PECO 8-K
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01 Entry into Material Definitive Agreement.
The information set forth in Item 2.03 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference into this Item 1.01.
Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.
On June 17, 2025, Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P. (the “Issuer”), a Delaware limited partnership and subsidiary of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (the “Guarantor”), completed an underwritten public offering of $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.250% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “Notes”).
The Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor (the “Guarantee”). In addition, the Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by each subsidiary of the Guarantor (other than the Issuer) if, and for so long as, such subsidiary, directly or indirectly, guarantees or otherwise becomes obligated in respect of certain indebtedness. The terms of the Notes are governed by an indenture, dated as of October 6, 2021 (the “Base Indenture”), by and among the Issuer, the Guarantor and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, as supplemented by a fourth supplemental indenture, dated as of June 17, 2025 (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), by and among the Issuer, the Guarantor and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association), as trustee (the “Trustee”). The Indenture contains various restrictive covenants, including limitations on the ability to incur additional indebtedness by the Guarantor and its subsidiaries and a requirement to maintain a certain percentage of total unencumbered assets by the Guarantor and its subsidiaries.
The purchase price paid by the underwriters for the Notes was 99.207% of the principal amount thereof. The Notes are the Issuer’s senior unsecured obligations and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Issuer’s other existing and future senior unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. However, the Notes are effectively subordinated in right of payment to all of the Issuer’s existing and future mortgage indebtedness and other secured indebtedness (to the extent of the collateral securing the same) and to all existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities, whether secured or unsecured, of the Issuer’s subsidiaries that do not guarantee the notes and of any entity the Issuer accounts for using the equity method of accounting and to all preferred equity not owned by the Issuer, if any, in its subsidiaries that do not guarantee the notes and of any entity the Issuer accounts for using the equity method of accounting. The Notes bear interest at 5.250% per annum. Interest is payable on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning February 15, 2026, until the maturity date of August 15, 2032.
Prior to June 15, 2032, the Issuer may redeem the Notes in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at the Issuer’s option and sole discretion, at a redemption price equal to the greater of:
| • | 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed; and |
| • | a make-whole premium calculated in accordance with the Indenture, |
plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, on or after June 15, 2032, the redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date.
Certain events are considered events of default, which may result in the accelerated maturity of the Notes, including:
| • | default for 30 days in the payment of any installment of interest under the Notes; |
| • | default in the payment of the principal amount or redemption price due with respect to the Notes, when the same becomes due and payable; |
| • | failure by the Issuer or any guarantor to comply with any of the Issuer’s or such guarantor’s respective other agreements in the Notes, the guarantee or the Indenture with respect to the Notes upon receipt by the Issuer of notice of such default by the Trustee or by holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding and the Issuer’s failure to cure (or obtain a waiver of) such default within 60 days after it receives such notice; |
| • | failure to pay any debt (other than non-recourse debt) for monies borrowed by the Issuer, the Guarantor or any of their respective Significant Subsidiaries (as defined in the Indenture) in an outstanding principal amount in excess of $50.0 million at final maturity or upon acceleration after the expiration of any applicable grace period, which debt (other than non-recourse debt) is not discharged, or such default in payment or acceleration is not cured or rescinded, within 60 days after written notice to the Issuer from the Trustee (or to the Issuer and the Trustee from holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes); |
| • | the guarantee of any guarantor of the Notes ceases to be in full force and effect (except as contemplated by the terms of the Indenture) or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or any guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under the indenture or its guarantee, except by reason of the release of such guarantee of the Notes in accordance with provisions of the Indenture; or |
| • | certain events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, or court appointment of a receiver, liquidator or Trustee of the Issuer, Guarantor, or any Significant Subsidiary or all or substantially all of their respective property. |
The descriptions of the Base Indenture, the Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the Notes in this Current Report on Form 8-K are summaries and are qualified in their entirety by the terms of the Base Indenture, the Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the Notes, which are attached as Exhibits 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated by reference hereto.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On June 12, 2025, the Issuer and the Guarantor entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Fifth Third Securities, Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein, relating to a public offering by the Issuer of the Notes. The description of the Underwriting Agreement in this Current Report on Form 8-K is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.
The Guarantor is filing as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K an opinion of the Guarantor’s counsel, Ballard Spahr LLP, regarding certain Maryland law issues, and as Exhibit 5.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K an opinion of the Issuer’s counsel, Latham & Watkins LLP, regarding the validity of the Notes and related Guarantees.
The estimated net proceeds from the offering of the Notes are expected to be approximately $346.2 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated fees and expenses payable by the Issuer. The Issuer intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including to repay borrowings under its revolving credit facility, to repay its term loans and other outstanding indebtedness, to acquire additional properties, for capital expenditures, expansion and working capital, to redevelop and/or improve properties and for other general corporate purposes. Pending application of the net proceeds from the offering for the foregoing purposes, such proceeds may initially be invested in short-term securities.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| PHILLIPS EDISON & COMPANY, INC. | ||||||
| Dated: June 17, 2025 | By: | /s/ John P. Caulfield | ||||
| John P. Caulfield | ||||||
| Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Treasurer | ||||||
Exhibit 1.1
$350,000,000
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.
5.250% Senior Notes Due 2032
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
June 12, 2025
June 12, 2025
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
Mizuho Securities USA LLC
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10179
c/o Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
34 Fountain Square Plaza
Cincinnati, OH 45263
c/o Mizuho Securities USA LLC
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10036
c/o U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
214 N. Tryon Street, 26th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28202
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Fifth Third Securities, Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. are acting as representatives of the offering (collectively, “you” or in such capacity, the “Representatives”) an aggregate of $350,000,000 in principal amount of its 5.250% senior notes due 2032 (the “Notes”) pursuant to the terms of this underwriting agreement (the “Agreement”). The respective principal amounts of the Notes to be so purchased, severally and not jointly, by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto. The Notes will be issued pursuant to the indenture, dated October 6, 2021 (the “Base Indenture”), among the Operating Partnership, the guarantors named therein and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, as supplemented by the fourth supplemental indenture, to be dated as of June 17, 2025 (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the
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Base Indenture, the “Indenture”) among the Operating Partnership, Phillips Edison & Company, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company” and, together with the Operating Partnership, the “Transaction Entities”), and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association) as trustee (the “Trustee”). The Notes will be guaranteed (the “Guarantee”) on a senior unsecured basis by the Company.
To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule I other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires.
The Transaction Entities have prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a joint shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-284765 and 333-284765-01), including a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of certain securities, including the Notes. Such registration statement (the “Registration Statement”), as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto at such time and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”). The preliminary prospectus supplement dated June 12, 2025 describing the Notes and the offering thereof (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), together with the Base Prospectus, is called the “Preliminary Prospectus,” and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Notes and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below) is called a “preliminary prospectus.” As used herein, the term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Notes and the offering thereof, together with the Base Prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Notes or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Transaction Entities to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act. References in this Agreement to the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus shall refer to both the prospectus supplement and the Base Prospectus components of such prospectus. References in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
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The “Time of Sale Information” shall mean collectively: (i) the Preliminary Prospectus, dated June 12, 2025, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below) and (ii) each “free writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Schedule II hereto.
“Applicable Time” means 1:45 P.M. New York City time on June 12, 2025 or such other time as agreed by the Transaction Entities and the Representatives.
The Agreement, the Notes, the Guarantee and the Indenture are collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.”
1. Representations and Warranties. Each of the Transaction Entities, jointly and severally, represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Transaction Entities make no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Transaction Entities in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(b) The Time of Sale Information, at the Applicable Time did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Transaction Entities make no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Transaction Entities in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(c) The Transaction Entities (including their agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) have not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes (each such communication by the Transaction Entities or their agents and representatives (other than a communication referred
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to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) below), an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act, (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus, (iii) the Prospectus, (iv) the documents listed on Schedule II hereto, including a pricing term sheet substantially in the form of Annex A hereto, which constitute part of the Time of Sale Information and (v) any electronic road show or other written communications, in each case approved in writing in advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus filed prior to the first use of such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, at the Applicable Time did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Transaction Entities make no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Transaction Entities in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(d) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement under Rule 405 and the Notes and the Guarantee have been and remain eligible for registration by the Operating Partnership and the Company, respectively, on such automatic shelf registration statement. No notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by either of the Transaction Entities. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and, to the knowledge of the Transaction Entities, no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against either of the Transaction Entities or related to the offering of Notes has been initiated or threatened by the Commission. As of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such amendment thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture Act”), and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in
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order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Transaction Entities make no representation or warranty with respect to (i) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act or (ii) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Transaction Entities in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(e) Each of the Transaction Entities has at all relevant times met, meets and will at all relevant times meet the requirements of Rule 164 for the use of the free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405) set forth on Annex A in connection with the offering contemplated hereby.
(f) (i) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Operating Partnership or Company or any person acting on their behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Notes and the Guarantee in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163, and (iv) at the date hereof, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer”, as defined in Rule 405.
(g) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, (ii) at the earliest time thereafter that the Operating Partnership, the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Notes and the Guarantee, and (iii) at the date hereof, each of the Operating Partnership and the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Operating Partnership of the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
(h) The documents incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, when they were filed with the Commission (or, if any amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such amendment was filed), conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Information, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(i) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the performance by the Transaction Entities of their respective obligations and the consummation of the transactions under the Transaction Documents (collectively, a “Material Adverse Effect”). As used herein, “subsidiary” or “subsidiaries” means the direct and indirect subsidiary or subsidiaries of the Company and/or the Operating Partnership, as applicable, but not, for the avoidance of doubt, any unconsolidated joint venture of the Company or the Operating Partnership.
(j) The Operating Partnership has been duly formed, is validly existing as a limited partnership in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, has the limited partnership power and authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Phillips Edison Grocery Center OP GP I LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and has the power and authority to cause the Operating Partnership to enter into and perform the Operating Partnership’s obligations under the Agreement, the Notes and the Indenture.
(k) The Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership, dated March 31, 2018 (the “Operating Partnership Agreement”), is in full force and effect and, at the Closing Date, the aggregate percentage interests of the Company in the Operating Partnership will be as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus. The terms of the units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (“OP Units”) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of
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Sale Information and the Prospectus, (i) no OP Units are reserved for any purpose, (ii) there are no outstanding securities convertible into or exchangeable for any OP Units or any other ownership interests of the Operating Partnership, and (iii) there are no outstanding options, rights (preemptive or otherwise) or warrants to purchase or subscribe for OP Units or any other ownership interests of the Operating Partnership.
(l) Each subsidiary of the Company (other than the Operating Partnership) has been duly incorporated, organized or formed, is validly existing as a corporation or other business entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, organization or formation, has the corporate or other business entity power and authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and all of the issued shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid (in the case of any subsidiaries that are organized as limited liability companies, limited partnerships or other business entities, to the extent required under the applicable limited liability company, limited partnership or other organizational agreement) and non-assessable (except in the case of interests held by general partners or similar entities under the applicable laws of other jurisdictions, in the case of any subsidiaries that are organized as limited liability companies, as such non-assessability may be affected by Section 18-607 or Section 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act or similar provisions under the applicable laws of other jurisdictions or the applicable limited liability company agreement and, in the case of any subsidiaries that are organized as limited partnerships, as such non-assessability may be affected by Section 17-607 or Section 17-804 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act or similar provisions under the applicable laws of other jurisdictions or the applicable limited partnership agreement), and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and certain other subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a significant subsidiary. The only “significant subsidiaries” of the Company within the meaning of Section 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Exchange Act are the Operating Partnership, Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership II, L.P. and Phillips Edison Institutional REIT LLC.
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(m) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company (including the Operating Partnership) is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company, or, except as prohibited by any mortgage or other loan documents, from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(n) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Transaction Entities.
(o) The Base Indenture has been duly authorized by each of the Transaction Entities and on or before the Closing Date, will be duly executed and delivered by each of the Transaction Entities, and, when duly executed and delivered by each of the parties thereto in accordance with its terms, will constitute the valid and binding agreement of each of the Transaction Entities, enforceable against each of them in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”); the Fourth Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized by each of the Transaction Entities and on or before the Closing Date, will be duly executed and delivered by each of the Transaction Entities, and, when duly executed and delivered by each of the parties thereto in accordance with the terms of the Base Indenture, will constitute the valid and binding agreement of each of the Transaction Entities, enforceable against each of them in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions. On the Closing Date, the Indenture (i) will be duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and (ii) will comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.
