |
924,518 | |||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income |
3 | |||
| Other equity capital components |
0 | |||
| Not available |
||||
| Total bank equity capital |
1,032,620 | |||
| Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries |
0 | |||
| Total equity capital |
1,032,620 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total liabilities and equity capital |
1,291,585 | |||
|
|
|
I, Shana Quinn, CFO of the above-named bank do hereby declare that the Reports of Condition and Income (including the supporting schedules) for this report date have been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Shana Quinn ) CFO
We, the undersigned directors (trustees), attest to the correctness of the Report of Condition (including the supporting schedules) for this report date and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.
| Kevin C. Weeks, President | ) | |||
| Cathleen Sokolowski, Managing Director | ) | Directors (Trustees) | ||
| Jon M. Pocchia, Senior Director | ) |
2
Exhibit 25.4
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM T-1
STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939
OF A CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE
| ☐ | CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO SECTION 305(b)(2) |
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
(Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)
| 95-3571558 | ||
| (Jurisdiction of incorporation if not a U.S. national bank) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 333 South Hope Street Suite 2525 Los Angeles, California |
90071 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Reg Finance Co. L.L.C.
(Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 33-1441498 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
BLACKSTONE INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 20-8875684 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings I L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 26-0288589 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings AI L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 47-5186314 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings II L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 26-0288604 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings III L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Québec | 26-0450202 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Blackstone Holdings IV L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Québec | 26-0450259 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. employer identification no.) | |
| 345 Park Avenue New York, New York |
10154 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) | |
Subordinated Debt Securities
and Guarantees of Subordinated Debt Securities
(Title of the indenture securities)
| 1. | General information. Furnish the following information as to the trustee: |
| (a) | Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which it is subject. |
| Name |
Address | |
| Comptroller of the Currency United States Department of the Treasury |
Washington, DC 20219 | |
| Federal Reserve Bank | San Francisco, CA 94105 | |
| Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | Washington, DC 20429 | |
| (b) | Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers. |
Yes.
| 2. | Affiliations with Obligor. |
If the obligor is an affiliate of the trustee, describe each such affiliation.
None.
| 16. | List of Exhibits. |
Exhibits identified in parentheses below, on file with the Commission, are incorporated herein by reference as an exhibit hereto, pursuant to Rule 7a-29 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”).
| 1. | A copy of the articles of association of The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948 and Exhibit 1 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875). |
| 2. | A copy of certificate of authority of the trustee to commence business. (Exhibit 2 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-121948). |
| 3. | A copy of the authorization of the trustee to exercise corporate trust powers (Exhibit 3 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875). |
2
| 4. | A copy of the existing by-laws of the trustee (Exhibit 4 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-229762). |
| 6. | The consent of the trustee required by Section 321(b) of the Act (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 333-152875). |
| 7. | A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority. |
3
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Act, the trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., a banking association organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, has duly caused this statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, all in the City of Everett, and State of Massachusetts, on the 13th day of November, 2024.
| THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. | ||
| By: | /s/ Marie A. Hattinger | |
| Name: Marie A. Hattinger | ||
| Title: Vice President | ||
4
EXHIBIT 7
Consolidated Report of Condition of
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
of 333 South Hope Street, Suite 2525, Los Angeles, CA 90071
At the close of business September 30, 2024, published in accordance with Federal regulatory authority instructions.
| Dollar amounts | ||||
| in thousands | ||||
| ASSETS |
||||
| Cash and balances due from depository institutions: |
||||
| Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin |
26,798 | |||
| Interest-bearing balances |
301,825 | |||
| Securities: |
||||
| Held-to-maturity securities |
0 | |||
| Available-for-sale debt securities |
525 | |||
| Equity securities with readily determinable fair values not held for trading |
0 | |||
| Federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell: |
||||
| Federal funds sold in domestic offices |
0 | |||
| Securities purchased under agreements to resell |
0 | |||
| Loans and lease financing receivables: |
||||
| Loans and leases held for sale |
0 | |||
| Loans and leases held for investment |
0 | |||
| LESS: Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases |
0 | |||
| Loans and leases held for investment, net of allowance |
0 | |||
| Trading assets |
0 | |||
| Premises and fixed assets (including right-of-use assets) |
10,600 | |||
| Other real estate owned |
0 | |||
| Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and associated companies |
0 | |||
| Direct and indirect investments in real estate ventures |
0 | |||
| Intangible assets |
856,313 | |||
| Other assets |
95,524 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total assets |
$ | 1,291,585 | ||
|
|
|
|||
1
| LIABILITIES |
||||
| Deposits: |
||||
| In domestic offices |
1,118 | |||
| Noninterest-bearing |
1,118 | |||
| Interest-bearing |
0 | |||
| Federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase: |
||||
| Federal funds purchased in domestic offices |
0 | |||
| Securities sold under agreements to repurchase |
0 | |||
| Trading liabilities |
0 | |||
| Other borrowed money: |
||||
| (includes mortgage indebtedness and obligations under capitalized leases) |
0 | |||
| Not applicable |
||||
| Not applicable |
||||
| Subordinated notes and debentures |
0 | |||
| Other liabilities |
257,847 | |||
| Total liabilities |
258,965 | |||
| Not applicable |
||||
| EQUITY CAPITAL |
||||
| Perpetual preferred stock and related surplus |
0 | |||
| Common stock |
1,000 | |||
| Surplus (exclude all surplus related to preferred stock) |
107,099 | |||
| Not available |
||||
| Retained earnings |
924,518 | |||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income |
3 | |||
| Other equity capital components |
0 | |||
| Not available |
||||
| Total bank equity capital |
1,032,620 | |||
| Noncontrolling (minority) interests in consolidated subsidiaries |
0 | |||
| Total equity capital |
1,032,620 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total liabilities and equity capital |
1,291,585 | |||
|
|
|
I, Shana Quinn, CFO of the above-named bank do hereby declare that the Reports of Condition and Income (including the supporting schedules) for this report date have been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Shana Quinn ) CFO
We, the undersigned directors (trustees), attest to the correctness of the Report of Condition (including the supporting schedules) for this report date and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our knowledge and belief has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by the appropriate Federal regulatory authority and is true and correct.
| Kevin C. Weeks, President | ) | |||
| Cathleen Sokolowski, Managing Director | ) | Directors (Trustees) | ||
| Jon M. Pocchia, Senior Director | ) |
2