Nebius Group N.V F-3ASR, filed Jun 23, 2020
Nebius Group N.V. (NBIS)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23, 2020.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
YANDEX N.V.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
| The Netherlands (State or other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
Not Applicable (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Schiphol Boulevard 165
Schiphol P7 1118 BG, the Netherlands
Telephone: +31 20-206-6970
Facsimile: +31 20-446-6372
(Address and telephone number of Registrant's principal executive offices)
Yandex Inc.
38R Merrimac St., Suite 201
Newburyport, MA, USA 01950
Telephone: +1 617 398 7870
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
| Copies to: | ||
Timothy J. Corbett Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP Condor House, 5-10 St. Paul's Churchyard London, EC4M 8AL United Kingdom Telephone: +44 20 3201 5000 |
J. David Stewart Latham & Watkins LLP Ul. Gasheka 6 Ducat III, Office 510 Moscow, 125047 Russia Telephone: +7 495 785 1234 |
|
Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Sale of the Securities to the Public:
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.
If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
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, check the following box. ý
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. o
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. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ý
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, 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. o
- †
- The term "new or revised financial accounting standard" refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
||||||||
| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered(1)(2) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Price Per Unit(1)(2) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2) |
Amount of Registration Fee(3) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class A ordinary shares(4) |
— | — | — | — | ||||
Warrants(5) |
— | — | — | — | ||||
Debt Securities |
— | — | — | — | ||||
Units(6) |
— | — | — | — | ||||
Total |
— | — | — | — | ||||
|
||||||||
- (1)
- An
indeterminate number of or aggregate principal amount of the securities of each identified class is being registered as may at various times be issued at
indeterminate prices.
- (2)
- Not
applicable pursuant to General Instruction II.F of Form F-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.
- (3)
- In
accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the Registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee. Any registration fees
will be paid subsequently on a pay-as-you-go basis in accordance with Rule 457(r).
- (4)
- In
addition to any securities that may be registered hereunder, we are also registering an indeterminate number of Class A ordinary shares as may be issued
upon conversion or exercise of the securities issued directly hereunder. No separate consideration will be received for any Class A ordinary shares so issued upon conversion or exercise.
- (5)
- Warrants
may be exercised to purchase any of the other securities registered hereby. Includes Warrants that may be purchased by underwriters to cover
over-allotments, if any.
- (6)
- These offered securities may be sold separately or together as units.
PROSPECTUS
Yandex N.V.
Class A Ordinary Shares
Warrants
Debt Securities
Units
We and/or our selling securityholders may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, together or separately, Class A ordinary shares, or Class A shares; warrants; debt securities; units or any combination thereof as described in this prospectus. The warrants may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A shares or debt securities, and the debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for Class A shares or other debt securities.
Each time we or any of the selling securityholders offer and sell securities, we or such selling securityholders will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and, if applicable, the selling securityholders, as well as the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by selling securityholders. You should carefully read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated in any of the foregoing by reference, before you invest in our securities. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. A prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus may also add to, update, supplement or clarify information contained in this prospectus.
We have three classes of ordinary shares: Class A shares, Class B shares and Class C shares. Each Class A share is entitled to one vote per share. Each Class B share is entitled to ten votes per share and is convertible at any time into one Class A share and one Class C share. Our Class C shares are issued only to facilitate the conversion of our Class B shares into Class A shares under Dutch law and, for the limited period of time during which they are outstanding, will be voted by the foundation that holds these shares in the same proportion as the votes by holders of our Class A and Class B shares, so as not to influence the outcome of any vote.
We and/or our selling securityholders may offer and sell our securities to or through one or more agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods, in each case on a continuous or delayed basis. If any third parties are used to sell our securities, we and/or our selling securityholders will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of our securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from the sale of such securities will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement. For a more complete description of the plan of distribution of these securities, see the section of this prospectus entitled "Plan of Distribution."
Our Class A shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol "YNDX." On June 22, 2020, the last reported sale price of our Class A shares on Nasdaq was $46.94 per share.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK. YOU SHOULD REVIEW CAREFULLY THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES REFERENCED UNDER THE HEADING "RISK FACTORS" ON PAGE 4 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AS WELL AS THOSE CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND ANY RELATED FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS, AND IN THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE INCORPORATED IN ANY OF THE FOREGOING BY REFERENCE.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is June 23, 2020.
This prospectus forms part of a registration statement on Form F-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing an automatic shelf registration process. Under this shelf registration, we and/or our selling securityholders may offer our Class A shares, various series of warrants to purchase Class A shares or debt securities, debt securities, units or any combination thereof, from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities that we and/or our selling securityholders may offer. Each time we and/or our selling securityholders offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the terms of the specific offering. If any such securities are to be listed or quoted on a securities exchange or quotation system, the applicable prospectus supplement will say so. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. Each such prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We urge you to carefully read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated herein and therein before you invest in our securities. To the extent that statements that we make in this prospectus or any documents incorporated by reference herein are inconsistent with any statement made or incorporated by reference in any applicable prospectus supplement, the statements made or incorporated by reference in the applicable prospectus supplement will be deemed to modify or supersede those statements made in this prospectus and documents incorporated by reference herein.
Neither we nor any selling securityholders have authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, or in any free writing prospectuses prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or the documents incorporated herein or therein by reference is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may have changed since those dates. It is important for you to read and consider all information contained in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any related free writing prospectus, in making your investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the sections entitled "Where You Can Find Additional Information" and "Information Incorporated by Reference" in this prospectus. These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.
For investors outside the United States: Neither we nor any selling securityholders have done anything that would permit any offering under this prospectus or possession or distribution of this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about, and to observe any restrictions relating to, this offering and the distribution of this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless otherwise specified or required by context, references in this prospectus to "Yandex," the "company," "we," "us," or similar terms are to Yandex N.V. and, as the context requires, its consolidated subsidiaries. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting practices, or GAAP, and are presented in Russian rubles. References in this prospectus to "U.S. dollars" or "$" are to United States dollars.
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This prospectus and the information incorporated herein by reference include trademarks, service marks and trade names owned by us or other companies. All trademarks, service marks and trade names included or incorporated by reference into this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website does not constitute part of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus.
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We are one of the largest internet companies in Europe. Since 1997, we have delivered world-class, geographically relevant search and locally tailored experiences on all digital platforms, based on our innovative technologies. We operate Russia's most popular search engine. We also provide a number of other services, including market-leading on-demand transportation services, navigation products, classifieds and entertainment services in Russia and other regions, including other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Central Europe, the European Union, Africa and the Middle East. Our goal is to help consumers and businesses better navigate the online and offline worlds.
We build intelligent products and services powered by machine learning. Our products and services are based on complex, unique technologies that are not easily replicated. Benefiting from Russia's long-standing educational focus on mathematics and engineering, we have drawn upon the considerable local talent pool to create a leading technology company.
We derive a substantial part of our revenues from online advertising. We enable advertisers to deliver targeted, cost-effective ads that are relevant to our users' needs, interests and locations. We serve ads on our own search results and other Yandex webpages, as well as on thousands of third-party websites that make up our Yandex Advertising Network. Through our ad network, we extend the audience reach of our advertisers and generate revenue for both our network partners and us. We offer a variety of ad formats to our advertisers, including performance-based, brand and video advertising formats across different platforms. A few years ago, we embarked on a strategy to diversify our revenue streams and broaden the appeal of our ecosystem. Other revenue streams are growing rapidly and come from our Taxi segment, which includes ride-hailing and food delivery services, classifieds and other initiatives, including music subscription and event tickets sales within our Media Services, as well as Other Bets and Experiments, particularly by our car-sharing business and personalized content feed.
Our businesses are organized in the following operating segments:
- •
- Search and Portal. Our Search and
Portal segment includes all of our services offered in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, other than those described below. We offer a broad range of world-class, locally relevant search and information
services that are free to our users and that enable them to find relevant information quickly and easily.
- •
- Taxi. Our Taxi segment includes
our ride-hailing business (which consists of Yandex.Taxi and Uber in Russia and certain other countries), FoodTech business (including Yandex.Eats, Yandex.Chef and Yandex.Lavka, a hyper local
convenience store delivery service) and our Self-Driving Cars business. We provide a multi-mode experience that seamlessly and efficiently satisfies the ride-hailing and FoodTech needs of users in our
markets. Our platform enables access to both a wide range of personal mobility services through our ride-hailing offerings, and a variety of food and convenience store delivery services through our
FoodTech offerings. On July 14, 2019, MLU B.V., our ride-hailing and FoodTech joint venture with Uber, entered into an agreement to purchase the material intellectual property and call
centers of the Vezet group, which operates taxi businesses in more than 100 Russian cities. Completion of the transaction is conditional, among other things, on receipt of a merger control clearance
from the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service ("FAS"). On June 11, 2020, FAS issued a final decision declining to approve the acquisition. We and the sellers are considering potential further
steps in connection with the proposed transaction.
- •
- Classifieds. Our Classifieds
segment includes Auto.ru, Yandex.Realty and Yandex.Jobs.
- •
- Media Services. Our Media Services segment includes our entertainment services (Yandex Music, KinoPoisk, Yandex.Afisha and Yandex.TV Program, which, combined, have a monthly audience of more than 50 million people), a subscription service (Yandex.Plus), and a production center (Yandex.Studio). We monetize Media Services through online advertising and transaction
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- •
- Other Bets and Experiments. In
addition to our core business and our separate business units, we offer a number of services and products, including experimental ones that represent new business models and what we believe to be good
prospects for future development (including Zen, Yandex.Cloud, Yandex.Drive, Geolocation Services and Yandex.Education).
- •
- E-commerce. Our E-commerce segment is operated through Yandex.Market, which we have operated as a joint venture with Green of Russia, or Green, since April 2018. Yandex.Market is one of the most popular internet services in Russia, providing product information, price comparisons and user generated reviews of products and online retailers. In May 2018, Yandex.Market launched in beta the marketplace Beru, a domestic e-commerce platform with first-party and third-party sales, in order to enhance the user shopping experience and provide full-fledged services, allowing users to make purchases across multiple categories. Beru came out of beta in October 2018 featuring 100,000 SKUs and expanded to over 600,000 SKUs by the end of 2019. The daily audience of the marketplace exceeded 1 million users as of the end of 2019.
revenues, including music and video content subscriptions as well as event tickets sales. Our Media Services are available across different platforms, including Yandex.Station and Yandex.Auto.
Investing in the securities to be offered pursuant to this prospectus may involve a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors contained in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC, and any other documents that are incorporated herein by reference and in the accompanying prospectus supplement for such issuance before investing in any securities that may be offered. For further details, see the sections entitled "Where You Can Find Additional Information" and "Information Incorporated by Reference."
Our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected by the risks referred to above, as well as other risks not currently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, including any supplement to this prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference herein, contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement may include words such as "project," "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "should," "would," "could," "will," "may" or other words that convey judgments about future events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus, including any supplement to this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus or in the documents incorporated by reference may include statements about:
- •
- our expectations related to the use of proceeds from any offering made in connection with this prospectus;
- •
- the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical developments in our markets, including the economic, social and political impact of the current
COVID-19 pandemic;
- •
- the expected growth of the internet search and advertising markets and the number of internet and broadband users in the countries in which we
operate;
- •
- competition in the internet search market in the countries in which we operate;
- •
- our anticipated growth and investment strategies;
- •
- our future business development, results of operations and financial condition;
- •
- expected changes in our margins and certain cost or expense items in absolute terms or as a percentage of our revenues;
- •
- our ability to attract and retain users, advertisers and partners; and
- •
- future advertising supply and demand dynamics.
The forward-looking statements included in this prospectus, any supplements to this prospectus, any free writing prospectus we may prepare or in the documents incorporated by reference are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results of operations may differ materially from those stated in or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those described under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein.
We operate in an evolving environment. New risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the effect of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
We intend to include information about our capitalization and indebtedness in each prospectus supplement.
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We and/or our selling securityholders may sell our securities from time to time in one or more transactions. We and/or our selling securityholders may sell our securities to or through one or more agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods. In some cases, we or dealers acting with us or on our behalf or with our selling securityholders or on their behalf may also purchase our securities and reoffer them to the public. We and/or our selling securityholders may also offer and sell, or agree to deliver, securities pursuant to, or in connection with, any option agreement or other contractual arrangement.
Agents whom we and/or our selling securityholders designate may solicit offers to purchase our securities.
- •
- We and/or our selling securityholders will name any agent involved in offering or selling our securities, and disclose any commissions that we
and/or our selling securityholders will pay to the agent, in the applicable prospectus supplement.
- •
- Unless we and/or our selling securityholders indicate otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, agents will act on a best efforts
basis for the period of their appointment.
- •
- Agents may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act of any of our securities that they offer or sell.
We and/or our selling securityholders may use an underwriter or underwriters in the offer or sale of our securities.
- •
- If we and/or our selling securityholders use an underwriter or underwriters, we and/or our selling securityholders will execute an underwriting
agreement with the underwriter or underwriters at the time that we and/or our selling securityholders reach an agreement for the sale of our securities.
- •
- We and/or our selling securityholders will include the names of the specific managing underwriter or underwriters, as well as the names of any
other underwriters, and the terms of the transactions, including the compensation the underwriters and dealers will receive, in the applicable prospectus supplement.
- •
- The underwriters will use the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the prospectus, to sell our securities.
We and/or our selling securityholders may use a dealer to sell our securities.
- •
- If we and/or our selling securityholders use a dealer, we and/or our selling securityholders will sell our securities to the dealer, as
principal.
- •
- The dealer will then sell our securities to the public at varying prices that the dealer will determine at the time it sells our securities.
- •
- We and/or our selling securityholders will include the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions with the dealer in the applicable prospectus supplement.
One or more firms, referred to as "remarketing firms," may also offer or sell the securities, if a prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with a remarketing arrangement upon their purchase. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own accounts or as our agents. These remarketing firms will offer or sell the securities in accordance with the terms of the securities. Each prospectus supplement will identify and describe any remarketing firm and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and will describe the remarketing firm's compensation. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities they remarket. Remarketing firms may be entitled under
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agreements that may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
We and/or our selling securityholders may directly solicit offers to purchase our securities, and we and/or our selling securityholders may directly sell our securities to institutional or other investors. We will describe the terms of direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We and/or our selling securityholders may engage in at-the-market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act.
We and/or our selling securityholders may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We and/or our selling securityholders may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.
Agents, underwriters and dealers participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We and/or our selling securityholders may indemnify agents, underwriters and dealers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our respective affiliates, in the ordinary course of business.
We and/or our selling securityholders may authorize agents and underwriters to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase our securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts.
- •
- If we and/or our selling securityholders use delayed delivery contracts, we and/or our selling securityholders will disclose that we and/or our
selling securityholders are using them in the prospectus supplement and will tell you when we and/or our selling securityholders will demand payment and when delivery of our securities will be made
under the delayed delivery contracts.
- •
- These delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to the conditions that we describe in the prospectus supplement.
- •
- We and/or our selling securityholders will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the commission that underwriters and agents soliciting purchases of our securities under delayed delivery contracts will be entitled to receive.
Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular underwritten offering of our securities, the underwriters will not be obligated to purchase offered securities unless specified conditions are satisfied, and if the underwriters do purchase any offered securities, they will purchase all offered securities.
Certain underwriters may use this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for offers and sales related to market-making transactions in the securities. These underwriters may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and the sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of sale. Any underwriters involved in the sale of the securities may qualify as "underwriters" within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. In addition, the
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underwriters' commissions, discounts or concessions may qualify as underwriters' compensation under the Securities Act and the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than we and/or our selling securityholders sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing the applicable security in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if the securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in other transactions with us, or perform other services for us, in the ordinary course of their business. Underwriters have from time to time in the past provided and may from time to time in the future provide, investment banking services to us for which they have in the past received, and may in the future receive, customary fees.
We and/or our selling securityholders may effect sales of securities in connection with forward sale, option or other types of agreements with third parties. Any distribution of securities pursuant to any forward sale agreement may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions that may take place through a stock exchange, including block trades or ordinary broker's transactions, or through broker-dealers acting either as principal or agent, or through privately negotiated transactions, or through an underwritten public offering, or through a combination of any such methods of sale, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, prices relating to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated or fixed prices.
The specific terms of the lock-up provisions, if any, with respect to any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The expenses of any offering of our securities will be detailed in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We and/or our selling securityholders will identify the specific plan of distribution, including any agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties and their compensation in a prospectus supplement.
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Yandex N.V. (the "Company") is a Dutch public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap), incorporated and existing under Dutch law. Our corporate seat is in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and our registered office at Schiphol Boulevard 165, 1118BG Schiphol, the Netherlands. The Company is registered with the Dutch Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel) under number 27265167, and the affairs of the Company are governed by its articles of association, as amended, and Dutch law.
Our authorized share capital amounts to €12,111,246.02 and is divided into 500,000,000 Class A shares, having a nominal value of €0.01 per share, 37,138,658 Class B shares, having a nominal value of €0.10 per share, 37,748,658 Class C shares, having a nominal value of €0.09 per share, and one Priority share, having a nominal value of €1.00. As of March 31, 2020, we had outstanding 290,544,563 Class A shares, 37,137,658 Class B shares, nil Class C shares, and one Priority share.
Our Class A shares are listed in registered form and such shares are not certificated. We have appointed Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as our agent in New York to maintain part of the shareholders register and to act as transfer agent, registrar and paying agent for the Class A shares. Our Class A shares that are traded on Nasdaq are in book-entry form.
The material provisions of our articles of association, as amended and as currently in force, and the relevant provisions of Dutch law and the Dutch Corporate Governance Code are summarized below. This summary does not restate our articles of association, as amended or relevant Dutch law in their entirety. Although we believe that this summary contains all of the information about our articles of association, as amended, important to your decision to purchase our Class A shares, it does not include all of the provisions that you may feel are important. It is the articles of association, as amended, and not this summary, that define the rights of holders of our shares (and therefore, the rights of holders of our Class A shares).
Our articles of association, as last amended by a notarial deed executed on December 23, 2019, are registered at the Dutch Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce, and an English translation has been filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019, incorporated by reference herein.
As provided in Article 3 of our articles of association, the stated objectives of our Company are:
- •
- either alone or jointly with others to acquire and dispose of participations or other interests in bodies corporate, companies and enterprises,
to collaborate with and to manage such bodies corporate, companies or enterprises;
- •
- to acquire, manage, turn to account, encumber and dispose of any property, including intellectual property rights, and to invest capital;
- •
- to supply or procure the supply of money loans, particularly, but not exclusively, loans to bodies corporate and companies which are
subsidiaries and/or affiliates of the Company or in which our Company holds any interest, all this subject to the provisions of the articles of association, as amended, as well as to draw or to
procure the drawing of money loans;
- •
- to enter into agreements whereby our Company grants security, commits itself as guarantor or severally liable co-debtor, or declares itself
jointly or severally liable with or for others, particularly, but not exclusively, to the benefit of bodies corporate and companies as referred to above; and
- •
- to do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the above objects or any of them.
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Ordinary Shares
We have three classes of ordinary shares, which vote together as a single class (together with the Priority share) unless otherwise provided by our articles of association or Dutch law: Class A shares, which have one vote per share; Class B shares, which have ten votes per share; and Class C shares, which have nine votes per share. The Class C shares can be issued for the purposes of facilitating the conversion of Class B shares into Class A shares, in accordance with article 4A of the articles of association.
Under Dutch law, the voting power of shares can, based on their nominal value, vary per class of shares. Our multiple class share structure is designed to give our principal shareholders (e.g. the holders of Class B shares) increased voting power (without increasing their economic interest in our Company), while also providing a means for them to convert their Class B shares into Class A shares that can be transferred or sold, including in the public market.
Transfer and Conversion of Ordinary Shares
Due to the fact that the conversion of a Class B share into a Class A share, which Class A share has a lower nominal value than a Class B share, will result in a reduction of our share capital (an event which cannot occur without convening a formal shareholders' meeting), our articles of association provide that each Class B share converts (in defined circumstances) into both one Class A share and one Class C share. The Class C shares are intended to serve as a means of "storing" the part of the nominal value that is released due to the conversion of a Class B share until such time as the Company can repurchase and/or cancel the Class C share. To ensure that all such Class C shares are available for repurchase and/or cancellation, and to assure that they do not affect the outcome of any shareholder vote, all Class C shares are held by the Yandex Conversion Foundation (the "foundation"), a Dutch foundation whose management board members are appointed by the Company. The foundation has agreed to sell any Class C shares it may hold, for no consideration, to us at any time, and not to sell or transfer such Class C shares to any other party. At the first general meeting of shareholders following any such acquisition by the foundation, we seek shareholder approval for the cancellation of the relevant Class C shares. The foundation has also agreed that it will vote any Class C shares it may hold in the same proportion as all other votes are cast at any general meeting of shareholders.
Our Class B shares are transferable only:
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- To the foundation, upon which time each Class B share converts into one Class A share and one Class C share. The
foundation is then obligated to transfer each converted Class A share to the original Class B shareholder, and to transfer the Class C share to us, as described above.
- •
- To us for the purposes of repurchasing Class B shares.
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- To Permitted Transferees (as defined in the articles of association). Any Class B shares held by an estate or tax planning vehicle will automatically convert into Class A shares two years following the death of the original settlor of such vehicle.
Our Class A shares and Class C shares are not convertible into any other class of shares in our capital.
Shareholder Meetings and Voting Rights
At our shareholders' meetings, each Class A share carries the right to cast one vote, each Class B share carries the right to cast ten votes, and each Class C share carries the right to cast nine votes, though the foundation has agreed with us that it will vote any Class C shares it may hold at any time in the same proportion as all other votes are cast at any general meeting of our shareholders. The Priority share carries the right to cast one hundred votes. The Class A, B and C shares and the Priority share,
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collectively, vote together as a single class on all matters, including the election of directors, except as otherwise provided in our articles of association, or under Dutch law.
Our articles of association provide that a separate Class A shareholder approval will be required for:
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- the transfer of our enterprise or substantially all of our enterprise to a third party;
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- the conclusion or cancellation of any long-lasting cooperation by us or a subsidiary with any other legal person or company or as a fully
liable general partner of a limited partnership or a general partnership, provided that such cooperation or the cancellation thereof is of essential importance to us;
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- the acquisition or disposal of a participating interest in the capital of a company with a value of at least one-third of the sum of the assets
according to the consolidated balance sheet in the most recently adopted set of our annual accounts, by us or a subsidiary;
- •
- entering into of any transaction or series of related transactions by us or a subsidiary involving (i) the payment of an amount in
excess of one-third of the sum of the assets according to the consolidated balance sheet with explanatory notes thereto in accordance with the most recently adopted set of our annual accounts, or
(ii) the sale of assets with a value in excess of the amount set forth in (i) above; and
- •
- the issuance of shares in excess of 20% of our issued share capital.
Each shareholder has a right to attend general meetings of shareholders, either in person or by proxy, and to exercise voting rights in accordance with the provisions of our articles of association. We must hold at least one general meeting of shareholders each year. This meeting must be convened at one of several specified locations in the Netherlands within six months after the end of our financial year. Our board of directors may convene additional general meetings of shareholders as often as it deems necessary, or upon the request to the board of directors of one or more shareholders solely or jointly representing at least 10% of our issued share capital.