(p) The Notes have been duly authorized by the Operating Partnership for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when duly executed by the Operating Partnership in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, assuming due authentication of the Notes by the Trustee, upon delivery to the Underwriters against payment therefor in accordance with the terms hereof, will be validly issued and delivered and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Operating Partnership, enforceable against the Operating Partnership in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture. The Guarantee has been duly and validly authorized by the Company and upon the due execution, authentication and delivery of the Notes in accordance with the Indenture and the issuance of the Notes in the sale to the Underwriters contemplated by this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
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(q) The statements in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the headings “Description of Debt Securities,” “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” “Description of Notes” and “Underwriting” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or legal or governmental proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or legal or governmental proceedings, in all material respects.
(r) The statements in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus insofar as they describe the terms of this Agreement are correct in all material respects; the Indenture will conform on the Closing Date in all material respects to the description thereof in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and the Notes and the Guarantee will conform on the Closing Date in all material respects to the description thereof in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(s) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(t) The issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, are not subject to any preemptive or similar rights and have been offered and sold in compliance with U.S. federal and applicable securities laws. Except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, preemptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options.
(u) The issue and sale of the Notes and the issuance of the Guarantee, the execution, delivery and performance by the Transaction Entities of the Transaction Documents to which they are a party, will not conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership, pursuant to (i) any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, the certificate of limited partnership of the Operating Partnership and the Operating Partnership Agreement, (ii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries that is material to the Transaction Entities and
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their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such contravention that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or court is required for the issue and sale of the Notes and the issuance of the Guarantee, the execution, delivery and performance by the Transaction Entities of the Transaction Documents to which they are a party, except for the registration of the Notes and the Guarantee under the Securities Act and such as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Notes.
(v) Neither the Transaction Entities nor any of their subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its certificate of incorporation or bylaws or similar organizational documents; or (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is subject, except, in the case of clause (ii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Information.
(x) There are no legal, governmental or regulatory proceedings, actions, investigations, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations or inquiries (collectively, “Proceedings”) pending or, to the knowledge of the Transaction Entities, threatened to which the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries is subject (i) other than Proceedings accurately described in all material respects in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and proceedings that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
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(y) None of the Transaction Entities is, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, none of the Transaction Entities will be, required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(z) The Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(aa) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(bb) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Transaction Entities and any person granting such person the right to require either of the Transaction Entities to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Transaction Entities, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, or to require either Transaction Entity to include such securities with the Notes registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(cc) (i) None of the Transaction Entities, any of their subsidiaries or any director or officer thereof or, to the Transaction Entities’ knowledge, any affiliate, employee, agent or representative of the Transaction Entities or of any of their subsidiaries has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government official (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) (“Government Official”) in order to influence official action, or to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws; (ii) the Transaction Entities and
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each of their subsidiaries have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws; and (iii) neither the Transaction Entities nor any of their subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.
(dd) The operations of the Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where each of the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Transaction Entities, threatened.
(ee) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among either of the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and that is not so described.
(ff) (i) None of the Transaction Entities, any of their subsidiaries or any director or officer thereof or, to the Transaction Entities’ knowledge, any agent, affiliate, employee or representative of the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are:
(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or
(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
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(ii) The Transaction Entities will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(iii) Since April 24, 2019, the Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(gg) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in and as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, (i) the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction, (ii) neither of the Transaction Entities has purchased or redeemed any material amount of its outstanding capital stock or partnership interests, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind other than ordinary and customary dividends and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, partnership interests, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(hh) (i) The Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or leasehold interest under a lease in, the real properties owned or leased by the Transaction Entities and their respective subsidiaries (collectively, the “Properties”), in each case, free and clear of all security interests, mortgages, pledges, liens, encumbrances, claims or equities of any kind other than those that (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus or (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such Property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such Property by the Transaction Entities and any of their respective subsidiaries; (ii) except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) each of the
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leases under which a Transaction Entity or one of its subsidiaries is a tenant relating to a Property are in full force and effect and no default or event of default has occurred under any such lease with respect to such Property none of the Transaction Entities or any of their respective subsidiaries has received any notice of any event which, whether with or without the passage of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default under such lease and (B) none of the Transaction Entities or any of their respective subsidiaries has received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Transaction Entities or any of their respective subsidiaries under any of the leases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Transaction Entities and any of their respective subsidiaries to the continued possession of the leased premises under any such lease; (iii) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, no tenant under any of the leases of the Properties to which a Transaction Entity or any of its subsidiaries is a party (as a landlord) (the “Leases”) has a right of first refusal or an option to purchase any Property, which, if exercised, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iv) the Transaction Entities have no knowledge that any Property fails to comply with all applicable codes, laws and regulations (including, without limitation, building and zoning codes, laws and regulations and laws relating to access to such Property), except for such failures to comply that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; (v) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, no mortgage or deed of trust encumbering any Property is convertible into ownership interests in a Transaction Entity or any of its subsidiaries; and (vi) except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, none of the Transaction Entities or any of their respective subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of either of the Transaction Parties, any lessee under a Lease is in default under any of the Leases, and none of the Transaction Entities or any of their respective subsidiaries knows of any event which, whether with or without the passage of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default under any of the Leases, except in each case, for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) (i) The Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries own or have a valid license to all patents, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) used in or reasonably necessary to the conduct of their businesses, except where the failure to own or license such Intellectual Property Rights would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect on the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Transaction Entities nor any of their subsidiaries has received any written notice alleging any infringement, misappropriation or other violation of Intellectual Property Rights of others which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) to the Transaction Entities’ knowledge, neither the
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Transaction Entities nor any of their subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates, or has infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated any Intellectual Property Rights of others; and (iv) the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries use, and have used, commercially reasonable efforts to appropriately maintain all information intended to be maintained as a trade secret.
(jj) (i) Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries have complied and are presently in compliance with all internal privacy policies, contractual obligations, applicable laws, statutes, judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or other governmental or regulatory authority and any other legal obligations, in each case, relating to the collection, use, transfer, import, export, storage, protection, disposal and disclosure by the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries of personal, personally identifiable, household, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Data Security Obligations”, and such data, “Data”); and (ii) the Transaction Entities have not received any written notification of or written complaint regarding and are unaware of any other facts that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably indicate non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation and that, singly or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(kk) The Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries have taken all commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures necessary to protect the information technology systems and Data used in connection with the operation of the Transaction Entities’ and their subsidiaries’ businesses. There has been no breach, destruction, loss, unauthorized distribution, use, access, disablement, misappropriation or modification, or other compromise or misuse of or relating to any information technology system or Data used in connection with the operation of the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries’ businesses, except for those that have been remedied without material cost, liability or obligation.
(ll) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, no labor dispute with the employees of the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries exists, or, to the knowledge of the Transaction Entities, is imminent that would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Transaction Entities are not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of their principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(mm) (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any subsidiary of the Company would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); (ii) with respect to any Plan, to the knowledge of
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the Transaction Entities, no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any “benefit plan investor” within the meaning of the Department of Labor regulation at 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and, to the knowledge of the Transaction Entities, nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; and (iv) none of the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any entity, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or any entity that would be regarded as a single employer with the Company under Section 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Code) has any liability under Title IV of ERISA, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in (i) through (iv) hereof, as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(nn) The Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries have insurance policies issued by insurers of recognized financial responsibility covering the Transaction Entities’ and each of their subsidiaries’ respective Properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance insures against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged, except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Transaction Entities nor any of their subsidiaries has any reason to believe that they will not be able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue their business at a cost that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(oo) The Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Transaction Entities nor any of their subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(pp) The financial statements included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes thereto, comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered
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thereby except for any normal year-end adjustments in the Company’s quarterly financial statements. The other financial information of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby.
(qq) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Transaction Entities reasonably and in good faith believe are reliable and accurate and such data is consistent with the sources from which they are derived, in each case in all material respects.
(rr) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and delivered its report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Transaction Entities within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(ss) The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries maintain “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and a system of accounting controls that provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Registration Statement is accurate. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s control over financial reporting.
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(tt) The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(uu) There is and has been no failure on the part of either of the Transaction Entities or any of their respective directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith with which the Company is required to comply, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(vv) Each of the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect) and have paid all taxes required to be paid by the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Transaction Entities or any of their subsidiaries which, singly or in the aggregate, has had (nor do the Transaction Entities nor any of their subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Transaction Entities or their subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect.
(ww) Commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2010, the Company has been organized and has operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, and its form of organization and proposed method of operation, as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, will enable it to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code. Each of the Company’s corporate subsidiaries that has elected, together with the Company, to be a taxable REIT subsidiary of the Company is in compliance with all requirements applicable to a “taxable REIT subsidiary” within the meaning of Section 856(l) of the Code and all applicable regulations under the Code. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries that is not a “taxable REIT subsidiary” of the Company is, and has been at all times in which it was a subsidiary of the Company, classified as a disregarded entity, a partnership or a
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REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes (for the avoidance of doubt, “subsidiary” does not include any homeowners association or other similar association or organization in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a member in connection with property owned by the Company or such subsidiary, provided that any interest of the Company or such subsidiary in such association or organization constitutes a “real estate asset” within the meaning of Section 856(c)(5)(B) of the Code). All statements regarding the Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT and descriptions of the Company’s organization and proposed method of operation (to the extent they relate to the Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT) set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus are accurate in all material respects.
(xx) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(yy) Neither of the Transaction Entities nor any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Notes.
(zz) Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Notes nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(aaa) Neither of the Transaction Entities nor any of their respective subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Operating Partnership agrees to issue and sell the Notes to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Operating Partnership the respective principal amount of Notes set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto at a price equal to 99.207% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued interest, if any, from June 17, 2025 to the Closing Date (as defined below). The Operating Partnership will not be obligated to deliver any of the Notes except upon payment for all the Notes to be purchased as provided herein.
3. Terms of Public Offering. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Notes for sale to the public on the terms set forth in the Time of Sale Information. The Transaction Entities acknowledge and agree that the Underwriters may offer and sell Notes to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Notes purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.
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4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for and delivery of the Notes shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on June 17, 2025, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than five business days thereafter, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. The time and date of such payment and delivery are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”. As used herein, “business day” means a day on which Nasdaq is open for trading and on which banks in New York are open for business and are not permitted by law or executive order to be closed.
Payment for the Notes shall be made to the Operating Partnership in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery to the nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of the Underwriters, of one or more global notes representing the Notes (collectively, the “Global Notes”), with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Notes duly paid by the Operating Partnership.
The Global Notes will be made available for inspection by the Representatives not later than 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Operating Partnership shall deliver the Global Notes to DTC or to the Trustee, acting as custodian for DTC, as applicable. Delivery of the Notes to the Underwriters on the Closing Date shall be made through the facilities of DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
5. Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement shall be effective, and no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A or Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives, and the Commission shall not have notified either of the Transaction Entities of any objection to the use of the form of the Registration Statement. The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance upon Rule 424(b)(8)) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed with the Commission shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433, and, prior to the Closing Date, the Transaction Entities shall have provided evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filings. There shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Transaction Entities and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Information that, in the Representatives’ judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Representatives’ judgment, impracticable to market the Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Information.
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(b) Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded to the Notes or any other debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by either of the Transaction Entities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Notes or of any other debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by either of the Transaction Entities (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(c) If requested by the Underwriters, the Underwriters shall have received on the date of execution and delivery of this Agreement and on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the date of execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Closing Date and signed by the chief financial officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Exhibit D hereto.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of each of the Transaction Entities, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Transaction Entities contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Transaction Entities have complied with all of their respective agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on their part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date;
(ii) no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission;
(iii) there shall not have occurred any material and adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material and adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Transaction Entities and each of their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Information; and
(iv) to the effect set forth in paragraph (b) above.
The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
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(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, outside counsel for the Transaction Entities, dated the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, tax counsel for the Transaction Entities, dated the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
(g) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Ballard Spahr LLP, Maryland counsel for the Transaction Entities, dated the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto.
(h) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
With respect to the negative assurance letters to be delivered pursuant to Sections 5(e) and 5(h) above, Latham & Watkins LLP and Goodwin Procter LLP may state that their opinions and beliefs are based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent check or verification, except as specified.
The opinions of Latham & Watkins LLP and Ballard Spahr LLP referenced in Sections 5(e), 5(f) and 5(g) above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Transaction Entities and shall so state therein.
(i) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
(j) The Notes shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC.
(k) No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Notes or the issuance of the Guarantee; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Notes or the issuance of the Guarantee.
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(l) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Transaction Entities shall have furnished to counsel for the Representatives such further certificates and documents as counsel for the Representatives may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Notes as contemplated herein.
6. Covenants of the Transaction Entities. Each of the Transaction Entities, jointly and severally, covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) The Transaction Entities will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and 430B under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that relates to the offering of the Notes (including the pricing term sheet referred to in Annex A hereto) to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below) the Transaction Entities will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Transaction Entities with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus; and the Company will furnish .PDF copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that relates to the offering of the Notes (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the second business day following the date of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Notes as in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Notes is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Notes by any Underwriter or dealer.
