Cadre Holdings, Inc S-3ASR, filed Mar 31, 2026
Cadre Holdings, Inc. (CDRE)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2026
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CADRE HOLDINGS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
| Delaware | 38-3873146 | |
| (State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
13386 International Pkwy
Jacksonville, FL 32218
(904) 741-5400
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Warren B. Kanders
Chief Executive Officer
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
13386 International Pkwy
Jacksonville, FL 32218
(904) 741-5400
(Name, address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service of process)
Copy to:
Robert L. Lawrence, Esq.
Kane Kessler, P.C.
600 Third Avenue
35th Floor
New York, NY 10016
(212) 541-6222
Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Sale to Public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than the securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following. x
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following. ¨
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 x
Non-accelerated filer ¨ Smaller reporting company ¨ Emerging growth company x
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. ¨
PROSPECTUS
CADRE HOLDINGS, INC.
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Purchase Contracts
Units
Common Stock Offered by the Selling Stockholders
This prospectus provides a general description of securities of Cadre Holdings, Inc. (the “Company,” “Cadre,” “we,” “our,” and “us”) that we may offer and the general manner in which we will offer them. We may offer, issue and sell, from time to time, in one or more offerings and series, together or separately, shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units. In addition, the selling stockholders may offer and resell from time to time in one or more offerings shares of our common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders.
Each time any of our securities is offered using this prospectus, we and/or any of the selling stockholders, where applicable, will provide a prospectus supplement and attach it to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. The applicable prospectus supplement will also contain information, where appropriate, about material United States federal income tax consequences relating to the securities covered by the prospectus supplement and any listing of such securities on a securities exchange. In addition, the applicable prospectus supplement may add, update or change the information in this prospectus and will describe the specific manner in which the securities will be offered.
This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell securities without a prospectus supplement which includes a description of the method and terms of the offering.
You should carefully read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, together with the documents we incorporate by reference, before you invest in our securities.
We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. In addition, the selling stockholders may offer and sell shares of our common stock from time to time, together or separately. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CDRE.” On March 25, 2026, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $32.22 per share. We will provide information in any applicable prospectus supplement regarding any listing of securities other than shares of our common stock on any securities exchange.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risks. Please refer to the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page 2 of this prospectus, “Item 1A – Risk Factors” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K incorporated by reference herein, and under similar headings in the applicable prospectus supplement and any other documents that are incorporated by reference herein or therein, for a description of the risks you should consider when evaluating this investment.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is March 30, 2026.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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This prospectus is part of a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the “SEC”, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and/or sell, in one or more offerings and series, together or separately, shares of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units and the selling stockholders to be named in a supplement to this prospectus may sell shares of common stock from time to time in one or more offerings as described in this prospectus. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we and the selling stockholders may offer. Each time that we or the selling stockholders offer and sell any securities, we or the selling stockholders will provide a prospectus supplement and attach it to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. The applicable prospectus supplement will also contain information, where appropriate, about material United States federal income tax consequences relating to the securities covered by the applicable prospectus supplement and any listing of such securities on a securities exchange. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as applicable. Before purchasing any securities, you should read both this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectuses, together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement, or free writing prospectus, together with the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein. Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from, or in addition to, the information contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, or any applicable free writing prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus may be used only where it is lawful to offer or sell these securities, and neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to make any representations in connection with an offering other than those contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, or any applicable free writing prospectus. Neither this prospectus, nor any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, constitutes an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, in any jurisdiction where such offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the date on the cover of such document, that the information in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of that free writing prospectus, and that the information incorporated by reference into any of the foregoing is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus incorporates by reference, and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may contain or incorporate by reference, market data and industry statistics and forecasts derived from independent industry publications and other publicly available sources. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee their accuracy or completeness, and we have not independently verified the information. In addition, the market and industry data and forecasts included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, or any applicable free writing prospectus may involve estimates, assumptions, and other risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, any applicable free writing prospectus, and in other documents incorporated by reference herein. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on this information.
References in this prospectus to the “Company,” “Cadre,” “we,” “our,” and “us,” refer to Cadre Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities. This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus include our trademarks, trade names and service marks, which are protected under applicable intellectual property laws and are our property. This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus also contains trademarks, trade names and service marks of other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks, trade names and service marks referred to in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus may appear without the ®, or TM symbol, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks, trade names and service marks. We do not intend our use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks to imply, and such use or display should not be construed to imply, a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other parties.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any applicable free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this prospectus, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on our expectations, projections, intentions, strategies, assumptions, and beliefs concerning future events affecting the Company, and therefore involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seem,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would” or the negative of these words, or other similar terms or expressions, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.
Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results of operations or financial condition of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any applicable free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated herein and therein include, but are not limited to: the availability of capital to satisfy our working capital requirements; anticipated trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate; our ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs; our expectations regarding market acceptance of our products; the success of competing products by others that are or become available in the markets in which we sell our products; the impact of adverse publicity about the Company and/or its brands, including without limitation, through social media or in connection with brand damaging events and/or public perception; changes in political, economic or regulatory conditions generally and in the markets in which we operate; the impact of political unrest, natural disasters or other crises, terrorist acts, acts of war and/ or military operations; our ability to maintain or broaden our business relationships and develop new relationships with strategic alliances, suppliers, customers, distributors, or otherwise; our ability to retain and attract senior management and other key employees; our ability to quickly and effectively respond to new technological developments; the effect of an outbreak of disease or similar public health threat on the Company’s business; logistical challenges related to supply chain disruptions and delays; the impact of inflationary pressures and our ability to mitigate such impacts with pricing and productivity; the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other political, economic, business, and/or competitive factors; the operation of our information technology systems without material interruption, including due to natural disasters, vendor business interruptions, or other causes; our ability to properly maintain, protect, repair or upgrade our information technology systems or information security systems, or problems with our transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems; our ability to protect our trade secrets or other proprietary rights and operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others and prevent others from infringing on the proprietary rights of the Company; our ability to maintain a quarterly dividend; the expenses associated with being a public company, including but not limited to expenses associated with disclosure and reporting obligations; our ability to comply with additional reporting, governance, and internal control requirements when we cease to be an emerging growth company; evolving climate and ESG related stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements, which are uncertain and may result in increased compliance costs, litigation, and reputational harm; any material differences in the actual financial results of the Company’s past and future acquisitions, as compared with the Company’s expectation; our ability to integrate the operations of the businesses we have acquired or may acquire in the future; cybersecurity incidents, including previously experienced incidents, information technology outages, and evolving privacy and cybersecurity requirements, which could disrupt operations and expose us to liability and reputational harm, depending in part on the effectiveness of our response and mitigation efforts; the impact of changes in tariffs, tax laws, global trade policies as well as instability and volatility in global markets; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, which are incorporated herein by reference. Neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements.
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More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus are based upon information available to the Company as of the date of this prospectus and speak only as of such date.
You should carefully read the factors described under “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any applicable free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, to better understand the risks and uncertainties inherent in our business and underlying any forward-looking statements. New risks and uncertainties may arise from time to time, and we cannot predict all such risks or assess their impact on our business. In light of these risks and uncertainties, you should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Any forward-looking statements we make in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any applicable free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein, as well as in other written or oral statements made by us or on our behalf, speak only as of the date of such statements. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus. Comparisons of results for current and prior periods are not intended to indicate future performance, unless expressly stated, and should be viewed solely as historical information.
Our Business
We are a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of safety equipment and other related products for the law enforcement, first responder, military and nuclear markets. Our equipment provides critical protection to allow its users to safely and securely perform their duties and protect those around them in hazardous or life-threatening situations. Through our dedication to superior quality, we establish a direct covenant with end users that our products will perform and keep them safe when they are most needed. We sell a wide range of products including body armor, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, duty gear, remote handling solutions, containers for the storage of radioactive materials, and ventilation and containment solutions through both direct and indirect channels. In addition, through our owned distribution, we serve as a one-stop shop for first responders providing equipment we manufacture as well as third-party products including uniforms, optics, boots, firearms, and ammunition. A substantial portion of our diversified product offering is governed by rigorous safety standards and regulations. Demand for our products is driven by technological advancement as well as recurring modernization and replacement cycles for the equipment to maintain its efficiency, effective performance, and regulatory compliance.
Domestically, we are a top provider of safety holsters and soft body armor for first responders, as well as a top provider of nuclear safety solutions. Globally, we are a leading provider of explosive ordnance disposal technician equipment. We believe we have achieved these positions through our high-quality standards, innovation and a direct connection to the end users. We service the ever-changing needs of our end users by investing in research and development for new product innovation and technical advancements that continually raise the standards for safety equipment in the markets we serve. Our target end user base includes state, local, and international law enforcement, fire and rescue, explosive ordnance disposal technicians, commercial nuclear power plants, emergency medical technicians, fishing and wildlife enforcement and departments of corrections, as well as federal agencies including the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of War, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Corrections, the Department of Energy, numerous foreign government agencies and other companies involved in the nuclear industry. We have a large and diverse customer base, with no individual customer representing more than 10% of our total revenue.
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Our mission that binds our leading brands as one is Together, We Save Lives. This mission lives in the hearts and minds of our associates around the world and remains in the forefront as we innovate new products and services and focus on processes to bring high quality standards to our customers. In our law enforcement and military focused brands, we are committed to honoring those who put their lives in danger through the SAVES CLUB®, which pays homage to first responders who experience a life-threatening incident in the line of work in which our armor or duty gear contributes to saving their lives. The SAVES CLUB® currently has over 2,274 members and counting.
Our mission is supported by our Cadre Operating Model (“COM”). The COM is a behavior-based, leadership centric, operating model that enables us to create greater value for our customers and stakeholders. It guides how we work, innovate, solve problems, improve and engage with each other, our customers and our communities.
Corporate Overview
Cadre Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in the State of Delaware on April 12, 2012.
Our principal executive offices are located at 13386 International Pkwy, Jacksonville, Florida 32218 and our telephone number is (904) 741-5400. Our website address is www.cadre-holdings.com. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus (other than the documents that we file with the SEC that are expressly incorporated by reference into this prospectus) and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only. See “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus, any related prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus involves risks. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should carefully consider the risk factors described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in any Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. The occurrence of any of these risks could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition and cause the value of our securities to decline. You could lose all or part of your investment.
Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities described in this prospectus for general corporate purposes. When a particular series of securities is offered, the applicable prospectus supplement will describe our intended use of the net proceeds received from that offering. The precise amounts and timing of the application of proceeds will depend on our funding requirements and the availability of other funds. Pending application of such net proceeds for specific purposes, the net proceeds may be temporarily invested in marketable securities. Except as described in any applicable prospectus supplement, specific allocations of the proceeds to these purposes will not have been deemed to be made as of the date of that prospectus supplement.