We will give notice of each meeting of shareholders by notice in any manner that we may be required to follow in order to comply with applicable stock exchange requirements. In addition, we will notify registered holders of our shares by letter, cable, telex or fax, or, where permitted or required, by email or other electronic means. We will give this notice no later than the fifteenth day prior to the day of the meeting. As deemed necessary by the board of directors, either the notice will include or be accompanied by an agenda identifying the business to be considered at the meeting or will state that the agenda will be available for shareholders and other persons who are entitled to attend the general meeting of shareholders, at our offices or places of business. From July 1, 2013 onwards, one or more shareholders solely or jointly representing at least 3% of our issued share capital have had the right to request the inclusion of additional items on the agenda of shareholder meetings, provided that such request together with an explanation is received by us no later than 60 days before the day the relevant shareholder meeting is held.
We are exempt from the proxy solicitation rules under the Exchange Act.
Board of Directors; Adoption of Annual Accounts
Pursuant to our articles of association, the board of directors consists of 12 members, of whom no more than two shall be executive director(s) and the other directors will be non-executive directors. Out of the non-executive directors, two will be appointed as so-called "designated directors". Other than in respect of designated directors, the members of our board of directors are appointed by the general meeting of shareholders in respect of which the board of directors shall make a non-binding nomination. If the person nominated by the board of directors is subsequently not appointed by the
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general meeting of shareholders, the board of directors will be allowed to make a new non-binding nomination.
The initial two designated directors were nominated by our board of directors and elected by our shareholders in December 2019. With the exception of the initial two designated directors that were nominated by our board of directors, the holder of the Priority share has the right to make binding nominations in respect of two designated directors. The general meeting of shareholders may deprive the nomination of a candidate for designated director of its binding character by means of a resolution adopted by at least two-thirds of the votes cast, such two-thirds majority representing more than 50% of our issued and outstanding capital. If the binding nomination is not deprived of its binding character, the person nominated will be deemed appointed. If the nomination is deprived of its binding character, the holder of the Priority share will be allowed to make a new binding nomination.
Directors may be removed and/or suspended from office by the general meeting of shareholders. A resolution to remove or suspend a director requires a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in a meeting, such two-thirds majority representing at least 50% of our issued and outstanding share capital. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the holder of the Priority share approves a resolution by the general meeting of shareholders to suspend or remove a designated director, such resolution of the general meeting of shareholders shall require only a simple majority of the votes cast on the matter.
Our board of directors must prepare annual accounts for our Company, prepared in accordance with either Dutch generally accepted accounting principles or International Financial Reporting Standards, which must be audited by Dutch auditors. Our board of directors must make these available to the shareholders for inspection at our offices within five months after the end of our fiscal year. Under some special circumstances, Dutch law permits an extension of this period for up to five additional months by approval of the general meeting of shareholders. The board of directors must submit these annual accounts to the shareholders for adoption at a general meeting of shareholders. Within eight days following the adoption of these annual accounts, and not more than 12 months from the end of our fiscal year, we must publish and submit these annual accounts with the Dutch Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce. We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F, which must include our audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, with the SEC within the prescribed time period after the end of each of our financial years. Based on the Dutch Temporary Act COVID-19 Justice and Safety (Tijdelijke wet COVID-19 Justitie en Veiligheid) our board of directors has resolved to extend the period for the preparation of our annual accounts for the financial year 2019 with a maximum of five months.
In the performance of its duties, the board of directors is required by Dutch law to consider the interests of Yandex, its shareholders, its employees and other stakeholders.
When the general meeting of shareholders adopts the annual accounts prepared by the board of directors, it may discharge the members of the board of directors from potential liability with respect to the exercise of their duties during the fiscal year covered by the accounts. This discharge may be given subject to such reservations as the general meeting of shareholders deems appropriate and is subject to a reservation of liability required under Dutch law. Examples of reservations of liability required by Dutch law include: (i) liability of members of boards of directors upon the bankruptcy of a company, and (ii) general principles of reasonableness and fairness. Under Dutch law, a discharge of liability does not extend to matters not properly disclosed to the general meeting of shareholders. The discharge of the board of directors must be a separate item on the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders and the members of the board of directors are not automatically discharged by adoption of the annual accounts. Any meeting of our board of directors may be held at any location, within or outside of the Netherlands.
Our board of directors may, in accordance with guidelines regarding the director compensation policy adopted by our general meeting of shareholders, establish compensation for the members of the
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board of directors. The board of directors must submit to the general meeting of shareholders for approval any plan or amendment to any plan awarding shares or the right to subscribe for shares to the directors. We have no requirement that our directors own any of our shares.
Under our articles of association, a director may not take part in any vote on a subject or transaction in relation to which he or she has a conflict of interest with us. However, under our articles of association, a director with a conflict of interest may continue to represent us.
Under our articles of association, our board of directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money or mortgage its property and assets as security for any obligation of the Company or of any third party.
We have not established a mandatory retirement age for our directors.
Dividends
The holders of our ordinary shares and the holder of the Priority share are entitled to such part of our profits for any financial year as remains available after reservation of profits by our board of directors. The holders of our ordinary shares and the holder of the Priority share shall be entitled pari passu to our profits, pro rata to the total number of Class A shares, Class B shares, and Class C shares and/or the Priority share held, provided that out of the profit of any financial year, the holders of Class C shares and the Priority share shall be entitled to a maximum amount equal to 1% of the nominal value of such shares. Although the holders of our Class C shares are technically entitled to such maximum amount, when we declare dividends on our Class A and Class B shares, we intend to repurchase all Class C shares issued upon conversion of our Class B shares before the board of directors resolves to make any dividend distributions such that no dividends would be payable on our Class C shares.
Additionally, the board of directors has the right to declare interim dividends without the approval of the general meeting of shareholders. We may not pay dividends if the payment would reduce shareholders' equity to an amount less than the aggregate fully paid-up share capital plus the reserves that have to be maintained by law or our articles of association. The amounts available for dividends will be determined based on the statutory accounts of Yandex N.V. prepared under Dutch law, which may differ from our consolidated financial statements.
The board of directors may decide that dividends are satisfied in whole or in part by the distribution of assets or the issue of shares.
Issue of Shares; Preemptive Rights
Upon a written proposal of the board of directors, the general meeting of shareholders may transfer its power to issue shares to the board of directors for a period specified by the general meeting of shareholders, but not exceeding five years. A general meeting of shareholders may renew annually this delegation for additional periods of up to five years. Without this delegation, the general meeting of shareholders has the power to authorize the issuance of shares upon receipt of a written proposal of the board of directors to such effect.
Any resolution by the general meeting of shareholders to issue shares, other than Class C shares, in excess of 20% of our issued share capital (calculated by nominal value, excluding the Class C shares, on the date of such resolution) or any resolution by the general meeting of shareholders to delegate the authority to issue shares, other than Class C shares, in the excess of 20% of our issued share capital (calculated by nominal value, excluding the Class C shares, on the date of such resolution), requires prior approval from the meeting of holders of Class A shares.
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The holders of our ordinary shares have a pro rata (based on the aggregate nominal value of shares held) preemptive right to subscribe for Class A shares and Class B shares that we issue for cash. No preemptive rights apply in respect to the issue of the Class C shares or the Priority share. The general meeting of shareholders, or the board of directors (if the general meeting of shareholders has delegated such power to the board of directors) may each time in respect of one particular issue of Class A shares and/or Class B shares, resolve to limit or eliminate the preemption right. If the general meeting of shareholders delegates its authority to the board of directors for this purpose, then the board of directors will have the power to limit or eliminate the preemptive rights of shareholders. In the absence of this delegation, the general meeting of shareholders will have the power to limit or eliminate these rights. Such resolution requires the approval of a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in a general meeting of shareholders if less than 50% of our issued share capital is present or represented. Delegations of authority to the board of directors may remain in effect for up to five years and may be annually renewed for additional periods of up to five years.
Repurchase of Shares
We may acquire our shares, subject to applicable provisions of Dutch law and of our articles of association, to the extent that:
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- our equity capital, reduced by the acquisition price, is not less than the sum of the issued and paid-up capital and the reserves to be
maintained pursuant to Dutch law or our articles of association;
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- after the repurchase, at least one issued share in the capital of the Company remains outstanding and is not held by us; and
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- after the repurchase, we and our subsidiaries would not hold, or hold as pledgee, shares having an aggregate par value that exceeds 50% of the par value of our issued share capital.
Our board of directors may direct the Company to repurchase shares only if the general meeting of shareholders has authorized the board of directors to repurchase shares. This authorization may be given for a maximum period of 18 months and should contain the maximum number of shares to be repurchased and a price range. The authorization may be renewed annually.
We regularly repurchase, for no consideration, any Class C shares that may be issued to the foundation promptly upon the conversion of Class B shares, in which case the above requirements do not apply.
Reduction of Share Capital
Upon receipt of a written proposal of the board of directors to this effect, at a general meeting of shareholders, our shareholders may vote to reduce the issued share capital by canceling shares held by us or by reducing the par value of our shares by amendment of the articles of association. In either case, this reduction would be subject to applicable statutory provisions. This includes that a resolution to cancel shares may only relate to (i) shares held by us, or (ii) to all the shares of a particular class, in respect of which the articles of association provide that the same may be cancelled against repayment of their nominal value.
A resolution for reduction of capital shall require a majority of at least two thirds of the votes cast, if less than 50% of our issued share capital is present or represented at the relevant meeting of shareholders. We seek shareholder approval on a regular basis for the cancellation of any Class C shares that may be issued from time to time following their repurchase by us.
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Limitation on Right to Hold or Vote Shares
In the event that a party or group of related parties accumulates shares exceeding 10% of our issued and outstanding Class A and Class B shares (taken together), in number or by voting power, without the approval of our board of directors, first, and then the holder of our Priority share, such party or parties will not be entitled to vote any shares at or beyond the stated thresholds. Other than as provided for in our articles of association, relevant provisions of Dutch law do not currently impose any limitations on the right of holders of shares to hold or vote their shares. In particular, there are no limitations either under Dutch law or in our articles of association, on the right of non-residents of the Netherlands to hold or vote their shares. See "Accumulation of Material Shareholdings in Our Company."
Share Certificates and Transfer
Subject to the restrictions of our articles of association, and as applicable, any of our shareholders may transfer any or all of his or her Class A shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or any other form approved by our board of directors. Our Class B shares are subject to certain limitations on transferability. See "Ordinary Shares—Transfer and Conversion of Ordinary Shares."
Under Dutch law and our articles of association, any transfer of registered shares requires a written instrument of transfer and a written acknowledgment of that transfer by Yandex N.V., or by the registrar acting in its name. Except when Yandex N.V. is a party to the legal act, the rights attached to the shares may be exercised only after Yandex N.V., or the registrar acting in its name, has acknowledged the legal act or the written instrument has been served on Yandex N.V. in accordance with Dutch law.
Exchange Controls
Under existing Dutch law, there are no exchange controls applicable to the transfer to persons outside of the Netherlands of dividends or other distributions with respect to, or of the proceeds from the sale of, shares of a Dutch company, subject to applicable restrictions under sanctions and measures, including those concerning export control, pursuant to European Union regulations, the Sanctions Act 1977 (Sanctiewet 1977) or other legislation, applicable anti-boycott regulations and similar rules.
Priority Share
We have authorized and outstanding one Priority share with a nominal value of €1.00. Our articles of association provide that the Priority share may only be held by the Public Interest Foundation or another party that is specifically nominated by our board of directors for this purpose, with a Special Majority (as defined in the articles of association), including the affirmative vote of at least one designated director. The Priority share was held in treasury as of December 31, 2019 and is currently held by the Public Interest Foundation.
The key rights vested in the Priority share are the rights to approve:
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- the accumulation by a party, of shares representing 10% or more, in number or by voting power, of the outstanding Class A and
Class B shares (taken together), if the board of directors has otherwise approved such accumulation of shares;
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- a decision of the board of directors to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to one or more third
parties in any transaction or series of related transactions; and
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- to make binding nominations of two designated directors.
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As additional support for the protective rights of the Public Interest Foundation, the Public Interest Foundation holds a special voting interest in Yandex LLC, our principal operating subsidiary in Russia. The special voting interest allows the Public Interest Foundation to temporarily replace the General Director of Yandex LLC in certain exceptional circumstances.
Accumulation of Material Shareholdings in Our Company
Our articles of association provide our board of directors and the holder of our Priority share with rights to approve the accumulation of legal or beneficial stakes in our Company that exceed certain thresholds. Our articles of association stipulate the consequences for shareholders who exceed the permitted shareholdings without obtaining proper prior approvals. Our board of directors has the right to approve the accumulation by a party, group of related parties or parties acting in concert of the legal or beneficial ownership of shares representing 10% or more, in number or voting power, of our outstanding Class A and Class B shares (taken together). If our board of directors grants its approval of such share accumulation, the matter is then submitted to the holder of our Priority share, which has a further right of approval of such accumulation of shares. In addition, any decision by our board of directors to transfer all or substantially all of our assets to one or more third parties, including the sale of our principal Russian operating subsidiary, is subject to the prior approval of the holder of our Priority share. Any holding, transfer or acquisition by a party, group of related parties or parties acting in concert of the legal or beneficial ownership of Class B shares representing 10% or more, in number or by voting power, of our outstanding Class A and Class B shares (taken together), without the prior approval of our board of directors, first, and then the Priority shareholder, will be null and void. The acquisition of shares in excess of the thresholds permitted by our articles of association, will be subject to certain notification requirements set forth in our articles of association. Failure to comply with those terms would render the transfer of such shares null and void. In addition, the holders of such shares would not be entitled to the dividend or voting rights attached to their excess share.
Any shareholder who, either alone or acting with other parties, legally or beneficially acquires shares exceeding 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, or 30% of our issued and outstanding Class A and Class B shares (taken together), in number or by voting power, (or who holds shares on behalf of a beneficial owner who, to the knowledge of such shareholder, crosses such thresholds), must inform our board of directors within ten business days of such fact. In addition, any shareholder who, either alone or acting with other parties, acquires the legal or beneficial ownership of shares representing 10% or more of our outstanding Class A and Class B shares (taken together), in number or by voting power, (or who holds shares on behalf of a beneficial owner who, to the knowledge of such shareholder, crosses such threshold), is required by our articles of association, to inform our board of directors of the price or prices paid for such excess shares. Any shareholder who fails to comply with these notification requirements will not be entitled to any of the dividend or voting rights that are attached to any of our shares held by such shareholder.
Our articles of association allow our board of directors to require any shareholder to provide written identification of any beneficial owner of shares that are registered in the name of such shareholder that exceed the above thresholds. Our board may require such proof as it deems reasonably necessary to verify the legal or beneficial ownership of such shares. The shareholder must provide this information to our board of directors within five business days.
In addition to the restrictions on material shareholding provided for in our articles of association described above, material shareholdings of our shares by non-Russian parties may be limited by the Russian Federal Law "On the Procedure for Foreign Investments in Companies which are Strategically Important for the State Defense and National Security."
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Corporate Governance
We acknowledge the importance of good corporate governance. The Dutch Corporate Governance Code, or the Code, was last amended in 2016. The Code contains both principles and best practice provisions for management boards, supervisory boards, and general meetings of shareholders, financial reporting, auditors, disclosure, compliance and enforcement standards. The Code applies to all Dutch companies listed on a government-recognized stock exchange, whether in the Netherlands or elsewhere, including Nasdaq. Such companies are required under Dutch law to disclose in their Dutch annual reports filed in the Netherlands whether or not they comply with provisions of the Code and, if they do not comply with those provisions, to explain why they deviate from any such provision.
We have not generally applied the provisions of the Code and we instead generally comply with the applicable corporate governance rules of the SEC and Nasdaq applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
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We and/or our selling securityholders may offer Class A shares, warrants, debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt, units, or any combination thereof from time to time in one or more offerings under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of any offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we and/or our selling securityholders may offer. Each time we and/or our selling securityholders offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we and/or our selling securityholders will provide a prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities.
Class A Shares
See "Description of Share Capital" for a description of certain information relating to the rights and benefits attached to our Class A shares, certain provisions of our articles of association, as amended, and the Dutch Corporate Governance Code. Because such description is a summary, it may not contain all of the information important to you. Accordingly, this description is qualified entirely by reference to the description of our share capital and the material terms of our articles of association, as amended, contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, together with our articles of association, as amended, a copy of which has been filed as an exhibit to our most recent Annual Report on 20-F. Please see the section of this prospectus entitled "Where You Can Find Additional Information."
Warrants
We and/or our selling securityholders may issue warrants for the purchase of our Class A shares and/or debt securities in one or more series. We and/or our selling securityholders may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we and/or our selling securityholders may authorize to be provided to you related to the particular series of warrants being offered, as well as the complete warrant agreements and/or warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants. Forms of the warrant agreements and/or forms of warrant certificates containing the terms of the warrants being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
We and/or our selling securityholders may evidence series of warrants by warrant certificates that we and/or our selling securityholders will issue. Warrants may be issued under an applicable warrant agreement that we enter into with a warrant agent. We and/or our selling securityholders will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of warrants being offered.
The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants we and/or our selling securityholders offer will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:
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- the title of the warrants;
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- the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;
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- the designation, number and terms of the debt securities, Class A shares or other securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants
and procedures by which those numbers may be adjusted;
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- the exercise price of the warrants;
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- the dates or periods during which the warrants are exercisable;
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- the designation and terms of any securities with which the warrants are issued;
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- if the warrants are issued as a unit with another security, the date on and after which the warrants and the other security will be separately
transferable;
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- if the exercise price is not payable in U.S. dollars, the foreign currency, currency unit or composite currency in which the exercise price is
denominated;
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- any minimum or maximum amount of warrants that may be exercised at any one time;
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- any terms relating to the modification of the warrants;
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- any terms, procedures and limitations relating to the transferability, exchange or exercise of the warrants; and
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- any other specific terms, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.
The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Debt Securities
We and/or our selling securityholders may offer and issue debt securities from time to time in one or more series, under one or more indentures, each dated as of a date on or prior to the issuance of the debt securities to which it relates, and pursuant to an applicable prospectus supplement. We and/or our selling securityholders may issue senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities pursuant to separate indentures, a senior indenture and a subordinated indenture, respectively, in each case between us and the trustee named in the indenture. We have filed forms of these documents as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The senior indenture and the subordinated indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time, are sometimes referred to individually as an "indenture" and collectively as the "indentures." Each indenture will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act and will be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York (without giving effect to any principles thereof relating to conflicts of law that would result in the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction), unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement and indenture (or post-effective amendment hereto). However, since we are a company incorporated and existing under Dutch law, certain aspects of the debt securities may be governed by compulsory provisions of Dutch law, which, if applicable, will be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement and indenture (or post-effective amendment hereto). Each indenture will contain the specific terms of any series of debt securities or provide that those terms must be set forth in or determined pursuant to, an authorizing resolution, as defined in the applicable prospectus supplement, and/or a supplemental indenture, if any, relating to such series. Our debt securities may be convertible or exchangeable into any of our equity or other debt securities.
The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities. The particular terms and provisions of the debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement, and the extent to which the general terms and provisions described below may apply to the offered debt securities, will be described in the applicable subsequent filings. We refer to any applicable prospectus supplement, amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and reports we file with the SEC under the Exchange Act as "subsequent filings." The statements below are not complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the applicable indenture. The specific terms of any debt securities that we and/or our selling securityholders may offer, including any modifications of, or additions to, the general terms described below as well as any applicable material U.S. federal income tax considerations and Dutch tax considerations concerning the ownership of such debt securities will be described in the applicable
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prospectus supplement and indenture and, as applicable, supplemental indenture. Accordingly, for a complete description of the terms of a particular issue of debt securities, the general description of the debt securities set forth below should be read in conjunction with the applicable prospectus supplement and indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time.
General
We expect that neither indenture will limit the amount of debt securities that may be issued. The debt securities may be issued in one or more series.
You should read the applicable indenture and subsequent filings relating to the particular series of debt securities for the following terms of the offered debt securities:
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- the designation, aggregate principal amount and authorized denominations;
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- the issue price, expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount;
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- the maturity date;
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- the interest rate per annum, if any;
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- the debt securities provide for interest payments, the date from which interest will accrue, the dates on which interest will be payable, the
date on which payment of interest will commence and the regular record dates for interest payment dates;
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- any optional or mandatory sinking fund provisions or exchangeability provisions;
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- the terms and conditions upon which conversion of any convertible debt securities may be effected, including the conversion price, the
conversion period and other conversion provisions;
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- whether the debt securities will be our senior or subordinated securities;
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- whether the obligations under the debt securities will be our secured or unsecured obligations;
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- the applicability and terms of any guarantees;
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- the date, if any, after which and the price or prices at which the debt securities may be optionally redeemed or must be mandatorily redeemed
and any other terms and provisions of optional or mandatory redemptions;
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- if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the debt securities of the series will be
issuable;
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- if other than the full principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities of the series which will be payable upon
acceleration or provable in bankruptcy;
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- any events of default not set forth in this prospectus;
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- the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which principal, premium and interest will be payable, if other than the
currency of the United States of America;
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- if principal, premium or interest is payable, at our election or at the election of any holder, in a currency other than that in which the debt
securities of the series are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, the election may be made;
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- whether interest will be payable in cash or additional securities at our or the holder's option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made;
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- •
- if denominated in a currency or currencies other than the currency of the United States of America, the equivalent price in the currency of the
United States of America for purposes of determining the voting rights of holders of those debt securities under the applicable indenture;
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- if the amount of payments of principal, premium or interest may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method based on a
coin or currency other than that in which the debt securities of the series are stated to be payable, the manner in which the amounts will be determined;
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- any restrictive covenants or other material terms relating to the debt securities;
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- whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of global securities or certificates in registered, dematerialized, or bearer form;
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- any listing on any securities exchange or quotation system;
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- additional provisions, if any, related to defeasance and discharge of the debt securities; and
- •
- any other special features of the debt securities.
Subsequent filings may include additional terms not listed above. Unless otherwise indicated in subsequent filings with the SEC relating to the indenture, principal, premium and interest will be payable and the debt securities will be transferable at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee. Unless other arrangements are made or set forth in subsequent filings or a supplemental indenture, principal, premium and interest will be paid by checks mailed to the registered holders at their registered addresses.
Unless otherwise indicated in subsequent filings with the SEC, the debt securities will be issued only in fully registered form without coupons, in denominations of $1,000 or any integral multiple thereof. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of the debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the debt securities.
Some or all of the debt securities may be issued as discounted debt securities, bearing no interest or interest at a rate which at the time of issuance is below market rates, to be sold at a substantial discount below the stated principal amount. U.S. federal income tax consequences and other special considerations applicable to any discounted securities will be described in subsequent filings with the SEC relating to those securities.
Senior Debt
We and/or our selling securityholders may issue senior debt securities, which may be secured or unsecured, under the senior debt indenture. The senior debt securities will rank on an equal basis with all our other senior debt except subordinated debt. The senior debt securities will be effectively subordinated, however, to all of our secured debt to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt. We and/or our selling securityholders will disclose the amount of our debt in the prospectus supplement.
Subordinated Debt
We and/or our selling securityholders may issue subordinated debt securities under a subordinated debt indenture. Subordinated debt would rank subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent set forth in the subordinated debt indenture, to all our senior debt.
21
Covenants
Any series of debt securities may have covenants in addition to or differing from those included in the applicable indenture which will be described in subsequent filings prepared in connection with the offering of such securities, limiting or restricting, among other things:
- •
- our ability to incur either secured or unsecured debt, or both;
- •
- our ability to make certain payments, dividends, redemptions or repurchases;
- •
- our ability to create dividend and other payment restrictions affecting our subsidiaries;
- •
- our ability to make investments;
- •
- mergers and consolidations by us or our subsidiaries;
- •
- sales of assets by us;
- •
- our ability to enter into transactions with affiliates;
- •
- our ability to incur liens; and
- •
- sale and leaseback transactions.