(b) To furnish to the Representatives, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to the Representatives in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) or 6(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(c) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Representatives an electronic copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which any of the Representatives reasonably objects, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
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(d) To furnish to the Representatives an electronic copy of each proposed free writing prospectus (including electronic road shows) to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by either of the Transaction Entities and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which any of the Representatives reasonably objects.
(e) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or either of the Transaction Entities being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(f) If at any time prior to the Closing Date any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Information conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Information so that the statements in the Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Information is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Information, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Information, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(g) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Notes as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the Representatives will furnish to the Company) to which the Notes may have been sold by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
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(h) The Transaction Entities will prepare a pricing term sheet reflecting the final terms of the Notes, in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex A and otherwise in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, and shall file such pricing term sheet as an “issuer free writing prospectus” pursuant to Rule 433 prior to the close of business on the business day following the date hereof; provided that the Transaction Entities shall furnish the Representatives with copies of any such pricing term sheet within a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representatives or counsel to the Underwriters shall object.
(i) To endeavor to qualify the Notes for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request.
(j) To make generally available to their security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least the prior twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, which requirement shall be satisfied by a filing with the Commission containing this information.
(k) To use its best efforts to cause the Company to meet the requirements to qualify, for the taxable year ending December 31, 2025, for taxation as a REIT under the Code, and to use its best efforts to cause the Company to continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Code, unless the Company’s board of directors determines in good faith that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to so qualify or to be so qualified.
(l) To use the net proceeds received from the sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Time of Sale Information under the caption “Use of Proceeds.”
(m) The Transaction Entities will assist the Underwriters in arranging for the Notes to be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC.
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(n) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Transaction Entities’ counsel and the Transaction Entities’ accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Notes or the Guarantee under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Notes to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or any legal investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Notes under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Notes for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(i) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or any legal investment memorandum (in an amount not to exceed $5,000), (iv) all filing fees and reasonably incurred fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters (in an amount not to exceed $5,000) incurred in connection with any required review and qualification of the offering of the Notes by FINRA and the approval of the Notes for book-entry transfer by DTC, (v) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (vi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any paying agent, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Notes, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Transaction Entities, (viii) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement, (ix) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the Notes and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Transaction Entities hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Notes by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
(o) The Transaction Entities will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Transaction Entities undertake to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification.
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(p) From and including the date of this Agreement through and including the Closing Date, neither of the Transaction Entities will, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, directly or indirectly issue, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option or right to sell or otherwise transfer or dispose of any debt securities issued or guaranteed by either of the Transaction Entities (other than the Notes issued under this Agreement) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any debt securities issued or guaranteed by either of the Transaction Entities, having a tenor of more than one year.
7. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, covenants with the Transaction Entities not to take any action that would result in the Transaction Entities being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Transaction Entities thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.
8. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Transaction Entities, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any information relating to the Transaction Entities that either of the Transaction Entities has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”) or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of, or are based upon, any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Transaction Entities in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in paragraph (b) below.
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(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Transaction Entities, their directors, officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Transaction Entities within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Transaction Entities to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Transaction Entities in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Information, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter under the caption “Underwriting”: (i) the names of the Underwriters and their respective participation in the sale of the Notes, (ii) the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting – Discounts”, (iii) the third sentence of the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting – New Issue of Notes” and (iv) the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting – Price Stabilization and Short Positions”.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them and/or the indemnifying party and the indemnified party have different available defenses, and (iii) the indemnifying party has not retained counsel on a reasonably timely basis. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Transaction Entities, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be
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a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding, and (ii) does not include an admission of wrongdoing by the indemnified party.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Transaction Entities on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Notes or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Transaction Entities on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Transaction Entities on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Notes shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes (before deducting expenses) received by the Transaction Entities and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Notes. The relative fault of the Transaction Entities on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Transaction Entities or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this paragraph (d) are several in proportion to the principal amount of the Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I hereto and not joint.
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(e) The Transaction Entities and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Transaction Entities contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Transaction Entities, their officers or directors or any person controlling the Transaction Entities and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any principal amount of the Notes.
9. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representatives to the Transaction Entities, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to or on the Closing Date, (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the NASDAQ Global Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by either of the Transaction Entities shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States or, if applicable, with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems, in Europe, shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the Representatives’ judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (vi), makes it, in the Representatives’ judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus.
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10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase the aggregate principal amount of Notes that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as the Representatives may specify, to purchase the aggregate principal amount of Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the aggregate principal amount of Notes that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I and the aggregate principal amount of Notes with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Transaction Entities for the purchase of such aggregate principal amount of the Notes are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Transaction Entities. In any such case either the Representatives or the Transaction Entities shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Information, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of either of the Transaction Entities to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement (which, for the purposes of this Section 10, shall not include termination by the Underwriters under items (i), (iii), (iv) or (v) of Section 9 or this Section 10), or if for any reason the Transaction Entities shall be unable to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement, the Transaction Entities will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
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11. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Notes, represents the entire agreement between the Transaction Entities and the Underwriters with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Notes.
(b) The Transaction Entities acknowledge that in connection with the offering of the Notes: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Transaction Entities or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Transaction Entities only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement, any contemporaneous written agreements and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Transaction Entities, and (iv) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person. Each of the Transaction Entities waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Notes.
12. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes. (a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
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13. For purposes of this Section a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
14. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Transaction Entities, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
15. Counterparts. For the convenience of the parties hereto, any number of counterparts of this Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto, each of which shall be an original instrument and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by e-mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or facsimile transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.
16. Applicable Law. This Agreement, and any claim, controversy or dispute relating to or arising out of this Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to the conflict of laws provisions thereof to the extent such principles or rules would require or permit the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than those of the State of New York.
17. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
18. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to:
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue, 6th floor
New York, New York 10179
Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk
Telephone: (212) 834-4533
Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
34 Fountain Square Plaza
Cincinnati, OH 45263
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Attention: Debt Capital Markets/Legal
Facsimile: (513) 534-6757
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (866) 531-5353
Mizuho Securities USA LLC
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Attention: Debt Capital Markets
Email: [email protected]
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Attention: Investment Banking Division
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
214 N. Tryon Street, 26th Floor
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
Attention: Credit Fixed Income
Facsimile: (704) 335-2393
Copy to:
Goodwin Procter LLP
The New York Times Building
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, New York 10018
Attention: Yoel Kranz, Jim Barri
and if to the Transaction Entities shall be delivered, mailed or sent to:
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.
3247 Santa Fe Road
Park City, Utah 84098
Attention: Tanya E. Brady
Copy to:
Latham & Watkins LLP
355 S Grand Avenue
Suite 100
Los Angeles, California 90071
Attention: Julian T.H. Kleindorfer, Lewis W. Kneib
34
| Very truly yours,
PHILLIPS EDISON & COMPANY, INC. | ||||
| By: | /s/ John P. Caulfield | |||
| Name: | John P. Caulfield | |||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President & Treasurer | |||
| PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P. | ||||
| By: | PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OP GP I LLC, its General Partner | |||
| By: | /s/ John P. Caulfield | |||
| Name: | John P. Caulfield | |||
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President & Treasurer | |||
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
| Accepted as of the date hereof
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Fifth Third Securities, Inc. Mizuho Securities USA LLC Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. | ||||
| Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto. | ||||
| By: | J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Stephen L. Sheiner | |||
| Name: | Stephen L. Sheiner | |||
| Title: | Executive Director | |||
| By: | Fifth Third Securities, Inc. | |||
| By: | /s/ Ryan Newth | |||
| Name: | Ryan Newth | |||
| Title: | Managing Director | |||
| By: | Mizuho Securities USA LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Robert Fahrbach | |||
| Name: | Robert Fahrbach | |||
| Title: | Managing Director | |||
| By: | Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Yiming Hu | |||
| Name: | Yiming Hu | |||
| Title: | Vice President | |||
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
| By: | U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. | |||
| By: | /s/ Charles P. Carpenter | |||
| Name: | Charles P. Carpenter | |||
| Title: | Senior Vice President | |||
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
SCHEDULE I
| Underwriter |
Principal Amount of the Notes |
|||
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
$ | 52,500,000 | ||
| Fifth Third Securities, Inc. |
52,500,000 | |||
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC |
52,500,000 | |||
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC |
52,500,000 | |||
| U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. |
52,500,000 | |||
| BofA Securities, Inc. |
12,000,000 | |||
| BMO Capital Markets Corp. |
12,000,000 | |||
| Capital One Securities, Inc. |
12,000,000 | |||
| KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. |
12,000,000 | |||
| PNC Capital Markets LLC |
12,000,000 | |||
| Regions Securities LLC |
12,000,000 | |||
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC |
12,000,000 | |||
| Samuel A. Ramirez & Company, Inc. |
3,500,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total: |
$ | 350,000,000 | ||
|
|
|
|||
I-1
SCHEDULE II
1. Pricing Term Sheet, dated June 12, 2025 substantially in the form of Annex A.
II-1
ANNEX A
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration File Nos. 333-284765 and 333-284765-01 Relating to Preliminary Prospectus Supplement
dated June 12, 2025
to Prospectus dated February 7, 2025
Pricing Term Sheet
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.
$350,000,000 5.250% Senior Notes due 2032
June 12, 2025
| Issuer: | Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P. | |
| State of Formation: | Delaware | |
| Guarantor: | Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. | |
| Expected Ratings* (Moody’s/S&P): | Baa2 / BBB | |
| Security: | 5.250% Senior Notes due 2032 | |
| Aggregate Principal Amount: | $350,000,000 | |
| Maturity Date: | August 15, 2032 | |
| Interest Rate: | 5.250% per annum | |
| Interest Payment Dates: | August 15 and February 15, commencing February 15, 2026 | |
| Price to Public: | 99.832% of the aggregate principal amount | |
| Yield to Maturity: | 5.276% | |
| Benchmark Treasury: | 4.125% due May 31, 2032 | |
| Spread to Benchmark Treasury: | +112.5 basis points | |
| Benchmark Treasury Price / Yield: | 99-27 / 4.151% | |
| Optional Redemption: | Prior to June 15, 2032 (2 months prior to the Maturity Date of the Notes), “make-whole” redemption at the Treasury Rate (as defined) plus 20 basis points, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date. On and after June 15, 2032, (2 months prior to the Maturity Date of the Notes), at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the redemption date. See the preliminary prospectus supplement for the definition of “Treasury Rate” and for further terms and provisions applicable to optional redemption and the calculation of the redemption price. | |
| Trade Date: | June 12, 2025 | |
| Settlement Date: | June 17, 2025 (T+3); under Rule 15c6-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, trades in the secondary market are required to settle in one business day, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the Notes prior to the date that is one business day preceding the settlement date will be required, by virtue of the fact that the Notes initially settle in T+3 to specify an alternate settlement arrangement at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of the Notes who wish to trade the Notes during such period should consult their advisors. | |
| CUSIP/ISIN: | 71845JAD0 / US71845JAD00 | |
| Minimum Denomination: | $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof | |
AA-1
| Joint Book-Running Managers: | Fifth Third Securities, Inc. | |
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | ||
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC | ||
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | ||
| U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. | ||
| BofA Securities, Inc. | ||
| BMO Capital Markets Corp. | ||
| Capital One Securities, Inc. | ||
| KeyBanc Capital Markets, Inc. | ||
| PNC Capital Markets LLC | ||
| Regions Securities LLC | ||
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC | ||
| Co-Managers: | Samuel A. Ramirez & Company, Inc. | |
| * | A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be revised or withdrawn at any time. Each of the ratings above should be evaluated independently of any other security rating. |
The issuer and guarantor have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) and a preliminary prospectus supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and the preliminary prospectus supplement and other documents the issuer and guarantor have filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and guarantor and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, the guarantor, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by contacting: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179, Tel: (212) 834-4533; Fifth Third Securities, Inc., 38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio 45263, Attn: Syndicate Department, 1-866-531-5353; Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Toll free: 1-866-271-7403; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Toll free: 1-866-718-1649; or U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., Toll free: 1-877-558-2607.
Any disclaimer or other notice that may appear below is not applicable to this communication and should be disregarded. Such disclaimer or notice was automatically generated as a result of this communication being sent by Bloomberg or another email system.