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of common stock offered by any selling stockholders.
The following description of our capital stock is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our capital stock. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), and Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended (the “Bylaws”), which have been publicly filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” to find out how you obtain a copy of those documents.
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Our authorized capital stock consists of:
| · | 190,000,000 shares are common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”); and |
| · | 10,000,000 shares are undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. |
There are 42,726,564 shares of Common Stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding as of March 6, 2026. We are authorized to issue one class of Common Stock.
Common Stock
Except as otherwise required by law or as otherwise provided in any certificate of designation for any series of preferred stock, the holders of our Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters on which stockholders are entitled to vote generally, including the election or removal of directors. The holders of our Common Stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up and after payment in full of all amounts required to be paid to creditors and to the holders of preferred stock having liquidation preferences, if any, the holders of our Common Stock will be entitled to receive pro rata our remaining assets available for distribution. Holders of our Common Stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The Common Stock will not be subject to further calls or assessment by us. There is no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Common Stock. All shares of our outstanding Common Stock are fully paid and non-assessable. The rights, powers, preferences and privileges of holders of our Common Stock will be subject to those of the holders of any shares of our preferred stock we may authorize and issue in the future.
Transfer Agent
The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Equiniti Trust Company. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 48 Wall Street, Floor 23, New York, NY 10005.
Dividends
Holders of Common Stock will be entitled to receive such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our Board of Directors (the “Board”) in its discretion out of funds legally available therefor. In no event will any stock dividends or stock splits or combinations of stock be declared or made on Common Stock unless the shares of Common Stock at the time outstanding are treated equally and identically. We expect to continue to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share, or $0.40 on an annualized basis, on our Common Stock for the foreseeable future, but we may elect to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of the Board and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors that the Board may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay dividends may be limited by covenants of any existing and future outstanding indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur.
Preferred Stock
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes our Board to establish one or more series of preferred stock, including convertible preferred stock. Unless required by law, the authorized shares of preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by stockholders. Our Board may determine, with respect to any series of preferred stock, the powers including preferences and relative participations, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of that series, including, without limitation:
| · | the designation of the series; | |
| · | the number of shares of the series, which our Board may, except where otherwise provided in the preferred stock designation, increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decrease (but not below the number of shares then outstanding); |
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| · | the dividend amount and rate of the series, if any, and whether dividends will be cumulative or non-cumulative; | |
| · | the dates at which dividends, if any, will be payable; | |
| · | the redemption rights and price or prices, if any, for shares of the series; | |
| · | the terms and amounts of any sinking fund, if any, provided for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series; | |
| · | the amounts payable on, and the preferences, if any, of shares of the series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the affairs of our Company; | |
| · | whether the shares of the series will be convertible into or exchangeable for shares of any other class or series, or any other security, of our Company or any other corporation, and, if so, the specification of the other class or series or other security, the conversion or exchange price or prices or rate or rates, any adjustments thereof, the date or dates as of which the shares will be convertible or exchangeable and all other terms and conditions upon which the conversion or exchange may be made; | |
| · | restrictions on the issuance of shares of the same series or of any other class or series; | |
| · | any other powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each series of preferred stock, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such shares, all as may be determined from time to time by our Board and stated in the preferred stock designation for such preferred stock, and as are permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). |
We are able to issue a series of preferred stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede or discourage an acquisition attempt or other transaction that some, or a majority, of the holders of our Common Stock might believe to be in their best interests or in which the holders of our Common Stock might receive a premium for their Common Stock over the market price of the Common Stock. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock may adversely affect the rights of holders of our Common Stock by restricting dividends on the Common Stock, diluting the voting power of the Common Stock or subordinating the liquidation rights of the Common Stock. As a result of these or other factors, the issuance of preferred stock may have an adverse impact on the market price of our Common Stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware Law
Certain provisions of Delaware law and our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.
These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our Board. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
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Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
The DGCL contains statutory “anti-takeover” provisions, including Section 203 of the DGCL which applies automatically to a Delaware corporation unless that corporation elects to opt-out as provided in Section 203. We, as a Delaware corporation, have not elected to opt-out of Section 203 of the DGCL. Under Section 203 of the DGCL, a stockholder acquiring 15% or more of the outstanding voting shares of a corporation (an “Interested Stockholder”), but less than 85% of such shares, may not engage in certain business combinations with the corporation for a period of three years subsequent to the date on which the stockholder became an Interested Stockholder, unless prior to such date, the Board of the corporation approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an Interested Stockholder, or the business combination is approved by the Board and by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the Interested Stockholder.
Undesignated Preferred Stock
The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock pursuant to our Certificate of Incorporation will make it possible for our Board to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our Company.
Special Stockholder Meetings
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders, for any purpose, may be called by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or by the Board pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the Board, and may not be called by any other person.
Requirements For Advance Notification Of Stockholder Nominations And Proposals
Our Bylaws contain advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors. These provisions provide that nominations and proposals may only be made by the Board, a committee of the Board, or a stockholder who has complied with the notice and information requirements set forth in the Bylaws.
Board of Directors Vacancies; Size of the Board
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect directors, vacant directorships, including newly created seats, shall be filled solely by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director and shall not be filled by the stockholders. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect directors, the number of directors constituting our Board is permitted to be set by a resolution adopted by our Board. These provisions prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our Board and then gaining control of our Board by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees. This will make it more difficult to change the composition of our Board and will promote continuity of management.
Choice of Forum
Our Bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the DGCL, our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our Bylaws also provide that the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action against us or any of our directors, officers, employees or agents and arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. Although our Bylaws contain the choice of forum provision described above, it is possible that a court could find that such a provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable. To the extent it is enforceable, however, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. The choice of forum provision requiring that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware be the exclusive forum for certain actions would not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act.
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Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws
The DGCL generally provides that the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation, unless the certificate of incorporation specifies a greater voting requirement. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the stock entitled to vote thereon is required to amend, alter or repeal, or adopt any provision inconsistent with, certain specified provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation. These include provisions relating to the Board of Directors’ authority to amend the Bylaws, the removal of directors, the limitation of director liability and indemnification, stockholder action by written consent, and the calling of special meetings.
The Certificate of Incorporation also provides that the Board of Directors may adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then authorized to serve on the Board, and that the stockholders may adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% in voting power of the stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
The DGCL authorizes corporations to limit or eliminate the personal liability of directors and officers to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of directors’ fiduciary duties, subject to certain exceptions. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our directors shall not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or our stockholders for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. Further, our Certificate of Incorporation contains a provision for the indemnification and advancement of expenses by us, to the fullest extent permitted by law, of all of our directors and officers. We have also entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers providing that the Company will indemnify each of its directors and such officers to the fullest extent permitted by law and the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. These indemnification agreements will also require the Company to advance all expenses incurred by the directors and executive officers in investigating or defending any such action, suit or proceeding.
The effect of these provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against the Company’s directors and executive officers for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against the Company’s directors and executive officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit the Company and other stockholders. Further, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent that the Company pays the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and executive officers as required by these indemnification provisions.
We also maintain a general liability insurance policy, which covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of the Company arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers. We pay the entire premium of this policy.
These provisions may be held not to be enforceable for violations of the federal securities laws of the U.S.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.
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The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee named in a prospectus supplement. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.
As used in this section only, “Cadre,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to Cadre Holdings, Inc. excluding our subsidiaries, unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our Board and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our Board, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. (Section 2.2) The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).
We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. (Section 2.1) We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:
| · | the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions); | |
| · | the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities; | |
| · | any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; | |
| · | the date or dates on which the principal of the securities of the series is payable; | |
| · | the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; | |
| · | the place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered; | |
| · | the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities; | |
| · | any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and in the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation; | |
| · | the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations; |
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| · | the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; | |
| · | whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities; | |
| · | the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount; | |
| · | the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be U.S. Dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency; | |
| · | the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made; | |
| · | if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined; | |
| · | the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index; | |
| · | any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities; | |
| · | any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; | |
| · | any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; | |
| · | any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities; | |
| · | the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of such series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price and period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange; | |
| · | any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities; and | |
| · | whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities of that series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees. (Section 2.2) |
We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. (Section 2.4) No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange. (Section 2.7)
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. Please see “Global Securities.”
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities. (Article IV)
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person (a “successor person”) unless:
| · | we are the surviving entity or the successor person (if other than Cadre) is a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and | |
| · | immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. |
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Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us. (Section 5.1)
Events of Default
“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
| · | default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period); | |
| · | default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity; | |
| · | default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice to the Company by the trustee, or notice to the Company and the trustee by the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture stating it is a “Notice of Default” thereunder; | |
| · | certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of Cadre; | |
| · | any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement. (Section 6.1) |
No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. (Section 6.1) The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.
We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof. (Section 6.1)
If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. (Section 6.2) We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
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The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. (Section 7.1(e)) Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series. (Section 6.12)
No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
| · | that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and | |
| · | the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days. (Section 6.7) |
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any 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. (Section 6.8)
The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. (Section 4.3) If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each holder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities. (Section 7.5)
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
| · | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency; | |
| · | to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets”; | |
| · | to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities; | |
| · | to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series; | |
| · | to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture; | |
| · | to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series; |
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| · | to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary; | |
| · | to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities; | |
| · | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture; | |
| · | to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or | |
| · | to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. (Section 9.1) |
We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
| · | reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; | |
| · | reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security; | |
| · | reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities; | |
| · | reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity; | |
| · | waive a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); | |
| · | make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security; | |
| · | make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or | |
| · | waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security. (Section 9.3) |
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. (Section 9.2) The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration. (Section 6.13)
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Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred. (Section 8.3)
Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
| · | we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and | |
| · | any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series (“covenant defeasance”). |
The conditions include:
| · | depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; and | |
| · | delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred. (Section 8.4) |
No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Stockholders
None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or stockholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
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Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities or the transactions contemplated thereby.
The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum. (Section 10.10)
We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our Common Stock or preferred stock or of debt securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. The following summary of material provisions of the warrants and warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.