Modification and Waiver
Modification of the Indentures
We expect that each indenture and the rights of the respective holders generally may be modified by us only with the consent of holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of all series under the respective indenture affected by the modification, taken together as a class. However, we expect that no modification that:
- (1)
- changes
the amount of securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
- (2)
- reduces
the rate of or changes the interest payment time on any security or alters its redemption provisions (other than any alteration to any such section which
would not materially adversely affect the legal rights of any holder under the indenture) or the price at which we are required to offer to purchase the securities;
- (3)
- reduces
the principal or changes the maturity of any security or reduces the amount of, or postpones the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous
obligation;
- (4)
- waives
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 that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
- (5)
- makes
the principal of or interest, if any, on any security payable in any currency other than that stated in the security;
- (6)
- makes
any change with respect to holders' rights to receive principal and interest, the terms pursuant to which defaults can be waived, certain modifications
affecting shareholders or certain currency-related issues; or
- (7)
- waives a redemption payment with respect to any security or changes any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of any securities;
will be effective against any holder without his consent. Other terms of our debt securities may be modified without the consent of the holders.
22
Events of Default
We expect that each indenture will define an event of default for the debt securities of any series as being any one of the following events:
- •
- default in any payment of interest when due that continues for 30 days;
- •
- default in any payment of principal or premium at maturity;
- •
- default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when due;
- •
- default in the performance of any covenant in the debt securities or the applicable indenture that continues for 60 days after we
receive notice of the default;
- •
- default under a bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness for borrowed money by us or our subsidiaries (to the extent we are
directly responsible or liable therefor) having a principal amount in excess of a minimum amount set forth in the applicable subsequent filings, whether such indebtedness now exists or is hereafter
created, which default shall have resulted in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have become due and payable, without such
acceleration having been rescinded or annulled or cured within 30 days after we receive notice of the default; and
- •
- events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.
An event of default of one series of debt securities will not necessarily constitute an event of default with respect to any other series of debt securities.
There may be such other or different events of default as described in an applicable subsequent filing with respect to any class or series of debt securities.
We expect that under each indenture, in case an event of default occurs and continues for the debt securities of any series, the applicable trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities then outstanding of that series may declare the principal and accrued but unpaid interest of the debt securities of that series to be due and payable. Further, any event of default for the debt securities of any series which has been cured is expected to be permitted to be waived by the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series then outstanding.
We expect that each indenture will require us to file annually after debt securities are issued under that indenture with the applicable trustee a written statement signed by two of our officers as to the absence of material defaults under the terms of that indenture. We also expect that each indenture will provide that the applicable trustee may withhold notice to the holders of any default if it considers it in the interest of the holders to do so, except notice of a default in payment of principal, premium or interest.
Subject to the duties of the trustee in case an event of default occurs and continues, we expect that each indenture will provide that the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under that indenture at the request, order or direction of holders unless the holders have offered to the trustee reasonable indemnity. Subject to these provisions for indemnification and the rights of the trustee, each indenture is expected to provide that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of any series then outstanding 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 as long as the exercise of that right does not conflict with any law or the indenture.
23
Defeasance and Discharge
The terms of each indenture are expected to provide us with the option to be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities issued thereunder upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money or U.S. government obligations, or both, which through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay any installment of principal, premium and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities on the stated maturity of the payments in accordance with the terms of the debt securities and the indenture governing the debt securities. We expect that this right may only be exercised if, among other things, we have received from, or there has been published by, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a ruling to the effect that such a discharge will not be deemed, or result in, a taxable event with respect to holders. This discharge would not apply to our obligations to register the transfer or exchange of debt securities, to replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities, to maintain paying agencies and hold moneys for payment in trust.
Defeasance of Certain Covenants
We expect that the terms of the debt securities provide us with the right not to comply with specified covenants and that specified events of default described in a subsequent filing will not apply provided we deposit with the trustee money or U.S. government obligations, or both, which through the payment of interest and principal will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay any installment of principal, premium, and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities on the stated maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of the debt securities and the indenture governing such debt securities. We expect that to exercise this right, we will also be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the deposit and related covenant defeasance should not cause the holders of such series to recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.
Units
We and/or our selling securityholders may issue, in one or more series, units consisting of Class A shares, debt securities and/or warrants for the purchase of Class A shares and/or debt securities in any combination. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we and/or our selling securityholders may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreement that contains the terms of the units. We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that describe the terms of the series of units we are offering before the issuance of the related series of units.
We and/or our selling securityholders will evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we and/or our selling securityholders will issue. Units may be issued under a unit agreement that we and/or our selling securityholders enter into with a unit agent. We and/or our selling securityholders will indicate the name and address of the unit agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of units being offered.
We refer you to applicable subsequent filings with respect to any deletions or additions or modifications from the description contained in this prospectus.
24
Information about selling securityholders, where applicable, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
25
Except as described in any prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you, the net proceeds received by us from our sale of the securities described in this prospectus will be added to our general funds and will be used for our general corporate purposes. From time to time, we may engage in additional public or private financings of a character and amount which we may deem appropriate. Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement, we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of securities by any selling securityholders.
26
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
Our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, provides a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to prospective investors in our Class A shares. The applicable prospectus supplement may also contain information about any material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the securities covered by such prospectus supplement.
Non-U.S. Tax Considerations
Our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, provides a discussion of the material Dutch tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective investors in our Class A shares. The applicable prospectus supplement may also contain information about any non-U.S. tax considerations relating to the securities covered by such prospectus supplement.
27
ENFORCEABILITY OF CERTAIN CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are a limited liability company organized under the laws of the Netherlands. Substantially all of our assets are located outside the United States. The majority of our directors reside outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon such persons or to enforce against them or us in U.S. courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States.
The United States and the Netherlands currently do not have a treaty providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments, other than arbitration awards, in civil and commercial matters. Consequently, a final judgment for payment given by a court in the United States, whether or not predicated solely upon U.S. securities laws, would not automatically be recognized or enforceable in the Netherlands. In order to obtain a judgment which is enforceable in the Netherlands, the party in whose favor a final and conclusive judgment of the U.S. court has been rendered will be required to file its claim with a court of competent jurisdiction in the Netherlands. Such party may submit to the Dutch court the final judgment rendered by the U.S. court. This court will have discretion to attach such weight to the judgment rendered by the relevant U.S. court as it deems appropriate. The Dutch courts can be expected to give conclusive effect to a final and enforceable judgment of such court in respect of the contractual obligations thereunder without substantive re-examination or re-litigation of the substantive matters adjudicated upon (marginale toetsing), provided that: (i) the U.S. court involved accepted jurisdiction on the basis of internationally recognized grounds to accept jurisdiction, (ii) the proceedings before such court being in compliance with principles of proper procedure (behoorlijke rechtspleging), (iii) such judgment not being contrary to the public policy (openbare orde) of the Netherlands, (iv) such judgment not being incompatible with a judgment given between the same parties by a Dutch court or with a prior judgment given between the same parties by a foreign court in a dispute concerning the same subject matter and based on the same cause of action, provided such prior judgment fulfills the conditions necessary for it to be given binding effect in the Netherlands, and (v) the judgment is—according to the law of its country of origin—formally capable of being enforced (e.g. is readily enforceable, has not been annulled in appeal or its enforceability has not been subject to a certain time frame), but the court will in either case have discretion to attach such weight to the judgment of any federal or state court in the United States as it deems appropriate and may re-examine or re-litigate the substantive matters adjudicated upon. Dutch courts may deny the recognition and enforcement of punitive damages or other awards. Moreover, a Dutch court may reduce the amount of damages granted by a U.S. court and recognize damages only to the extent that they are necessary to compensate actual losses or damages. Enforcement and recognition of judgments of U.S. courts in the Netherlands are solely governed by the provisions of the Dutch Civil Procedure Code.
Dutch civil procedure differs substantially from U.S. civil procedure in a number of respects. Insofar as the production of evidence is concerned, U.S. law and the laws of several other jurisdictions based on common law provide for pre-trial discovery, a process by which parties to the proceedings may prior to trial compel the production of documents by adverse or third parties and the deposition of witnesses. Evidence obtained in this manner may be decisive in the outcome of any proceeding. No such pre-trial discovery process exists under Dutch law.
Subject to the foregoing and service of process in accordance with applicable treaties, investors may be able to enforce in the Netherlands judgments in civil and commercial matters obtained from U.S. federal or state courts. However, no assurance can be given that those judgments will be enforceable. In addition, it is doubtful whether a Dutch court would accept jurisdiction and impose civil liability in an original action commenced in the Netherlands and predicated solely upon U.S. federal securities laws.
28
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, legal matters with respect to U.S. federal and New York law in connection with an offering hereunder will be passed upon for us by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP, London, England. Certain legal matters with respect to Dutch law in connection with the validity of the shares being offered by this prospectus and other legal matters will be passed upon for us by Van Doorne N.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
29
The consolidated financial statements of Yandex N.V. as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of JSC KPMG, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing. The audit report covering the December 31, 2019 financial statements refers to the adoption of Accounting Standard Codification Topic 842, Leases. The audit report of JSC KPMG on the consolidated financial statements also refers to the translation of the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019 into U.S. dollars presented solely for the convenience of the reader. The offices of JSC KPMG are located at Presnenskaya Naberezhnaya, 10, Moscow 11524, Russia.
30
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form F-3 we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act, and does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. For further information, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as part of the registration statement. If a document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, we refer you to the copy of the document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. Our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ending December 31, 2019 and Amendment No. 1 thereto have been filed with the SEC. The Company has also filed current reports with the SEC on Form 6-K. Such reports and other information filed with the SEC are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act.
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Information incorporated by reference is part of this prospectus. Later information filed with the SEC will update and supersede this information. The SEC's Internet site can be found at http://www.sec.gov.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below:
- •
- our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the
year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on April 2, 2020;
- •
- amendment No. 1 to
our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on April 2, 2020;
- •
- the information contained in our
Current Report on Form 6-K, furnished to the SEC on June 23, 2020; and
- •
- the description of our ordinary shares contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A as filed with the SEC on May 10, 2011, as updated or amended in any amendment or report filed for such purpose.
All reports and other documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination of this offering shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such reports and other documents.
We undertake to provide without charge to each person (including any beneficial owner) who receives a copy of this prospectus, upon written or oral request, a copy of all of the preceding documents that are incorporated by reference (other than exhibits, unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into these documents). You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following email address or telephone number: +7 495 974-35-38 askIR@yandex-team.ru.
31
In accordance with Rule 412 of the Securities Act, any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.
The following table sets forth the expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters' or agents' compensation, if any) expected to be incurred by us in connection with a possible offering of the securities registered under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Expenses
|
Amount | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
SEC registration fee |
$ | * | ||
FINRA filing fee |
$ | ** | ||
Legal and accounting fees and expenses |
$ | ** | ||
Trustee and transfer agent fees and expenses |
$ | ** | ||
Miscellaneous costs |
$ | ** | ||
Total |
$ | ** | ||
- *
- To
be deferred pursuant to Rule 456(b) under the Securities Act and calculated in connection with an offering of Class A shares under this registration
statement pursuant to Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act.
- **
- Estimated fees and expenses are not presently known. If required, to be provided by a prospectus supplement or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 6-K that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
32
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 8. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Although Dutch law does not expressly provide for the indemnification of officers and directors, the concept of indemnification of directors of a company for liabilities arising from their actions as members of the board is, in principle, accepted in the Netherlands. Our articles of association provide for indemnification of the board of directors (both former members and members that are currently in office) and each indemnified person (as referred to in Article 17 of the articles of association) to the fullest extent permitted by Dutch law against liabilities, expenses and amounts paid in settlement relating to claims, actions, suits or proceedings to which a director or member of senior management becomes a party as a result of his or her position.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
The exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed in the exhibit index, which appears elsewhere herein and is incorporated herein by reference.
- (a)
- The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
- (1)
- To
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
- (i)
- To
include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
- (ii)
- To
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in
volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering
range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the
maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement.
- (iii)
- To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by 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.
II-1
- (2)
- That,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post- effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
- (3)
- To
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
- (4)
- To
file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the
start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 need not be
furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information
necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a post-effective amendment need not be
filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports
filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration
statement;
- (5)
- (i)
That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
- (A)
- Each
prospectus filed by a registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus
was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
- (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 the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that
time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or
made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of
contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any
such document immediately prior to such effective date;
- (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
II-2
- (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.
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:
- (b)
- The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
- (h)
- Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 SEC 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 an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under section 305(b)2 of the Trust Indenture Act.
II-3
| Exhibit Number |
Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | * | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
| 4.1 | Amendment to the Articles of Association of Yandex N.V., amended as of December 23, 2019, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.2 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-35173) filed with the SEC on April 2, 2020. | ||
| 4.2 | * | Form of Warrant Agreement (including Warrant Certificate). | |
| 4.3 | * | Form of Unit Agreement. | |
| 4.4 | Form of Senior Indenture. | ||
| 4.5 | Form of Subordinate Indenture | ||
| 5.1 | Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP. | ||
| 5.2 | Opinion of Van Doorne N.V. | ||
| 23.1 | Consent of JSC KPMG, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | ||
| 23.2 | Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). | ||
| 23.3 | Consent of Van Doorne N.V. (included in Exhibit 5.2). | ||
| 24.1 | Powers of Attorney (included on signature page). | ||
| 25.1 | ** | Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee under the Indenture | |
- *
- To
be filed, if necessary, as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference.
- **
- To be filed pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
II-4
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on June 23, 2020
| YANDEX N.V. | ||||||
By: |
/s/ ARKADY VOLOZH |
|||||
| Name: | Arkady Volozh | |||||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||||
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Arkady Volozh and Greg Abovsky, acting singly, as his or her true and lawful agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to (i) act on, sign and file with the SEC any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement together with all schedules and exhibits thereto and any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with all schedules and exhibits thereto, (ii) act on, sign and file such certificates, instruments, agreements and other documents as may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, (iii) act on and file any supplement to any prospectus included in this registration statement or any such amendment or any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (iv) take any and all actions which may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, granting unto such agents, proxies and attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or appropriate to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby approving, ratifying and confirming all that such agents, proxies and attorneys-in-fact or any of their substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on June 23, 2020.
Signature
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Title
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|---|---|---|
| /s/ ARKADY VOLOZH Arkady Volozh |
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | |
/s/ G. GREGORY ABOVSKY G. Gregory Abovsky |
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
|
/s/ TIGRAN KHUDAVERDYAN Tigran Khudaverdyan |
Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director |
Signature
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Title
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|---|---|---|
| /s/ JOHN BOYNTON John Boynton |
Chairman and Non-Executive Director | |
/s/ ESTHER DYSON Esther Dyson |
Non-Executive Director |
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/s/ ALEXEY KOMISSAROV Alexey Komissarov |
Non-Executive Director |
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/s/ MIKHAIL PARAKHIN Mikhail Parakhin |
Non-Executive Director |
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/s/ ROGIER RIJNJA Rogier Rijnja |
Non-Executive Director |
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/s/ CHARLES RYAN Charles Ryan |
Non-Executive Director |
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/s/ ILYA STREBULAEV Ilya Strebulaev |
Non-Executive Director |
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/s/ ALEXANDER VOLOSHIN Alexander Voloshin |
Non-Executive Director |
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/s/ ALEXEY YAKOVITSKY Alexey Yakovitsky |
Non-Executive Director |
| YANDEX INC. | Authorized Representative in the United States | |||||
By: |
/s/ PRESTON CAREY |
|||||
| Name: | Preston Carey | |||||
| Title: | Senior Vice President, Yandex Inc. | |||||
Table of Contents
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ARTICLE I |
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION |
1 | ||
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Section 1.01 |
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Definitions |
1 | |
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Section 1.02 |
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Compliance Certificates and Opinions |
7 | |
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Section 1.03 |
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Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee |
8 | |
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Section 1.04 |
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Acts of Holders; Record Dates |
8 | |
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Section 1.05 |
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Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company |
10 | |
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Section 1.06 |
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Notice to Holders; Waiver |
11 | |
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Section 1.07 |
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Conflict with Trust Indenture Act |
11 | |
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Section 1.08 |
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Effect of Headings and Table of Contents |
12 | |
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Section 1.09 |
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Successors and Assigns |
12 | |
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Section 1.10 |
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Separability Clause |
12 | |
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Section 1.11 |
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Benefits of Indenture |
12 | |
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Section 1.12 |
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Governing Law |
12 | |
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Section 1.13 |
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Legal Holidays |
12 | |
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Section 1.14 |
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Consent to Service; Jurisdiction |
12 | |
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Section 1.15 |
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Waiver of Jury Trial |
13 | |
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Section 1.16 |
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Force Majeure |
13 | |
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Section 1.17 |
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U.S.A. Patriot Act |
14 | |
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ARTICLE II |
SECURITY FORMS |
14 | ||
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Section 2.01 |
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Forms Generally |
14 | |
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Section 2.02 |
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Form of Face of Security |
14 | |
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Section 2.03 |
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Form of Reverse of Security |
16 | |
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Section 2.04 |
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Form of Legend for Global Securities |
19 | |
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Section 2.05 |
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Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication |
19 | |
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ARTICLE III |
THE SECURITIES |
20 | ||
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Section 3.01 |
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Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series |
20 | |
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Section 3.02 |
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Denominations |
22 | |
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Section 3.03 |
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Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating |
22 | |
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Section 3.04 |
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Temporary Securities. |
23 | |
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Page | |
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Section 3.05 |
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Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange |
24 | |
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Section 3.06 |
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Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities |
25 | |
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Section 3.07 |
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Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved |
26 | |
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Section 3.08 |
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Persons Deemed Owners |
27 | |
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Section 3.09 |
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Cancellation |
27 | |
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Section 3.10 |
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Computation of Interest |
28 | |
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Section 3.11 |
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CUSIP Numbers |
28 | |
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ARTICLE IV |
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE |
28 | ||
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Section 4.01 |
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Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture |
28 | |
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Section 4.02 |
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Application of Trust Money |
29 | |
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ARTICLE V |
REMEDIES |
29 | ||
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Section 5.01 |
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Events of Default. |
29 | |
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Section 5.02 |
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Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment |
31 | |
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Section 5.03 |
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Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee |
32 | |
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Section 5.04 |
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Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
33 | |
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Section 5.05 |
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Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities |
33 | |
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Section 5.06 |
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Application of Money Collected |
33 | |
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Section 5.07 |
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Limitation on Suits |
34 | |
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Section 5.08 |
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Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest |
35 | |
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Section 5.09 |
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Restoration of Rights and Remedies |
35 | |
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Section 5.10 |
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Rights and Remedies Cumulative |
35 | |
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Section 5.11 |
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Delay or Omission Not Waiver |
35 | |
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Section 5.12 |
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Control by Holders |
35 | |
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Section 5.13 |
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Waiver of Past Defaults |
36 | |
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Section 5.14 |
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Undertaking for Costs |
36 | |
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Section 5.15 |
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Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws |
36 | |
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ARTICLE VI |
THE TRUSTEE |
37 | ||
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Section 6.01 |
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Duties of Trustee |
37 | |
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Section 6.02 |
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Rights of Trustee |
38 | |
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Page | |
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Section 6.03 |
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Individual Rights of Trustee |
39 | |
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Section 6.04 |
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Trustee’s Disclaimer |
39 | |
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Section 6.05 |
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Notice of Default |
39 | |
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Section 6.06 |
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Reports by Trustee to Holders |
40 | |
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Section 6.07 |
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Compensation and Indemnity |
40 | |
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Section 6.08 |
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Replacement of Trustee |
41 | |
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Section 6.09 |
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Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. |
42 | |
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Section 6.10 |
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Eligibility; Disqualification |
42 | |
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Section 6.11 |
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Preferential Collection of Claims against Company |
42 | |
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ARTICLE VII |
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY |
43 | ||
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Section 7.01 |
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Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders |
43 | |
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Section 7.02 |
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Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders |
43 | |
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Section 7.03 |
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Reports by Company |
43 | |
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ARTICLE VIII |
CONSOLIDATION, AMALGAMATION, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE |
44 | ||
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Section 8.01 |
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Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms |
44 | |
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Section 8.02 |
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Successor Person Substituted |
44 | |
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Section 8.03 |
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Statutory Mergers |
45 | |
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Section 8.04 |
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Transfer of Less than Substantially All |
45 | |
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ARTICLE IX |
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES |
45 | ||
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Section 9.01 |
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Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders |
45 | |
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Section 9.02 |
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Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders |
46 | |
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Section 9.03 |
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Execution of Supplemental Indentures |
48 | |
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Section 9.04 |
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Effect of Supplemental Indentures |
48 | |
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Section 9.05 |
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Conformity with Trust Indenture Act |
48 | |
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Section 9.06 |
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Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures |
48 | |
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ARTICLE X |
COVENANTS |
48 | ||
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Section 10.01 |
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Payment of Securities |
48 | |
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Section 10.02 |
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Maintenance of Office or Agency |
49 | |
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Section 10.03 |
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Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust |
49 | |
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Page | |
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Section 10.04 |
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Corporate Existence |
50 | |
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Section 10.05 |
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Compliance Certificate; Notice of Default |
50 | |
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Section 10.06 |
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Calculation of Original Issue Discount |
51 | |
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ARTICLE XI |
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES |
51 | ||
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Section 11.01 |
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Applicability of Article |
51 | |
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Section 11.02 |
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Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee |
51 | |
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Section 11.03 |
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Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed |
51 | |
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Section 11.04 |
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Notice of Redemption |
52 | |
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Section 11.05 |
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Deposit of Redemption Price |
53 | |
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Section 11.06 |
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Securities Payable on Redemption Date |
53 | |
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Section 11.07 |
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Securities Redeemed in Part |
53 | |
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ARTICLE XII |
SINKING FUNDS |
54 | ||
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Section 12.01 |
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Applicability of Article |
54 | |
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Section 12.02 |
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Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities |
54 | |
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Section 12.03 |
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Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund |
54 | |
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ARTICLE XIII |
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE |
54 | ||
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Section 13.01 |
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Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
54 | |
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Section 13.02 |
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Defeasance and Discharge |
55 | |
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Section 13.03 |
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Covenant Defeasance |
55 | |
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Section 13.04 |
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Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
55 | |
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Section 13.05 |
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Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions |
57 | |
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Section 13.06 |
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Reinstatement |
57 | |
INDENTURE, dated as of [ ], between Yandex N.V., a Dutch public company with limited liability (herein called the “Company”), and [ ], having a corporate trust office at [ ], as trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (each, a “Security”, and collectively, the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as in this Indenture provided.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 1.01 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;
(2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;
(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term GAAP with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the date of such computation;
(4) the words “Article” and “Section” refer to an Article and Section, respectively, of this Indenture;
(5) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision; and
(6) certain terms used principally in Articles VI, X and XIII, are defined in those Articles.
“Act”, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 1.04.
“Add On Securities” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01.
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal, state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by its Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day”, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
“Capital Lease Obligation” means, at any time, any determination thereof is made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at such time be so required to be capitalized on the balance sheet in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
“Capital Shares”, as applied to the ordinary shares, stock or other equity interests of any corporation, means the ordinary shares, stock, or other equity interests of every class whether now or hereafter authorized, regardless of whether such ordinary shares, stock, or equity interests shall be limited to a fixed sum or percentage with respect to the rights of the holders thereof to participate in dividends and in the distribution of assets upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such corporation.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.
“Company Request” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Deputy or a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary or any other officer, manager or agent of the Company duly authorized pursuant to a Board Resolution to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office as of the date hereof is located at [•], Attention: Account Manager, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).
“corporation” means a corporation, association, company, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, joint-stock company or business trust, and references to “corporate” and other derivations of “corporation” herein shall be deemed to include appropriate derivations of such entities.
“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.03.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 3.07.