AA-2
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF OPINION OF LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
[Intentionally Omitted]
A-1
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF TAX OPINION OF LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
[Intentionally Omitted]
B-1
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF OPINION OF BALLARD SPAHR LLP
[Intentionally Omitted]
C-1
EXHIBIT D
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
[Intentionally Omitted]
D-1
Exhibit 4.2
PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P.,
PHILLIPS EDISON & COMPANY, INC.,
AS PARENT GUARANTOR,
AND
U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
AS TRUSTEE
FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
DATED AS OF JUNE 17, 2025
TO INDENTURE DATED OCTOBER 6, 2021
$350,000,000
OF
5.250% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2032
CONTENTS
| Article I. RELATION TO BASE INDENTURE; DEFINITIONS | 1 | |||||||
|
|
Section 1.1 |
Relation to Base Indenture |
1 | |||||
| Section 1.2 |
Definitions |
2 | ||||||
| Article II. TERMS OF THE SECURITIES | 9 | |||||||
| Section 2.1 |
Title of the Securities |
9 | ||||||
| Section 2.2 |
Price |
10 | ||||||
| Section 2.3 |
Limitation on Initial Aggregate Principal Amount; Further Issuances |
10 | ||||||
| Section 2.4 |
Interest and Interest Rates; Stated Maturity of Notes |
10 | ||||||
| Section 2.5 |
Method of Payment |
10 | ||||||
| Section 2.6 |
Currency |
11 | ||||||
| Section 2.7 |
Additional Notes |
12 | ||||||
| Section 2.8 |
Redemption |
12 | ||||||
| Section 2.9 |
No Sinking Fund |
12 | ||||||
| Section 2.10 |
Registrar and Paying Agent |
12 | ||||||
| Article III. FORM OF THE SECURITIES | 12 | |||||||
| Section 3.1 |
Global Form |
12 | ||||||
| Section 3.2 |
Transfer and Exchange |
13 | ||||||
| Article IV. REDEMPTION OF NOTES | 19 | |||||||
| Section 4.1 |
Optional Redemption of Notes |
19 | ||||||
| Section 4.2 |
Notice of Optional Redemption, Selection of Notes |
19 | ||||||
| Section 4.3 |
Payment of Notes Called for Redemption by the Company |
20 | ||||||
| Article V. GUARANTEE | 21 | |||||||
| Section 5.1 |
Note Guarantee |
21 | ||||||
| Section 5.2 |
Execution and Delivery of Note Guarantee |
23 | ||||||
| Section 5.3 |
Limitation of Guarantor’s Liability |
23 | ||||||
| Section 5.4 |
Application of Certain Terms and Provisions to the Guarantor |
23 | ||||||
| Section 5.5 |
Release of Guarantee of a Subsidiary Guarantor |
23 | ||||||
| Article VI. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS | 24 | |||||||
| Section 6.1 |
Aggregate Debt |
24 | ||||||
| Section 6.2 |
Secured Debt |
25 | ||||||
| Section 6.3 |
Debt Service |
25 | ||||||
| Section 6.4 |
Maintenance of Total Unencumbered Assets |
26 | ||||||
| Section 6.5 |
Existence |
26 | ||||||
| Section 6.6 |
Maintenance of Properties |
26 | ||||||
i
|
|
Section 6.7 |
Insurance |
27 | |||||
| Section 6.8 |
Merger, Consolidation or Sale |
27 | ||||||
| Section 6.9 |
Payment of Taxes and Other Claims |
29 | ||||||
| Section 6.10 |
Provision of Financial Information |
29 | ||||||
| Section 6.11 |
Subsidiary Guarantors |
30 | ||||||
| Article VII. DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 30 | |||||||
| Section 7.1 |
Events of Default |
30 | ||||||
| Section 7.2 |
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment |
32 | ||||||
| Article VIII. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS | 33 | |||||||
| Section 8.1 |
Without Consent of Holders |
33 | ||||||
| Section 8.2 |
With Consent of Holders |
34 | ||||||
| Article IX. MEETINGS OF HOLDERS OF NOTES | 35 | |||||||
| Section 9.1 |
Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called |
35 | ||||||
| Section 9.2 |
Call, Notice and Place of Meetings |
35 | ||||||
| Section 9.3 |
Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings |
36 | ||||||
| Section 9.4 |
Quorum; Action |
36 | ||||||
| Section 9.5 |
Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings |
37 | ||||||
| Section 9.6 |
Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings |
37 | ||||||
| Article X. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | 38 | |||||||
| Section 10.1 |
Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent, Certificates to Trustee |
38 | ||||||
| Section 10.2 |
No Recourse Against Others |
38 | ||||||
| Section 10.3 |
Trust Indenture Act Controls |
39 | ||||||
| Section 10.4 |
Governing Law |
39 | ||||||
| Section 10.5 |
Counterparts |
39 | ||||||
| Section 10.6 |
Successors |
40 | ||||||
| Section 10.7 |
Severability |
40 | ||||||
| Section 10.8 |
Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. |
40 | ||||||
| Section 10.9 |
Ratifications |
40 | ||||||
| Section 10.10 |
Effectiveness |
40 | ||||||
| Section 10.11 |
The Trustee |
41 | ||||||
ii
THIS FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Fourth Supplemental Indenture”) is entered into as of June 17, 2025 among Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Company”), Phillips Edison & Company, Inc., a Maryland corporation, as guarantor (the “Parent Guarantor”), and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Company has delivered to the Trustee (as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association) an Indenture, dated as of October 6, 2021 (the “Base Indenture”), providing for the issuance by the Company from time to time of Securities in one or more Series;
WHEREAS, Section 2.2 of the Base Indenture provides for various matters with respect to any Series of Securities issued under the Base Indenture to be established in an indenture supplemental to the Base Indenture;
WHEREAS, each of the Company and the Parent Guarantor desires to execute this Fourth Supplemental Indenture to establish the form and to provide for the issuance of a Series of the Company’s senior notes designated as 5.250% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “Notes”), in an initial aggregate principal amount of $350,000,000;
WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Parent Guarantor, on behalf of the Parent Guarantor and in its capacity as sole member of the general partner of the Company, has duly adopted resolutions authorizing the Company and the Parent Guarantor to execute and deliver this Fourth Supplemental Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all of the other conditions and requirements necessary to make this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, when duly executed and delivered, a valid and binding agreement in accordance with its terms and for the purposes herein expressed, have been performed and fulfilled.
THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Series of Securities provided for herein by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of Securities of such Series, as follows:
ARTICLE I.
RELATION TO BASE INDENTURE; DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1 Relation to Base Indenture. This Fourth Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of the Base Indenture. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, all provisions of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture are expressly and solely for the benefit of the Holders of the Notes and any such provisions shall not be deemed to apply to any other Securities issued under the Base Indenture and shall not be deemed to amend, modify or supplement the Base Indenture for any purpose other than with respect to the Notes.
Section 1.2 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided for or unless the context otherwise requires:
| (a) | Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Base Indenture; and |
| (b) | All references herein to Articles and Sections, unless otherwise specified, refer to the corresponding Articles and Sections of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture as they amend or supplement the Base Indenture, and not the Base Indenture or any other document. |
“Acquired Debt” means Debt of a Person (i) existing at the time the Person becomes a Subsidiary or (ii) assumed in connection with the acquisition of assets from the Person, in each case, other than Debt incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of, the Person becoming a Subsidiary or the acquisition. Acquired Debt is deemed to be incurred on the date of the related acquisition of assets from any Person or the date the acquired Person becomes a Subsidiary.
“Additional Notes” means additional Notes (other than the Initial Notes) issued under the Indenture in accordance with Sections 2.3 and 2.7 hereof, as part of the same series as the Initial Notes.
“Annual Debt Service Charge” means, for any period, without duplication, the amount that is payable for interest expense on, and the amortization during such period of any original issue discount of, the Parent Guarantor’s and its Subsidiaries’ Debt in such period, but excluding prepayment penalties and gains or losses on early extinguishment of debt to the extent otherwise included in arriving at the Annual Debt Service Charge in such period.
“Applicable Procedures” means, with respect to any transfer or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream that apply to such transfer or exchange.
“Authentication Order” means a Company Order to the Trustee to authenticate and deliver the Notes, signed in the name of the Company by an Officer of the Parent Guarantor.
“Bankruptcy Law” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 7.1.
“Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, or any other day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
“Clearstream” means Clearstream Banking, Société Anonyme.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by an Officer of the Parent Guarantor.
2
“Consolidated EBITDA” for any period means Consolidated Net Income of the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries for such period, plus amounts which have been deducted and minus amounts that have been added for, without duplication:
| (i) | interest expense on Debt; |
| (ii) | provision for taxes based on income; |
| (iii) | amortization of debt discount, premium and deferred financing costs; |
| (iv) | the income or expense attributable to transactions involving derivative instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting in accordance with GAAP; |
| (v) | depreciation, amortization and other non-cash items deducted or added in arriving at Consolidated Net Income; |
| (vi) | net amount of extraordinary items and non-recurring items, as may be determined by the Company in good faith (including, without limitation, all prepayment penalties and any costs and fees incurred in connection with any equity issuance, debt financing or amendments thereto, or any acquisition, disposition, recapitalization or similar transaction (regardless of whether such transaction is completed)); |
| (vii) | amortization of deferred charges; |
| (viii) | gains or losses on early extinguishment of debt; |
| (ix) | noncontrolling interests; |
| (x) | provisions for unrealized gains and losses, impairment losses and gains and losses on sales or other dispositions of properties and other investments; |
| (xi) | amortization or right-of-use assets associated with finance leases of property; and |
| (xii) | credit losses recognized on financial assets and certain other instruments not measured at fair value; |
all reasonably determined by the Company on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, except to the extent GAAP is not applicable.
“Consolidated Net Income” for any period means the amount of net income (or loss) of the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries for such period determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Debt” means, with respect to any Person, any:
| (i) | indebtedness of such Person in respect of borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments; |
3
| (ii) | indebtedness secured by any Lien on any property or asset owned by such Person, but only to the extent of the lesser of (a) the amount of indebtedness so secured and (b) the fair market value (determined in good faith by the Company) of the property subject to such Lien; |
| (iii) | reimbursement obligations, contingent or otherwise, in connection with any letters of credit actually issued or amounts representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable; or |
| (iv) | any lease of property by such Person as lessee which is required to be reflected on such Person’s balance sheet as a finance lease in accordance with GAAP; |
in the case of items of indebtedness under (i) and (iii) above to the extent that any such items (other than letters of credit) would appear as liabilities on such Person’s balance sheet in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that the term “Debt” will (1) include, to the extent not otherwise included, any non-contingent obligation of such Person to be liable for, or to pay, as obligor, guarantor or otherwise (other than for purposes of collection in the ordinary course of business), Debt of the types referred to above of another Person (other than the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries); provided, however, that the term “Debt” shall not include Permitted Non-Recourse Guarantees of the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries until they become primary obligations of, and payments are due and required to be made thereunder by, the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries; (2) exclude any such indebtedness (or obligations referenced in clause (1) above) that has been the subject of an “in substance” defeasance in accordance with GAAP; and (3) exclude Intercompany Indebtedness that is subordinate in right of payment to the Notes (or an obligation to be liable for, or to pay, Intercompany Indebtedness that is subordinate in right of payment to the Notes). In the case of indebtedness under (iv) above, the term “Debt” will exclude operating lease liabilities on such Person’s balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.
“Defaulted Interest” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.5.
“Definitive Note” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 3.2, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note legend and shall not have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto.
“Depositary” means, with respect to the Notes, The Depository Trust Company and any successor thereto.
“Euroclear” means Euroclear S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system.
“Event of Default” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 7.1.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
4
“GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles as in effect on the date of any required calculation or determination.
“Global Note Legend” means the legend set forth in Section 3.2(f), which is required to be placed on all Global Notes issued under the Indenture.
“Global Notes” means, individually and collectively, each of the Notes deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto and that bears the Global Note Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto, issued in accordance with the Indenture.
“Guarantee” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 5.1(a).
“Guarantors” means collectively the Parent Guarantor and each Subsidiary Guarantor, if any.
“Holders” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.4.
“Indenture” means the Base Indenture, as supplemented by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, and as further supplemented, amended or restated.
“Indirect Participant” means a Person who holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through a Participant.
“Initial Notes” means the $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Fourth Supplemental Indenture on the date hereof.
“interest” means, when used with reference to the Notes, any interest payable under the terms of the Notes.
“Intercompany Indebtedness” means Debt to which the only parties are any of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any of their respective Subsidiaries; provided, however, that with respect to any such Debt of which the Company or the Parent Guarantor is the borrower, such Debt is subordinate in right of payment to the Notes.
“Interest Payment Date” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.4.
“Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, encumbrance or any security interest existing on property owned by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries securing Debt, other than a Permitted Lien.
“Non-Recourse Debt” means Debt of a joint venture or Subsidiary of the Company (or an entity in which the Company is the general partner or managing member) that is directly or indirectly secured by real estate assets or other real estate-related assets (including equity interests) of the joint venture or Subsidiary of the Company(or entity in which the Company is the general partner or managing member) that is the borrower and is non-recourse to the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries (other than pursuant to a Permitted Non-Recourse Guarantee and other than with respect to the joint venture or Subsidiary of the Company (or entity in which the Company is the general partner or managing member) that is the borrower); provided further
5
that, if any such Debt is partially recourse to the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries (other than pursuant to a Permitted Non-Recourse Guarantee and other than with respect to the joint venture or Subsidiary of the Company (or entity in which the Company is the general partner or managing member) that is the borrower) and therefore does not meet the criteria set forth above, only the portion of such Debt that does meet the criteria set forth above shall constitute “Non-Recourse Debt.”