The particular terms of any issue of warrants will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the issue. Those terms may include:
| · | the number of shares of Common Stock or preferred stock purchasable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase such shares and the price at which such number of shares may be purchased upon such exercise; | |
| · | the designation, stated value and terms (including, without limitation, liquidation, dividend, conversion and voting rights) of the series of preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of warrants to purchase preferred stock; | |
| · | the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a debt warrant and the exercise price for the warrants, which may be payable in cash, securities or other property; |
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| · | the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related debt securities, preferred stock or Common Stock will be separately transferable; | |
| · | the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants; | |
| · | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire; | |
| · | United States federal income tax consequences applicable to the warrants; and | |
| · | any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures, and limitations relating to the exchange, exercise and settlement of the warrants. |
Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled:
| · | to vote, consent or receive dividends; | |
| · | to receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of our directors or any other matter; or | |
| · | exercise any rights as stockholders of Cadre. |
Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase the principal amount of debt securities or the number of shares of preferred stock or Common Stock at the exercise price set forth in, or calculable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase debt securities are exercised, the holder of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the debt securities that can be purchased upon exercise, including any rights to receive payments of principal, premium or interest on the underlying debt securities or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture. Until any warrants to purchase Common Stock or preferred stock are exercised, the holders of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the underlying Common Stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or payments upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the Common Stock or preferred stock, if any.
DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS
We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of debt or equity securities issued by us. Each purchase contract will entitle the holder thereof to purchase or sell, and obligate us to sell or purchase, on specified dates, such securities at a specified purchase price, which may be based on a formula, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any purchase contracts we issue will be physically settled by delivery of such securities. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the methods by which the holders may purchase or sell such securities and any acceleration, cancellation or termination provisions or other provisions relating to the settlement of a purchase contract.
We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.
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The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.
If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:
| · | the title of the series of units; | |
| · | identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units; | |
| · | the price or prices at which the units will be issued; | |
| · | the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable; | |
| · | a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and | |
| · | any other terms of the units and their constituent securities. |
Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities, or, collectively, global securities. The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.
DTC has advised us that it is:
| · | a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law; | |
| · | a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law; | |
| · | a member of the Federal Reserve System; | |
| · | a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and | |
| · | a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. |
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DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”). DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.
Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.
Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.
So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and unless if otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.
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Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.
Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.
The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.
DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.
As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if
| · | DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the global security or securities representing such series of securities or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when it is required to be registered and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days of the notification to us or of our becoming aware of DTC’s ceasing to be so registered, as the case may be; | |
| · | we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities; or | |
| · | an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to such series of securities, |
we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.
Euroclear and Clearstream
If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking S.A. (“Clearstream”) or Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System (“Euroclear”) either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.
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Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.
Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.
Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with the DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the global securities through DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.
Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.
Other
The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor the trustee nor any agent of ours or of the trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.
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This prospectus also relates to the possible resale of shares of our common stock by certain of our stockholders, referred to in this prospectus as the “selling stockholders.” Information about the selling stockholders, including their names, the number of shares of our common stock to be offered by each selling securityholder and the other terms of such offering, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We or any of the selling stockholders may offer and sell securities from time to time in any one or more of the following methods or any combination thereof:
| · | to or through one or more underwriters or dealers; | |
| · | directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser, including through a specific bidding, auction or other process; | |
| · | through agents, brokers or dealers; or | |
| · | in any other manner permitted by applicable law. |
The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering of such securities that we or any of the selling stockholders may sell, including:
| · | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them; |
| · | the public offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us or any of the selling stockholders, as applicable, and any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; |
| · | describing any compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions or otherwise received from us or any of the selling stockholders by each of such underwriter, dealer or agent and in the aggregate to all underwriters, dealers and agents; |
| · | identifying the amounts underwritten; |
| · | identifying the nature of the underwriter’s obligation to take the securities; |
| · | identifying any over-allotment option under which the underwriters may purchase additional securities from us or any of the selling stockholders; |
| · | identifying any quotation systems or securities exchanges on which the securities may be quoted or listed; and |
| · | identifying any other facts material to the transaction. |
Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
We or any of the selling stockholders may effect the distribution of the securities from time to time in one or more transactions either:
| · | at a fixed price or at prices, which may be changed; |
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| · | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| · | at prices relating to such prevailing market prices; or |
| · | at negotiated prices. |
Any underwritten offering may be on a best efforts or a firm commitment basis. If underwriters are used in the sale of any securities, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including, without limitation, negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The securities may be either offered to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by underwriters without a syndicate. Generally, the underwriters’ obligations, if any, to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent. Subject to certain conditions, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities if they purchase any of the securities (other than any securities purchased upon exercise of any option to purchase additional securities or any over-allotment option). Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed, reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
If a dealer is used in an offering of securities, we or the selling stockholders may sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of sale. The applicable prospectus supplement may set forth the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions.
We or the selling stockholders may sell the securities directly or through agents, underwriters and dealers that we or any of the selling stockholders designate from time to time. The applicable prospectus supplement will name any agent, underwriter or dealer involved in the offer or sale of the securities and will describe any commissions payable by us or any of the selling stockholders to the agent. Generally, any agent, underwriter or dealer will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
We may also sell the securities offered by any applicable prospectus supplement in “at-the-market offerings” within the meaning of Rule 415 of the Securities Act, to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise. If a broker is used in the sale of the securities, the broker will not acquire the securities, and we will sell the securities directly to the purchasers in the applicable market. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the arrangements with the broker.
We or any of the selling stockholders may sell the securities directly to one or more purchasers without using any underwriters, dealers or agents. In that event, no underwriters or agents would be involved. If any selling stockholders adopt trading plans under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act, sales under those plans that are in effect at the time of any such sale may be made pursuant to this prospectus. In addition, we or any of the selling stockholders may enter into derivative, sale or forward sale transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with such a transaction, the third parties may, pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. If so, a third party may use securities borrowed from us or any of the selling stockholders to settle such sales and may use securities received from us or others to settle those sales to close out any related short positions. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). We or any of the selling stockholders may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. We or any of the selling stockholders may also sell the securities directly, in which event, no underwriters or agents will be involved.
In the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation in the form of commissions, discounts or concessions from us or any of the selling stockholders. Underwriters, dealers or agents may also receive compensation from the purchasers of securities for whom they act as agents or to whom they sell as principals, or both. Any underwriters, broker-dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” as defined in the Securities Act. Any commissions paid or any discounts or concessions allowed to any such persons, and any profits they receive on resale of the securities, may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Compensation as to a particular underwriter, dealer or agent might be in excess of customary commissions and will be in amounts to be negotiated in connection with transactions involving securities. In effecting sales, broker-dealers engaged by us may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate in the resales. The aggregate maximum underwriting compensation to any underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents will not exceed any applicable FINRA limitations.
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Agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under relevant agreements with us or to indemnification by us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which such agents, underwriters and dealers may be required to make in respect thereof. The terms and conditions of any indemnification or contribution will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Underwriters or agents may purchase and sell the securities in the open market. These transactions may include over-allotments, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids. Over-allotments involve sales in excess of the offering size, which creates a short position. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the securities and are permitted so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. Syndicate covering transactions involve the placing of any bid on behalf of the underwriting syndicate or the effecting of any purchase to reduce a short position created in connection with an offering. The underwriters or agents also may impose a penalty bid, which permits them to reclaim selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or certain dealers if they repurchase the securities in stabilizing or covering transactions. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market. These activities, if begun, may be discontinued at any time. These transactions may be effected on any exchange on which the securities are traded, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
Agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering of common stock will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The place and time of delivery for securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement for such securities. 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 unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each series of securities that we sell will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than the common stock, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Any common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to applicable notices. We may elect to apply for quotation or listing of any other class or series of our securities on a quotation system or an exchange but we are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a class or series of our securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Any such activities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Therefore, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of, or the trading market for, any other class or series of our securities.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.cadre-holdings.com. Information accessible on or through our website is not a part of this prospectus (other than the documents that we file with the SEC that are expressly incorporated by reference into this prospectus).
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This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement form part of a registration statement filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information included therein. You should review the registration statement and its exhibits, including forms of indentures and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities, which are filed as exhibits or incorporated by reference, and may also be filed under cover of a Current Report on Form 8-K. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement regarding these documents are summaries and are qualified in all respects by reference to the actual documents, which you should consult for a more complete description. A copy of the registration statement may be inspected through the SEC’s website or obtained from us as described herein.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in this prospectus or a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference modifies or replaces that statement.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC (Commission File No. 001-40698):
| · | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2026; | |
| · | our information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 24, 2025; and | |
| · | the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A12B, filed with the SEC on October 29, 2021 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including, without limitation, any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
All reports and other documents we subsequently file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act in this prospectus, prior to the termination of the offering of the securities made by this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC (including current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 or Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary), shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be part hereof from the date of filing of those documents. Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
You may obtain copies of any of these filings without charge, excluding all exhibits unless an exhibit has been specifically incorporated by reference into this prospectus, from our website (https://www.cadre-holdings.com/) or upon oral or written request by contacting us at the address and telephone number indicated below. As noted above, our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Attention: Corporate Secretary
13386 International Pkwy
Jacksonville, Florida 32218
(904) 741-5400
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The consolidated financial statements of Cadre Holdings, Inc. as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, and for the years then ended, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The validity of the securities offered hereby by or on behalf of the Company will be passed upon for us by Kane Kessler, P.C., New York, New York. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us, the selling stockholders or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Robert L. Lawrence, Esq., a member of Kane Kessler, P.C., owns 81,167 shares of the Company’s common stock.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The expenses to be paid by us in connection with the distribution of securities of Cadre Holdings, Inc. (the “Registrant”) being registered are as set forth in the following table:
| Registration Fee - Securities and Exchange Commission | $ | (1 | ) | |
| Legal Fees and Expenses | (2 | ) | ||
| Accounting Fees and Expenses | (2 | ) | ||
| Printing and Engraving Fees and Expenses | (2 | ) | ||
| Blue Sky Fees | (2 | ) | ||
| Miscellaneous | (2 | ) | ||
| Total | $ | (2 | ) |
| (1) | Deferred in reliance upon Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). |
| (2) | The foregoing sets forth the general categories of fees and expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) that we anticipate we will incur in connection with the offering of securities under this registration statement. Because an indeterminate amount of securities is covered by this registration statement, certain expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of securities are not currently determinable. An estimate of the aggregate fees and expenses in connection with each sale of securities being offered will be included in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Section 102 of the DGCL permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his or her duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that no director of the Company shall be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it now exists or as it may hereafter be amended, except to the extent that the DGCL prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty. In addition, our Certificate of Incorporation provides that no repeal or modification of this provision shall adversely affect any right or protection of a director with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he or she was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
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Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide indemnification for our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to certain limited exceptions. We will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that we will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by us against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.