“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.02.
“Defeasible Series” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01.
“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated to act as Depositary for such Securities as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and any statute successor thereto.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (or, if used by the Company for preparation of its reports filed with the Commission, International Financial Reporting Standards) as in effect from time to time.
“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of the Securities of any series and is authenticated and delivered to, and registered in the name of, the Depositary for such Securities or a nominee thereof.
“Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, the Obligations of such Person under interest rate swap agreements, interest rate cap agreements, and interest rate collar agreements, and other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in interest rates.
“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.
“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, any indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent, in respect of borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof) or representing Capital Lease Obligations or the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or representing any Hedging Obligations, except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable, and all deferrals, renewals, extensions and refundings of obligations of any of the foregoing, if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness (other than letters of credit and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP, and also includes, to the extent not otherwise included, the guarantee of any indebtedness of such Person or any other Person.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, including, for all purposes of this instrument, and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term “Indenture” shall also include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“Interest”, when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Lien” means any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest, or other encumbrance of any kind, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law.
“Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.
“Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 5.01(5).
“Obligations” means any principal, premium, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Deputy or Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer or any other officer, manager or agent, of the Company duly authorized pursuant to a Board Resolution to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel, who may be counsel to the Company or the Trustee or an individual who is an employee of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company, and who shall be acceptable to the Trustee.
“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02.
“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(1) Securities theretofore paid, redeemed, cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(2) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;
(3) Securities as to which Defeasance has been effected pursuant to Section 14.02; and
(4) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 3.06 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, (A) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof to such date pursuant to Section 5.02, (B) the principal amount of a Security denominated in one or more foreign currencies or currency units shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined in the manner provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 on the date of original issuance of such Security, of the principal amount (or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Security, the U.S. dollar equivalent on the date of original issuance of such Security of the amount determined as provided in Clause (A) above) of such Security, and (C) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon
the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.
“Paying Agent” means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership (including a limited partnership), joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, means the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of that series are payable, as specified pursuant to Section 3.01.
“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.06 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
“Prospectus” means a prospectus of the Company relating to an offering of a series of Securities under this Indenture.
“Redemption Date”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
“Redemption Price”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“Responsible Officer”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, any assistant treasurer, assistant secretary, any trust officer or assistant trust officer or any other officer customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“Security” and “Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.05.
“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.07.
“Stated Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” means a corporation more than 50% of the outstanding voting ordinary shares or other voting stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, “voting shares” means shares, ordinary shares, stock or other equity interests which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, managers or other members of the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of the Subsidiary, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of ordinary shares, stock or other equity interest has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this 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 each Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.
“U.S. Government Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 13.04(1).
“Vice President”, when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president”.
Section 1.02 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust Indenture Act. Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of an Officer’s Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in this Indenture.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (including certificates provided for in Section 10.05) shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 1.03 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Section 1.04 Acts of Holders; Record Dates.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall
become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 6.01) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity,
such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.
The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
The Company may, in the circumstances permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, set any day as the record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders of Securities of such series. With regard to any record date set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to give or take the relevant action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date. With regard to any action that may be given or taken hereunder only by Holders of a requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of any series (or their duly appointed agents) and for which a record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company may, at its option, set an expiration date after which no such action purported to be given or taken by any Holder shall be effective hereunder unless given or taken on or prior to such expiration date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents). On or prior to any expiration date set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company may, on one or more occasions at its option, extend such date to any later date. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent any Holder (or any duly appointed agent thereof) from giving or taking, after any such expiration date, any action identical to, or, at any time, contrary to or different from, the action or purported action to which such expiration date relates, in which event the Company may set a record date in respect thereof pursuant to this paragraph. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken at any time by the Holders (or their duly appointed agents) of the requisite principal amount of
Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on the date such action is so taken. Notwithstanding the foregoing or the Trust Indenture Act, the Company shall not set a record date for, and the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, any notice, declaration or direction referred to in the next paragraph.
The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 5.02, if an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series has occurred and is continuing and the Trustee shall not have given such a declaration to the Company, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 5.07(2) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 5.12, in each case with respect to Securities of such series. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series of any such record date so fixed and the proposed action. The Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join in such notice, declaration or direction, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that, unless such notice, declaration or direction shall have become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such record date, such notice, declaration or direction shall automatically and without any action by any Person be cancelled and of no further effect. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent a Holder (or a duly appointed agent thereof) from giving, before or after the expiration of such 90-day period, a notice, declaration or direction contrary to or different from, or, after the expiration of such period, identical to, the notice, declaration or direction to which such record date relates, in which event a new record date in respect thereof shall be set pursuant to this paragraph. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any notice, declaration or direction of the type referred to in this paragraph given at any time to the Trustee and the Company by Holders (or their duly appointed agents) of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on the date such notice, declaration or direction is so given.
Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to give or take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any different part of such principal amount.
Section 1.05 Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing (which may be via facsimile) or sent electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Account Manager, or
(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, via overnight delivery, or sent electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company, Attention: Chief Financial Officer.
Section 1.06 Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, via overnight delivery, or sent electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, to each Holder affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any), prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Notices delivered to the Depositary as Holder of a Global Security may be delivered electronically in PDF format. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
Section 1.07 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be. Wherever this Indenture refers to a provision of the Trust Indenture Act, such provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
The following Trust Indenture Act terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission;
“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; and
“obligor on the indenture securities” means the Company and any other obligor on the Securities.
All other Trust Indenture Act terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the Trust Indenture Act, defined by the Trust Indenture Act referenced to another statute or defined by any Commission Rule and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings defined to them thereby.
Section 1.08 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 1.09 Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 1.10 Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 1.11 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 1.12 Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor to such statute), but without regard to principles of conflicts of law except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable.
Section 1.13 Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities (other than a provision of the Securities of any series which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section)) payment of interest or principal (and premium, if any) need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity; provided that no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be.
Section 1.14 Consent to Service; Jurisdiction.
(a) The Company and the Trustee agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture, and the Company agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Securities, may be instituted in any federal or state court in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York. Each of the Company and the Trustee waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such legal suit, action or proceeding, waives any immunity from jurisdiction or to service of process in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding.
(b) The Company hereby designates and appoints as its authorized agent upon which process may be served in any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture or the Securities which may be instituted in any federal or state court in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, and agrees that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said service to the Company by the Person serving the same, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit, action or proceeding and further designates its domicile, the domicile of New York, New York specified above and any domicile it may have in the future as its domicile to receive any notice hereunder (including service of process). Service of process, to be effective upon the Trustee, must be served at the Trustee’s Corporate Trust Office. If for any reason (or any successor agent for this purpose) shall cease to act as agent for service of process as provided above, the Company will promptly appoint a successor agent for this purpose reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The Company agrees to take any and all actions necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect.
Section 1.15 Waiver of Jury Trial.
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
Section 1.16 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, disasters, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, any present or future law or regulation, or act of a governmental authority, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications, computer (software and hardware) or wire transfer services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 1.17 U.S.A. Patriot Act.
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account 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 II
SECURITY FORMS
Section 2.01 Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series to be endorsed thereon shall be in substantially the form set forth in this Article, or in such other form as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to such supplemental indentures or Board Resolution, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as the case may be, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 3.03 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.
Section 2.02 Form of Face of Security.
[Insert any legend required by the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder.]
Yandex N.V
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Yandex N.V., a Dutch public company with limited liability (herein called the “Company”, which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to , or registered assigns, the principal sum of Dollars on [if the Security is to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert —, and to pay interest thereon from or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually on and in each year, commencing at the rate of % per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment [if applicable, insert — , and at the rate of % per annum on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue installment of interest]. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided
in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the or (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture].
[If the Security is not to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert — The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a default in payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption or at Stated Maturity, and in such case the overdue principal of this Security shall bear interest at the rate of % per annum, which shall accrue from the date of such default in payment to the date payment of such principal has been made or duly provided for. Interest on any overdue principal shall be payable on demand. Any such interest on any overdue principal that is not so paid on demand shall bear interest at the rate of % per annum, which shall accrue from the date of such demand for payment to the date payment of such interest has been made or duly provided for, and such interest shall also be payable on demand.]
Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and [if applicable, insert — any such] interest on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in , in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts [if applicable, insert —; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register].
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
Dated:
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YANDEX N.V. | |
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Section 2.03 Form of Reverse of Security.
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of , 20 (herein called the “Indenture”), among the Company named therein and , as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities endorsed thereon are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof [if applicable insert —, limited in aggregate principal amount to $ ].
[If applicable insert — The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 days’ notice, [if applicable, insert — (1) on in any year commencing with the year 20 and ending with the year 20 through operation of the sinking fund for this series at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount (plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date), and (2)] at any time [if applicable insert on or after , 20 ], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the following Redemption Prices (expressed as percentages of the principal amount): If redeemed [if applicable insert — on or before , %, and if redeemed] during the 12-month period beginning of the years indicated,
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and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to % of the principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption [if applicable, insert — (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise)] with accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.
[If applicable, insert — The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 days’ notice, (1) on in any year commencing with the year and ending with the year through operation of the sinking fund for this series at the Redemption Prices for redemption through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table below, and (2) at any time [if applicable, insert — on or after ], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the Redemption Prices for redemption otherwise than through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table below: If redeemed during the 12-month period beginning of the years indicated,
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and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to % of the principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) with accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.]
[If applicable, insert — Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not, prior to redeem any Securities of this series as contemplated by [if applicable, insert — Clause (2) of] the preceding paragraph as a part of, or in anticipation of, any refunding operation by the application, directly or indirectly, of moneys borrowed having an interest cost to the Company (calculated in accordance with generally accepted financial practice) of less than % per annum.]
[If applicable, insert — The sinking fund for this series provides for the redemption on in each year beginning with the year and ending with the year of [if applicable, insert — not less than $ “mandatory sinking fund”) and not more than] $ aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series. Securities of this series acquired or redeemed by the Company otherwise than through (if applicable, insert — mandatory] sinking fund payments may be credited against subsequent [if applicable, insert — mandatory] sinking fund payments otherwise required to be made [if applicable, insert — in the inverse order in which they become due).]
[If the Security is subject to redemption of any kind, insert — In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]
[If applicable, insert — The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of (l) the entire indebtedness of this Security or (2) certain restrictive covenants and Events of Default with respect to this Security, in each case upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.]
[If the Security is not an Original Issue Discount Security, insert — If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.]
[If the Security is an Original Issue Discount Security, insert — If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, an amount of principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the
Indenture. Such amount shall be equal to insert formula for determining the amount. Upon payment (i) of the amount of principal so declared due and payable and (ii) of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest all of the Company’s obligations in respect of the payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall terminate.]
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the
Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Security shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Securities of this series at the time Outstanding shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default as Trustee and offered the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of Securities of this series at the time Outstanding a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding, for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Security for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registerable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or the Security Registrar may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
Section 2.04 Form of Legend for Global Securities.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for the Securities evidenced thereby, every Global Security authenticated and delivered 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 a Depositary or a nominee thereof. This Security may not be transferred to, or registered or exchanged for Securities registered in the name of, any Person other than the Depositary or a nominee thereof and no such transfer may be registered, except in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture. Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, this Security shall be a Global Security subject to the foregoing, except in such limited circumstances.
Section 2.05 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
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Title: |
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ARTICLE III
THE SECURITIES
Section 3.01 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and, subject to Section 3.03, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series,
(1) the title of the Securities of the series, including CUSIP Numbers, if any (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from Securities of any other series);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 9.06 or 11.07 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 3.03, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
(3) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be payable, if other than the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;
(4) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable;
(5) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for any interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;
(6) the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on Securities of the series shall be payable;
(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(9) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which Securities of the series shall be issuable;
(10) the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable if
other than the currency of the United States of America and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in the currency of the United States of America for purposes of the definition of “Outstanding” in Section 1.01;
(11) if the amount of payments of principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
(12) if the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on Securities of such series as to which such election is made shall be payable, and the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made;
(13) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02;
(14) if applicable, that the Securities of the series shall be subject to either or both of Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance as provided in Article XIII;
(15) if and as applicable, that the Securities of the series shall be issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the Depositary or Depositaries for such Global Security or Global Securities and any circumstances other than those set forth in Section 3.05 in which any such Global Security may be transferred to, and registered and exchanged for Securities registered in the name of, a Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof and the name in which any such transfer may be registered;
(16) any addition to or change in the Events of Default set forth in Section 5.01 or the covenants set forth in Article X which applies to Securities of the series; and
(17) any other terms of the series.
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 3.03) set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officer’s Certificate referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.
The Company may, from time to time, by adoption of a Board Resolution and subject to compliance with any other applicable provisions of this Indenture, without the consent of the Holders, create and issue pursuant to this Indenture additional securities of any series of Securities (“Add On Securities”) having terms and conditions identical to those of such series of Outstanding Securities, except that such Add On Securities:
(i) may have a different issue date from such series of Outstanding Securities;
(ii) may have a different amount of interest payable on the first Interest Payment Date after issuance than is payable on such series of Outstanding Securities; and
(iii) may have terms specified in such Board Resolution for such Add On Securities making appropriate adjustments to this Article III applicable to such Add On Securities in order to conform to and ensure compliance with the Securities Act (or applicable securities laws) which are not adverse in any material respect to the Holder of any Outstanding Securities (other than such Add On Securities) and which shall not affect the rights or duties of the Trustee.
Section 3.02 Denominations.
The Securities of each series shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 3.01. In the absence of any such specified denomination with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
Section 3.03 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, its Deputy or Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, its President or one of its Vice Presidents. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any Series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities endorsed thereon, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities endorsed thereon. If the form or terms of the Securities of the series have been established in or pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions as permitted by Section 2.01 and Section 3.01, in authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon,
(a) A copy of the Board Resolution in or pursuant to which the terms and form of the Securities were established and if the terms and form of such Securities are established by an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to authorization of the Board of Directors, such Officer’s Certificate;
(b) an executed supplemental indenture, if any;
(c) an Officer’s Certificate delivered in accordance with Section 1.02; and
(d) an Opinion of Counsel which shall state:
(1) if the form of such Securities has been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or a supplemental indenture as permitted by Section 2.01, that such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) if the terms of such Securities have been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or a supplemental indenture as permitted by Section 3.01, that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(3) that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles and other customary exceptions.
If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by manual signature, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 3.09, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 3.04 Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon receipt of a Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which
are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for that series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series and tenor.
Section 3.05 Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office and in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at the office or agency in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like tenor and aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company or Security Registrar may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 3.04, 9.06 or 11.07 not involving any transfer.
The Company shall not be required (1) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the sending of a notice of redemption of Securities of that series selected for redemption under Section 11.03, or (2) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, no Global Security may be transferred to, or registered or exchanged for Securities registered in the name of, any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or any nominee thereof, and no such transfer may be registered, unless (1) such Depositary (A) notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or (B) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, (2) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order that such Global Security shall be so transferable, registrable and exchangeable, and such transfers shall be registrable, (3) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Securities evidenced by such Global Security or (4) there shall exist such other circumstances, if any, as have been specified for this purpose as contemplated by Section 3.01. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, a Global Security to which the restriction set forth in the preceding sentence shall have ceased to apply may be transferred only to, and may be registered and exchanged for Securities registered only in the name or names of, such Person or Persons as the Depositary for such Global Security shall have directed in writing and no transfer thereof other than such a transfer may be registered.
Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global Security to which the restriction set forth in the first sentence of the preceding paragraph shall apply, whether pursuant to this Section, Section 3.04, 3.06, 9.06 or 11.07 or otherwise, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Security.
Section 3.06 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute, and, upon receipt of a Company Order, 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 as may be required by them to save each of them, and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and, upon receipt of a Company Order, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding. The Company may charge the applicable Holder for its expenses in replacing a Security, including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel. For the avoidance of doubt, the Trustee shall not be
responsible for any such fees or expenses. In the event any such mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may pay such Security instead of issuing a new Security in replacement thereof.
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) in connection therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in exchange for any mutilated Security or in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 3.07 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such
Defaulted Interest as in this Clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of such series at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).
(2) In lieu of the procedure set forth in clause (1) above, the Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
Section 3.08 Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company, or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.07) any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 3.09 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly
permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in its customary manner.
Section 3.10 Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and with respect to any period less than a full month, on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed during such period. For example, the interest for a period running from the 15th day of one month to the 15th day of the next month would be calculated on the basis of one 30-day month.
Section 3.11 CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use such “CUSIP” or “ISIN” 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 identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any changes in the “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers.
ARTICLE IV
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 4.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon a Company Request cease to be of further effect with respect to a series of Securities (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series herein expressly provided for), when
(1) either
(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.06 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust) have been paid, redeemed, deemed paid, cancelled or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(iii) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and the Company has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be; and
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company.
The Trustee shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture on demand of the Company accompanied by an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each at the cost and expense of the Company.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 6.07, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of Clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.02, shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.
Section 4.02 Application of Trust Money.
All money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01 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 any premium and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee. Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES
Section 5.01 Events of Default.
“Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security of that series at its Maturity; or
(3) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due by the terms of a Security of that series; or
(4) default in the observance or performance of Article VIII; or
(5) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with or which has expressly been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of series of Securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 30 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; or
(6) the Company shall fail to pay any Indebtedness in excess of $35,000,000 owing by the Company, or any interest or premium thereon, when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), and such failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in the agreement or instrument relating to such Indebtedness, or the Company shall fail to perform any term, covenant or agreement on its part to be performed under any agreement or instrument evidencing or securing or relating to any such Indebtedness, if the effect of such failure in either case is that the maturity of such Indebtedness is duly accelerated, without such Indebtedness having been discharged or such acceleration having been rescinded or annulled, in each such case, within a period of 10 days after there shall have been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, a written notice specifying such default and requiring the Company to cause such Indebtedness to be discharged or cause such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled, as the case may be, and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder (the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of a default under this subsection (6) unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge thereof); provided, however, that, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and 6.05, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such failure to pay unless either (A) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge of such failure to pay or (B) the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the Company, from any Holder, from the holder of any such Indebtedness or from the trustee thereunder; or
(7) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal, State or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable Federal, State or foreign law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days; or
(8) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal, State or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal, State or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable Federal, State or foreign law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in furtherance of any such action; or
(9) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that series.
Section 5.02 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(7) or 5.01(8)) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, 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 of the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms thereof) of all of the Securities of 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) shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(7) or 5.01(8) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs, the principal amount of all the Securities of that series (or, in the case of any Security of that series which specifies an amount to be due and payable thereon upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof, such amount as may be specified by the
terms thereof) shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay
(A) all overdue interest on all Securities of that series,
(B) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities,
(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and
(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and
(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of, and interest and premium on, the Securities of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.03 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if:
(1) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security at the Maturity thereof, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and any premium and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be
sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem necessary to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 5.04 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), or any of the property or creditors of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise, to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such proceeding. In particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; 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 reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.07.
No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided, however, that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors’ or other similar committee.
Section 5.05 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 5.06 Application of Money Collected.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account
of principal or any premium 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 6.07;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and any premium 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 any premium and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: To the Company.
Section 5.07 Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;
(2) 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;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;
it being understood and intended and being expressly covenanted by each Holder of every Security with every other Holder and with 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 (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders), or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.
Section 5.08 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.07) interest on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 5.09 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder 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.
Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 3.06, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any 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 5.12 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
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction, and
(3) subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, determine, and the Trustee shall have received a legal opinion stating, that the proceedings so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability.
Section 5.13 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 waive any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default
(1) in the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of such series, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article IX cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.14 Undertaking for Costs.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and may assess costs, including attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any such party litigant, in the manner and to the extent provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act shall apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holders of the Securities, or group of Holders of the Securities, holding in the aggregate more than 10% of principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder of the Outstanding Securities for the enforcement of the payment of principal of or interest on any Outstanding Securities held by such Holder, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Outstanding Securities, and provided, further, that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking or to make such an assessment in any suit instituted by the Company or the Trustee.
Section 5.15 Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee,
but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
ARTICLE VI
THE TRUSTEE
The Trustee hereby accepts the trust imposed upon it by this Indenture and covenants and agrees to perform the same, as herein expressed.
Section 6.01 Duties of Trustee.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(1) The Trustee need perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no covenants or obligations shall be implied in or read into this Indenture.
(2) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they substantially conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own grossly negligent action, its own grossly negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(1) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 6.01.
(2) 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 grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(3) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 5.12.
(d) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or to take or omit to take any action under this Indenture.
(e) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) of this Section 6.01.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any assets received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Assets held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other assets except to the extent required by law.
Section 6.02 Rights of Trustee.
Subject to Section 6.01:
(a) The Trustee may rely conclusively on 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 any 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 certificate or opinion.
(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent or attorney appointed with due care.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes, suffers or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its discretion or rights or powers.
(e) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such investigation.
(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders, pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby.
(g) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection of any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Trustee hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.
(h) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any 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 the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture.
(i) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.
(j) The permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties.
(k) Any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or a Company Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution.
(l) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.
(m) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder.
(n) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.
Section 6.03 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 its respective Affiliates, with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Paying Agent or Security Registrar may do the same with like rights.
Section 6.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer.
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities and it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities, other than the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, or the use or application of any funds received by a Paying Agent other than the Trustee.
Section 6.05 Notice of Default.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall send to each Holder of Securities of such series notice of
the uncured Event of Default within 90 days after such Event of Default occurs. Except in the case of an Event of Default in payment of principal (or premium, if any) of, or interest on, any Security, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interest of the Holders of Securities of such series.
Section 6.06 Reports by Trustee to Holders.
The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section 313 (a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall, within sixty days after each May 15 following the date of the initial issuance of Securities under this Indenture deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such May 15, which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a).
A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange, if any, upon which the Securities are listed, with the Commission and with the Company. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing when the Securities are listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.
Section 6.07 Compensation and Indemnity.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree 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 disbursements, expenses and advances incurred or made by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents, accountants, experts and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee (in its capacity as Trustee) and any predecessor Trustee and each of their respective officers, directors, attorneys-in-fact and agents for, and hold it harmless against, any claim, demand, expense (including but not limited to reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel), loss, charges (including taxes (other than taxes based upon the income of the Trustee)) or liability incurred by them without gross negligence or willful misconduct on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust and their rights or duties hereunder including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending themselves against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, a Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim asserted against the Trustee for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall provide reasonable cooperation at the Company’s expense 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 written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee to the extent determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been caused by its own gross negligence or willful misconduct.
To secure the Company’s’ payment obligations in this Section 6.07, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all assets held or collected by the Trustee, except assets held in trust to pay principal and premium, if any, of or interest on any series of Securities, in its capacity as Trustee.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(7) or (8) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The Company’s obligations under this Section 6.07 and any lien arising hereunder shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee, the discharge of the Company’s obligations pursuant to Article IV or Article XIII of this Indenture, any rejection or termination of this Indenture under any Bankruptcy Law or any other termination or discharge of this Indenture.
Section 6.08 Replacement of Trustee.
The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by so notifying the Company in writing. The Holder or Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of such series by so notifying the Company and the Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series with the Company’s consent. The Company may remove the Trustee if:
(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 6.10;
(2) the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent;
(3) (3) a receiver, custodian, or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(4) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee, with respect to Securities of that or those series. Within one year after the successor Trustee with respect to a series of Securities takes office, the Holder or Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series may appoint a successor Trustee with respect to such series to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Promptly after that and provided that all sums owing to the Trustee provided for in Section 6.07 have been paid, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee with respect to such series of Securities to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided in Section 6.07, 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 under this Indenture. A successor Trustee with respect to one or more series of Securities shall mail notice of its succession to each Holder of Securities of that or those series.