“Note Guarantee” means the Guarantee by the Parent Guarantor of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture and the Notes, executed pursuant to the provisions of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, and the Guarantee by any Subsidiary Guarantor, if any, executed pursuant to the provisions of the Base Indenture, this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the form of supplemental indenture attached hereto as Exhibit B and any Notation of Guarantee.
“Notes” has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble to this Fourth Supplemental Indenture. The Initial Notes and the Additional Notes shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under the Indenture, and unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the Notes shall include the Initial Notes and any Additional Notes.
“Officer” means any Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Accounting Officer, the General Counsel or any Assistant General Counsel, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, and any Vice President of the Parent Guarantor.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by any Officer of the Parent Guarantor on behalf of the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or the Parent Guarantor.
“Par Call Date” means June 15, 2032.
“Participant” means, with respect to the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, a Person who has an account with the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, respectively (and with respect to the Depositary Trust Company, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream).
“Permitted Lien” means an operating lease, Lien securing taxes, assessments and similar charges, mechanics’ lien and other similar Liens and any Lien that secures Debt of the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries owed to the Company.
“Permitted Non-Recourse Guarantees” means customary completion or budget guarantees, indemnities or other customary guarantees provided to lenders (including by means of separate indemnification agreements, carve-out guarantees or pledges of the equity interests in the borrower) under such Non-Recourse Debt in the ordinary course of business of the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries in financing transactions that are directly or indirectly secured by real estate assets or other real estate-related assets (including equity interests) of a joint venture or Subsidiary of the Company(or an entity in which the Company is the general partner or managing member), in each case that is the borrower in such financing, but is non-
6
recourse to Parent Guarantor or any of its other Subsidiaries, except for such completion or budget guarantees, indemnities or other guarantees (including by means of separate indemnification agreements or carve-out guarantees or pledges of the equity interests in the borrower) as are consistent with customary industry practice (such as environmental indemnities and recourse triggers based on violation of transfer restrictions and other customary exceptions to non-recourse liability).
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Record Date” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 2.4.
“Redemption Date” means, with respect to any Note or portion thereof to be redeemed in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.1, the date fixed for such redemption in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.2.
“Redemption Price” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 4.1(a).
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, as in effect from time to time.
“Significant Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary or group of Subsidiaries that meets either of the following conditions: (1) the Parent Guarantor’s and its Subsidiaries’ investments in and advances to the Subsidiary exceed 10% of the Parent Guarantor’s consolidated total assets (determined in accordance with GAAP) as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which an annual or quarterly report has been furnished to Holders of the Notes or filed with the SEC; or (2) the Parent Guarantor’s and its Subsidiaries’ proportionate share of the total assets (after intercompany eliminations) of the Subsidiary exceeds 10% of the Parent Guarantor’s and its Subsidiaries’ consolidated total assets (determined in accordance with GAAP) as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter for which an annual or quarterly report has been furnished to Holders of the Notes or filed with the SEC.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to the Company or the Parent Guarantor, any Person (as defined in the Indenture but excluding an individual), a majority of the outstanding voting stock, partnership interests, membership interests or other equity interests, as the case may be, of which is owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as the case may be, or by one or more other Subsidiaries of the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as the case may be. For the purposes of this definition, “voting stock, partnership interests, membership interests or other equity interests” means stock or interests having voting power for the election of directors, trustees or managers, as the case may be, whether at all times or only so long as no senior class of stock or interests has such voting power by reason of any contingency.
“Subsidiary Guarantor” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 6.11.
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“Total Assets” means the sum of, without duplication:
| (i) | Undepreciated Real Estate Assets; and |
| (ii) | all other assets (excluding accounts receivable, right-of-use operating lease assets and non-real estate intangibles) of the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries, |
all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Total Unencumbered Assets” means the sum of, without duplication:
| (i) | those Undepreciated Real Estate Assets that are not subject to a Lien securing Debt; and |
| (ii) | all other assets (excluding accounts receivable and non-real estate intangibles) of the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries that are not subject to a Lien securing Debt, |
all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that in determining Total Unencumbered Assets as a percentage of outstanding Unsecured Debt for purposes of Section 6.4, all investments by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries in unconsolidated limited partnerships, unconsolidated limited liability companies and other unconsolidated entities shall be excluded from Total Unencumbered Assets.
“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Company in accordance with the following two paragraphs.
The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Company after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third Business Day preceding the date the notice of redemption is given based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily)—H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities–Treasury constant maturities–Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Company shall select, as applicable: (1) the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”); or (2) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields—one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life—and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or (3) if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.
If on the third Business Day preceding the date the notice of redemption is given H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Company shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the
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second Business Day preceding the date the notice of redemption is given of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the Par Call Date, as applicable. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the Par Call Date, one with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date and one with a maturity date following the Par Call Date, the Company shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the Par Call Date or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Company shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.
“Triggering Indebtedness” means Debt under the Credit Agreement, dated as of July 2, 2021, by and among the Company, as borrower, the Parent Guarantor, as parent entity, PNC Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, and the other lending institutions that are parties thereto, as lenders, as amended, supplemented, modified, extended, restructured, renewed, refinanced, restated, refunded or replaced (in whole or in part, including with any new credit agreement or credit facility) from time to time.
“Undepreciated Real Estate Assets” means, as of any date, the cost (original cost plus capital improvements) of real estate assets, loans secured by real estate assets, right of use assets associated with finance leases in accordance with GAAP and related intangibles of the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries on such date, before depreciation and amortization, all determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that Undepreciated Real Estate Assets shall not include the right of use assets associated with an operating lease in accordance with GAAP.
“Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act” means any applicable federal, provincial or state fraudulent conveyance legislation and any successor legislation.
“Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act” means any applicable federal, provincial or state fraudulent transfer legislation and any successor legislation.
“Unsecured Debt” means Debt of the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries which is not secured by a Lien on any property or assets of the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries.
ARTICLE II.
TERMS OF THE SECURITIES
Section 2.1 Title of the Securities.
There shall be a Series of Securities designated the “5.250% Senior Notes due 2032.”
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Section 2.2 Price.
The Initial Notes shall be issued at a public offering price of 99.832% of the principal amount thereof, other than any offering discounts pursuant to the initial offering and resale of the Notes.
Section 2.3 Limitation on Initial Aggregate Principal Amount; Further Issuances.
The aggregate principal amount of the Notes initially shall be limited to $350,000,000. The Company may, without notice to or consent of the Holders, issue Additional Notes from time to time in the future in an unlimited principal amount, subject to compliance with the terms of the Indenture.
Nothing contained in this Section 2.3 or elsewhere in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, or in the Notes, is intended to or shall limit execution by the Company or authentication or delivery by the Trustee of Notes under the circumstances contemplated by Sections 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6 of the Base Indenture.
Section 2.4 Interest and Interest Rates; Stated Maturity of Notes.
(a) The Notes shall bear interest at the rate of 5.250% per year. Interest on the Notes will accrue from June 17, 2025 and will be payable semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on February 15, 2026 (each such date being an “Interest Payment Date”), to the Persons in whose names the Notes are registered in the security register (the “Holders”) on the preceding February 1 or August 1, whether or not a Business Day, as the case may be (each such date being a “Record Date”). Interest on the Notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
(b) If any Interest Payment Date, Stated Maturity or Redemption Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the required payment shall be made on the next Business Day as if it were made on the date the payment was due and no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after that Interest Payment Date, Stated Maturity or Redemption Date, as the case may be, until the next Business Day.
(c) The Stated Maturity of the Notes shall be August 15, 2032.
(d) The Company will be responsible for making all calculations required under the Notes. The Company will make all these calculations in good faith and, absent manifest error, its calculations will be final and binding on Holders of the Notes. The Company will provide a schedule of its calculations to the Trustee, and the Trustee is entitled to rely upon the accuracy of the Company’s calculations without independent verification. The Trustee will forward the Company’s calculations to any Holder of Notes upon request.
Section 2.5 Method of Payment.
Principal, premium, if any, and interest shall be payable at the designated Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, initially located at 425 Walnut Street, CN-OH-W10H, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. The Company shall pay interest (i) on any Notes in certificated form by check mailed to
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the address of the Person entitled thereto or by wire transfer of immediately available funds to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the Registrar (containing the requisite information for the Trustee or Paying Agent to make such wire transfer) at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the Persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the Registrar, or (ii) on any Global Note by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee. Any interest on any Note 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 registered as such on the relevant Record Date, and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in Clause (a) or (b) below:
(a) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Notes are registered at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, 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 Note and the date of the proposed payment (which shall be not less than 25 calendar days after the receipt by the Trustee of such notice, unless the Trustee shall agree to an earlier date), and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit on or 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 Company shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 calendar days and not less than 10 calendar days prior to the date of the proposed payment, and not less than 10 calendar days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment (unless the Trustee shall agree to an earlier date). The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of such special record date and shall cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record date therefor to be sent to each Holder at its address as it appears in the register, not less than 10 calendar 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 Notes are registered at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on such special record date and shall no longer be payable pursuant to the following Clause (b) of this Section 2.5.
(b) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Notes may be listed or designated for issuance, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange or automated quotation system, 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.
Section 2.6 Currency.
Principal and interest on the Notes shall be payable in U.S. Dollars.
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Section 2.7 Additional Notes.
The Company will be entitled, without the consent of any Holders of the Notes, upon delivery of an Officer’s Certificate, Opinion of Counsel and Authentication Order to the Trustee, and subject to its compliance with Sections 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4, to issue Additional Notes under the Indenture that will have identical terms to the Initial Notes issued on the date of the Indenture other than with respect to the date of issuance and issue price; provided, however, that if such Additional Notes will not be fungible with the Initial Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such Additional Notes will have a separate CUSIP number. Such Additional Notes will rank equally and ratably in right of payment and will be treated as a single series for all purposes under the Indenture.
With respect to any Additional Notes, the Company will set forth in a resolution of the board of directors of the Parent Guarantor acting on behalf of the Company and an Officer’s Certificate, a copy of each of which will be delivered to the Trustee, the following information:
(a) the aggregate principal amount of such Additional Notes to be authenticated and delivered pursuant to the Indenture; and
(b) the issue price, the issue date and the CUSIP number of such Additional Notes.
Section 2.8 Redemption.
The Notes may be redeemed at the option of the Company prior to the Stated Maturity as provided in Article IV.
Section 2.9 No Sinking Fund.
The provisions of Article XI of the Base Indenture shall not be applicable to the Notes.
Section 2.10 Registrar and Paying Agent.
The Trustee shall initially serve as Registrar and Paying Agent for the Notes.
ARTICLE III.
FORM OF THE SECURITIES
Section 3.1 Global Form.
The Notes shall initially be issued in the form of one or more fully registered Global Notes that will be deposited with, or on behalf of the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, subject to Sections 2.7 and 2.14 of the Base Indenture. So long as the Depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of the Global Note, the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole Holder of the Notes represented by the Global Note for all purposes under the Indenture.
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The Notes shall not be issuable in definitive form except as provided in Section 3.2(a) of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A hereto. The Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section 2.3 of the Base Indenture, authenticate and hold each Global Note as custodian for the Depositary. Each Global Note will represent such of the outstanding Notes as will be specified therein and each shall provide that it represents the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased, as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. Any endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes represented thereby will be made by the Registrar or the custodian, at the direction of the Trustee. The terms and provisions contained in the form of Note attached as Exhibit A hereto shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of the Indenture and, to the extent applicable, the Company, the Parent Guarantor and the Trustee, by their execution and delivery of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby.
Participants of the Depositary shall have no rights either under the Indenture or with respect to the Global Notes. The Depositary or its nominee, as applicable, may be treated by the Company, the Parent Guarantor, the Trustee and any agent of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or the Trustee as the absolute owner and Holder of such Global Notes for all purposes under the Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Company, the Parent Guarantor or the Trustee from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other authorization furnished by the Depositary or its nominee, as applicable, or impair, as between the Depositary and its Participants, the operation of customary practices of such Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of an owner of a beneficial interest in the Global Notes.
Section 3.2 Transfer and Exchange.
(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes. A Global Note may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another nominee of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. All Global Notes will be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes if:
(1) the Company delivers to the Trustee notice from the Depositary that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as Depositary or that it is no longer a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the date of such notice from the Depositary; or
(2) the Company, at its option, determines that the Global Notes (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged for Definitive Notes and delivers a written notice to such effect to the Trustee; or
(3) upon request from the Depositary if there has occurred and is continuing a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes.