We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. Each indemnification agreement provides, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws against any and all expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim. The indemnification agreements provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for the reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.
We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our corporation arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.
Any underwriting agreement or distribution agreement that the Registrant enters into with any underwriters or agents involved in the offering or sale of any securities registered hereby may require such underwriters or dealers to indemnify the Registrant, some or all of its directors and officers and its controlling persons, if any, for specified liabilities, which may include liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
The following exhibits are included herein or incorporated by reference:
| Exhibit | Description | |
| 1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 3.1 | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (as amended, the “S-1”) filed on July 12, 2021). | |
| 3.2 | Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 8, 2024). | |
| 4.1 | Form of Indenture. | |
| 4.2* | Form of Note. | |
| 4.3* | Form of Warrant. | |
| 4.4* | Form of Warrant Agreement. | |
| 4.5* | Form of Purchase Contract Agreement. | |
| 4.6* | Form of Unit Agreement. | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Kane Kessler, P.C. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of KPMG LLP. | |
| 23.2 | Consent of Kane Kessler, P.C. (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on the signature pages of the Registration Statement hereto). | |
| 25.1* | Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. | |
| 107 | Filing Fees Table. |
| * | To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference with the offering of the securities. |
| II-2 |
Item 17. Undertakings
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (i) | to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; |
| (ii) | to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Filing Fee Tables” table in the effective registration statement; and |
| (iii) | to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; |
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii), and (a)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those subsections is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in 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. |
| II-3 |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
| (A) | each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in this registration statement; and |
| (B) | each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. |
| (6) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| (i) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
| (ii) | any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
| (b) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s Annual Report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (h) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 of 1933 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. |
| (j) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file, if applicable, an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the “Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act. |
| II-4 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Jacksonville, State of Florida, on March 30, 2026.
| CADRE HOLDINGS, INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Warren B. Kanders | ||
| Name: | Warren B. Kanders | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
Each of the undersigned officers and directors of Cadre Holdings, Inc. hereby severally constitutes and appoints Warren B. Kanders and Blaine Browers as the attorneys-in-fact for the undersigned, in any and all capacities, with full power of substitution, to sign any and all pre- or post-effective amendments to this registration statement, any subsequent registration statement for the same offering which may be filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any and all pre- or post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact 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 might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Warren B. Kanders | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | March 30, 2026 | ||
| Warren B. Kanders | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Brad Williams | President | March 30, 2026 | ||
| Brad Williams | ||||
| /s/ Blaine Browers | Chief Financial Officer | March 30, 2026 | ||
| Blaine Browers | (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Hamish Norton | Director | March 30, 2026 | ||
| Hamish Norton | ||||
| /s/ Gianmaria Delzanno | Director | March 30, 2026 | ||
| Gianmaria Delzanno | ||||
| /s/ William Quigley | Director | March 30, 2026 | ||
| William Quigley | ||||
| /s/ Deborah A. DeCotis | Director | March 30, 2026 | ||
| Deborah A. DeCotis |
| II-5 |
Exhibit 4.1
CADRE HOLDINGS, INC.
INDENTURE
Dated as of ___________, 20___
[_________]
Trustee
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |||
| ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | 1 | ||
| Section 1.1. | Definitions | 1 | |
| Section 1.2. | Other Definitions | 3 | |
| Section 1.3. | Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act | 4 | |
| Section 1.4. | Rules of Construction | 4 | |
| ARTICLE II. THE SECURITIES | 4 | ||
| Section 2.1. | Issuable in Series | 4 | |
| Section 2.2. | Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities | 5 | |
| Section 2.3. | Execution and Authentication | 6 | |
| Section 2.4. | Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent | 7 | |
| Section 2.5. | Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust | 7 | |
| Section 2.6. | Holder Lists | 8 | |
| Section 2.7. | Transfer and Exchange | 8 | |
| Section 2.8. | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities | 8 | |
| Section 2.9. | Outstanding Securities | 9 | |
| Section 2.10. | Treasury Securities | 9 | |
| Section 2.11. | Temporary Securities | 9 | |
| Section 2.12. | Cancellation | 9 | |
| Section 2.13. | Defaulted Interest | 9 | |
| Section 2.14. | Global Securities | 10 | |
| Section 2.15. | CUSIP Numbers | 11 | |
| ARTICLE III. REDEMPTION | 11 | ||
| Section 3.1. | Notice to Trustee | 11 | |
| Section 3.2. | Selection of Securities to be Redeemed | 11 | |
| Section 3.3. | Notice of Redemption | 12 | |
| Section 3.4. | Effect of Notice of Redemption | 12 | |
| Section 3.5. | Deposit of Redemption Price | 12 | |
| Section 3.6. | Securities Redeemed in Part | 12 | |
| ARTICLE IV. COVENANTS | 13 | ||
| Section 4.1. | Payment of Principal and Interest | 13 | |
| Section 4.2. | SEC Reports | 13 | |
| Section 4.3. | Compliance Certificate | 13 | |
| Section 4.4. | Stay, Extension and Usury Laws | 13 | |
| ARTICLE V. SUCCESSORS | 13 | ||
| Section 5.1. | When Company May Merge, Etc. | 13 | |
| Section 5.2. | Successor Corporation Substituted | 14 | |
| ARTICLE VI. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 14 | ||
| Section 6.1. | Events of Default | 14 | |
| Section 6.2. | Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment | 15 | |
| Section 6.3. | Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee | 15 | |
| Section 6.4. | Trustee May File Proofs of Claim | 16 | |
| Section 6.5. | Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities | 16 | |
| Section 6.6. | Application of Money Collected | 17 | |
| Section 6.7. | Limitation on Suits | 17 | |
| Section 6.8. | Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest | 17 | |
| Section 6.9. | Restoration of Rights and Remedies | 17 | |
| Section 6.10. | Rights and Remedies Cumulative | 18 | |
| Section 6.11. | Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 18 | |
| Section 6.12. | Control by Holders | 18 | |
| Section 6.13. | Waiver of Past Defaults | 18 | |
| Section 6.14. | Undertaking for Costs | 18 | |
| ARTICLE VII. TRUSTEE | 19 | ||
| Section 7.1. | Duties of Trustee | 19 | |
| Section 7.2. | Rights of Trustee | 20 | |
| Section 7.3. | Individual Rights of Trustee | 20 | |
| Section 7.4. | Trustee’s Disclaimer | 20 | |
| Section 7.5. | Notice of Defaults | 21 | |
| Section 7.6. | Reports by Trustee to Holders | 21 | |
| Section 7.7. | Compensation and Indemnity | 21 | |
| Section 7.8. | Replacement of Trustee | 22 | |
| Section 7.9. | Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. | 22 | |
| Section 7.10. | Eligibility; Disqualification | 22 | |
| Section 7.11. | Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company | 22 | |
| ARTICLE VIII. SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE | 23 | ||
| Section 8.1. | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 23 | |
| Section 8.2. | Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification | 23 | |
| Section 8.3. | Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series | 24 | |
| Section 8.4. | Covenant Defeasance | 25 | |
| Section 8.5. | Repayment to Company | 25 | |
| Section 8.6. | Reinstatement | 26 | |
| ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS | 26 | ||
| Section 9.1. | Without Consent of Holders | 26 | |
| Section 9.2. | With Consent of Holders | 26 | |
| Section 9.3. | Limitations | 27 | |
| Section 9.4. | Compliance with Trust Indenture Act | 27 | |
| Section 9.5. | Revocation and Effect of Consents | 27 | |
| Section 9.6. | Notation on or Exchange of Securities | 28 | |
| Section 9.7. | Trustee Protected | 28 | |
| ARTICLE X. MISCELLANEOUS | 28 | ||
| Section 10.1. | Trust Indenture Act Controls | 28 | |
| Section 10.2. | Notices | 28 | |
| Section 10.3. | Communication by Holders with Other Holders | 29 | |
| Section 10.4. | Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent | 29 | |
| Section 10.5. | Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion | 30 | |
| Section 10.6. | Rules by Trustee and Agents | 30 | |
| Section 10.7. | Legal Holidays | 30 | |
| Section 10.8. | No Recourse Against Others | 30 | |
| Section 10.9. | Counterparts | 30 | |
| Section 10.10. | Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial; Consent to Jurisdiction | 30 | |
| Section 10.11. | No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements | 31 | |
| Section 10.12. | Successors | 31 | |
| Section 10.13. | Severability | 31 | |
| Section 10.14. | Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. | 31 | |
| Section 10.15. | Securities in a Foreign Currency | 31 | |
| Section 10.16. | Judgment Currency | 32 | |
| Section 10.17. | Force Majeure | 32 | |
| Section 10.18. | U.S.A. Patriot Act | 32 | |
| ARTICLE XI. SINKING FUNDS | 32 | ||
| Section 11.1. | Applicability of Article | 32 | |
| Section 11.2. | Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities | 33 | |
| Section 11.3. | Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund | 33 | |
CADRE HOLDINGS, INC.
Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and
Indenture, dated as of ____________, 20__
| § 310(a)(1) | 7.10 | |
| (a)(2) | 7.10 | |
| (a)(3) | Not Applicable | |
| (a)(4) | Not Applicable | |
| (a)(5) | 7.10 | |
| (b) | 7.10 | |
| § 311(a) | 7.11 | |
| (b) | 7.11 | |
| (c) | Not Applicable | |
| § 312(a) | 2.6 | |
| (b) | 10.3 | |
| (c) | 10.3 | |
| § 313(a) | 7.6 | |
| (b)(1) | 7.6 | |
| (b)(2) | 7.6 | |
| (c)(1) | 7.6 | |
| (d) | 7.6 | |
| § 314(a) | 4.2, 10.5 | |
| (b) | Not Applicable | |
| (c)(1) | 10.4 | |
| (c)(2) | 10.4 | |
| (c)(3) | Not Applicable | |
| (d) | Not Applicable | |
| (e) | 10.5 | |
| (f) | Not Applicable | |
| § 315(a) | 7.1 | |
| (b) | 7.5 | |
| (c) | 7.1 | |
| (d) | 7.1 | |
| (e) | 6.14 | |
| § 316(a) | 2.10 | |
| (a)(1)(A) | 6.12 | |
| (a)(1)(B) | 6.13 | |
| (b) | 6.8 | |
| § 317(a)(1) | 6.3 | |
| (a)(2) | 6.4 | |
| (b) | 2.5 | |
| § 318(a) | 10.1 |
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.