If a successor Trustee with respect to a series of Securities does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holder or Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series may petition at the expense of the Company any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to such series.
If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 6.10, any Holder of Securities of a series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to such series and the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to such series.
Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 6.08, the Company’s obligations under Section 6.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
So long as no event which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and except with respect to a Trustee appointed by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series pursuant to this Section, if the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee (i) Board Resolutions appointing a successor Trustee, effective as of a date specified therein, and (ii) an instrument of acceptance of such appointment, effective as of such date, by such successor Trustee, the Trustee shall be deemed to have resigned as contemplated in this Section, the successor Trustee shall be deemed to have been appointed by the Company pursuant to this Section and such appointment shall be deemed to have been accepted, all as of such date, and all other provisions of this Section shall be applicable to such resignation, appointment and acceptance.
The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all Holders of Securities in the manner provided in Section 1.05. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.
Section 6.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.
If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation without any further act shall, if such resulting, surviving or transferee corporation is otherwise eligible hereunder, be the successor Trustee.
Section 6.10 Eligibility; Disqualification.
The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of Trust Indenture Act Section 310(a)(1) and Trust Indenture Act Section 310(a)(5). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act Section 310(b).
Section 6.11 Preferential Collection of Claims against Company.
The Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in Trust Indenture Act Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Trust Indenture Act Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.
ARTICLE VII
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY
Section 7.01 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:
(1) semi-annually, not more than 15 days after each Regular Record Date, a list for each series of Securities, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of Securities of such series as of the Regular Record Date, as the case may be, and
(2) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished;
excluding from any such list names and addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar.
Section 7.02 Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.
The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.01 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 7.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
The rights of the Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act.
Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.03 Reports by Company.
The Company shall file with the Trustee, and transmit to Holders (within 30 days after filing the same with the Commission), such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act; provided that any such information, documents or reports filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is filed with the Commission. Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely
exclusively on Officer’s Certificates). The availability of the foregoing materials on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval service or on the Company’s website shall be deemed to satisfy the Company’s obligation to file the same with the Trustee and transmit the same to Holders.
ARTICLE VIII
CONSOLIDATION, AMALGAMATION, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 8.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company may not, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions:
(a) consolidate or amalgamate or merge with or into any other Person, or
(b) directly or indirectly transfer, sell, lease (other than a charter or lease of a vessel in the ordinary course of business) or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, unless:
(1) in a transaction in which the Company does not survive or in which the Company sells, leases or otherwise disposes of all or substantially all of its assets, the successor entity to the Company (A) is a Person organized under the laws of (i) the United States or any State thereof or the District of Columbia, (ii) the Republic of Liberia, (iii) Bermuda, (iv) the Republic of the Marshall Islands, (v) the Republic of Cyprus, (vi) the Republic of Malta, (vii) the Republic of Panama, (viii) a member state of the European Union or (ix) any other country recognized by the United States and (B) shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Trustee in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture;
(2) immediately before and after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(3) the Company and the successor Person shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, lease, sale or disposition and such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
Section 8.02 Successor Person Substituted.
Upon any consolidation or merger or any transfer of assets in accordance with Section 8.01, the surviving Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such sale, transfer 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 surviving Person had been named as the Company herein. When a surviving Person duly assumes all of the obligations of the Company pursuant hereto and pursuant to the Securities, the predecessor shall be relieved of the performance and observance of all obligations and covenants of this Indenture and the Securities, including but not limited to the obligation to make payment
of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on all the Securities then outstanding, and the Company may thereupon or any time thereafter be liquidated and dissolved.
Section 8.03 Statutory Mergers.
A statutory merger in which a Company’s assets and liabilities may be allocated among one or more entities shall not be considered to be a merger subject to the provisions of this Article VIII unless all or substantially all of the assets of the Company are allocated by such statutory merger to one or more entities other than the Company.
Section 8.04 Transfer of Less than Substantially All.
A sale, lease or other disposition by the Company of any part of its assets shall not be deemed to constitute the sale, lease or other disposition of substantially all of its assets for purposes of this Indenture if the fair market value of the assets retained by the Company exceeds 100% of the aggregate principal amount of all Outstanding Securities and any other outstanding Indebtedness of the Company that ranks equally with, or senior to, the Securities with respect to such assets. Such fair market value shall be established by the delivery to the Trustee of an independent expert’s certificate stating the independent expert’s opinion of such fair market value as of a date not more than 90 days before or after such sale, lease or other disposition. This Article is not intended to limit the Company’s sales, leases or other dispositions of less than substantially all of its assets.
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.01 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities;
(2) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;
(3) to add any additional Events of Default;
(4) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form;
(5) to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture in respect of one or more series of Securities, provided that any such addition, change or elimination (A) shall neither (i) apply to any Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (ii) modify the rights of the Holder of any such Security with respect to such provision or (B) shall become effective only when there is no such Security Outstanding;
(6) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.01 and 3.01;
(7) to comply with Section 8.01;
(8) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(9) to secure the Securities of one or more series;
(10) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.08;
(11) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture, provided that such action pursuant to this clause (11) shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or
(12) to conform any provision of this Indenture to the description of securities contained in a Prospectus or any similar description contained in any supplement to a Prospectus relating to an offering of a series of Securities under this Indenture as evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate.
Section 9.02 Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series affected by such supplemental indenture, taken together as one class (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer for the Securities of any series), by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby,
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest or the time of payment of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02, or change any Place of Payment where, or the coin or currency in which, any Security or any premium or interest thereon is payable or the right of selection thereof, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or modify the provisions of this Indenture with respect to the ranking of the Securities in a manner adverse to the Holders in any material respect;
(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture;
(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Section 5.13, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby, provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 6.08 and 9.01(10);
(4) change any obligations of the Company to maintain an office or agency, or modify or waive the provisions of Article XI;
(5) adversely affect any right of repayment or repurchase at the option of the Holder; or
(6) reduce or postpone any sinking fund or similar provision.
A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 9.03 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel and an Officer’s Certificate stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such supplemental indenture is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles and other customary exceptions. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 9.04 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.
Section 9.05 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 9.06 Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company, and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.
ARTICLE X
COVENANTS
Section 10.01 Payment of Securities.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will pay the principal of and interest on the Securities of that series on the dates and in the manner provided in the Securities of that series and this Indenture. An installment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds for the benefit of the Holders, on that date, immediately available funds deposited and designated for and sufficient to pay the installment.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal and on overdue installments of interest at the rate specified in the Securities compounded semi-annually, to the extent lawful.
Section 10.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company shall maintain in the Place of Payment for any series of Securities, an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series, and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency. The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as such office of the Company.
Section 10.03 Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any of the Securities of that series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and any premium and interest so becoming due until
such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, on or prior to each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount, such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will (1) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent and (2) during the continuance of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series) in the making of any payment in respect of the Securities of that series, upon the written request
of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums held in trust by such Paying Agent for payment in respect of the Securities of that series.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in New York City, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
Section 10.04 Corporate Existence.
Subject to Article VIII, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence in accordance with its organizational documents and the rights (charter and statutory) and corporate franchises of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve, with respect to itself, any right or franchise, if (a) the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in
the conduct of the business of the Company and (b) the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.
Section 10.05 Compliance Certificate; Notice of Default.
(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of its fiscal year an Officer’s Certificate, one of the signers of which shall be the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Company, complying with Section 314(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture Act and stating that a review of its activities and the activities of its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture (all without regard to periods of grace, which shall be deemed fulfilled unless and until the expiration of such periods, or notice requirements) and further stating, as to each such officer signing such certificate, whether or not the signer knows of any failure by the
Company or any Subsidiary to comply with any conditions or covenants in this Indenture and, if such signer does know of such a failure to comply, the certificate shall describe such failure with particularity. The Officer’s Certificate shall also notify the Trustee should the relevant fiscal year end on any date other than the current fiscal year end date.
(b) The Company shall, so long as any of the Securities of any series are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, immediately upon becoming aware of any Event of Default with respect to such series under this Indenture, an Officer’s Certificate specifying such Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or propose to take with respect thereto. The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of an Event of Default unless one of its Responsible Officers receives notice of the Event of Default from the Company or any of the Holders.
Section 10.06 Calculation of Original Issue Discount.
The Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (i) a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on Outstanding Securities as of the end of such year and (ii) such other specific information relating to such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
ARTICLE XI
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 11.01 Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article.
Section 11.02 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of all or any part of the Securities of any series, the Company shall, at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee in writing of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction.
Section 11.03 Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed (unless all of the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the
Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series. If less than all of the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.
Section 11.04 Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, or by first-class mail, postage prepaid, sent not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at his address appearing in the Security Register.
All notices of redemption shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date,
(2) the Redemption Price (if known),
(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed,
(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,
(5) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price,
(6) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case, and
(7) applicable CUSIP Numbers.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of
the Company may be conditioned upon the receipt by the Trustee or a Paying Agent of the redemption money on or before the redemption date, unless otherwise specified in the terms of the Securities to be redeemed.
Section 11.05 Deposit of Redemption Price.
Prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.
Section 11.06 Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, and the conditions, if any, set forth in such notice having been satisfied, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment
of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 3.07.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
Section 11.07 Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series and of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE XII
SINKING FUNDS
Section 12.01 Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment”, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any 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 12.02. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series.
Section 12.02 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (1) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other than any Securities previously called for redemption) and (2) may apply as a credit Securities of a series which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series; provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 12.03 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 12.02, and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.03 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 11.04. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 11.06 and 11.07.
ARTICLE XIII
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 13.01 Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The Company may elect, at its option by Board Resolution at any time, to have either Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any series designated pursuant to Section 3.01 as being defeasible pursuant to this Article XIII (hereinafter called a “Defeasible Series”), upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII .
Section 13.02 Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company’s exercise of the option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.02 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations, as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 13.04 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”), and the Trustee shall deliver to the Company appropriate instruments of satisfaction, discharge and release. For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Outstanding Securities of such series and to have satisfied all its other obligations under the Securities of such series and this Indenture, subject to the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (1) the rights of Holders of Securities of such series to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 13.04 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities of such series when payments are due, (2) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities of such series under Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 10.02 and 10.03, (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (4) this Article XIII. Subject to compliance with this Article XIII, the Company may exercise its option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.02 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option provided in Section 13.01 to have Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of such series.
Section 13.03 Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company’s exercise of the option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series, (1) the Company shall be released from its obligations under Section 8.01 and Section 10.04, and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 5.01(3), 5.01(5) (with respect to any of Sections 8.01 and 10.04), 5.01(6) and 5.01(9) shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 13.04 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this
purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section (to the extent so specified in the case of Section 5.01(5)), whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and the Securities of such series shall be unaffected thereby.
Section 13.04 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to application of either Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series:
(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee that satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 6.09 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article XIII applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit
of the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations that through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of such series on the respective Stated Maturities, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such series. As used herein, “U.S. Government Obligation” means (x) any security that is (i) a direct obligation of the United States of America for the payment of which full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged or (ii) an obligation of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case (i) or (ii), is not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and (y) any depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) as custodian with respect to any U.S. Government Obligation specified in Clause (x) and held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt, or with respect to any specific payment of principal of or interest on any such U.S. Government Obligation, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal or interest evidenced by such depositary receipt.
(2) In the case of an election under Section 13.02, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the date first set forth hereinabove, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case (A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to the Securities of such series and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.
(3) In the case of an election under Section 13.03, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to the Securities of such series and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.
(4) No Event of Default or event that (after notice or lapse of time or both) would become an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, with regard to any Event of Default or any such event specified in Sections 5.01(7) and (8), at any time on or prior to the 90th day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until after such 90th day).
(5) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.
(6) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.
Section 13.05 Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
All money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 13.06, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 13.04 in respect of the Securities of any Defeasible Series shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities of such series and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of Securities of such series, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and any premium and interest, but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company (on a joint and several basis) shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 13.04 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge that by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.
Anything in this Article XIII to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 13.04 with respect to Securities of any Defeasible Series that, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance with respect to the Securities of such series.
Section 13.06 Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article XIII with respect to the Securities of any series by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities of such series shall be
revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article XIII with respect to Securities of such series until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 13.05 with respect to Securities of such series in accordance with this Article XIII; provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of such series following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series to receive such payment from the money so held in trust.
The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture; the recitals and statements herein are deemed to be those of the Company and not of the Trustee.
This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
(Signature Pages to Follow)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
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YANDEX N.V. | |
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By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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[ ], AS TRUSTEE | |
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By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
Yandex N.V.
Certain Sections of this Indenture relating to
Sections 3.10 through 3.18, inclusive, of the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939:
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Trust Indenture |
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Indenture Section |
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§ 310 (a)(1) |
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6.10 |
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(a)(2) |
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6.10 |
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(a)(3) |
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Not Applicable |
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(a)(4) |
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Not Applicable |
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(a)(5) |
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6.10 |
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(b) |
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6.08 |
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6.10 |
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(c) |
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Not Applicable |
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§ 311 (a) |
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6.11 |
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(b) |
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6.11 |
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(c) |
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Not Applicable |
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§ 312 (a) |
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7.01 |
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7.02 |
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(b) |
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7.02 |
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(c) |
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7.02 |
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§ 313 (a) |
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6.06 |
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6.06 |
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(b) |
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6.06 |
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6.06 |
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(c) |
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6.06 |
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6.06 |
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(d) |
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6.06 |
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§ 314 (a) |
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7.03 |
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(a)(4) |
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1.01 |
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10.05 |
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(b) |
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Not Applicable |
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(c)(1) |
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10.2 |
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(c)(2) |
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10.2 |
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(c)(3) |
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Not Applicable |
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(d) |
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Not Applicable |
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(e) |
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10.2 |
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§ 315 (a) |
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6.01 |
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(b) |
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6.05 |
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(c) |
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6.01 |
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(d) |
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6.01 |
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(e) |
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5.14 |
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§ 316 (a) |
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10.1 |
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(a)(1)(A) |
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5.02 |
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5.12 |
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(a)(1)(B) |
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5.13 |
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(a)(2) |
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Not Applicable |
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(b) |
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5.08 |
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(c) |
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10.4 |
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§ 317 (a)(1) |
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5.03 |
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(a)(2) |
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5.04 |
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(b) |
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10.03 |
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§ 318 (a) |
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1.07 |
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NOTE: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.
Table of Contents
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ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION |
1 | |
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Section 1.01 |
Definitions |
1 |
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Section 1.02 |
Compliance Certificates and Opinions |
8 |
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Section 1.03 |
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee |
8 |
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Section 1.04 |
Acts of Holders; Record Dates |
9 |
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Section 1.05 |
Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company |
11 |
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Section 1.06 |
Notice to Holders; Waiver |
11 |
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Section 1.07 |
Conflict with Trust Indenture Act |
11 |
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Section 1.08 |
Effect of Headings and Table of Contents |
12 |
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Section 1.09 |
Successors and Assigns |
12 |
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Section 1.10 |
Separability Clause |
12 |
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Section 1.11 |
Benefits of Indenture |
12 |
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Section 1.12 |
Governing Law |
12 |
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Section 1.13 |
Legal Holidays |
12 |
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Section 1.14 |
Consent to Service; Jurisdiction |
13 |
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Section 1.15 |
Waiver of Jury Trial |
13 |
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Section 1.16 |
Force Majeure |
14 |
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Section 1.17 |
U.S.A. Patriot Act |
14 |
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ARTICLE II SECURITY FORMS |
14 | |
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Section 2.01 |
Forms Generally |
14 |
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Section 2.02 |
Form of Face of Security |
14 |
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Section 2.03 |
Form of Reverse of Security |
16 |
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Section 2.04 |
Form of Legend for Global Securities |
19 |
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Section 2.05 |
Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication |
19 |
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ARTICLE III THE SECURITIES |
20 | |
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Section 3.01 |
Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series |
20 |
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Section 3.02 |
Denominations |
22 |
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Section 3.03 |
Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating |
22 |
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Section 3.04 |
Temporary Securities |
24 |
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Section 3.05 |
Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange |
24 |
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Section 3.06 |
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities |
26 |
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Section 3.07 |
Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved |
26 |
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Section 3.08 |
Persons Deemed Owners |
28 |
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Section 3.09 |
Cancellation |
28 |
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Section 3.10 |
Computation of Interest |
28 |
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Section 3.11 |
CUSIP Numbers |
28 |
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ARTICLE IV SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE |
29 | |
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Section 4.01 |
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture |
29 |
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Section 4.02 |
Application of Trust Money |
29 |
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ARTICLE V REMEDIES |
30 | |
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Section 5.01 |
Events of Default |
30 |
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Section 5.02 |
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment |
32 |
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Section 5.03 |
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee |
33 |
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Section 5.04 |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim |
33 |
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Section 5.05 |
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities |
34 |
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Section 5.06 |
Application of Money Collected |
34 |
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Section 5.07 |
Limitation on Suits |
34 |
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Section 5.08 |
Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest and to Convert |
35 |
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Section 5.09 |
Restoration of Rights and Remedies |
35 |
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Section 5.10 |
Rights and Remedies Cumulative |
35 |
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Section 5.11 |
Delay or Omission Not Waiver |
36 |
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Section 5.12 |
Control by Holders |
36 |
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Section 5.13 |
Waiver of Past Defaults |
36 |
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Section 5.14 |
Undertaking for Costs |
36 |
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Section 5.15 |
Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws |
37 |
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ARTICLE VI THE TRUSTEE |
37 | |
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Section 6.01 |
Duties of Trustee |
37 |
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Section 6.02 |
Rights of Trustee |
38 |
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Section 6.03 |
Individual Rights of Trustee |
40 |
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Section 6.04 |
Trustee’s Disclaimer |
40 |
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Section 6.05 |
Notice of Default |
40 |
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Section 6.06 |
Reports by Trustee to Holders |
40 |
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Section 6.07 |
Compensation and Indemnity |
40 |
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Section 6.08 |
Replacement of Trustee |
41 |
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Section 6.09 |
Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. |
43 |
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Section 6.10 |
Eligibility; Disqualification |
43 |
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Section 6.11 |
Preferential Collection of Claims against Company |
43 |
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ARTICLE VII HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY |
43 | |
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Section 7.01 |
Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders |
43 |
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Section 7.02 |
Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders |
43 |
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Section 7.03 |
Reports by Company |
44 |
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ARTICLE VIII CONSOLIDATION, AMALGAMATION, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE |
44 | |
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Section 8.01 |
Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms |
44 |
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Section 8.02 |
Successor Person Substituted |
45 |
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Section 8.03 |
Statutory Mergers |
45 |
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Section 8.04 |
Transfer of Less than Substantially All |
45 |
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ARTICLE IX SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES |
46 | |
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Section 9.01 |
Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders |
46 |
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Section 9.02 |
Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders |
47 |
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Section 9.03 |
Execution of Supplemental Indentures |
48 |
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Section 9.04 |
Effect of Supplemental Indentures |
48 |
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Section 9.05 |
Conformity with Trust Indenture Act |
48 |
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Section 9.06 |
Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures |
48 |
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ARTICLE X COVENANTS |
49 | |
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Section 10.01 |
Payment of Securities |
49 |
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Section 10.02 |
Maintenance of Office or Agency |
49 |
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Section 10.03 |
Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust |
49 |
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Section 10.04 |
Corporate Existence |
50 |
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Section 10.05 |
Compliance Certificate; Notice of Default |
51 |
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Section 10.06 |
Calculation of Original Issue Discount |
51 |
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ARTICLE XI REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES |
51 | |
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Section 11.01 |
Applicability of Article |
51 |
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Section 11.02 |
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee |
52 |
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Section 11.03 |
Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed |
52 |
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Section 11.04 |
Notice of Redemption |
52 |
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Section 11.05 |
Deposit of Redemption Price |
53 |
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Section 11.06 |
Securities Payable on Redemption Date |
53 |
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Section 11.07 |
Securities Redeemed in Part |
54 |
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ARTICLE XII SINKING FUNDS |
54 | |
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Section 12.01 |
Applicability of Article |
54 |
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Section 12.02 |
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities |
54 |
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Section 12.03 |
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund |
54 |
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ARTICLE XIII DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE |
55 | |
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Section 13.01 |
Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
55 |
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Section 13.02 |
Defeasance and Discharge |
55 |
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Section 13.03 |
Covenant Defeasance |
55 |
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Section 13.04 |
Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance |
56 |
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Section 13.05 |
Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions |
57 |
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Section 13.06 |
Reinstatement |
58 |
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ARTICLE XIV SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES |
58 | |
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Section 14.01 |
Securities Subordinate to Senior Indebtedness |
58 |
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Section 14.02 |
Payment Over of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc. |
58 |
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Section 14.03 |
Prior Payment to Senior Indebtedness Upon Acceleration of Securities |
59 |
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Section 14.04 |
No Payment When Senior Indebtedness in Default |
60 |
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Section 14.05 |
Payment Permitted If No Default |
60 |
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Section 14.06 |
Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Indebtedness |
61 |
Table of Contents
(continued)
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Section 14.07 |
Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights |
61 |
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Section 14.08 |
Trustee to Effectuate Subordination |
61 |
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Section 14.09 |
No Waiver of Subordination Provisions |
61 |
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Section 14.10 |
Notice to Trustee |
62 |
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Section 14.11 |
Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent |
63 |
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Section 14.12 |
Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness |
63 |
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Section 14.13 |
Rights of Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness; Preservation of Trustee’s Rights |
63 |
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Section 14.14 |
Article Applicable to Paying Agents |
63 |
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Section 14.15 |
Trust Moneys Not Subordinated |
63 |
INDENTURE, dated as of [ ], between Yandex N.V., a Dutch public company with limited liability (herein called the “Company”), and [ ], having a corporate trust office at [ ], as trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (each, a “Security”, and collectively, the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as in this Indenture provided.
All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities or of series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS
OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 1.01 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;
(2) all other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;
(3) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term GAAP with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted at the date of such computation;
(4) the words “Article” and “Section” refer to an Article and Section, respectively, of this Indenture;
(5) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision; and
(6) certain terms used principally in Articles VI, X and XIII, are defined in those Articles.
“Act”, when used with respect to any Holder, has the meaning specified in Section 1.04.
“Add On Securities” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01.
“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal, state or foreign law for the relief of debtors.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by its Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day”, when used with respect to any Place of Payment, means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in that Place of Payment are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
“Capital Lease Obligation” means, at any time any determination thereof is made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital lease that would at such time be so required to be capitalized on the balance sheet in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
“Capital Shares”, as applied to the ordinary shares, stock, or otherequity interests of any corporation, means the ordinary shares, stock or other interests of every class whether now or hereafter authorized, regardless of whether such ordinary shares, stock or other equity interests shall be limited to a fixed sum or percentage with respect to the rights of the holders thereof to participate in dividends and in the distribution of assets upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such corporation.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act or, if at any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.
“Company Request” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Deputy or a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary or any other officer, manager or agent of the Company duly authorized pursuant to a Board Resolution to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office as of the date hereof is located at [•], Attention: Account Manager, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).
“corporation” means a corporation, association, company, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, joint-stock company or business trust, and references to “corporate” and other derivations of “corporation” herein shall be deemed to include appropriate derivations of such entities.
“Covenant Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.03.
“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 3.07.
“Defeasance” has the meaning specified in Section 13.02.
“Defeasible Series” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01.
“Depositary” means, with respect to Securities of any series issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act that is designated to act as Depositary for such Securities as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.
“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and any statute successor thereto.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (or, if used by the Company for preparation of its reports filed with the Commission, International Financial Reporting Standards) as in effect from time to time.
“Global Security” means a Security that evidences all or part of the Securities of any series and is authenticated and delivered to, and registered in the name of, the Depositary for such Securities or a nominee thereof.
“Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, the Obligations of such Person under interest rate swap agreements, interest rate cap agreements, and interest rate collar agreements, and other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in interest rates.
“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.
“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, any indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent, in respect of borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof) or representing Capital Lease Obligations or the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or representing any Hedging Obligations except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable, and all deferrals, renewals, extensions and refundings of obligations of any of the foregoing, if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness (other than letters of credit and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP, and also includes, to the extent not otherwise included, the guarantee of any indebtedness of such Person or any other Person.
“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed or as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, including, for all purposes of this instrument, and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term “Indenture” shall also include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“Interest”, when used with respect to an Original Issue Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
“Lien” means any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest, or other encumbrance of any kind, whether or not filed, recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law.
“Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.
“Notice of Default” means a written notice of the kind specified in Section 5.01(5).
“Obligations” means any principal, premium, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Deputy or Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer or any other officer, manager or agent, of the Company duly authorized pursuant to a Board Resolution to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel, who may be counsel to the Company or the Trustee or an individual who is an employee of the Company or any Affiliate thereof, and who shall be acceptable to the Trustee.
“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02.
“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(1) Securities theretofore paid, redeemed, cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(2) Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company) in trust for the Holders of such Securities; provided that, if such Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to this Indenture or provision therefor satisfactory to the Trustee has been made;
(3) Securities as to which Defeasance has been effected pursuant to Section 14.02; and
(4) Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 3.06 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, (A) the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof to such date pursuant to Section 5.02, (B) the principal amount of a Security denominated in one or more foreign currencies or currency units shall be the U.S. dollar equivalent, determined in the manner provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 on the date of original issuance of such Security, of the principal amount (or, in the case of an Original Issue Discount Security, the U.S. dollar equivalent on the date of original issuance of such Security of the amount determined as provided in Clause (A) above) of such Security, and (C) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon
the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.
“Paying Agent” means any Person authorized by the Company to pay the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities on behalf of the Company.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership (including a limited partnership), joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, means the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of that series are payable, as specified pursuant to Section 3.01.
“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 3.06 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
“Prospectus” means a prospectus of the Company relating to an offering of a series of Securities under this Indenture.
“Redemption Date”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
“Redemption Price”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.
“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 3.01.
“Responsible Officer”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, any assistant treasurer, assistant secretary, any trust officer or assistant trust officer or any other officer customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“Security” and “Securities” has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 3.05.
“Senior Indebtedness” means the principal of (and premium, if any), accrued interest (including interest accruing on or after the filing in bankruptcy or reorganization relating to the Company whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceedings), fees, charges, expenses, reimbursement obligations, guarantees and other amounts owing with respect to all Indebtedness of the Company other than the Securities, in any such case whether outstanding on the date of this Indenture or the date Securities of any series are issued hereunder or thereafter created, incurred or assumed, unless in any case in the instrument creating or evidencing any such Indebtedness or obligation or pursuant to which the same is outstanding it is provided that such Indebtedness or obligation is not superior in right of payment to the Securities, or it is provided that such obligation is subordinated to senior indebtedness to substantially the same extent as the Securities are subordinated to Senior Indebtedness.
“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.07.
“Stated Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” means a corporation more than 50% of the outstanding voting ordinary shares or other voting stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other Subsidiaries. For the purposes of this definition, “voting shares” means ordinary shares or other equity interests which ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, managers or other members of the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of the Subsidiary, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of ordinary shares or equity interest has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “Trust Indenture Act” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.
“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this 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 each Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.
“U.S. Government Obligations” has the meaning specified in Section 13.04(1).
“Vice President”, when used with respect to the Company or the Trustee, means any vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or words added before or after the title “vice president”.
Section 1.02 Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee such certificates and opinions as may be required under the Trust Indenture Act. Each such certificate or opinion shall be given in the form of an Officer’s Certificate, if to be given by an officer of the Company, or an Opinion of Counsel, if to be given by counsel, and shall comply with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act and any other requirements set forth in this Indenture.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (including certificates provided for in Section 10.05) shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 1.03 Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based, insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any such certificate or opinion of counsel may be based, insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company stating that the information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, unless such counsel knows, or
in the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
Section 1.04 Acts of Holders; Record Dates.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 6.01) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.
The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the Security Register.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act of the Holder of any Security shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
The Company may, in the circumstances permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, set any day as the record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided or permitted by this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders of Securities of such series. With regard to any record date set pursuant to this paragraph, the Holders of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to give or take the relevant action, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date. With regard to any action that may be given or taken hereunder only by Holders of a requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of any
series (or their duly appointed agents) and for which a record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company may, at its option, set an expiration date after which no such action purported to be given or taken by any Holder shall be effective hereunder unless given or taken on or prior to such expiration date by Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents). On or prior to any expiration date set pursuant to this paragraph, the Company may, on one or more occasions at its option, extend such date to any later date. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent any Holder (or any duly appointed agent thereof) from giving or taking, after any such expiration date, any action identical to, or, at any time, contrary to or different from, the action or purported action to which such expiration date relates, in which event the Company may set a record date in respect thereof pursuant to this paragraph. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any action taken at any time by the Holders (or their duly appointed agents) of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on the date such action is so taken. Notwithstanding the foregoing or the Trust Indenture Act, the Company shall not set a record date for, and the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to, any notice, declaration or direction referred to in the next paragraph.
The Trustee may set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the Holders of Outstanding Securities of any series entitled to join in the giving or making of (i) any Notice of Default, (ii) any declaration of acceleration referred to in Section 5.02, if an Event of Default with respect to Securities of such series has occurred and is continuing and the Trustee shall not have given such a declaration to the Company, (iii) any request to institute proceedings referred to in Section 5.07(2) or (iv) any direction referred to in Section 5.12, in each case with respect to Securities of such series. Promptly after any record date is set pursuant to this paragraph, the Trustee shall notify the Company and the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series of any such record date so fixed and the proposed action. The Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents), and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join in such notice, declaration or direction, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided that, unless such notice, declaration or direction shall have become effective by virtue of Holders of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of such series on such record date (or their duly appointed agents) having joined therein on or prior to the 90th day after such record date, such notice, declaration or direction shall automatically and without any action by any Person be cancelled and of no further effect. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent a Holder (or a duly appointed agent thereof) from giving, before or after the expiration of such 90-day period, a notice, declaration or direction contrary to or different from, or, after the expiration of such period, identical to, the notice, declaration or direction to which such record date relates, in which event a new record date in respect thereof shall be set pursuant to this paragraph. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to render ineffective any notice, declaration or direction of the type referred to in this paragraph given at any time to the Trustee and the Company by Holders (or their duly appointed agents) of the requisite principal amount of Outstanding Securities of the relevant series on the date such notice, declaration or direction is so given.
Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to give or take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Security may do so with regard to all or any part of the principal amount of such Security or by one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all or any different part of such principal amount.
Section 1.05 Notices, Etc., to Trustee and Company.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in writing (which may be via facsimile) or sent electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office, Attention: Account Manager, or
(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, via overnight delivery, or sent electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, to the Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Company, Attention: Chief Financial Officer.
Section 1.06 Notice to Holders; Waiver.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, via overnight delivery, or sent electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, to each Holder affected by such event, at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date (if any), and not earlier than the earliest date (if any), prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Notices delivered to the Depositary as Holder of a Global Security may be delivered electronically in PDF format. Where this Indenture provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
Section 1.07 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with a provision of the Trust Indenture Act that is required under such Act to be a part of and govern this Indenture, the latter provision shall control. If any provision of this Indenture modifies or excludes any provision of the Trust Indenture Act that may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Indenture as so modified or to be excluded, as the case may be. Wherever this Indenture refers to a provision of the Trust Indenture Act, such provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
The following Trust Indenture Act terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission;
“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; and
“obligor on the indenture securities” means the Company and any other obligor on the Securities.
All other Trust Indenture Act terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the Trust Indenture Act, defined by the Trust Indenture Act referenced to another statute or defined by any Commission Rule and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings defined to them thereby.
Section 1.08 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 1.09 Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 1.10 Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 1.11 Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors hereunder, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
Section 1.12 Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor to such statute), but without regard to principles of conflicts of law except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable.
Section 1.13 Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities (other than a provision of the Securities of any series which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section)) payment of interest or
principal (and premium, if any) need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, provided that no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be.
Section 1.14 Consent to Service; Jurisdiction.
(i) The Company and the Trustee agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture, and the Company agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Securities, may be instituted in any federal or state court in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York. Each of the Company and the Trustee waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such legal suit, action or proceeding, waives any immunity from jurisdiction or to service of process in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in any such suit, action or proceeding.
(ii) The Company hereby designates and appoints Puglisi and Associates as its authorized agent upon which process may be served in any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Indenture or the Securities which may be instituted in any federal or state court in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, and agrees that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said service to the Company by the Person serving the same, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit, action or
proceeding and further designates its domicile, the domicile of New York, New York specified above and any domicile it may have in the future as its domicile to receive any notice hereunder (including service of process). Service of process, to be effective upon the Trustee, must be served at the Trustee’s Corporate Trust Office. If for any reason Puglisi and Associates (or any successor agent for this purpose) shall cease to act as agent for service of process as provided above, the Company will promptly appoint a successor agent for this purpose reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The Company agrees to take any and all actions necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect.
Section 1.15 Waiver of Jury Trial.
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
Section 1.16 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, disasters, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, any present or future law or regulation, or act of a governmental authority, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications, computer (software and hardware) or wire transfer services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
Section 1.17 U.S.A. Patriot Act.
The parties hereto acknowledge that in accordance with Section 326 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Trustee, like all financial institutions and in order to help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account 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 II
SECURITY FORMS
Section 2.01 Forms Generally.
The Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form set forth in this Article, or in such other form as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to such supplemental indentures or Board Resolution, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities as evidenced by their execution of the Securities. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 3.03 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.
Section 2.02 Form of Face of Security.
[Insert any legend required by the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder.]
YANDEX N.V.
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Yandex N.V., a Dutch public company with limited liability (herein called the “Company”, which term includes any successor Person under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, hereby promises to pay to , or registered assigns, the principal sum of Dollars on [if the Security is to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert — , and to pay interest thereon from or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually on and in each year, commencing , at the rate of per annum, until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment [if applicable, insert — , and at the rate of % per annum on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue installment of interest]. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest, which shall be the or (whether or not a Business Day), as the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided in said Indenture].
[If the Security is not to bear interest prior to Maturity, insert — The principal of this Security shall not bear interest except in the case of a default in payment of principal upon acceleration, upon redemption or at Stated Maturity, and in such case the overdue principal of this Security shall bear interest at the rate of % per annum, which shall accrue from the date of such default in payment to the date payment of such principal has been made or duly provided for. Interest on any overdue principal shall be payable on demand. Any such interest on any overdue principal that is not so paid on demand shall bear interest at the rate of % per annum which shall accrue from the date of such demand for payment to the date payment of such interest has been made or duly provided for, and such interest shall also be payable on demand.]
Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and [if applicable, insert — any such] interest on this Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in , in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts [if applicable, insert — ; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register].
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed.
Dated:
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Section 2.03 Form of Reverse of Security.
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the Company (herein called the “Securities”), issued and to be issued in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of , 20 (herein called the “Indenture”), among the Company and , as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”, which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders of the Securities and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof [if applicable, insert —, limited in aggregate principal amount to $ ].
[If applicable insert — The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 days’ notice, [if applicable, insert — (1) on in any year commencing with the year 20 and ending with the year 20 through operation of the sinking fund for this series at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount (plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date), and (2)] at any time [if applicable insert on or after , 20 ], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the following Redemption Prices (expressed as percentages of the principal amount): If redeemed [if applicable insert — on or before , %, and if redeemed] during the 12-month period beginning of the years indicated,
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and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to % of the principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption [if applicable, insert — (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise)] with accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.
[If applicable, insert — The Securities of this series are subject to redemption upon not less than 30 days’ notice, (1) on in any year commencing with the year and ending with the year through operation of the sinking fund for this series at the Redemption Prices for redemption through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of the principal amount) set forth in the table below, and (2) at any time [if applicable, insert — on or after ], as a whole or in part, at the election of the Company, at the Redemption Prices for redemption otherwise than through operation of the sinking fund (expressed as percentages of
the principal amount) set forth in the table below: If redeemed during the 12-month period beginning of the years indicated,
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and thereafter at a Redemption Price equal to % of the principal amount, together in the case of any such redemption (whether through operation of the sinking fund or otherwise) with accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the Redemption Date, but interest installments whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to such Redemption Date will be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, of record at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates referred to on the face hereof, all as provided in the Indenture.]
[If applicable, insert — Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may not, prior to , redeem any Securities of this series as contemplated by [if applicable, insert — Clause (2) of] the preceding paragraph as a part of, or in anticipation of, any refunding operation by the application, directly or indirectly, of moneys borrowed having an interest cost to the Company (calculated in accordance with generally accepted financial practice) of less than % per annum.]
[If applicable, insert — The sinking fund for this series provides for the redemption on in each year beginning with the year and ending with the year of [if applicable, insert — not less than $ (“mandatory sinking fund”) and not more than] $ aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series. Securities of this series acquired or redeemed by the Company otherwise than through [if applicable, insert — mandatory] sinking fund payments may be credited against subsequent [if applicable, insert — mandatory] sinking fund payments otherwise required to be made [if applicable, insert — in the inverse order in which they become due.]
[If the Security is subject to redemption of any kind, insert — In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.]
The indebtedness evidenced by this Security is, to the extent provided in the Indenture, subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, and this Security is issued subject to the provisions of the Indenture with respect thereto. Each Holder of this Security, by accepting the same, (a) agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions, (b) authorizes and directs the Trustee on his behalf to take action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination so provided and (c) appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
[If applicable, insert — The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of [(1) the entire indebtedness of this Security or (2)] certain restrictive covenants and Events of Default with respect to this Security, in each case upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.]
[If the Security is not an Original Issue Discount Security, insert — If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture.]
[If the Security is an Original Issue Discount Security, insert — If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, an amount of principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. Such amount shall be equal to insert — formula for determining the amount.] Upon payment (i) of the amount of principal so declared due and payable and (ii) of interest on any overdue principal and overdue interest all of the Company’s obligations in respect of the payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of this series shall terminate.]
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
As provided in and subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holder of this Security shall not have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee or for any other remedy thereunder, unless such Holder shall have previously given the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series, the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Securities of this series at the time Outstanding shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default as Trustee and offered the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it, and the Trustee shall not have received from the Holders of a majority in principal amount of Securities of this series at the time Outstanding a direction inconsistent with such request, and shall have failed to institute any such proceeding, for 60 days after receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity. The foregoing shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Holder of this Security for the enforcement of any payment of principal hereof or any premium or interest hereon on or after the respective due dates expressed herein.
Subject to the rights of holders of Senior Indebtedness, as set forth in the Indenture, no other reference herein to the Indenture and no other provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registerable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company in any place where the principal of and any premium and interest on this Security are payable, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Security Registrar duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series and of like tenor, of authorized denominations and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees.
The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series and of like tenor of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or the Security Registrar may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
All terms used in this Security which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
Section 2.04 Form of Legend for Global Securities.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for the Securities evidenced thereby, every Global Security authenticated and delivered 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 a Depositary or a nominee thereof. This Security may not be transferred to, or registered or exchanged for Securities registered in the name of, any Person other than the Depositary or a nominee thereof and no such transfer may be registered, except in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture. Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, this Security shall be a Global Security subject to the foregoing, except in such limited circumstances.
Section 2.05 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee’s certificates of authentication shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated herein with the and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
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ARTICLE III
THE SECURITIES
Section 3.01 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution and, subject to Section 3.03, set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in an Officer’s Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series,
(1) the title of the Securities of the series, including CUSIP Numbers, if any (which shall distinguish the Securities of the series from Securities of any other series);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the series pursuant to Section 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 9.06 or 11.07 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 3.03, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
(3) the Person to whom any interest on a Security of the series shall be payable, if other than the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;
(4) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the series is payable;
(5) the rate or rates at which the Securities of the series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the Interest Payment Dates on which any such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date for any interest payable on any Interest Payment Date;
(6) the place or places where the principal of and any premium and interest on Securities of the series shall be payable;
(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(9) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which Securities of the series shall be issuable;
(10) the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on any Securities of the series shall be payable if other than the currency of the United States of America and the manner of determining the equivalent thereof in the currency of the United States of America for purposes of the definition of “Outstanding” in Section 1.01;
(11) if the amount of payments of principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series may be determined with reference to an index, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
(12) if the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of the principal of and any premium and interest on Securities of such series as to which such election is made shall be payable, and the periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made;
(13) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02;
(14) if applicable, that the Securities of the series shall be subject to either or both of Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance as provided in Article XIII;
(15) if and as applicable, that the Securities of the series shall be issuable in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case, the Depositary or Depositaries for such Global Security or Global Securities and any circumstances other than those set forth in Section 3.05 in which any such Global Security may be transferred to, and registered and exchanged for Securities registered in the name of, a Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or a nominee thereof and the name in which any such transfer may be registered;
(16) any addition to or change in the Events of Default set forth in Section 5.01 or the covenants set forth in Article X which applies to Securities of the series; and
(17) any other terms of the series.
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant to the Board Resolution referred to above and (subject to Section 3.03) set forth, or determined in the manner provided, in the Officer’s Certificate referred to above or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, a copy of an appropriate record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Officer’s Certificate setting forth the terms of the series.
The Company may, from time to time, by adoption of a Board Resolution and subject to compliance with any other applicable provisions of this Indenture, without the consent of the Holders, create and issue pursuant to this Indenture additional securities of any series of Securities (“Add On Securities”) having terms and conditions identical to those of such series of Outstanding Securities, except that such Add On Securities:
(i) may have a different issue date from such series of Outstanding Securities;
(ii) may have a different amount of interest payable on the first Interest Payment Date after issuance than is payable on such series of Outstanding Securities; and
(iii) may have terms specified in such Board Resolution for such Add On Securities making appropriate adjustments to this Article III applicable to such Add On Securities in order to conform to and ensure compliance with the Securities Act (or applicable securities laws) which are not adverse in any material respect to the Holder of any Outstanding Securities (other than such Add On Securities) and which shall not affect the rights or duties of the Trustee.
Section 3.02 Denominations.
The Securities of each series shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated by Section 3.01. In the absence of any such specified denomination with respect to the Securities of any series, the Securities of such series shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.
Section 3.03 Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board of Directors, its Deputy or Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, its President or one of its Vice Presidents. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any Series executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a Company Order for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, and the Trustee in accordance with the Company Order shall authenticate and deliver such Securities. If the form or terms of the Securities of the series have been established in or pursuant to one or more Board Resolutions as permitted by Sections 2.01 and 3.01, in authenticating such Securities, and accepting the additional responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon,
(a) A copy of the Board Resolution in or pursuant to which the terms and form of the Securities were established and if the terms and form of such Securities are established by an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to authorization of the Board of Directors, such Officer’s Certificate;
(b) an executed supplemental indenture, if any;
(c) an Officer’s Certificate delivered in accordance with Section 1.02; and
(d) an Opinion of Counsel which shall state:
(1) if the form of such Securities has been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or supplemental indenture as permitted by Section 2.01, that such form has been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(2) if the terms of such Securities have been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or supplemental indenture as permitted by Section 3.01, that such terms have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(3) that such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles and other customary exceptions.
If such form or terms have been so established, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication. No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee by manual signature, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder but never issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee for cancellation as provided in Section 3.09, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 3.04 Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the Company may execute, and upon receipt of a Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will cause definitive Securities of that series to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities of such series, the temporary
Securities of such series shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities of such series upon surrender of the temporary Securities of such series at the office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment for that series, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Securities of any series the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor one or more definitive Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like aggregate principal amount. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of such series and tenor.
Section 3.05 Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee a register (the register maintained in such office and in any other office or agency of the Company in a Place of Payment being herein sometimes collectively referred to as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of transfers of Securities. The Trustee is hereby appointed “Security Registrar” for the purpose of registering Securities and transfers of Securities as herein provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of any series at the office or agency in a Place of Payment for that series, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
At the option of the Holder, Securities of any series may be exchanged for other Securities of the same series, of any authorized denominations and of a like tenor and aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Securities issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Security Registrar duly executed, by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company or Security Registrar may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 3.04, 9.06 or 11.07 not involving any transfer.
The Company shall not be required (1) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the sending of a notice of redemption of Securities of that series selected for redemption under Section 11.03, or (2) to register the transfer of or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, no Global Security may be transferred to, or registered or exchanged for Securities registered in the name of, any Person other than the Depositary for such Global Security or any nominee thereof, and no such transfer may be registered, unless (1) such Depositary (A) notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or (B) has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, (2) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee a Company Order that such Global Security shall be so transferable, registrable and exchangeable, and such transfers shall be registrable, (3) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with respect to the Securities evidenced by such Global Security or (4) there shall exist such other circumstances, if any, as have been specified for this purpose as contemplated by Section 3.01. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, a Global Security to which the restriction set forth in the preceding sentence shall have ceased to apply may be transferred only to, and may be registered and exchanged for Securities registered only in the name or names of, such Person or Persons as the Depositary for such Global Security shall have directed in writing and no transfer thereof other than such a transfer may be registered.
Every Security authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global Security to which the restriction set forth in the first sentence of the preceding paragraph shall apply, whether pursuant to this Section, Section 3.04, 3.06, 9.06 or 11.07 or otherwise, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Security.
Section 3.06 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute, and, upon receipt of a Company Order, 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 as may be required by them to save each of them, and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and, upon receipt of a Company Order, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding. The Company may charge the applicable Holder for its expenses in replacing a Security, including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel. For the avoidance of doubt, the Trustee shall not be responsible for any such fees or expenses. In the event any such mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may pay such Security instead of issuing a new Security in replacement thereof.
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) in connection therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in exchange for any mutilated Security or in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 3.07 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Except as otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 3.01 with respect to any series of Securities, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the relevant Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this Clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of such series at his address as it appears in the Security Register, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (2).
(2) In lieu of the procedure set forth in clause (1) above, the Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this Clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
Section 3.08 Persons Deemed Owners.
Prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.07) any interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Section 3.09 Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly cancelled by it. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All cancelled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of by the Trustee in its customary manner.
Section 3.10 Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and with respect to any period less than a full month, on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed during such period. For example, the interest for a period running from the 15th day of one month to the 15th day of the next month would be calculated on the basis of one 30-day month.
Section 3.11 CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use such “CUSIP” or “ISIN” 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 identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or comission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any changes in the “CUSIP” or “ISIN” numbers.
ARTICLE IV
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 4.01 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon a Company Request cease to be of further effect with respect to a series of Securities (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series herein expressly provided for), when
(1) either
(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.06 and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust) have been paid, redeemed, deemed paid, cancelled or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(ii) have become due and payable, or
(iii) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(iv) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, and the Company, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be; and
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company.
The Trustee shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture on demand of the Company accompanied by an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each at the cost and expense of the Company.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 6.07, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of Clause (1) of this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.02, shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.
Section 4.02 Application of Trust Money.
All money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.01 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 any premium and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with the Trustee. Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on any money received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES
Section 5.01 Events of Default.
“Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; or
(2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security of that series at its Maturity; or
(3) default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due by the terms of a Security of that series; or
(4) default in the observance or performance of Article VIII; or
(5) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in whose performance or whose breach is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with or which has expressly been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of series of Securities other than that series), and continuance of such default or breach for a period of 30 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; or
(6) the Company shall fail to pay any Indebtedness in excess of $35,000,000 owing by the Company, or any interest or premium thereon, when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand or otherwise), and such failure shall continue after the applicable grace period, if any, specified in the agreement or instrument relating to such Indebtedness, or the Company shall fail to perform any term, covenant or agreement on its part to be performed under any agreement or instrument evidencing or securing or relating to any such Indebtedness, if the effect of such failure in either case is that the maturity of such
Indebtedness is duly accelerated, without such Indebtedness having been discharged or such acceleration having been rescinded or annulled, in each such case, within a period of 10 days after there shall have been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, a written notice specifying such default and requiring the Company to cause such Indebtedness to be discharged or cause such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled, as the case may be, and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder (the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of a default under this subsection (6) unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge thereof); provided, however, that, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and 6.05, the Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of such failure to pay unless either (A) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge of such failure to pay or (B) the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the Company, from any Holder, from the holder of any such Indebtedness or from the trustee thereunder; or
(7) the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal, State or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable Federal, State or foreign law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 90 consecutive days; or
(8) the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal, State or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal, State or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable Federal, State or foreign law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Company in furtherance of any such action; or
(9) any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that series.
Section 5.02 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(7) or 5.01(8)) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, 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 of the Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms thereof) of all of the Securities of 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) shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(7) or 5.01(8) with respect to Securities of any series at the time Outstanding occurs, the principal amount of all the Securities of that series (or, in the case of any Security of that series which specifies an amount to be due and payable thereon upon acceleration of the Maturity thereof, such amount as may be specified by the terms thereof) shall automatically, and without any declaration or other action on the part of the Trustee or any Holder, become immediately due and payable.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay
(A) all overdue interest on all Securities of that series,
(B) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and any interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities,
(C) to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and
(2) default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(A) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel; and
(3) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that series, other than the non-payment of the principal of, and interest and premium on, the Securities of that
series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.03 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.
The Company covenants that if:
(1) default is made in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Security at the Maturity thereof, the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and any premium and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and premium and on any overdue interest, at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem necessary to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 5.04 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), or any of the property or creditors of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise, to take any and all actions authorized under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have claims of the Holders and the Trustee allowed in any such proceeding. In particular, the Trustee shall be authorized to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same; 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 reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 6.07.
No provision of this Indenture shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided, however, that the
Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors’ or other similar committee.
Section 5.05 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 5.06 Application of Money Collected.
Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or any premium 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 6.07;
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and any premium 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 any premium and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: To the Company.
Section 5.07 Limitation on Suits.
No Holder of any Security of any series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that series;
(2) 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;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;
it being understood and intended and being expressly covenanted by each Holder of every Security with every other Holder and with 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 (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders), or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.
Section 5.08 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest and to Convert.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, but subject to Article XVI, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and any premium and (subject to Section 3.07) interest on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 5.09 Restoration of Rights and Remedies.
If the Trustee or any Holder 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.
Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative.
Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in the last paragraph of Section 3.06, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver.
No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any 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 5.12 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
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction, and
(3) subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, determine, and the Trustee shall have received a legal opinion stating, that the proceedings so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability.
Section 5.13 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 waive any past default hereunder with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default
(1) in the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of such series, or
(2) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article IX cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series affected.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.14 Undertaking for Costs.
In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit to file an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and may assess costs, including attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any such party litigant, in the manner and to the
extent provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act shall apply to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holders of the Securities, or group of Holders of the Securities, holding in the aggregate more than 10% of principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder of the Outstanding Securities for the enforcement of the payment of principal of or interest on any Outstanding Securities held by such Holder, on or after the respective due dates expressed in such Outstanding Securities, and provided, further, that neither this Section nor the Trust Indenture Act shall be deemed to authorize any court to require such an undertaking or to make such an assessment in any suit instituted by the Company or the Trustee.
Section 5.15 Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and each of the Company (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
ARTICLE VI
THE TRUSTEE
The Trustee hereby accepts the trust imposed upon it by this Indenture and covenants and agrees to perform the same, as herein expressed.
Section 6.01 Duties of Trustee.
(a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:
(1) The Trustee need perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no covenants or obligations shall be implied in or read into this Indenture.
(2) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they substantially conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but
need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own grossly negligent action, its own grossly negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(1) This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 6.01.
(2) 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 grossly negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts.
(3) The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 5.12.
(d) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or to take or omit to take any action under this Indenture.
(e) Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) of this Section 6.01.
(f) The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any assets received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Assets held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other assets except to the extent required by law.
Section 6.02 Rights of Trustee.
Subject to Section 6.01:
(a) The Trustee may rely conclusively on 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 any 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 certificate or opinion.
(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent or attorney appointed with due care.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes, suffers or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its discretion or rights or powers.
(e) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, notice, request,
direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the
Company, personally or by agent or attorney at the sole cost of the Company and shall incur no liability or additional liability of any kind by reason of such investigation.
(f) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders, pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby.
(g) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection of any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Trustee hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.
(h) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any 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 the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture.
(i) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.
(j) The permissive rights of the Trustee enumerated herein shall not be construed as duties.
(k) Any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or a Company Order and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution.
(l) In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for special, indirect, punitive or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of action.
(m) The Trustee shall not be required to give any bond or surety in respect of the performance of its powers and duties hereunder.
(n) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture.
Section 6.03 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 its respective Affiliates, with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Paying Agent or Security Registrar may do the same with like rights.
Section 6.04 Trustee’s Disclaimer.
The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities and it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities, other than the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, or the use or application of any funds received by a Paying Agent other than the Trustee.
Section 6.05 Notice of Default.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs and is continuing and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall send to each Holder of Securities of such series notice of the uncured Event of Default within 90 days after such Event of Default occurs. Except in the case of an Event of Default in payment of principal (or premium, if any) of, or interest on, any Security, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interest of the Holders of Securities of such series.
Section 6.06 Reports by Trustee to Holders.
The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant thereto. If required by Section 313 (a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee shall, within sixty days after each May 15 following the date of the initial issuance of Securities under this Indenture deliver to Holders a brief report, dated as of such May 15, which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a).
A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange, if any, upon which the Securities are listed, with the Commission and with the Company. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing when the Securities are listed on any stock exchange and of any delisting thereof.
Section 6.07 Compensation and Indemnity.
The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its services as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree 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 disbursements, expenses and advances incurred or made by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents, accountants, experts and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee (in its capacity as Trustee) and any predecessor Trustee and each of their respective officers, directors, attorneys-in-fact and agents for, and hold
it harmless against, any claim, demand, expense (including but not limited to reasonable compensation, disbursements and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel), loss, charges (including taxes (other than taxes based upon the income of the Trustee)) or liability incurred by them without gross negligence or willful misconduct on its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of this trust and their rights or duties hereunder including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending themselves against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, a Holder or any other Person) or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim asserted against the Trustee for which it may seek indemnity. The Company shall defend the claim and the Trustee shall provide reasonable cooperation at the Company’s expense 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 written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss or liability incurred by the Trustee to the extent determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been caused by its own gross negligence or willful misconduct.
To secure the Company’s’ payment obligations in this Section 6.07, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all assets held or collected by the Trustee, except assets held in trust to pay principal and premium, if any, of or interest on any series of Securities, in its capacity as Trustee.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(7) or (8) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The Company’s obligations under this Section 6.07 and any lien arising hereunder shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee, the discharge of the Company’s obligations pursuant to Article IV or Article XIII of this Indenture, any rejection or termination of this Indenture under any Bankruptcy Law or any other termination or discharge of this Indenture.
Section 6.08 Replacement of Trustee.
The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Securities of one or more series by so notifying the Company in writing. The Holder or Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of such series by so notifying the Company and the Trustee in writing and may appoint a successor trustee with respect to Securities of such series with the Company’s consent. The Company may remove the Trustee if:
(1) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 6.10;
(2) the Trustee is adjudged bankrupt or insolvent;
(3) a receiver, custodian, or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
(4) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee, with respect to the Securities of one or more series, for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee, with respect to Securities of that or those series. Within one year after the successor Trustee with respect to a series of Securities takes office, the Holder or Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of such series may appoint a successor Trustee with respect to such series to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Promptly after that and provided that all sums owing to the Trustee provided for in Section 6.07 have been paid, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee with respect to such series of Securities to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided in Section 6.07, 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 under this Indenture. A successor Trustee with respect to one or more series of Securities shall mail notice of its succession to each Holder of Securities of that or those series.
If a successor Trustee with respect to a series of Securities does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holder or Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series may petition at the expense of the Company any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to such series.
If the Trustee fails to comply with Section 6.10, any Holder of Securities of a series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee with respect to such series and the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to such series.
Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 6.08, the Company’s obligations under Section 6.07 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.
So long as no event which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and except with respect to a Trustee appointed by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of a series pursuant to this Section, if the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee (i) Board Resolutions appointing a successor Trustee, effective as of a date specified therein, and (ii) an instrument of acceptance of such appointment, effective as of such date, by such successor Trustee, the Trustee shall be deemed to have resigned as contemplated in this Section, the successor Trustee shall be deemed to have been appointed by the Company pursuant to this Section and such appointment shall be deemed to have been accepted, all as of such date, and all other provisions of this Section shall be applicable to such resignation, appointment and acceptance.
The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all Holders of Securities in the manner provided in Section 1.05. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.
Section 6.09 Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc.
If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation without any further act shall, if such resulting, surviving or transferee corporation is otherwise eligible hereunder, be the successor Trustee.
Section 6.10 Eligibility; Disqualification.
The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements of Trust Indenture Act Section 310(a)(1) and Trust Indenture Act Section 310(a)(5). The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act Section 310(b).
Section 6.11 Preferential Collection of Claims against Company.
The Trustee shall comply with Trust Indenture Act Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in Trust Indenture Act Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to Trust Indenture Act Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.
ARTICLE VII
HOLDERS’ LISTS AND REPORTS BY THE COMPANY
Section 7.01 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:
(1) semi-annually, not more than 15 days after each Regular Record Date, a list for each series of Securities, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of Securities of such series as of the Regular Record Date, as the case may be, and
(2) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time such list is furnished;
excluding from any such list names and addresses received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar.
Section 7.02 Preservation of Information; Communications to Holders.
The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.01 and the names and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 7.01 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
The rights of the Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided by the Trust Indenture Act.
Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.03 Reports by Company.
The Company shall file with the Trustee, and transmit to Holders (within 30 days after filing the same with the Commission), such information, documents and other reports, and such summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act; provided that any such information, documents or reports filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is filed with the Commission. Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officer’s Certificates). The availability of the foregoing materials on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval service or on the Company’s website shall be deemed to satisfy the Company’s obligation to file the same with the Trustee and transmit the same to Holders.
ARTICLE VIII
CONSOLIDATION, AMALGAMATION, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 8.01 Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms.
The Company may not, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions:
(a) consolidate or amalgamate or merge with or into any other Person, or
(b) directly or indirectly transfer, sell, lease (other than a charter or lease of a vessel in the ordinary course of business) or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets, unless:
(1) in a transaction in which the Company does not survive or in which the Company sells, leases or otherwise disposes of all or substantially all of its assets, the successor entity to the Company (A) is a Person organized under the laws of (i) the United States or any State thereof or the District of Columbia, (ii) the Republic of Liberia, (iii) Bermuda, (iv) the Republic of the Marshall Islands, (v) the Republic of Cyprus, (vi) the Republic of Malta, (vii) the Republic of Panama, (viii) a member state of the European Union or (ix) any other country recognized by the United States and (B) shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture
executed and delivered to the Trustee in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, all of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture;
(2) immediately before and after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(3) the Company and the successor Person shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation, amalgamation, merger, lease, sale or disposition and such supplemental indenture comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
Section 8.02 Successor Person Substituted.
Upon any consolidation or merger or any transfer of assets in accordance with Section 8.01, the surviving Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such sale, transfer 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 surviving Person had been named as the Company herein. When a surviving Person duly assumes all of the obligations of the Company pursuant hereto and pursuant to the Securities, the predecessor shall be relieved of the performance and observance of all obligations and covenants of this Indenture and the Securities, including but not limited to the obligation to make payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on all the Securities then outstanding, and the Company may thereupon or any time thereafter be liquidated and dissolved.
Section 8.03 Statutory Mergers.
A statutory merger in which a Company’s assets and liabilities may be allocated among one or more entities shall not be considered to be a merger subject to the provisions of this Article VIII unless all or substantially all of the assets of the Company are allocated by such statutory merger to one or more entities other than the Company.
Section 8.04 Transfer of Less than Substantially All.
A sale, lease or other disposition by the Company of any part of its assets shall not be deemed to constitute the sale, lease or other disposition of substantially all of its assets for purposes of this Indenture if the fair market value of the assets retained by the Company exceeds 100% of the aggregate principal amount of all Outstanding Securities and any other outstanding Indebtedness of the Company that ranks equally with, or senior to, the Securities with respect to such assets. Such fair market value shall be established by the delivery to the Trustee of an independent expert’s certificate stating the independent expert’s opinion of such fair market value as of a date not more than 90 days before or after such sale, lease or other disposition. This Article is not intended to limit the Company’s sales, leases or other dispositions of less than substantially all of its assets.
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.01 Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution of the Company and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities;
(2) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of all or any series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series) or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;
(3) to add any additional Events of Default;
(4) to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in bearer form, registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest coupons, or to permit or facilitate the issuance of Securities in uncertificated form;
(5) to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture in respect of one or more series of Securities, provided that any such addition, change or elimination (A) shall neither (i) apply to any Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (ii) modify the rights of the Holder of any such Security with respect to such provision or (B) shall become effective only when there is no such Security Outstanding;
(6) to secure the Securities of one or more series;
(7) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series as permitted by Sections 2.01 and 3.01;
(8) to comply with Section 8.01;
(9) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;
(10) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of Section 6.11;
(11) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under this Indenture,
provided that such action pursuant to this clause (9) shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series in any material respect; or
(12) to conform any provision of this Indenture to the description of securities contained in a Prospectus or any similar description contained in any supplement to a Prospectus relating to an offering of a series of Securities under this Indenture as evidenced by an Officer’s Certificate.
Section 9.02 Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series affected by such supplemental indenture, taken together as one class (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer for the Securities of any series), by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution of the Company, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby,
(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest or the time of payment of interest thereon or any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.02, or change any Place of Payment where, or the coin or currency in which, any Security or any premium or interest thereon is payable or the right of selection thereof, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), or modify the provisions of this Indenture with respect to the ranking of the Securities in a manner adverse to the Holders in any material respect;
(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this Indenture;
(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section or Section 5.13, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security affected thereby, provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Sections 6.08 and 9.01(10);
(4) change any obligations of the Company to maintain an office or agency, or modify or waive the provisions of Article XI;
(5) adversely affect any right of repayment or repurchase at the option of the Holder; or
(6) reduce or postpone any sinking fund or similar provision.
A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 9.03 Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel and an Officer’s Certificate stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such supplemental indenture is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles and other customary exceptions. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Section 9.04 Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.
Section 9.05 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 9.06 Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.
Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form
approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee, the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company, and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series.
ARTICLE X
COVENANTS
Section 10.01 Payment of Securities.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of Securities that it will pay the principal of and interest on the Securities of that series on the dates and in the manner provided in the Securities of that series and this Indenture. An installment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on the Securities shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds for the benefit of the Holders, on that date, immediately available funds deposited and designated for and sufficient to pay the installment.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal and on overdue installments of interest at the rate specified in the Securities compounded semi-annually, to the extent lawful.
Section 10.02 Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company shall maintain in the Place of Payment for any series of Securities, an office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered for payment, where Securities of that series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of that series, and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency. The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as such office of the Company.
Section 10.03 Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any
of the Securities of that series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and any premium and interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for any series of Securities, it will, on or prior to each due date of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Securities of that series, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay such amount, such sum to be held as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee of its action or failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent for any series of Securities other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent will (1) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act applicable to it as a Paying Agent and (2) during the continuance of any default by the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities of that series) in the making of any payment in respect of the Securities of that series, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums held in trust by such Paying Agent for payment in respect of the Securities of that series.
The Company may at any time, for the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or for any other purpose, pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of any series and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company
Request, or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general circulation in New York City, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
Section 10.04 Corporate Existence.
Subject to Article VIII, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence in accordance with its organizational documents and
the rights (charter and statutory) and corporate franchises of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve, with respect to itself, any right or franchise, if (a) the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and (b) the loss thereof is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders.
Section 10.05 Compliance Certificate; Notice of Default.
(a) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 120 days after the end of its fiscal year an Officer’s Certificate, one of the signers of which shall be the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Company, complying with Section 314(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture Act and stating that a review of its activities and the activities of its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture (all without regard to periods of grace, which shall be deemed fulfilled unless and until the expiration of such periods, or notice requirements) and further stating, as to each such officer signing such certificate, whether or not the signer knows of any failure by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company to comply with any conditions or covenants in this Indenture and, if such signer does know of such a failure to comply, the certificate shall describe such failure with particularity. The Officer’s Certificate shall also notify the Trustee should the relevant fiscal year end on any date other than the current fiscal year end date.
(b) The Company shall, so long as any of the Securities of any series are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, immediately upon becoming aware of any Event of Default with respect to such series under this Indenture, an Officer’s Certificate specifying such Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto. The Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of an Event of Default unless one of its Responsible Officers receives notice of the Event of Default from the Company or any of the Holders.
Section 10.06 Calculation of Original Issue Discount.
The Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (i) a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on Outstanding Securities as of the end of such year and (ii) such other specific information relating to such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
ARTICLE XI
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 11.01 Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of any series) in accordance with this Article.
Section 11.02 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election of the Company of all or any part of the Securities of any series, the Company shall, at least 60 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee in writing of such Redemption Date, of the principal amount of Securities of such series to be redeemed and, if applicable, of the tenor of the Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction.
Section 11.03 Selection by Trustee of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed (unless all of the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that series. If less than all of the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series and specified tenor not previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.
Section 11.04 Notice of Redemption.
Notice of redemption shall be given electronically in PDF format, via email or through DTC, or by first-class mail, postage prepaid, sent not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date, to each Holder of Securities to be redeemed, at his address appearing in the Security Register.
All notices of redemption shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date,
(2) the Redemption Price (if known),
(3) if less than all the Outstanding Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in the case of partial redemption of any Securities, the principal amounts) of the particular Securities to be redeemed,
(4) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,
(5) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price,
(6) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the case, and
(7) applicable CUSIP Numbers.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company may be conditioned upon the receipt by the Trustee or a Paying Agent of the redemption money on or before the redemption date, unless otherwise specified in the terms of the Securities to be redeemed.
Section 11.05 Deposit of Redemption Price.
Prior to any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent an amount of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of, and (except if the Redemption Date shall be an Interest Payment Date) accrued interest on, all the Securities which are to be redeemed on that date.
Section 11.06 Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, and the conditions, if any, set forth in such notice having been satisfied, the Securities so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest) such Securities shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with said notice, such Security shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01, installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of Section 3.07.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon surrender thereof for redemption, the principal and any premium shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed therefor in the Security.
Section 11.07 Securities Redeemed in Part.
Any Security which is to be redeemed only in part shall be surrendered at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series and of like tenor, of any authorized denomination as requested by such Holder, in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
ARTICLE XII
SINKING FUNDS
Section 12.01 Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Securities of a series except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.01 for Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment”, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any 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 12.02. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any series as provided for by the terms of Securities of such series. Section 12.02 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
Section 12.02 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (1) may deliver Outstanding Securities of a series (other than any Securities previously called for redemption) and (2) may apply as a credit Securities of a series which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities as provided for by the terms of such series; provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
Section 12.03 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for that series pursuant to the terms of that series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of that series pursuant to Section 12.02, and will also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such
sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.03 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 11.04. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 11.06 and 11.07.
ARTICLE XIII
DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE
Section 13.01 Company’s Option to Effect Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The Company may elect, at its option by Board Resolution at any time, to have either Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any series designated pursuant to Section 3.01 as being defeasible pursuant to this Article XIII (hereinafter called a “Defeasible Series”), upon compliance with the conditions set forth below in this Article XIII.
Section 13.02 Defeasance and Discharge.
Upon the Company’s exercise of the option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.02 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series, the Company shall be deemed to have been discharged from its obligations, as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 13.04 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Defeasance”) and the Trustee shall deliver to the Company appropriate instruments of satisfaction, discharge and release. For this purpose, such Defeasance means that the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the Outstanding Securities of such series and to have satisfied all its other obligations under the Securities of such series and this Indenture (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), subject to the following which shall survive until otherwise terminated or discharged hereunder: (1) the rights of Holders of Securities of such series to receive, solely from the trust fund described in Section 13.04 and as more fully set forth in such Section, payments in respect of the principal of and any premium and interest on such Securities of such series when payments are due, (2) the Company’s obligations with respect to the Securities of such series under Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 10.02 and 10.03, (3) the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (4) this Article XIII. Subject to compliance with this Article XIII, the Company may exercise its option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.02 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series notwithstanding the prior exercise of its option provided in Section 13.01 to have Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of such series.
Section 13.03 Covenant Defeasance.
Upon the Company’s exercise of the option provided in Section 13.01 to have this Section 13.03 applied to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series, (1) the Company shall be released from its obligations under Section 8.01 and Section 10.04, and (2) the occurrence of any event specified in Sections 5.01(3), 5.01(5) (with respect to any of Sections 8.01 and 10.04), 5.01(6) and 5.01(9) shall be deemed not to be or result in an Event of Default, in each case with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series as provided in this Section on and after the date the conditions
set forth in Section 13.04 are satisfied (hereinafter called “Covenant Defeasance”). For this purpose, such Covenant Defeasance means that the Company may omit to comply with and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation set forth in any such specified Section (to the extent so specified in the case of Section 5.01(5)), whether directly or indirectly by reason of any reference elsewhere herein to any such Section or by reason of any reference in any such Section to any other provision herein or in any other document, but the remainder of this Indenture and the Securities of such series shall be unaffected thereby.
Section 13.04 Conditions to Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance.
The following shall be the conditions to application of either Section 13.02 or Section 13.03 to the Outstanding Securities of any Defeasible Series:
(1) The Company shall irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee (or another trustee that satisfies the requirements contemplated by Section 6.09 and agrees to comply with the provisions of this Article XIII applicable to it) as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series, (A) money in an amount, or (B) U.S. Government Obligations that through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment, money in an amount, or (C) a combination thereof, in each case sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the Trustee (or any such other qualifying trustee) to pay and discharge, the principal of and any premium and interest on the Securities of such series on the respective Stated Maturities, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such series. As used herein, “U.S. Government Obligation” means (x) any security that is (i) a direct obligation of the United States of America for the payment of which full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged or (ii) an obligation of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case (i) or (ii), is not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and (y) any depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) as custodian with respect to any U.S. Government Obligation specified in Clause (x) and held by such custodian for the account of the holder of such depositary receipt, or with respect to any specific payment of principal of or interest on any such U.S. Government Obligation, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of principal or interest evidenced by such depositary receipt.
(2) In the case of an election under Section 13.02, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling or (B) since the date first set forth hereinabove, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case (A) or (B) to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, Defeasance and discharge to be effected with respect to the Securities of such series and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit, Defeasance and discharge were not to occur.
(3) In the case of an election under Section 13.03, the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Outstanding Securities of such series will not recognize gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and Covenant Defeasance to be effected with respect to the Securities of such series and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the same times as would be the case if such deposit and Covenant Defeasance were not to occur.
(4) No Event of Default or event that (after notice or lapse of time or both) would become an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of such deposit or, with regard to any Event of Default or any such event specified in Sections 5.01(7) and (8), at any time on or prior to the 90th day after the date of such deposit (it being understood that this condition shall not be deemed satisfied until after such 90th day).