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Upon the occurrence of any of the preceding events in (1), (2) or (3) above, Definitive Notes shall be issued in such names as the Depositary shall instruct the Trustee in writing. Global Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as provided in Sections 2.8 and 2.11 of the Base Indenture. Every Note authenticated and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any portion thereof, pursuant to this Section 3.2 or Section 2.8 and 2.11 of the Base Indenture, shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note other than as provided in this Section 3.2(a); however, beneficial interests in a Global Note may be transferred and exchanged as provided in Section 3.2(b) or (c).
(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes. The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also will require compliance with either subparagraph (1) or (2) below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:
(1) Transfer of Beneficial Interests in the Same Global Note. Beneficial interests in any Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Global Note. No written orders or instructions shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the transfers described in this Section 3.2(b)(1).
(2) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests that are not subject to Section 3.2(b)(1) above, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either:
both:
(A) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a beneficial interest in another Global Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and
(B) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase; or
both:
(C) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued a Definitive Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and
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(D) instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in (b)(1) above.
Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the Notes or otherwise applicable under the Securities Act, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant Global Note(s) pursuant to Section 3.2(g).
(c) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes for Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 3.2(b)(2) and written notice to the Trustee, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 3.2(g) hereof, and the Company will execute and, upon the receipt of an Authentication Order, the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 3.2(c) will be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest requests through instructions to the Registrar from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee will deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered.
(d) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Beneficial Interests in Global Notes. A Holder of a Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Global Note or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Global Note at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the Trustee will cancel the applicable Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of one of the Global Notes. If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a beneficial interest is effected pursuant to the previous sentence at a time when a Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 3.2, the Trustee will authenticate one or more Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.
(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes. Upon the written request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 3.2(e), the Registrar will register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder must present or surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form reasonably satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing. In addition, the requesting Holder must provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 3.2(e). A Holder of Definitive Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note. Upon receipt of a written request to register such a transfer, the Registrar shall register the Definitive Notes pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof.
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(f) Legend. Each Global Note issued under the Indenture, unless specifically stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of the Indenture, will bear a legend in substantially the following form:
“THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.2 OF THE FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.2(a) OF THE FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.12 OF THE BASE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P. UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.”
(g) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes. At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note will be returned to or retained and canceled by the Trustee in accordance with Section 2.12 of the Base Indenture. At any time prior to such cancellation, if any beneficial
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interest in a Global Note is exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note or for Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note will be reduced accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global Note will be increased accordingly and an endorsement will be made on such Global Note by the Trustee or by the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee to reflect such increase.
(h) General Provisions Relating to Transfers and Exchanges.
(1) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes upon receipt of an Authentication Order or at the Registrar’s request.
(2) No service charge will be made to a Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to Sections 2.11 and 9.6 of the Base Indenture and Section 4.3 of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture).
(3) For purposes of the Notes, the second paragraph of Section 2.7 of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety with the following: “Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required to (a) register the transfer of or exchange any Note during the period beginning at the opening of business 15 days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of the Notes and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, or (b) register the transfer of or exchange any Note so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.
(4) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes will be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under the Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
(5) Neither the Registrar nor the Company will be required:
(A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note during a period beginning at the opening of business fifteen days before the delivery of a notice of redemption of the Notes selected for redemption under Article IV and ending at the close of business on the day of such delivery;
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(B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part; or
(C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a record date and the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.
(6) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Company may deem and treat the Person in whose name any Note is registered as the absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, interest on such Notes and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Company shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
(7) The Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.1 hereof.
(8) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 3.2 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile.
(i) In connection with any proposed transfer outside the book-entry system, there shall be provided to the Trustee all information necessary to allow the Trustee to comply with any applicable tax reporting obligations, including without limitation any cost basis reporting obligations under Internal Revenue Code Section 6045. The Trustee may conclusively rely on the information provided to it and shall have no responsibility to verify or ensure the accuracy of such information.
(j) None of the Trustee or any Agent shall have any obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among Depositary Participants, members or beneficial owners in any Global Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates and other documentation or evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.
(k) None of the Trustee or any Agent shall have any responsibility or obligation to any beneficial owner of a Global Note, a member of, or a Participant in the Depositary or other Person with respect to the accuracy of the records of the Depositary or its nominee or of any Participant or member thereof, with respect to any ownership interest in the Notes or with respect to the delivery to any Participant, member, beneficial owner or other Person (other than the Depositary) of any notice (including any notice of optional redemption) or the payment of any amount, under or with respect to such Notes.
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ARTICLE IV.
REDEMPTION OF NOTES
The provisions of Article III of the Base Indenture, as amended by the provisions of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, shall apply to the Notes.
Section 4.1 Optional Redemption of Notes.
(a) Prior to the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) (the “Redemption Price”) equal to the greater of:
(1) (i) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the Notes matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 20 basis points less (ii) interest accrued to the date of redemption, and
(2) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed,
plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date.
(b) On or after the Par Call Date, the Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the Redemption Date. The Company shall not redeem the Notes pursuant to this Section 4.1 if on any date the principal amount of the Notes has been accelerated, and such acceleration has not been rescinded or cured on or prior to such Redemption Date. The Company’s actions and determinations in determining the Redemption Price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, installments of interest that are due and payable on any Interest Payment Date falling on or prior to a Redemption Date will be payable to the persons who were the registered Holders of the Notes (or one or more predecessor Notes) at the close of business on the relevant Record Dates according to their terms and the provisions of the Indenture.
Section 4.2 Notice of Optional Redemption, Selection of Notes.
(a) In case the Company shall desire to exercise the right to redeem all or, as the case may be, any part of the Notes pursuant to Section 4.1, it shall fix a date for redemption and it or, at its written request received by the Trustee not fewer than five calendar days prior (or such shorter period of time as may be acceptable to the Trustee) to the date the notice of redemption is to be sent, the Trustee in the name of and at the expense of the Company, shall mail or cause to be mailed, or sent by electronic transmission, a notice of such redemption not fewer than 10 calendar days but not more than 60 calendar days prior to the Redemption Date to
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each Holder of Notes (or portions thereof) to be redeemed at its last address as the same appears on the Register; provided that if the Company makes such request of the Trustee, it shall, together with such request, also give written notice of the Redemption Date to the Trustee, provided further that the text of the notice shall be prepared by the Company. Such mailing shall be by first class mail or by electronic transmission. The notice, if sent in the manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such notice by mail or electronic submission or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Note designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Note.
(b) Each such notice of redemption shall specify: (i) the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be redeemed, (ii) the CUSIP number or numbers of the Notes being redeemed, (iii) the Redemption Date (which shall be a Business Day), (iv) the Redemption Price at which Notes are to be redeemed, (v) the place or places of payment and that payment will be made upon presentation and surrender of such Notes and (vi) that interest accrued and unpaid to, but excluding, the Redemption Date will be paid as specified in said notice, and that on and after said date interest thereon or on the portion thereof to be redeemed will cease to accrue. If fewer than all the Notes are to be redeemed, the notice of redemption shall identify the Notes to be redeemed (including CUSIP numbers, if any). In case any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the notice of redemption shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be redeemed and shall state that, on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Note, a new Note or Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued.
(c) On or prior to the Redemption Date specified in the notice of redemption given as provided in this Section 4.2, the Company will deposit with the Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, set aside, segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 2.5 of the Base Indenture) an amount of money in immediately available funds sufficient to redeem on the Redemption Date all the Notes (or portions thereof) so called for redemption at the appropriate Redemption Price; provided that if such payment is made on the Redemption Date, it must be received by the Paying Agent, by 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on such date. The Company shall be entitled to retain any interest, yield or gain on amounts deposited with the Paying Agent pursuant to this Section 4.2 in excess of amounts required hereunder to pay the Redemption Price (it being acknowledged that the Trustee has no obligation to invest any such deposit).
(d) If less than all of the outstanding Notes are to be redeemed, the Trustee will select the Notes to be redeemed by such method as it deems fair and appropriate or, if applicable, as is required by the Depositary for Global Notes, subject to Applicable Procedures (in the case of Global Notes), the Notes or portions thereof of the Global Notes or the Notes in certificated form to be redeemed (in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof). The Notes (or portions thereof) so selected for redemption shall be deemed duly selected for redemption for all purposes hereof.
Section 4.3 Payment of Notes Called for Redemption by the Company.
(a) If notice of redemption has been given as provided in Section 4.2, the Notes or portion of Notes with respect to which such notice has been given shall become due and
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payable and unless the Company defaults in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest on the Notes (or portions thereof) called for redemption on a Redemption Date, then, from and after the Redemption Date, such Notes (or portions thereof, as the case may be) shall cease to bear interest. On presentation and surrender of such Notes at a place of payment in said notice specified, the said Notes or the specified portions thereof shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with interest accrued thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date. Such will be the case whether or not book-entry transfer of the Notes in book-entry form is made and whether or not the Notes in certificated form, together with necessary endorsements, are delivered to the Paying Agent; provided, however, if the Redemption Date falls after a Record Date and on or prior to the corresponding Interest Payment Date, the Company will pay the full amount of accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any, due on such Interest Payment Date to the Holder of record at the close of business on the corresponding Record Date.
(b) Upon presentation of any Note redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, upon receipt of an Authentication Order, authenticate and make available for delivery to the Holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Note or Notes, of authorized denominations, in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Notes so presented.
ARTICLE V.
GUARANTEE
Sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 and 5.4 hereof shall replace Sections 12.1, 12.2 and 12.3 of the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes and the Note Guarantee. Section 5.5 shall supersede clause (a)(i)(A) of Section 12.4 of the Base Indenture; provided that the remaining provisions of Section 12.4 of the Base Indenture shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 5.1 Note Guarantee.
(a) Subject to this Article 5, each Guarantor hereby fully and unconditionally guarantees, on a joint and several basis (each a “Guarantee”), to each Holder of a Note authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, that:
(1) the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Notes will be promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of, premium on, if any, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of the Indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Company under the Indenture or the Notes, and interest, if any, on, the Notes, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee under the Indenture or the Notes (including fees and expenses of counsel) will be promptly paid in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms under the Indenture or the Notes; and
(2) in case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at Stated Maturity, by acceleration or otherwise.
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Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed or any performance so guaranteed for whatever reason, each Guarantor will be obligated to pay the same immediately. Each Guarantor agrees that this is a guarantee of payment and not a guarantee of collection.
(b) Each Guarantor hereby agrees that its obligations under the Indenture and the Notes are full and unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Indenture or the Notes, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions of the Indenture or the Notes, the recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of such Guarantor. Each Guarantor hereby agrees that in the event of a default in payment of the principal of or interest on the Notes entitled to the Guarantee, whether at the Stated Maturity or upon acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise, legal proceedings may be instituted by the Trustee on behalf of the Holders or, subject to Section 6.7 of the Base Indenture, by the Holders, on the terms and conditions set forth in the Indenture, directly against such Guarantor to enforce the Guarantee without first proceeding against the Company. Each Guarantor hereby (i) waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever, (ii) acknowledges that any agreement, instrument or document evidencing the Guarantee may be transferred and that the benefit of its obligations hereunder shall extend to each Holder of any agreement, instrument or document evidencing the Guarantee without notice to it and (iii) covenants that this Note Guarantee will not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Indenture and the Notes.
(c) If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Company, any Guarantor or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or such Guarantor, any amount paid by either to the Trustee or such Holder, this Note Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, will be reinstated in full force and effect.
(d) Each Guarantor agrees that it will not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby. Each Guarantor further agrees that, as between such Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (1) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article VII for the purposes of this Note Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (2) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article VII, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) will forthwith become due and payable by such Guarantor for the purpose of this Note Guarantee.
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Section 5.2 Execution and Delivery of Note Guarantee.
To evidence its Note Guarantee set forth in Section 5.1, each Guarantor hereby agrees that this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and a Notation of Guarantee will be executed on its behalf by one of its Officers and such Notation of Guarantee shall be affixed to the Notes. If an Officer whose signature is on this Fourth Supplemental Indenture no longer holds that office at the time the Trustee authenticates the Note on which the Note Guarantee is endorsed, the Note Guarantee will be valid nevertheless. The delivery of any Note by the Trustee, after the authentication thereof hereunder, will constitute due delivery of the Note Guarantee set forth in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture on behalf of such Guarantor.
Section 5.3 Limitation of Guarantor’s Liability.
Each Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Note Guarantee of each Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to the Note Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and each Guarantor hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of each Guarantor will be limited to the maximum amount that will not, after giving effect to all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor that are relevant under such laws, result in the obligations of such Guarantor under its Note Guarantee constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance.