Indenture dated as of __________, 20__ between Cadre Holdings, Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of Delaware (“Company”), and [______] (“Trustee”).
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture.
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Section 1.1. Definitions.
“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.
“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in the City of New York, New York (or in connection with any payment, the place of payment) on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
“Capital Stock” means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock.
“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by an Officer and delivered to the Trustee.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business related to this Indenture shall be principally administered.
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice, passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depositary” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depositary for such Series by the Company, which Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depositary” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depositary with respect to the Securities of such Series.
“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
“Dollars” and “$” means the currency of the United States of America.
| 1 |
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of the United States of America.
“Foreign Government Obligations” means, with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect as of the date of determination.
“Global Security” or “ Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depositary for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depositary or nominee.
“Holder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered on the Registrar’s books.
“Indenture” means this Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.
“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Maturity” when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.
“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary and any Vice President of the Company.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer that meets the requirements of this Indenture.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company. The opinion may contain customary limitations, conditions and exceptions.
“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.
“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office having responsibility for administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Security” or “Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof.
| 2 |
“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.
“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code §§ 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.
“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are direct obligations of, or guaranteed by, the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged and which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depositary receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depositary receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depositary receipt.
Section 1.2. Other Definitions.
| TERM | DEFINED IN |
| SECTION | |
| “Agent Member” | 2.14.6 |
| “Bankruptcy Law” | 6.1 |
| “Custodian” | 6.1 |
| “Event of Default” | 6.1 |
| “Judgment Currency” | 10.16 |
| “mandatory sinking fund payment” | 11.1 |
| “New York Banking Day” | 10.16 |
| “Notice Agent ” | 2.4 |
| “optional sinking fund payment” | 11.1 |
| “Paying Agent” | 2.4 |
| “Registrar” | 2.4 |
| “Required Currency” | 10.16 |
| “Specified Courts” | 10.10 |
| “successor person” | 5.1 |
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Section 1.3. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act .
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“Commission” means the SEC.
“indenture securities” means the Securities.
“indenture security holder” means a Holder.
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“indenture trustee ” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.
“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.
Section 1.4. Rules of Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(b) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;
(c) “or” is not exclusive;
(d) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;
(e) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;
(f) in the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including,” and the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding”; and
(g) the phrase “in writing” as used herein shall be deemed to include PDFs, e-mails and other electronic means of transmission, unless otherwise indicated.
ARTICLE II.
THE SECURITIES
Section 2.1. Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officer’s Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
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Section 2.2. Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities.
At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection 2.2.1 and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections 2.2.2 through 2.2.23) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate:
2.2.1. the title (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series) and ranking (including the terms of any subordination provisions) of the Series;
2.2.2. the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;
2.2.3. any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6);
2.2.4. the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;
2.2.5. the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
2.2.6. the place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means;
2.2.7. if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
2.2.8. the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
2.2.9. the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations;
2.2.10. if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;
2.2.11. the forms of the Securities of the Series and whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities;
2.2.12. if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2;
2.2.13. the currency of denomination of the Securities of the Series, which may be Dollars or any Foreign Currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;
2.2.14. the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be made;
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2.2.15. if payments of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series are to be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which such Securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to such payments will be determined;
2.2.16. the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be determined, if such amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
2.2.17. the provisions, if any, relating to any security provided for the Securities of the Series;
2.2.18. any addition to, deletion of 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 6.2;
2.2.19. any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants applicable to Securities of the Series;
2.2.20. any Depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein;
2.2.21. the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any Securities of such Series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price, the conversion or exchange period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, at the option of the Holders thereof or at the option of the Company, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange if such Series of Securities are redeemed;
2.2.22. any other terms of the Series (which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series), including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of Securities of that Series; and
2.2.23. whether any of the Company’s direct or indirect Subsidiaries will guarantee the Securities of that Series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees.
All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate referred to above.
Section 2.3. Execution and Authentication.
An Officer shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual, facsimile or electronic signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security No longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officer’s Certificate complying with Sections 10.4 and 10.5, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Sections 10.4 and 10.5.
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The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith determines that such action may expose the Trustee to personal liability.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
Section 2.4. Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent.
The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (“Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”) and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be delivered (“Notice Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands; provided, however, that any appointment of the Trustee as the Notice Agent shall exclude the appointment of the Trustee or any office of the Trustee as an agent to receive the service of legal process on the Company.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional notice agents 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 obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 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 name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional notice agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Notice Agent” includes any additional notice agent. The Company or any of its Affiliates may serve as Registrar or Paying Agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Trustee the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Notice Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Notice Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued. The rights, powers, duties, obligations and actions of each Agent under this Indenture are several and not joint or joint and several, and the Agents shall only be obliged to perform those duties expressly set out in this Indenture and shall have No implied duties.
Section 2.5. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.
The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Holders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have No further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Holders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceeding with respect to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Securities. For the avoidance of doubt, a Paying Agent and the Trustee shall be held harmless and have No liability with respect to payments or disbursements (including to the Holders) until they have confirmed receipt of funds sufficient to make the relevant payment. No money held by an Agent needs to be segregated except as is required by law.
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Section 2.6. Holder Lists.
If it is serving as Registrar, the Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Holders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least ten days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Holders of each Series of Securities.
Every Holder, by receiving and holding Securities, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee or any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of the disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the Holders in accordance with TIA § 312, regardless of the source from which such information was derived, and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made under TIA § 312(b).
Section 2.7. Transfer and Exchange.
Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Sections 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).
Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business 15 days immediately preceding the sending of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day such notice is sent, (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part or (c) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series between a record date and payment date for such Series of Securities.
Section 2.8. 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 (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity bond as may be required by each of them to hold itself and any of its agents 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 upon receipt of a Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
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Section 2.9. Outstanding Securities.
The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.
The Company may purchase or otherwise acquire the Securities, whether by open market purchases, negotiated transactions or otherwise. A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security (but see Section 2.10 below).
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
Section 2.10. Treasury Securities.
In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.11. Temporary Securities.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon receipt of a Company Order shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.
Section 2.12. Cancellation.
The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy such canceled Securities (subject to the record retention requirements of the Exchange Act and the Trustee) and deliver a certificate of such cancellation to the Company upon written request of the Company. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.13. Defaulted Interest.
If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Holders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least ten days before the special record date, the Company shall send to the Trustee and to each Holder of the Series a notice that states the special record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.
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Section 2.14. Global Securities.
2.14.1. Terms of Securities . A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depositary for such Global Security or Securities.
2.14.2. Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 of the Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 of the Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depositary for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time such Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event or (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms.
Except as provided in this Section 2.14.2, a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depositary, by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary or another nominee of such Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such a successor Depositary.
None of the Trustee or any Agent 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, members or beneficial owners 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.
None of the Trustee or any Agent shall have any responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner of a Global Security, a member of, or a participant in the Depositary or other Person with respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depositary or its nominee or of any participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in any Security or with respect to the delivery to any participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary) of any notice (including any notice of optional redemption) or the payment of any amount, under or with respect to such Security.
2.14.3. Legends. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“THIS SECURITY IS A GLOBAL SECURITY WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE INDENTURE HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY. THIS SECURITY IS EXCHANGEABLE FOR SECURITIES REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF A PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEPOSITARY OR ITS NOMINEE ONLY IN THE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE INDENTURE, AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY, BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.”
In addition, so long as the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) is the Depositary, each Global Security registered in the name of DTC or its nominee shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“UNLESS THIS GLOBAL SECURITY IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY GLOBAL SECURITY 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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2.14.4. Acts of Holders. The Depositary, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.
2.14.5. Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof.
2.14.6. Agent Members. The registered Holder of a Security will be treated as the owner of such Security for all purposes and only registered Holders shall have rights under this Indenture and the Securities. Members of, or participants in, the Depositary (“Agent Members ”) and persons who hold beneficial interests in a Global Security through an Agent Member shall have No rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Security held on their behalf by the Depositary. The Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar and any agent of the foregoing as the absolute owner of the Global Securities for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent, the Registrar or any agent of the foregoing from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices of such Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of a Holder of a beneficial interest in any Global Security.
Section 2.15. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that No representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
ARTICLE III.
REDEMPTION
Section 3.1. Notice to Trustee.
The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of the Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 15 days before the redemption date (or such shorter period as may be acceptable to the Trustee).
Section 3.2. Selection of Securities to be Redeemed.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Securities of the Series to be redeemed will be selected as follows: (a) if the Securities are in the form of Global Securities, in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, (b) if the Securities are listed on any national securities exchange, in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on which the Securities are listed or (c) if not otherwise provided for under clause (a) or (b) in the manner that the Trustee deems fair and appropriate, including by lot or other method, unless otherwise required by law or applicable stock exchange requirements, subject, in the case of Global Securities, to the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Securities to be redeemed shall be selected from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption. Portions of the principal of Securities of the Series that have denominations larger than $1,000 may be selected for redemption. Securities of the Series and portions of them it selected for redemption shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.2.10, the minimum principal denomination for each Series and the authorized integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities of a Series called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities of that Series called for redemption. Neither the Trustee nor the Paying Agent shall be liable for any selection made by it in accordance with this paragraph (including the procedures of the Depositary).
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Section 3.3. Notice of Redemption.
Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, at least 15 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall send or cause to be sent by first-class mail or electronically, in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary, a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed.
The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:
(a) the redemption date;
(b) the redemption price;
(c) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(d) if any Securities are being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Securities to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date and upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the original Security shall be issued in the name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Security;
(e) that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(f) that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date unless the Company defaults in the deposit of the redemption price;
(g) the “CUSIP” number, if any; and
(h) any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.
At the Company’s request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense, provided, however, that the Company has delivered to the Trustee, at least 10 days (unless a shorter time shall be acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the notice date, an Officer’s Certificate requesting that the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to be stated in such notice and the form of such notice.
Section 3.4. Effect of Notice of Redemption.
Once notice of redemption is sent as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price. Except as otherwise provided in the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate for a Series, a notice of redemption may not be conditional. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date.
Section 3.5. Deposit of Redemption Price.
On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.
Section 3.6. Securities Redeemed in Part.
Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
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ARTICLE IV.
COVENANTS
Section 4.1. Payment of Principal and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture. On or before 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the applicable payment date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of each Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
Section 4.2. SEC Reports.
To the extent any Securities of a Series are outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA § 314(a). Reports, information and documents filed with the SEC via the EDGAR system will be deemed to be delivered to the Trustee as of the time of such filing via EDGAR for purposes of this Section 4.2.