(5) Such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.
(6) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance have been complied with.
Section 13.05 Deposited Money and U.S. Government Obligations to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions.
All money and U.S. Government Obligations (including the proceeds thereof) deposited with the Trustee or other qualifying trustee (solely for purposes of this Section and Section 13.06, the Trustee and any such other trustee are referred to collectively as the “Trustee”) pursuant to Section 13.04 in respect of the Securities of any Defeasible Series shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities of such series and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any such Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Holders of Securities of such series, of all sums due and to become due thereon in respect of principal and any premium and interest,
but money so held in trust need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
The Company shall pay and indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against the U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 13.04 or the principal and interest received in respect thereof other than any such tax, fee or other charge that by law is for the account of the Holders of Outstanding Securities.
Anything in this Article XIII to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any money or U.S. Government Obligations held by it as provided in Section 13.04 with respect to Securities of any Defeasible Series that, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are in excess of the amount thereof that would then be required to be deposited to effect an equivalent Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance with respect to the Securities of such series.
Section 13.06 Reinstatement.
If the Trustee or the Paying Agent is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article XIII with respect to the Securities of any series by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, then the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Securities of such series and this Indenture shall be revived and reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to this Article XIII with respect to Securities of such series until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is permitted to apply all money held in trust pursuant to Section 13.05 with respect to Securities of such series in accordance with this Article XIII; provided, however, that if the Company makes any payment of principal of or any premium or interest on any Security of such series following the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series to receive such payment from the money so held in trust.
ARTICLE XIV
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
Section 14.01 Securities Subordinate to Senior Indebtedness.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of a Security, by his acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth in this Article, the indebtedness represented by the Securities and the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on each and all of the Securities are hereby expressly made subordinate and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness of the Company.
Section 14.02 Payment Over of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc.
In the event of (a) any insolvency or bankruptcy case or proceeding, or any receivership, liquidation, reorganization or other similar case or proceeding in connection therewith, relative to the Company, or to its respective creditors, as such, or to their respective assets, or (b) any liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary and
whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy, or (c) any assignment for the benefit of creditors or any other marshalling of assets and liabilities of the Company, then and in any such event the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on or in respect of all Senior Indebtedness, or provision shall be made for such payment in money or money’s worth, before the Holders of the Securities are entitled to receive any payment on account of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities, and to that end the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled to receive, for application to the payment thereof, any payment or distribution of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, which may be payable or deliverable in respect of the Securities in any such case, proceeding, dissolution, liquidation or other winding up or event.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, the Trustee or the Holder of any Security shall have received any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full or payment thereof provided for, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such payment or distribution, have been made known to the Trustee or, as the case may be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment or distribution shall be paid over or delivered forthwith to the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee, agent or other Person making payment or distribution of assets of the Company for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid, to the extent necessary to pay all Senior Indebtedness in full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders of Senior Indebtedness.
For purposes of this Article only, the words “cash, property or securities” shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other corporation provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment which are subordinated in right of payment to all Senior Indebtedness which may at the time be outstanding to substantially the same extent as, or to a greater extent than, the Securities are so subordinated as provided in this Article. The consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the Company into, another Person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the conveyance or transfer of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to another Person upon the terms and conditions set forth in Article VIII shall not be deemed a dissolution, winding up, liquidation, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors or marshalling of assets and liabilities of the Company for the purposes of this Section if the Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or which acquires by conveyance or transfer such properties and assets substantially as an entirety, as the case may be, shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions set forth in Article VIII.
Section 14.03 Prior Payment to Senior Indebtedness Upon Acceleration of Securities.
In the event that any Securities are declared due and payable before their Stated Maturity, then and in such event the holders of Senior Indebtedness outstanding at the time such Securities so become due and payable shall be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due or to become due on or in respect of such Senior Indebtedness, or provision shall be made for such payment in money or money’s worth, before the Holders of the Securities are entitled to receive any payment by the Company on account of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities; provided, however, that nothing in this
Section shall prevent the satisfaction of any sinking fund payment in accordance with Article XII by delivering and crediting pursuant to Section 12.02 Securities which have been acquired (upon redemption or otherwise) prior to such default.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall make any payment to the Trustee or the Holder of any Security prohibited by the foregoing provisions of this Section, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such payment, have been made known to the Trustee or, as the case may be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment shall be paid over and delivered forthwith to the Company.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any payment with respect to which Section 15.02 would be applicable.
Section 14.04 No Payment When Senior Indebtedness in Default. In the event and during the continuation of any default in the payment of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Senior Indebtedness beyond any applicable grace period with respect thereto, or in the event that any event of default with respect to any Senior Indebtedness shall have occurred and be continuing and shall have resulted in such Senior Indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have become due and payable, unless and until such event of default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist and such acceleration shall have been rescinded or annulled, or (b) in the event any judicial proceeding shall be pending with respect to any such default in payment or event of default, then no payment shall be made by the Company on account of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on the Securities or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the satisfaction of any sinking fund payment in accordance with Article XII by delivering and crediting pursuant to Section 12.02 Securities which have been acquired (upon redemption or otherwise) prior to such default.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall make any payment to the Trustee or the Holder of any Security prohibited by the foregoing provisions of this Section, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such payment, have been made known to the Trustee or, as the case may be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment shall be paid over and delivered forthwith to the Company.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any payment with respect to which Section 15.02 would be applicable.
Section 14.05 Payment Permitted If No Default.
Nothing contained in this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in any of the Securities shall prevent the Company , at any time except during the pendency of any case, proceeding, dissolution, liquidation or other winding up, assignment for the benefit of creditors or other marshaling of assets and liabilities of the Company referred to in Section 14.02 or under the conditions described in Section 14.03 or 14.04, from making payments at any time of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities.
Section 14.06 Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Indebtedness.
Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated (equally and ratably with the holders of all indebtedness of the Company which by its express terms is subordinated to indebtedness of the Company to substantially the same extent as the Securities are subordinated and is entitled to like rights of subrogation) to the rights of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness to receive payments and distributions of cash, property and securities applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities shall be paid in full. For purposes of such subrogation, no payments or distributions to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or securities to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article, and no payments over pursuant to the provisions of this Article to the holders of Senior Indebtedness by Holders of the Securities or the Trustee, shall, as among the Company, its respective creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders of the Securities, be deemed to be a payment or distribution by the Company to or on account of the Senior Indebtedness.
Section 14.07 Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights.
The provisions of this Article are and are intended solely for the purpose of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities on the one hand and the holders of Senior Indebtedness on the other hand. Nothing contained in this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall (a) impair, as among the Company, its respective creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness and the Holders of the Securities, the obligations of the Company, which are absolute and unconditional (and which, subject to the rights under this Article of the holders of Senior Indebtedness, are intended to rank equally with all other general obligations of the Company), to pay to the Holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms; or (b) affect the relative rights against the Company of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness; or (c) prevent the Trustee or the Holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article of the holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive cash, property and securities otherwise payable or deliverable to the Trustee or such Holder.
Section 14.08 Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.
Each holder of a Security by his acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on his behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination provided in this Article and appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
Section 14.09 No Waiver of Subordination Provisions.
No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any non-compliance by the Company with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture, regardless of any knowledge thereof any such holder may have or be otherwise charged with.
Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph, the holders of Senior Indebtedness may, at any time and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities, without incurring responsibility to the Holders of the Securities and without impairing or releasing the subordination provided in this Article or the obligations hereunder of the Holders of the Securities to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, do any one or more of the following: (a) change the manner, place or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter, Senior Indebtedness, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner Senior Indebtedness or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which Senior Indebtedness is outstanding; (c) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing Senior Indebtedness; (c) release any Person liable in any manner for the collection of Senior Indebtedness; and (d) exercise or refrain from exercising any rights against the Company and any other Person.
Section 14.10 Notice to Trustee.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any fact known to the Company which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article or any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities, unless and until the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the Company, a holder of Senior Indebtedness or from any trustee therefor; and, prior to the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts exist; provided, however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in this Section at least three Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any money may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any Security), then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such money and to apply the same to the purpose for which such money was received and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it within three Business Days prior to such date.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, the Trustee shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee therefor) to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee therefor). In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such Person under this Article, and if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment.
Section 14.11 Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of either the Company referred to in this Article, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, and the Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such insolvency, bankruptcy, receivership, liquidation, reorganization, dissolution, winding up or similar case or proceeding is pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders of Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article.
Section 14.12 Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Indebtedness.
The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and shall not be liable to any such holders if it shall in good faith mistakenly pay over or distribute to Holders of Securities or to the Company or to any other Person cash, property or securities to which any holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article or otherwise.
Section 14.13 Rights of Trustee as Holder of Senior Indebtedness; Preservation of Trustee’s Rights.
The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article with respect to any Senior Indebtedness which may at any time be held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness, and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder.
Nothing in this Article shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.07.
Section 14.14 Article Applicable to Paying Agents.
In case at any time any Paying Agent other than the Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company and be then acting hereunder, the term “Trustee” as used in this Article shall in such case (unless the context otherwise requires) be construed as extending to and including such Paying Agent within its meaning as fully for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent were named in this Article in addition to or in place of the Trustee.
Section 14.15 Trust Moneys Not Subordinated.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, payments from moneys or the proceeds of U.S. Government Obligations held in trust under Article XIII by the Trustee for the payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities from the date of deposit (if made in compliance with this Indenture) shall not be subordinated to the prior payment of any Senior Indebtedness or subject to the restraints set forth in this Article, and none of the Holders of Securities shall be obligated to pay over any such amount to the Company or any holder of Senior Indebtedness of the Company or any other creditor of the Company.
This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or PDF shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
(Signature Pages to Follow)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
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YANDEX N.V. | ||
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By: |
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Name: | ||
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Title: | ||
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[ ], AS TRUSTEE | ||
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By: |
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Name: | ||
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Title: | ||
Yandex N.V.
Certain Sections of this Indenture relating to
Sections 3.10 through 3.18, inclusive, of the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939:
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Trust Indenture |
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Indenture Section | ||
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§ 310 |
(a)(1) |
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6.10 |
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(a)(2) |
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6.10 |
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(a)(3) |
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Not Applicable |
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(a)(4) |
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Not Applicable |
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(a)(5) |
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6.10 |
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(b) |
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6.08 |
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6.10 |
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(c) |
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Not Applicable |
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§ 311 |
(a) |
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6.11 |
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(b) |
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6.11 |
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(c) |
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Not Applicable |
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§ 312 |
(a) |
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7.01 |
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7.02 |
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(b) |
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7.02 |
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(c) |
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7.02 |
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§ 313 |
(a) |
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6.06 |
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6.07 |
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(b) |
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6.06 |
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6.07 |
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(c) |
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6.06 |
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6.07 |
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(d) |
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6.06 |
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§ 314 |
(a) |
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6.06 |
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(a)(4) |
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1.01 |
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10.05 |
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(b) |
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Not Applicable |
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(c)(1) |
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10.2 |
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(c)(2) |
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10.2 |
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(c)(3) |
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Not Applicable |
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(d) |
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Not Applicable |
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(e) |
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10.2 |
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§ 315 |
(a) |
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6.01 |
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(b) |
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6.05 |
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(c) |
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6.01 |
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(d) |
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6.01 |
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(e) |
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5.14 |
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§ 316 |
(a) |
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10.1 |
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(a)(1)(A) |
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5.02 |
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5.12 |
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(a)(1)(B) |
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5.13 |
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(a)(2) |
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Not Applicable |
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(b) |
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5.08 |
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(c) |
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10.4 |
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§ 317 |
(a)(1) |
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5.03 |
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(a)(2) |
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5.04 |
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(b) |
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10.03 |
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§ 318 |
(a) |
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1.07 |
NOTE: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the Indenture.
June 23, 2020
Yandex N.V.
Schiphol Boulevard 165
Schiphol P7 1118 BG, The Netherlands
RE: Yandex N.V. — Registration Statement on Form F-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are acting as special U.S. counsel to Yandex N.V., a Dutch public company with limited liability (the “Company”), in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). The Registration Statement relates to the proposed offering and sale of: (i) Class A ordinary shares, nominal value €0.01 per share; (ii) the Company’s senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities (collectively, the “Debt Securities”), which may be issued pursuant to a senior debt indenture (the “Senior Indenture”), between the Company and the trustee to be named therein, as trustee (the “Senior Debt Trustee”) and a subordinated debt indenture (the “Subordinated Indenture” and together with the Senior Indenture, the “Indentures”), between the Company and the trustee to be named therein, as trustee (the “Subordinated Debt Trustee” and together with the Senior Debt Trustee, the “Trustees”); (iii) warrants of the Company (the “Warrants”), which may be issued pursuant to a warrant agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”) between the Company and the warrant agent to be named therein (the “Warrant Agent”); (iv) units (the “Units”) to be issued under one or more unit agreements to be entered into among the Company, a bank or trust company, as unit agent (the “Unit Agent”), and the holders from time to time of the Units (each such unit agreement, a “Unit Agreement”); and (v) any additional securities registered pursuant to a registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act relating to the Registration Statement.
In connection with this opinion letter, we have examined the Registration Statement and those records and documents as we have deemed necessary, including but not limited to (i) the Articles of Association of the Company, as amended; (ii) certain corporate proceedings of the Company; and (iii) such other documents, records and other instruments of the Company as we have deemed appropriate for purposes of the opinions set forth herein.
In rendering the opinions expressed herein, we have, without independent inquiry or investigation, assumed that: (i) all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and complete; (ii) all documents submitted to us as copies conform to authentic, complete originals; (iii) all documents filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that have not been executed will conform to the forms thereof; (iv) all signatures on all documents that we reviewed are genuine; (v) all natural persons executing documents had and have the legal capacity to do so; (vi) all statements in certificates of public officials and officers of the Company that we reviewed were and are accurate; and (vii) all representations made by the Company as to matters of fact in the documents that we reviewed were and are accurate.
We have also assumed for purposes of our opinion that the applicable Trustee under each Indenture will be qualified to act as trustee thereunder and each Indenture will be duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, that each Indenture and any supplemental indenture will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the applicable Trustee, that each Indenture and any supplemental indenture will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligations of the applicable Trustee,
and that the applicable Trustee has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under such Indenture and any supplemental indenture.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional assumptions and qualifications set forth below, we advise you that, in our opinion:
1. When the applicable Indenture and any supplemental indenture to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the applicable Trustee and the Company; the specific terms of a particular series of Debt Securities have been duly authorized and established in accordance with such Indenture; and such Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with such Indenture and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms.
2. When the Warrant Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Warrant Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Warrants have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Warrant Agreement; and such Warrants have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Warrant Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms.
3. When the Unit Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Units has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Unit Agent and the Company; the specific terms of the Units have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Unit Agreement; and such Units have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Unit Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Units will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms.
In connection with the opinions expressed above, we have assumed that, at or prior to the time of the delivery of any such security, (i) the Board of Directors of the Company, as required under Dutch law, shall have duly established the terms of such security (and that such security is governed by the laws of the State of New York) and duly authorized the issuance and sale of such security and such authorization shall not have been modified or rescinded; (ii) the Company is, and shall remain, validly existing as a public company with limited liability in good standing (to the extent such concept exists) under the laws of the Netherlands; (iii) the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) shall have become effective and such effectiveness shall not have been terminated or rescinded; (iv) the Indentures and the Debt Securities are each valid, binding and enforceable agreements of each party thereto (other than as expressly covered above in respect of the Company); and (v) there shall not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of such security. We have also assumed that the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of any security whose terms are established subsequent to the date hereof (a) are within its corporate powers, (b) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, the articles of association or other constitutive documents of the Company, (c) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (d) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any public policy, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company.
The opinions expressed above are subject to the following additional limitations and qualifications:
A. The opinions set forth above are subject to the effects of (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights or remedies generally, (ii) general principles of equity (whether such principles are considered in a proceeding at law or equity), including the discretion of the court before which any proceeding may be brought, concepts of good faith, reasonableness and fair dealing and standards of materiality, and (iii) limitations on enforceability to the extent that
acceleration of indebtedness under any Debt Security may impair collectability of that portion, if any, of the principal amount thereof that might be determined to be unearned interest thereon.
B. We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New York, as currently in effect. In particular (and without limiting the generality of the foregoing) we express no opinion concerning (i) the laws of any country or subdivision thereof (other than the laws of the State of New York) or as to the effect of such laws (whether limiting, prohibitive or otherwise) on any of the rights or obligations of the Company, the holders of the Debt Securities, or any other party to or beneficiary of any of the Indentures, any supplemental indenture and the Debt Securities or (ii) the effect, if any, of the law of any jurisdiction (except the State of New York) in which any holder of any Debt Security is located that limits the rate of interest that such holder may charge or collect. Insofar as the foregoing opinion involves matters governed by the laws of the Netherlands, we have relied, without independent inquiry or investigation, on the opinion of Van Doorne N.V. delivered to you today.
C. We express no opinion as to (i) whether a United States Federal court or New York court would accept jurisdiction in any dispute, action, suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Debt Securities, the Indentures, any supplemental indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby, (ii) any objection to jurisdiction on the basis of the inconvenience of the forum provided for in the Indentures or any supplemental indenture or (iii) any provision in the Indentures relating to judgments in other currencies.
This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purpose.
We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are acting within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules or regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Very truly yours,
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/S/ MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS UK LLP |
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Morgan Lewis & Bockius UK LLP |
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Jachthavenweg 121 |
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1081 KM Amsterdam |
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Yandex N.V. |
P.O. Box 75265 |
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Schiphol Boulevard 165 |
1070 AG Amsterdam |
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1118 BG Schiphol |
The Netherlands |
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The Netherlands |
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T +31 20 6789 123
F +31 20 6789 589
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Date |
23 June 2020 |
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Your ref. |
- |
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Our ref. |
40.00.3302 |
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Subject |
Yandex N.V. - Legal Opinion on Registration Statement on Form F-3 |
Dear Sirs,
We, Van Doorne N.V., have acted as special legal advisers to Yandex N.V. (the “Company”) in connection with the Form F-3 Registration Statement filed by you with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration Statement”).
This legal opinion is furnished to you in order to be filed as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement. Unless otherwise defined in this legal opinion (including the Schedule) or unless the context otherwise requires, words and expressions defined in the Registration Statement will have the same meanings when used in this legal opinion. The Class A shares of the Company are referred to as “Registered Shares”.
For the purpose of this legal opinion we have examined and relied on the documents listed in the Schedule (the “Documents”) and such other documents as we in our absolute discretion have deemed relevant.
In connection with our examination and in giving the opinions expressed below we have assumed (i) on the date hereof and (ii) on each moment Registered Shares are issued by the Company by reference to the facts and circumstances at that time:
a) the genuineness of the signatures on the Documents, the authenticity and completeness of the Documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the original documents of any Documents submitted to us as drafts, (electronic or hard) copies or translations and the authenticity and completeness of the original documents;
b) that the authorized share capital (maatschappelijk kapitaal) of the Company allows for the issue of the Registered Shares;
c) that (1) no resolution for the dissolution (ontbinding) of the Company has been taken, no application has been made for the bankruptcy (faillissement) or the (provisional) suspension of payments (surseance van betaling) of the Company, (2) the Company has not been dissolved and has not been declared bankrupt or granted a (provisional) suspension of payments in the Netherlands, (3) no foreign insolvency proceedings have commenced in respect of the Company and (4) no order for the administration of assets of the Company has been made;
d) that all necessary corporate action by the Company for the issue of the Registered Shares and the exclusion of pre-emptive rights in connection therewith has been taken;
e) that the issue price for the Registered Shares shall have been paid in full in cash and shall have been received by the Company and, where appropriate, that the Company has consented to the payment of the issue price in another currency than euro;
f) that the issue of Registered Shares pursuant to the conversion or exchange of warrants and units as referred to in the Registration Statement is effected pursuant to a valid conversion or exchange;
g) that neither the Company nor any acquiror of the Registered Shares is subject to, controlled by or otherwise connected with a person, organisation or country which is subject to United Nations, European Union or Dutch sanctions implemented or effective in The Netherlands under or pursuant to the Sanction Act 1977 (Sanctiewet 1977), the Economic Offences Act (Wet economische delicten), the General Customs Act (Algemene Douanewet) or Regulations of the European Union; and
h) that any foreign law which may apply with respect to the issue of the Registered Shares does not affect this legal opinion.
This legal opinion is given only with respect to Dutch law in force as at the date hereof and as applied and generally interpreted on the basis of case-law published on the date hereof. We do not assume any obligation to advise you (or any other person entitled to rely on this legal opinion) of subsequent changes in Dutch law or in the interpretation thereof.
Based on and subject to the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set out below and matters of fact, documents or events not disclosed to us, we express the following opinions:
1 The Company is duly incorporated as a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) and is validly existing under Dutch law as a limited liability company (naamloze vennootschap).
2 The Registered Shares, including any Registered Shares pursuant to the conversion or exchange of warrants and units as referred to in the Registration Statement, when issued by the Company and accepted by the acquiror, will have been validly issued and fully-paid and non-assessable.
The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:
(A) Our opinions expressed herein are subject to and limited by applicable Dutch or foreign bankruptcy, suspension of payment, insolvency, reorganisation and other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors or secured creditors generally.
(B) The term “non-assessable” as used in this legal opinion means that the holder of a share will not by reason of merely being such holder, be subject to assessment of calls by the Company or its creditors for further payment on such share.
(C) Our opinions expressed herein may be affected by (i) the rules of good faith (redelijkheid en billijkheid), force majeure (niet-toerekenbare tekortkoming) and unforeseen circumstances (onvoorziene omstandigheden), (ii) the general defences available to debtors under Dutch law which include rights to suspend performance (opschortingsrechten), rights of set-off (verrekening), mistake (dwaling), duress (bedreiging), fraude (bedrog), undue influence (misbruik van omstandigheden) and fraudulent preference (pauliana) and (iii) the rules of decency (goede zeden) and public order (openbare orde)
This legal opinion is given subject to, and may only be relied upon on, the express condition that (i) Van Doorne N.V. is the exclusive party issuing this legal opinion, (ii) in respect of Dutch legal concepts, which are expressed in this legal opinion in English terms, the original Dutch terms shall prevail and (iii) this legal opinion shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, Dutch law.
This legal opinion is strictly limited to the matters stated herein and may not be read by implication as extending to matters not specifically referred to and may only be relied upon in connection with transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this legal opinion as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement and the reference to Van Doorne N.V. in the Registration Statement under the caption “Legal Matters”. In giving such consent, we do not admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Yours faithfully,
Van Doorne N.V.
R.J. Botter
SCHEDULE
1 a copy of the Deed of Incorporation of the Company, dated 10 June 2004 (the “Deed of Incorporation”) and a copy of the Deed of Conversion from a private company with limited liability to a limited liability company dated 19 January 2007;
2 a copy of the Articles of Association of the Company as amended on 23 December 2019 (the “Articles of Association”);
3 an extract in respect of the Company from the Commercial Register (Handelsregister), dated 23 June 2020 (the “Extract”); and
4 a copy of the Registration Statement.
* * *
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors
Yandex N.V.
We consent to the use of our reports dated April 2, 2020 with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of Yandex N.V. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, cash flows and shareholders’ equity for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, incorporated herein by reference and to the reference to our firm under the heading ‘Experts’ in the prospectus.
Our report on the consolidated financial statements dated April 2, 2020, refers to the translation of the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019 into United States dollars presented solely for the convenience of the reader.
Our report on the consolidated financial statements refers to a change in accounting for leases due to the adoption of Accounting Standard Codification Topic 842, Leases.
/s/ JSC “KPMG”
Moscow, Russia
June 23, 2020