Section 5.4 Application of Certain Terms and Provisions to the Guarantor.
(a) For purposes of any provision of the Indenture which provides for the delivery by any Guarantor of an Officer’s Certificate and/or an Opinion of Counsel, the definitions of such terms in Section 1.2 shall apply to such Guarantor as if references therein to the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as applicable, were references to such Guarantor.
(b) Any notice or demand which by any provision of the Indenture is required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the Holders of Notes to or on any Guarantor may be given or served as described in Section 10.2 of the Base Indenture as if references therein to the Company were references to such Guarantor.
(c) Upon any demand, request or application by any Guarantor to the Trustee to take any action under the Indenture, such Guarantor shall furnish to the Trustee such Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel as are required in Section 10.1 as if all references therein to the Company were references to such Guarantor.
Section 5.5 Release of Guarantee of a Subsidiary Guarantor.
(a) A Subsidiary Guarantor will be automatically released and relieved from its obligations under its Guarantee and the Indenture, any supplemental indenture and Notation of Guarantee, in the following circumstances:
(1) such Subsidiary Guarantor no longer guaranteeing or otherwise being an obligor (or which guarantee or obligation is being simultaneously
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released or will be immediately released after the release of the Subsidiary Guarantor from its Guarantee of the Notes) in respect of Triggering Indebtedness, provided that any release of such Subsidiary Guarantor’s Guarantee pursuant to this Section 5.5(a)(1) will not limit the obligation of such Subsidiary Guarantor to Guarantee the Notes at any time after such release if such Subsidiary subsequently, directly or indirectly, guarantees, or otherwise becomes obligated in respect of, Triggering Indebtedness;
(2) such Subsidiary Guarantor consolidating with, merging into or transferring all of its properties or assets to another Guarantor, and as a result of, or in connection with, such transaction such Subsidiary Guarantor dissolves or otherwise ceases to exist;
(3) if the Company exercises its legal defeasance option or its covenant defeasance option with respect to the Notes (as provided in Section 8.3 and Section 8.4, respectively, of the Base Indenture) or if the Company’s obligations under the Indenture with respect to the Notes are discharged in accordance with the terms of the Indenture (as provided in Section 8.1 of the Base Indenture);
(4) upon the sale or other disposition (including by way of consolidation or merger) of such Subsidiary Guarantor; or
(5) upon the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor;
provided, however, that in the case of Section 5.5(a)(4) and Section 5.5(a)(5) above, (1) such sale or other disposition is made to a Person other than the Parent Guarantor or any of its other Subsidiaries and (2) such sale or disposition is otherwise permitted by the Indenture.
ARTICLE VI.
ADDITIONAL COVENANTS
The covenants set forth in Sections 4.1, 4.3 and 4.4 of the Base Indenture and the following additional covenants shall apply with respect to the Notes so long as any of the Notes remain outstanding:
Section 6.1 Aggregate Debt.
The Parent Guarantor will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, incur any Debt if, immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Debt and the application of the proceeds from such Debt on a pro forma basis, the aggregate principal amount of all of its and its Subsidiaries’ outstanding Debt (determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP) is greater than 65% of the sum of the following (without duplication):
(a) its and its Subsidiaries’ Total Assets as of the last day of the then most recently ended fiscal quarter for which financial information is available; and
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(b) the aggregate purchase price of any real estate assets or mortgages receivable acquired, and the aggregate amount of any securities offering proceeds received (to the extent such proceeds were not used to acquire real estate assets or mortgages receivable or used to reduce Debt), by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries since the end of such fiscal quarter, including the proceeds obtained from the incurrence of such additional Debt.
Section 6.2 Secured Debt.
The Parent Guarantor will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, incur any Debt secured by any Lien on any of its or any of its Subsidiaries’ property or assets, whether owned on the date of the Indenture or subsequently acquired, if, immediately after giving effect to the incurrence of such Debt and the application of the proceeds from such Debt on a pro forma basis, the aggregate principal amount (determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP) of all of its and its Subsidiaries’ outstanding Debt that is secured by a Lien on any of its and its Subsidiaries’ property or assets is greater than 40% of the sum of (without duplication):
(a) its and its Subsidiaries’ Total Assets as of the last day of the then most recently ended fiscal quarter for which financial information is available; and
(b) the aggregate purchase price of any real estate assets or mortgages receivable acquired, and the aggregate amount of any securities offering proceeds received (to the extent such proceeds were not used to acquire real estate assets or mortgages receivable or used to reduce Debt), by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries since the end of such fiscal quarter, including the proceeds obtained from the incurrence of such additional Debt.
Section 6.3 Debt Service.
The Parent Guarantor will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, incur any Debt if the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA to Annual Debt Service Charge for the period consisting of the four consecutive fiscal quarters most recently ended for which financial information is available prior to the date on which such additional Debt is to be incurred shall have been less than 1.5:1 on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the incurrence of such Debt and the application of the proceeds from such Debt (determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP), and calculated on the following assumptions:
(a) such Debt and any other Debt incurred by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries since the first day of such four-quarter period had been incurred, and the application of the proceeds from such Debt (including to repay or retire other Debt) had occurred, on the first day of such period;
(b) the repayment or retirement of any other Debt of the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries since the first day of such four-quarter period had occurred on the first day of such period (except that, in making this computation, the amount of Debt under any revolving credit facility, line of credit or similar facility will be computed based upon the average daily balance of such Debt during such period);
(c) in the case of Acquired Debt or Debt incurred by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with any acquisition since the first day of such four-quarter period, the related acquisition had occurred as of the first day of such period with appropriate adjustments with respect to such acquisition being included in the pro forma calculation; and
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(d) in the case of any acquisition or disposition by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries of any asset or group of assets with a fair market value in excess of $5.0 million since the first day of such four-quarter period, whether by merger, stock purchase or sale or asset purchase or sale or otherwise, such acquisition or disposition and any related repayment of Debt had occurred as of the first day of such period with the appropriate adjustments with respect to such acquisition or disposition being included in such pro forma calculation.
If the Debt giving rise to the need to make the calculation described above or any other Debt incurred after the first day of the relevant four-quarter period bears interest at a floating rate (to the extent such Debt has been hedged to bear interest at a fixed rate, only the portion of such Debt, if any, that has not been so hedged), then, for purposes of calculating the Annual Debt Service Charge, the interest rate on such Debt will be computed on a pro forma basis as if the average daily rate that would have been in effect during the entire four-quarter period had been the applicable rate for the entire such period. For purposes of the foregoing, Debt will be deemed to be incurred by the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries whenever the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries shall create, assume, guarantee or otherwise become liable in respect thereof.
Section 6.4 Maintenance of Total Unencumbered Assets.
The Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries will not have at any time Total Unencumbered Assets of less than 150% of the aggregate principal amount of all of the Parent Guarantor’s and its Subsidiaries’ outstanding Unsecured Debt determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
Section 6.5 Existence.
Except as permitted by Section 6.8, the Parent Guarantor will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its, the Company’s and each Subsidiary Guarantor’s existence, rights (charter and statutory) and franchises. However, none of the Parent Guarantor, the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor will be required to preserve any right or franchise if the Parent Guarantor’s board of directors (or any duly authorized committee of that board of directors), as the case may be, determines that the preservation of the right or franchise is no longer desirable in the conduct of its, the Company’s or such Subsidiary Guarantor’s business.
Section 6.6 Maintenance of Properties.
The Parent Guarantor will cause all of its material properties used or useful in the conduct of its business or any of its Subsidiaries’ businesses to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order, normal wear and tear, casualty and condemnation excepted, and supplied with all necessary equipment and cause all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements to be made, all as in the Parent Guarantor’s judgment may be necessary in order for it to at all times properly and advantageously conduct its
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business carried on in connection with such properties. The Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries will not be prevented from (1) removing permanently any property that has been condemned or suffered a casualty loss, if it is in the Parent Guarantor’s or its Subsidiaries’ best interest, (2) discontinuing maintenance or operation of any property if, in the Parent Guarantor’s or its Subsidiaries’ reasonable judgment, doing so is in the Parent Guarantor’s or its Subsidiaries’ best interest and is not disadvantageous in any material respect to the Holders of the Notes, or (3) selling or otherwise disposing for value the Parent Guarantor’s or its Subsidiaries’ properties in the ordinary course of business.
Section 6.7 Insurance.
The Parent Guarantor will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep in force upon all of its and each of its Subsidiaries’ properties and operations insurance policies carried with responsible companies in such amounts and covering all such risks as is customary in the industry in which the Parent Guarantor and its Subsidiaries do business in accordance with prevailing market conditions and availability.
Section 6.8 Merger, Consolidation or Sale.
(a) The Company and the Parent Guarantor may merge or consolidate with or into, or sell, assign, convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the Company’s or the Parent Guarantor’s respective property and assets to, any other entity, provided that the following conditions are met:
(1) the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as the case may be, shall be the continuing entity, or the successor entity (if other than the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as the case may be) formed by or resulting from any merger or consolidation or which shall have received the sale, assignment, conveyance, transfer or lease of property and assets shall be domiciled in the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and, in the case of the Company, shall expressly assume payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all of the Notes and the due and punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants and conditions in the Indenture or in the case of the Parent Guarantor, shall expressly assume the payment of all amounts due under the Note Guarantee and the due and punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants and conditions of the Parent Guarantor in the Indenture and the Note Guarantee, as the case may be;
(2) immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Event of Default under the Indenture, and no event which, after notice or the lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(3) an Officer’s Certificate and Opinion of Counsel shall be delivered to the Trustee, each stating that such transaction and, if a supplemental indenture is required in connection with such transaction, such supplemental indenture comply with the Indenture and that all conditions precedent provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
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(b) Notwithstanding Section 6.8(a)(3) above, any Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor (other than the Company) may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to the Parent Guarantor and neither an Officers’ Certificate nor an Opinion of Counsel shall be required to be delivered.
(c) In the event of any transaction described in and complying with the conditions listed in this Section 6.8, but not a lease, in which the Company and/or the Parent Guarantor are not the continuing entity, the successor Person formed or remaining shall succeed, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as the case may be, and (except in the case of a lease) the Company and/or the Parent Guarantor shall be discharged from its or their obligations, as the case may be, under the Notes and the Indenture.
(d) Each Subsidiary Guarantor (if any) may merge or consolidate with or into, or sell, assign, convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of such Subsidiary Guarantor’s respective property and assets to any other entity, provided that the following conditions are met:
(1) such Subsidiary Guarantor shall be the continuing entity, or the successor entity (if other than such Subsidiary Guarantor) formed by or resulting from any consolidation or merger or which shall have received the sale, assignment, conveyance, transfer or lease of property and assets shall be domiciled in the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia and shall expressly assume by supplemental indenture the payment of all amounts due under its Guarantee of the Notes and the due and punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants and conditions of such Subsidiary Guarantor in the Indenture and the Guarantee, as the case may be; provided, that the foregoing requirement will not apply in the case of a Subsidiary Guarantor (x) that has been disposed of in its entirety to another Person (other than to the Parent Guarantor or an affiliate of the Parent Guarantor), whether through a merger, consolidation or sale of capital stock or has sold, assigned, conveyed, transferred or leased all or substantially all of its assets or (y) that, as a result of the disposition of all or a portion of its capital stock, ceases to be a Subsidiary;
(2) immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Event of Default under the Indenture, and no event which, after notice or the lapse of time, or both, would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(3) an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel each stating that the conditions precedent relating to such supplemental indenture have been met, and such supplemental indenture is permitted under the Indenture shall be delivered to the Trustee.
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(e) Notwithstanding Section 6.8(d)(3) above, any Subsidiary of any Subsidiary Guarantor (including any such Subsidiary that is a Subsidiary Guarantor) may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to such Subsidiary Guarantor and neither an Officers’ Certificate nor an Opinion of Counsel shall be required to be delivered.
(f) This Section 6.8 shall not apply to:
(1) a merger, consolidation, sale, assignment, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of assets between or among the Parent Guarantor, the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor; provided, however that the foregoing clause shall not apply to any merger, consolidation, sale, assignment, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of assets involving the Company where the Company is not the continuing entity or the successor entity; or
(2) a merger between the Parent Guarantor or any of its Subsidiaries, respectively, and an affiliate of the Parent Guarantor or such Subsidiary incorporated or formed solely for the purpose of reincorporating or reorganizing the Parent Guarantor or such Subsidiary in another state of the United States.
Section 6.9 Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.
The Parent Guarantor will pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become delinquent, all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed on it or any of its Subsidiaries or on its or any such Subsidiary’s income, profits or property and all material lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies that, if unpaid, might by law become a Lien upon its property or the property of any of its Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the Parent Guarantor will not be required to pay or discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any tax, assessment, charge or claim the amount, applicability or validity of which is being contested in good faith.