Delivery of reports, information and documents to the Trustee under this Section 4.2 is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of the foregoing shall not constitute constructive or actual notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of the covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates). All such reports, information or documents referred to in this Section 4.2 that the Company files with the SEC via the SEC’s EDGAR system shall be deemed to be filed with the Trustee and transmitted to Holders at the time such reports, information or documents are filed via the EDGAR system (or any successor system).
Section 4.3. Compliance Certificate.
To the extent any Securities of a Series are outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officer’s Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officer with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his/her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which the Officer may have knowledge).
Section 4.4. Stay, Extension and Usury Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities; and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though No such law has been enacted.
ARTICLE V.
SUCCESSORS
Section 5.1. When Company May Merge, Etc.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”) unless:
(a) the Company is the surviving entity or the successor person (if other than the Company) is a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes by supplemental indenture the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture; and
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(b) immediately after giving effect to the transaction, No Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officer’s Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.
Notwithstanding the above, any Subsidiary of the Company may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to the Company. Neither an Officer’s Certificate nor an Opinion of Counsel shall be required to be delivered in connection therewith.
Section 5.2. Successor Corporation Substituted.
Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided , however , that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, conveyance or other disposition (other than a lease) shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
ARTICLE VI.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.1. Events of Default.
“Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officer’s Certificate it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
(a) default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the 30th day of such period);
(b) default in the payment of principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity;
(c) default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than defaults pursuant to paragraph (a) or (b) above or pursuant to a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of a Series of Securities other than that Series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder;
(d) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:
(i) commences a voluntary case,
(ii) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case,
(iii) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property,
(iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or
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(v) generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due;
(e) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:
(i) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case,
(ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or
(iii) orders the liquidation of the Company,
and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or
(f) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2.18.
The term “Bankruptcy Law ” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian ” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
The Company will provide the Trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take in respect thereof.
Section 6.2. Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(d) or (e)) then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.3. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if:
(a) 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,
(b) default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or
(c) default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, if any, when and as due by the terms of a Security,
then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and 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 compensation, reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
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If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee, subject to Article VII hereof, may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 6.4. 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 or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company 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 for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and 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 compensation, reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same,
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee 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 it for the compensation, reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any 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.
Section 6.5. 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 compensation, reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
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Section 6.6. Application of Money Collected.
Any money or property collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money or property on account of principal 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 under Section 7.7; and
Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of 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 interest, respectively; and
Third: To the Company.
Section 6.7. Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
(a) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;
(b) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that 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;
(c) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to the Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by the Trustee in compliance with such request;
(d) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(e) No direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series;
it being understood, intended and expressly covenanted by the Holder of every Security with every other Holder and the Trustee 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 such Holders of the applicable Series.
Section 6.8. Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.9. Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders 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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Section 6.10. Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, 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, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 6.11. 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 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 6.12. Control by Holders.
The Holders of a majority in 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
(a) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,
(b) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction,
(c) subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability, and
(d) prior to taking any action as directed under this Section 6.12, the Trustee shall be entitled to indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
Section 6.13. Waiver of Past Defaults.
The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series, by written notice to the Trustee and the Company, waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration). 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 6.14. Undertaking for Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Maturity of such Security, including the Stated Maturity expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).
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ARTICLE VII.
TRUSTEE
Section 7.1. Duties of Trustee.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(i) The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and No others, and No implied covenants or obligations will be read into this Indenture against the Trustee.
(ii) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officer’s Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officer’s Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the form requirements of this Indenture.
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section.
(ii) The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(iii) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series in accordance with Section 6.12.
(d) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraph (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.
(e) The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
(g) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if adequate indemnity against such risk is not assured to the Trustee in its satisfaction.
(h) The Paying Agent, the Notice Agent, the Registrar, any authenticating agent and the Trustee when acting in any other capacity hereunder shall be entitled to the protections and immunities as are set forth in this Article VII.
(i) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and will be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities under this Indenture.
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Section 7.2. Rights of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.
(c) The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depositary shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depositary.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.
(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.
(f) The Trustee shall be under No obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(g) 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.
(h) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by a Responsible Officer at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture.
(i) In No event shall the Trustee be liable to any person for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage.
(j) The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so.
(k) The Trustee will not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the execution of this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 7.3. Individual Rights of Trustee.
The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
Section 7.4. Trustee’s Disclaimer.
The Trustee makes No representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities and shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its certificate of authentication.
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Section 7.5. Notice of Defaults.
If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall send to each Holder of the Securities of that Series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as its corporate trust committee or a committee of its Responsible Officers in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Holders of that Series. The Trustee will not be deemed to have notice or be charged with knowledge of any Default or Event of Default unless written notice thereof has been received by a Responsible Officer, and such notice references the applicable Series of Securities and this Indenture and states on its face that a Default or Event of Default has occurred.
Section 7.6. Reports by Trustee to Holders.
Within 60 days after each anniversary of this Indenture, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such anniversary date, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA § 313.
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Holders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each national securities exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing when Securities of any Series are listed on any national securities exchange.
Section 7.7. Compensation and Indemnity.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee (including for the cost of defending itself) against any cost, expense or liability, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it except as set forth in the next paragraph in the performance of its duties under this Indenture as Trustee or Agent. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder, unless and to the extent that the Company is materially prejudiced thereby. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through willful misconduct or negligence, as determined by a final decision of a court of competent jurisdiction.
To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(d) or (e) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the termination of this Indenture and the resignation or removal of the Trustee.
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Section 7.8. Replacement of Trustee.
A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:
(a) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
(b) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;
(c) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(d) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall send a notice of its succession to each Holder of each such Series. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it for actions taken or omitted to be taken in accordance with its rights, powers and duties under this Indenture prior to such replacement.
Section 7.9. Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.
Any organization or entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any organization or entity resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any organization or entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such organization or entity shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under Section 7.10, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto.
Section 7.10. Eligibility; Disqualification.
This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA § 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA § 310(b).
Section 7.11. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.
The Trustee is subject to TIA § 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA § 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA § 311(a) to the extent indicated.
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ARTICLE VIII.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
Section 8.1. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Order be discharged with respect to the Securities of any Series and cease to be of further effect as to all Securities of such Series (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(a) either
(i) all Securities of such Series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) all such Securities of such Series not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:
(1) have become due and payable by reason of sending a notice of redemption or otherwise,
(2) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year,
(3) have been called for redemption or 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, or
(4) are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable;
and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount of money or U.S. Government Obligations, which amount shall be sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging each installment of principal (including mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments) of and interest on all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of principal or interest are due;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, (x) the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, (y) if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2 and 8.5, and (z) the rights, powers, trusts and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith shall survive.
Section 8.2. Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Sections 8.1, 8.3 or 8.4.
(b) The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee (which indemnity shall survive termination of this Indenture) against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Sections 8.1, 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.
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(c) The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Order any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Sections 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held under this Indenture.
Section 8.3. Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series.
Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2, to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (d) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall No longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, upon receipt of a Company Order, execute instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:
(a) the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (d) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;
(b) the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 7.7, 8.2, 8.3, 8.5 and 8.6; and
(c) the rights, powers, trusts and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the Company’s obligations in connection therewith;
provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(d) the Company shall have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming No tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of principal or interest and such sinking fund payments are due;
(e) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;
(f) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 91st day after such date;
(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;
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(h) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and
(i) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
Section 8.4. Covenant Defeasance.
Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2 to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 and 5.1 and, unless otherwise specified therein, any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 and designated as an Event of Default shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, but, except as specified above, the remainder of this Indenture and such Securities will be unaffected thereby; provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(a) with reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming No tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants or investment bank expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal (including mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments) of and interest on all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of principal or interest are due;
(b) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;
(c) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit;
(d) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred;
(e) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and
(f) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
Section 8.5. Repayment to Company.
Subject to applicable abandoned property law, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for two years. After that, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.
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Section 8.6. Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money deposited with respect to Securities of any Series in accordance with Section 8.1 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the obligations of the Company under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series and under the Securities of such Series shall be revived and reinstated as though No deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.1 until such time as the Trustee or the Paying Agent is permitted to apply all such money in accordance with Section 8.1; provided, however, that if the Company has made any payment of principal of or interest on or any Additional Amounts with respect to any Securities because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Securities to receive such payment from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying Agent after payment in full to the Holders.
ARTICLE IX.
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS
Section 9.1. Without Consent of Holders.
The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Holder:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
(b) to comply with Article V;
(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(d) to add guarantees with respect to Securities of any Series or secure Securities of any Series;
(e) to surrender any of the Company’s rights or powers under this Indenture;
(f) to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of Securities of any Series;
(g) to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;
(h) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Holder;
(i) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;
(j) 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; or
(k) to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA.
Section 9.2. With Consent of Holders.
Subject to Section 9.3, the Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in 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 offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, and subject to Section 9.3, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.
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It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall send to the Holders of Securities affected thereby, a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to send such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.
Section 9.3. Limitations.
Without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:
(a) reduce the principal amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(b) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security;
(c) reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;
(d) reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof;
(e) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
(f) make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security;
(g) make any change in Sections 6.8, 6.13 or 9.3 (this sentence); or
(h) waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security, provided that such redemption is made at the Company’s option.
Section 9.4. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act.
Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.
Section 9.5. Revocation and Effect of Consents.
Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date of the supplemental indenture or the date the waiver becomes effective.
Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Holder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.
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The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to give their consent or take any other action described above or required or permitted to be taken pursuant to this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, then notwithstanding the second immediately preceding paragraph, those Persons who were Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those Persons, shall be entitled to give such consent or to revoke any consent previously given or take any such action, whether or not such Persons continue to be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective for more than 120 days after such record date.
Section 9.6. Notation on or Exchange of Securities.
The Company or the Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon receipt of a Company Order in accordance with Section 2.3 new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.
Section 9.7. Trustee Protected.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, upon request, an Officer’s Certificate and/or an Opinion of Counsel complying with Sections 10.4 and 10.5 and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon such Officer’s Certificate and/or Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures upon delivery of such an Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel or both, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights, duties, liabilities or immunities under this Indenture.
ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 10.1. Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.
Section 10.2. Notices.
Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), email or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, to the others’ address:
if to the Company:
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
13386 International Pkwy
Jacksonville, FL 32218
Attention: Warren B. Kanders
Telephone: (904) 741-5400
with a copy to:
Kane Kessler, P.C.
600 Third Avenue
35th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Attention: Robert L. Lawrence, Esq.
Telephone: (212) 541-6222
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if to the Trustee:
[_____]
Attention: [____]
Telephone: [____]
with a copy to:
[_____]
Attention: [____]
Telephone: [____]
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be sent electronically or by first-class mail or overnight air courier to his, her or its address shown on the register kept by the Registrar, in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary. Failure to send a notice or communication to a Holder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders of that or any other Series.
If a notice or communication is sent or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Holder receives it.
If the Company sends a notice or communication to Holders, it shall send a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
The Trustee shall not have any duty to confirm that the person sending any notice, instruction or other communication by electronic transmission (including by e-mail, facsimile transmission, web portal or other electronic methods) is, in fact, a person authorized to do so. Electronic signatures believed by the Trustee to comply with the ESIGN Act of 2000 or other applicable law (including electronic images of handwritten signatures and digital signatures provided by DocuSign, Orbit, Adobe Sign or any other digital signature provider acceptable to the Trustee) shall be deemed original signatures for all purposes. The Company assumes all risks arising out of the use of electronic signatures and electronic methods to send communications to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on an unauthorized communication, and the risk of interception or misuse by third parties.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event (including any notice of redemption) to a Holder of a Global Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given to the Depositary for such Security (or its designee) pursuant to the customary procedures of such Depositary.
Section 10.3. Communication by Holders with Other Holders.
Holders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA § 312(b) with other Holders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA § 312(c).
Section 10.4. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(a) an Officer’s Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(b) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
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Section 10.5. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion.
Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA § 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA § 314(e) and shall include:
(a) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;
(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(c) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, such person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 10.6. Rules by Trustee and Agents.
The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Holders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
Section 10.7. Legal Holidays.
If a payment date for any payment made under this Indenture is not a Business Day, payment may be made on the next succeeding Business Day, and No interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
Section 10.8. No Recourse Against Others.
A director, officer, employee or stockholder (past or present), as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.
Section 10.9. Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
Unless otherwise provided herein or in any other Securities, the words “execute”, “execution”, “signed” and “signature” and words of similar import used in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Indenture, any Securities or any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including amendments, waivers, consents and other modifications) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures and 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 in ink or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as applicable, to the fullest extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.
Section 10.10. Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial; Consent to Jurisdiction.
THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES, INCLUDING ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE INDENTURE OR THE SECURITIES, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
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THE COMPANY, THE TRUSTEE AND THE HOLDERS (BY THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE SECURITIES) EACH HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Indenture or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The Company, the Trustee and the Holders (by their acceptance of the Securities) each hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
Section 10.11. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements.
This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
Section 10.12. Successors.
All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
Section 10.13. Severability.
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 10.14. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.
The Table of Contents, Cross Reference Table, headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof and shall in No way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Section 10.15. Securities in a Foreign Currency .
Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in more than one currency, then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be determined by converting any such other currency into a currency that is designated upon issuance of any particular Series of Securities. Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officer’s Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, such conversion shall be at the spot rate for the purchase of the designated currency as published in The Financial Times in the “Currency Rates” section (or, if The Financial Times is No longer published, or if such information is No longer available in The Financial Times, such source as may be selected in good faith by the Company) on any date of determination. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
All decisions and determinations provided for in the preceding paragraph shall, in the absence of manifest error, to the extent permitted by law, be conclusive for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Trustee and all Holders.
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Section 10.16. Judgment Currency .
The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in the City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a New York Banking Day, then the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in the City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “ New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in the City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
Section 10.17. Force Majeure.
In No event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes, pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, 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 best efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 10.18. U.S.A. Patriot Act.
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with the Trustee. The parties to this Indenture agree that they will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.
ARTICLE XI.
SINKING FUNDS
Section 11.1. Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series if so provided by the terms of such Securities pursuant to Section 2.2, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.
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Section 11.2. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (2) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officer’s Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.
Section 11.3. Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officer’s Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date will be selected in the manner specified in Section 3.2, and the Company shall send or cause to be sent a notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in and in accordance with Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| Cadre Holdings, Inc. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Its: | ||
| [_____], as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Its: | ||
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Exhibit 5.1
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KANE KESSLER, P.C. 600 THIRD AVENUE NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10016-1901 TEL 212.541.6222 |
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FAX 212.245.3009 WWW.KANEKESSLER.COM
WRITER’S DIRECT NUMBER
WRITER’S EMAIL |
March 30, 2026
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
13386 International Pkwy
Jacksonville, FL 32218
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Cadre Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing of a registration statement on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on March 30, 2026 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the registration for issue and sale by the Company of (A) (i) shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Shares”); (ii) shares of preferred stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Preferred Shares”); (iii) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”) issued in one or more series pursuant to a base indenture (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Indenture”) to be entered into between the Company, as issuer, and a trustee to be named therein (the “Trustee”); (iv) warrants of the Company relating to the Common Shares, Preferred Shares or Debt Securities (the “Warrants”); (v) purchase contracts (the “Purchase Contracts”) and (vi) units (the “Units”), and (B) Common Shares to be offered by certain selling stockholders of the Company (the “Stockholder Shares”). The Common Shares, Preferred Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants, Purchase Contracts, Units and Stockholder Shares may be issued and sold or delivered from time to time as set forth in the Registration Statement, and amendments thereto, the prospectus contained therein (the “Prospectus”) and supplements to the Prospectus (the “Prospectus Supplements”) and pursuant to Rule 415 of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act Rules”).
In our capacity as special counsel to the Company in connection with the matters referred to above, we have examined copies of the following: (i) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company currently in effect (the “Amended and Restated Certificate”), (ii) the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Company currently in effect (the “Amended and Restated By-laws”) and certain records of the Company’s corporate proceedings as reflected in its minute books, and (iii) the Registration Statement, including the form of Indenture filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement as filed with the Commission. We have also examined such other documents, papers, authorities and statutes as we have deemed necessary to form the basis of the opinions hereinafter set forth.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 2
In our examination, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents, certificates and instruments submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents, certificates and instruments of all documents, certificates and instruments submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such documents, certificates and instruments. As to certain facts material to this opinion, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company including that the number of Common Shares and Preferred Shares, as the case may be, which the Company is authorized to issue in its Amended and Restated Certificate exceeds (i) the number of Common Shares or the number of Preferred Shares outstanding, as the case may be, (ii) the number of Common Shares or Preferred Shares, as the case may be, held as treasury shares, and (iii) the number of Common Shares or Preferred Shares, as the case may be, which the Company is obligated to issue (or has otherwise reserved for issuance for any purpose) by at least the number of Common Shares or Preferred Shares, as the case may be, which may be offered and sold pursuant to the Registration Statement and we have assumed for purposes of our opinion herein that such condition will remain true at all future times relevant to this opinion. We have also relied on certificates of public officials, and such other documents and information as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinions expressed below. We have not undertaken any independent investigation to determine the accuracy of any such facts.
We have assumed for purposes of this opinion that (i) the Trustee will be duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; (ii) the Indenture and any supplemental indentures thereto will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and constitutes a legally valid and binding obligation of the Trustee, enforceable against the Trustee in accordance with its terms; (iii) the Trustee will be duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by the Indenture; (iv) the Trustee will have the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under the Indenture; (v) the Trustee will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and a Form T-1 will be properly filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; and (vi) any Debt Securities that may be issued will be manually signed or countersigned, as the case may be, by duly authorized officers of the Trustee.
We have assumed further that the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Indenture and the Debt Securities, as the case may be, will not breach or result in a default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, violate any applicable law, rule or regulation to which the Company is subject, violate any judicial or regulatory order or decree of any governmental authority, or require any consent, approval, license, authorization or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, any governmental authority. We have also assumed that the execution, delivery, issuance and performance by the Company of the Warrant Agreement, any Purchase Contract Agreement, any Unit Agreement, the Offered Warrants, Offered Purchase Contracts and Offered Units, and any underlying securities issuable or deliverable thereunder, as applicable, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and by the applicable Prospectus Supplement, will not breach or result in a default under any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company, violate any applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree, or require any consent, approval, authorization, license, validation or filing, recording or registration with any governmental authority or other person (except such as have been obtained or made).
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 3
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and the other qualifications, assumptions and limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:
1. With respect to any Common Shares to be offered to the public pursuant to the Registration Statement (the “Offered Common Shares”), assuming (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended (including all necessary post-effective amendments), has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act; (ii) an appropriate Prospectus Supplement with respect to the Offered Common Shares has been prepared, delivered and filed in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable Securities Act Rules; (iii) if the Offered Common Shares are to be sold pursuant to a firm commitment underwritten offering, the underwriting agreement with respect to the Offered Common Shares has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (iv) the Board of Directors of the Company, including any appropriate committee appointed thereby, and appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of the Offered Common Shares and related matters; (v) the issuance and sale of the Offered Common Shares do not violate any applicable law or the Amended and Restated Certificate or the Amended and Restated By-Laws or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (vi) the Offered Common Shares have been duly issued and delivered, upon payment of adequate consideration therefor (not less than the par value of the Offered Common Shares) in accordance with the Registration Statement and Prospectus Supplement, the Offered Common Shares, when issued, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 4
2. With respect to any series of Preferred Shares to be offered to the public pursuant to the Registration Statement (the “Offered Preferred Shares”), assuming (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended (including all necessary post-effective amendments), has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act; (ii) an appropriate Prospectus Supplement with respect to the Offered Preferred Shares has been prepared, delivered and filed in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable Securities Act Rules; (iii) if the Offered Preferred Shares are to be sold pursuant to a firm commitment underwritten offering, the underwriting agreement with respect to the Offered Preferred Shares has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (iv) the Board of Directors of the Company, including any appropriate committee appointed thereby, and appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of the Offered Preferred Shares and related matters, including, but not limited to the adoption of appropriate resolutions to establish the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights, if any, or the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, if any, and other terms of such shares as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the exhibits thereto and any Prospectus Supplement relating to the Offered Preferred Shares; (v) a certificate of designation with respect to the Offered Preferred Shares has been properly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware; (vi) the issuance and sale of the Offered Preferred Shares does not violate any applicable law or the Amended and Restated Certificate or the Amended and Restated By-Laws or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (vii) the Offered Preferred Shares have been duly issued and delivered, upon payment of adequate consideration therefor (not less than the par value of the Offered Preferred Shares) in accordance with the Registration Statement and Prospectus Supplement, and, if applicable, a definitive underwriting agreement is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, the Offered Preferred Shares, when issued, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
3. With respect to any series of Debt Securities to be offered to the public pursuant to the Registration Statement (the “Offered Debt Securities”), assuming (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended (including all necessary post-effective amendments), has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and the applicable Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended; (ii) an appropriate Prospectus Supplement or term sheet with respect to the Offered Debt Securities has been prepared, delivered and filed in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable Securities Act Rules; (iii) if the Offered Debt Securities are to be sold pursuant to a firm commitment underwritten offering, the underwriting agreement with respect to the Offered Debt Securities has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (iv) the Board of Directors, including any appropriate committee appointed thereby, and appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance and terms of the Offered Debt Securities and related matters; (v) each Indenture and any supplemental indenture in respect of such Offered Debt Securities provides that it shall be governed by New York law, that courts other than New York courts will give effect to such choice of law, and shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto; (vi) the terms of the Offered Debt Securities and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Indenture and any supplemental indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of such Offered Debt Securities so as not to violate any applicable law, the Amended and Restated Certificate or the Amended and Restated By-laws or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and (vii) the Offered Debt Securities have been issued and sold for the consideration contemplated by, and otherwise in conformity with, the Registration Statement, as supplemented by a Prospectus Supplement with respect to such issuance and sale, and have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Indenture and any supplemental indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of such Offered Debt Securities and duly delivered to the purchasers thereof upon payment of the agreed-upon consideration therefor, the Offered Debt Securities, when issued and sold in accordance with the applicable Indenture, any supplemental indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of such Offered Debt Securities and the applicable underwriting agreement, if any, or any other duly authorized, executed and delivered valid and binding purchase or agency agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), (c) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, (d) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain remedies, (e) the waivers of any usury defense contained in the Indenture which may be unenforceable, (f) requirements that a claim with respect to any Offered Debt Securities denominated in a currency, currency unit or composite currency other than United States dollars (or a judgment denominated other than in United States dollars in respect of such claim) be converted into United States dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law, and (g) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States or in foreign currencies, currency units or composite currencies.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 5
4. With respect to any Warrants to be offered under an applicable warrant agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”) to the public pursuant to the Registration Statement (the “Offered Warrants”), assuming (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended (including all necessary post-effective amendments), has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act; (ii) an appropriate Prospectus Supplement with respect to the Offered Warrants has been prepared, delivered and filed in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable Securities Act Rules; (iii) if the Offered Warrants are to be sold pursuant to a firm commitment underwritten offering, the underwriting agreement with respect to the Offered Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (iv) the Board of Directors of the Company, including any appropriate committee appointed thereby, and appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of the Offered Warrants and related matters; (v) the issuance and sale of the Offered Warrants does not violate any applicable law or the Amended and Restated Certificate or the Amended and Restated By-Laws or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; (vi) the Common Shares, the Preferred Shares or Debt Securities issuable upon exercise of such Offered Warrants have been duly authorized for issuance; (vii) the applicable Warrant Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto, and (viii) the Offered Warrants have been duly executed, delivered, countersigned, issued and sold in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Warrant Agreement in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement or any Prospectus Supplement relating thereto, the Offered Warrants, when issued and sold in accordance with the applicable Warrant Agreement and the applicable purchase agreement or any other duly authorized, executed and delivered valid and binding purchase or agency agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), (c) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and (d) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain remedies.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 6
5. With respect to any Purchase Contracts to be offered under an applicable purchase contract agreement (the “Purchase Contract Agreement”) to the public pursuant to the Registration Statement (the “Offered Purchase Contracts”), assuming (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended (including all necessary post-effective amendments), has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act; (ii) an appropriate Prospectus Supplement with respect to the Offered Purchase Contracts has been prepared, delivered and filed in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable Securities Act Rules; (iii) if the Offered Purchase Contracts are to be sold pursuant to a firm commitment underwritten offering, the underwriting agreement with respect to the Offered Purchase Contracts has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (iv) the Board of Directors of the Company, including any appropriate committee appointed thereby, and appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of the Offered Purchase Contracts, the applicable Purchase Contract Agreement and the related matters, and the specific terms of the Offered Purchase Contracts (including any settlement date, settlement formula, settlement rate and any other variable or formula-based settlement mechanics) have been duly established; (v) the issuance and sale of the Offered Purchase Contracts does not violate any applicable law or the Amended and Restated Certificate or the Amended and Restated By-Laws or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; (vi) the Common Shares, Preferred Shares or Debt Securities, if any, to be delivered (and, if applicable, issued) by the Company upon physical settlement of such Offered Purchase Contracts in accordance with the applicable Prospectus Supplement have been duly authorized for issuance and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance by all necessary corporate action; (vii) the applicable Purchase Contract Agreement (including any form of Purchase Contract) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto, and (viii) the Offered Purchase Contracts have been duly executed, delivered, countersigned, issued and sold in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Purchase Contract Agreement and the specific terms duly established thereunder, in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement or any Prospectus Supplement relating thereto, the Offered Purchase Contracts, when issued and sold in accordance with the applicable Purchase Contract Agreement and the applicable purchase agreement or any other duly authorized, executed and delivered valid and binding purchase or agency agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), (c) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and (d) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain remedies.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 7
6. With respect to any Units to be offered under an applicable unit agreement (the “Unit Agreement”) to the public pursuant to the Registration Statement (the “Offered Units”), assuming (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended (including all necessary post-effective amendments), has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act; (ii) an appropriate Prospectus Supplement with respect to the Offered Units has been prepared, delivered and filed in compliance with the Securities Act and the applicable Securities Act Rules; (iii) if the Offered Units are to be sold pursuant to a firm commitment underwritten offering, the underwriting agreement with respect to the Offered Units has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto; (iv) the Board of Directors of the Company, including any appropriate committee appointed thereby, and appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance of the Offered Units and related matters; (v) the issuance and sale of the Offered Units does not violate any applicable law or the Amended and Restated Certificate or the Amended and Restated By-Laws or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; (vi) the Common Shares, Preferred Shares, Debt Securities, Warrants, or Purchase Contracts, if any, that are included in such Offered Units or are to be delivered (and, if applicable, issued) by the Company pursuant to the terms of such Offered Units as set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, have been duly authorized for issuance and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance by all necessary corporate action; (vii) the applicable Unit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party thereto, and (viii) the Offered Units (and, if applicable, any unit certificates evidencing such Offered Units) have been duly executed, delivered, countersigned, issued and sold in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Unit Agreement in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement or any Prospectus Supplement relating thereto, the Offered Units, when issued and sold in accordance with the applicable Unit Agreement and the applicable purchase agreement or any other duly authorized, executed and delivered valid and binding purchase or agency agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors’ rights generally, (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), (c) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and (d) public policy considerations which may limit the rights of parties to obtain remedies.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 8
7. The Stockholder Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
We express no opinion as to the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of any provision of the Warrant Agreement, the Purchase Contract Agreement, the Unit Agreement, or any other agreement governing the Offered Warrants, Offered Purchase Contracts or Offered Units, as applicable, that requires or relates to payment of any interest or other amounts at a rate or in an amount that a court would determine in the circumstances under applicable law to be commercially unreasonable or a penalty or a forfeiture. In addition, our opinions with respect to the enforceability of the Offered Warrants, Offered Purchase Contracts and Offered Units are subject to the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief and other effects of general principles of equity, including concepts of materiality, reasonableness and the discretion of the court before which a proceeding is brought, and public policy considerations, including the invalidity under certain circumstances of provisions providing for indemnification of or contribution to a party with respect to a liability where such indemnification or contribution is contrary to public policy. We express no opinion as to the validity, legally binding effect or enforceability of (a) the waiver of rights and defenses contained in the Indenture or Offered Debt Securities, or the Warrant Agreement, the Purchase Contract Agreement, the Unit Agreement or any other agreement governing the Offered Warrants, Offered Purchase Contracts or Offered Units, as applicable, (b) provisions of the Indenture, Offered Debt Securities, Offered Purchase Contracts, or any other agreement relating to severability, (c) any provision for liquidated damages, default interest, late charges, monetary penalties, make-whole premiums or other economic remedies to the extent such provisions are deemed to constitute a penalty, (d) any provision requiring the payment of attorneys' fees where such payment is contrary to law or public policy, (e) consents to, or restrictions upon, governing law, jurisdiction, venue, arbitration, remedies or judicial relief, (f) provisions authorizing, validating or making conclusive or discretionary determinations, or provisions for exclusivity, election or cumulation of rights or remedies, or (g) waivers of rights and defenses, broadly or vaguely stated waivers, advance waivers of claims, defenses, rights granted by law, notice, opportunity for hearing, evidentiary requirements, statutes of limitation, trial by jury or other procedural rights.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 9
In rendering the opinions in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 above, we have assumed that (a) the Warrant Agreement, the Purchase Contract Agreement, the Unit Agreement and any other applicable agreements, instruments and certificates governing the Offered Warrants, Offered Purchase Contracts and Offered Units (collectively, the “Documents”) are or will be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, (b) each of the Documents has been or will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto other than the Company, (c) each of the Documents constitutes or will constitute legally valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto other than the Company, enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms, and (d) the status of each of the Documents as legally valid and binding obligations of the parties will not be affected by any (i) breaches of, or defaults under, agreements or instruments, (ii) violations of statutes, rules, regulations or court or governmental orders, or (iii) failures to obtain required consents, approvals or authorizations from, or to make required registrations, declarations or filings with, governmental authorities; provided, however, that, solely with respect to any Offered Warrants, Offered Purchase Contracts or Offered Units issued in a particular offering, the opinions in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 above are subject to the assumptions, qualifications and limitations expressly set forth in the applicable opinion delivered in connection with such offering.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus, which forms a part thereof. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are “experts” within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act and in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
We are qualified to practice law in the State of New York and do not purport to be experts on any law other than the laws of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Federal law of the United States. We are not admitted or qualified to practice in the State of Delaware; however, we are generally familiar with the Delaware General Corporation Law as currently in effect and have made such inquiries as we deem necessary to render the opinions contemplated herein. We express no opinion regarding the Securities Act, or any other federal or state securities laws or regulations.
This opinion is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act. This opinion letter is limited to the specific legal matters expressly set forth herein and is limited to present statutes, regulations and administrative and judicial interpretations. We assume no obligation to revise or supplement this opinion in the event of future changes in such laws or regulations.
Cadre Holdings, Inc.
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Page 10
| Very truly yours, | |
| KANE KESSLER, P.C. | |
| /s/ KANE KESSLER, P.C. |
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the use of our report dated March 10, 2026, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Cadre Holdings, Inc., incorporated herein by reference, and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.
| /s/ KPMG LLP | |
| Jacksonville, Florida | |
| March 30, 2026 |