Section 6.10 Provision of Financial Information.
For so long as any Notes are outstanding, if the Parent Guarantor is subject to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or any successor provision, the Parent Guarantor will deliver to the Trustee the annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents which it is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) or any successor provision, within 15 days after the date that the Parent Guarantor files the same with the SEC. If the Parent Guarantor is not subject to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or any successor provision, and for so long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company will deliver to the Trustee within 15 days of the filing date that would be applicable to a non-accelerated filer at that time pursuant to applicable SEC rules and regulations, the quarterly and annual financial statements and accompanying Item 303 of Regulation S-K (“management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations”) disclosure that would be required to be contained in annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, respectively, had the Company been subject to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or any successor provision.
Reports and other documents filed with the SEC via the EDGAR system will be deemed to be delivered to the Trustee as of the time of such filing via EDGAR for purposes of this
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covenant; provided, however, that the Trustee shall have no obligation whatsoever to determine whether or not such information, documents or reports have been filed via EDGAR. 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 Parent Guarantor’s compliance with any of its covenants relating to the Notes (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on an Officer’s Certificate).
Section 6.11 Subsidiary Guarantors.
Following the original issue date of the Notes, the Parent Guarantor shall cause each of its Subsidiaries (other than the Company) if, and for so long as, such Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, guarantees or otherwise becomes obligated in respect of Triggering Indebtedness, to, jointly and severally with the Parent Guarantor and any other Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor that guarantees the Notes, guarantee the Company’s obligations under the Notes on a full and unconditional basis, including the due and punctual payment of principal of, and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on, the Notes, whether at Stated Maturity, upon acceleration, upon redemption or otherwise, by executing and delivering a supplemental indenture to the Indenture, substantially in the form set forth as Exhibit B hereto, and a Notation of Guarantee, attached as Exhibit A to the Base Indenture, that provides for the Guarantee within thirty calendar days and to affix such Notation of Guarantee to the Notes and, pursuant to such supplemental indenture and Notation of Guarantee, such Subsidiary shall fully and unconditionally guarantee all of the Company’s obligations under the Notes on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Indenture, including without limitation in Article V of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture (each such Subsidiary, unless and until such time such Subsidiary is released from its obligations under the Indenture and its Guarantee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, a “Subsidiary Guarantor”).
ARTICLE VII.
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Sections 7.1 and 7.2 hereof shall replace Sections 6.1 and 6.2 of the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes only.
Section 7.1 Events of Default.
“Event of Default,” wherever used herein or in the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental body):
| (a) | default for 30 days in the payment of any installment of interest under the Notes; |
| (b) | default in the payment of the principal amount or Redemption Price due with respect to the Notes, when the same becomes due and payable; |
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| (c) | failure by the Company or any Guarantor to comply with any of the Company’s or any Guarantor’s respective other agreements in the Notes, the Note Guarantee or the Indenture with respect to the Notes upon receipt by the Company of notice of such default by the Trustee or by Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding and the Company’s failure to cure (or obtain a waiver of) such default within 60 days after it receives such notice; |
| (d) | failure to pay any Debt (other than Non-Recourse Debt) for monies borrowed by the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any of their respective Significant Subsidiaries in an outstanding principal amount in excess of $50,000,000 at final maturity or upon acceleration after the expiration of any applicable grace period, which Debt (other than Non-Recourse Debt) is not discharged, or such default in payment or acceleration is not cured or rescinded, within 60 days after written notice to the Company from the Trustee (or to the Company and the Trustee from Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes); |
| (e) | the Note Guarantee of any Guarantor ceases to be in full force and effect or is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or a Guarantor denies or disaffirms its obligations under this Indenture or the Note Guarantee, except by reason of the release of such Note Guarantee in accordance with provisions of the Indenture; or |
| (f) | the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any of their respective Significant Subsidiaries pursuant to or under or within meaning of any Bankruptcy Law: |
| (i) | commences a voluntary case or proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary or its debts or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary or all or substantially all of the property of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary; or |
| (ii) | consents to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary; or |
| (iii) | consents to the appointment of a custodian of it or for all or substantially of its property; or |
| (iv) | makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or |
| (g) | an involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any of their respective Significant Subsidiaries seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary or any substantial part of the property of the Company, |
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| the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of thirty (30) calendar days; or |
| (h) | a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that: |
| (i) | is for relief against the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any of their respective Significant Subsidiaries in an involuntary case or proceeding; |
| (ii) | appoints a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary or any substantial part of the property of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary; or |
| (iii) | orders the liquidation of the Company, the Parent Guarantor or any such Significant Subsidiary, |
in each case in this Clause (h), the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for thirty (30) calendar days.
The term “Bankruptcy Law” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors.
Section 7.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Sections 7.1(f), 7.1(g) or 7.1(h), which shall result in an automatic acceleration), then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may declare the principal amount of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the outstanding Notes to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company and the Parent Guarantor (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Sections 7.1(f), 7.1(g) or 7.1(h) shall occur, the principal amount (or specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Notes shall automatically become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
At any time after the principal amount of and premium, if any, and interest on the Notes shall have been so declared due and payable, but before any judgment or decree for the payment of the monies due shall have been obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes then outstanding, by written notice to the Company and to the Trustee, may waive all Defaults or Events of Default and rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences, subject in all respects to Section 6.13 of the Base Indenture, if: (a) the Company or the Parent Guarantor has deposited with the Trustee all required payments of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, the Notes, plus the reasonable compensation and
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reimbursement for the Trustee’s expenses, disbursements and advances pursuant to Section 7.7 of the Base Indenture; and (b) all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal of (or specified portion thereof), or premium, if any, and interest on, the Notes that have become due solely because of such acceleration, have been cured or waived. No such rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall affect any subsequent default or Event of Default, or shall impair any right consequent thereon. The Company shall notify in writing a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, promptly upon becoming aware thereof, of any Event of Default, as provided in Section 4.3 of the Base Indenture and the steps to be taken to cure such Event of Default.
ARTICLE VIII.
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS
Sections 8.1 and 8.2 hereof shall replace Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes only.
Section 8.1 Without Consent of Holders.
The Company, when authorized by resolutions of the board of directors of the Parent Guarantor, and the Trustee may, from time to time and at any time, enter into an Indenture or indentures supplemental without the consent of the Holders of the Notes hereto for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the Indenture; provided that this action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Notes in any material respect;
(b) to evidence a successor to the Company as obligor or to any Guarantor as guarantor under the Indenture with respect to the Notes;
(c) to make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of any Notes then outstanding;
(d) to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the limitations set forth in the Indenture;
(e) to provide for the acceptance of appointment of a successor Trustee or facilitate the administration of the trusts under the Indenture by more than one Trustee;
(f) to comply with the requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the Indenture under the TIA;
(g) to reflect the release of any Guarantor as guarantor, in accordance with the Indenture;
(h) to secure the Notes;
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(i) to add guarantors with respect to the Notes; or
(j) to conform the text of the Indenture, any Guarantee or the Notes to any provision of the description thereof set forth under the captions “Description of Notes” and “Description of Debt Securities” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus relating to the Notes.
Upon the written request of the Company, accompanied by a copy of the resolutions of the board of directors of the Parent Guarantor certified by the corresponding Secretary or Assistant Secretary, authorizing the execution of any supplemental indenture, the Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company and the Guarantors in the execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained and to accept the conveyance, transfer and assignment of any property thereunder, but the Trustee shall not be obligated to, but may in its discretion, enter into any supplemental indenture that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this Section 8.1 may be executed by the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee without the consent of the Holders of any of the Notes at the time outstanding, notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 8.2.
Section 8.2 With Consent of Holders.
With the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, the Company, each Guarantor and the Trustee may, from time to time and at any time, 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 the Indenture or any supplemental indenture or modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Notes; provided that no such supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each Note so affected:
(a) reduce the principal amount of the Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment or waiver;
(b) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on the Notes;
(c) reduce the principal of, or premium, if any, on, or change the Stated Maturity of, the Notes;
(d) waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the Notes (except a rescission of acceleration of the Notes by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Notes and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
(e) make the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the Notes payable in any currency other than that stated in the Notes;
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(f) make any change in Section 6.8 of the Base Indenture, 6.13 of the Base Indenture or Section 8.2(f) of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture (this sentence);
(g) waive a redemption payment with respect to the Notes; or
(h) release any Guarantor as a guarantor of the Notes other than as provided in the Indenture or modify the Note Guarantee in any manner adverse to the Holders.
Upon the written request of the Company, accompanied by a copy of the resolutions of the board of directors of the Parent Guarantor certified by the corresponding Secretary or Assistant Secretary, authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the filing with the Trustee of an Officer’s Certificate certifying receipt of the requisite consent of Holders as aforesaid, upon which the Trustee shall be entitled to conclusively rely, the Trustee shall join with the Company and the Guarantors in the execution of such supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such supplemental indenture. In executing or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modification thereby of the trusts created by the Indenture, the Trustee shall receive, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel or an Officer’s Certificate or both stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by the Indenture, that all conditions precedent to the execution of such supplemental indenture have been complied with, and that the supplemental indenture is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company and the Guarantors as applicable, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section 8.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.
ARTICLE IX.
MEETINGS OF HOLDERS OF NOTES
Section 9.1 Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called.
A meeting of Holders may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to this Article IX to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act provided by the Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders.
Section 9.2 Call, Notice and Place of Meetings.
(a) The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders for any purpose specified in Section 9.1, to be held at such time and at such place in The City of New York, New York as the Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of Holders, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given, in the manner provided in Section 10.2 of the Base Indenture, not less than 21 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.
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(b) In case at any time the Company, the Parent Guarantor or the Holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes shall have requested the Trustee to call a meeting of the Holders for any purpose specified in Section 9.1, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have mailed notice of or made the first publication of the notice of such meeting within 21 days after receipt of such request or shall not thereafter proceed to cause the meeting to be held as provided herein, then the Company, the Parent Guarantor, if applicable, or the Holders in the amount above specified, as the case may be, may determine the time and the place in the City of New York, New York, for such meeting and may call such meeting for such purposes by giving notice thereof as provided in Clause (a) of this Section 9.2.
Section 9.3 Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings.
To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders, a Person shall be (a) a Holder of one or more outstanding Notes, or (b) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy for a Holder or Holders of one or more outstanding Notes by such Holder or Holders; provided, that none of the Company, any Guarantor, any other obligor upon the Notes or any Affiliate of the Company shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of Holders or be counted for purposes of determining a quorum at any such meeting in respect of any Notes owned by such Persons. The only Persons who shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any meeting of Holders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel, any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel, any representatives of any Guarantor and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.
Section 9.4 Quorum; Action.
The Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of Holders; provided, however, that if any action is to be taken at the meeting with respect to a consent or waiver which may be given by the Holders of not less than a specified percentage in principal amount of the outstanding Notes, the Persons holding or representing the specified percentage in principal amount of the outstanding Notes will constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes after the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of Holders, be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may be adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. In the absence of a quorum at any such adjourned meeting, such adjourned meeting may be further adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such adjourned meeting. Notice of the reconvening of any adjourned meeting shall be given as provided in Section 9.2, except that such notice need be given only once not less than five days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of an adjourned meeting shall state expressly the percentage, as provided above, of the principal amount of the outstanding Notes which shall constitute a quorum.
Except as limited by the proviso to Section 8.2, any resolution presented at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present as aforesaid may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes; provided, however, that, except as limited by the proviso to Section 8.2, any resolution
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with respect to any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which the Indenture expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the Holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority, in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may be adopted at a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a quorum is present as aforesaid by the affirmative vote of the Holders of such specified percentage in principal amount of the outstanding Notes. Any such resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of Holders duly held in accordance with this Section 9.4 shall be binding on all the Holders, whether or not such Holders were present or represented at the meeting.
Section 9.5 Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders in regard to proof of the holding of Notes and of the appointment of proxies and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem appropriate.
(b) The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders as provided in Section 9.2(b), in which case the Company, any Guarantor or the Holders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by vote of the Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes of such series represented at the meeting.
(c) At any meeting, each Holder or proxy shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes held or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Note challenged as not outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote, except as a Holder or proxy.
(d) Any meeting of Holders duly called pursuant to Section 9.2 at which a quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes represented at the meeting; and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.
Section 9.6 Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings.
The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders or of their representatives by proxy and the principal amounts and serial numbers of the outstanding Notes held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in triplicate of all votes cast at the meeting. A record, at least in triplicate, of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders shall be
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prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was given as provided in Section 9.2 and, if applicable, Section 9.4. Each copy shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one such copy shall be delivered to the Company and the Guarantors, and another to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.
ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 10.1 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent, Certificates to Trustee.
This Section 10.1 shall replace Sections 10.4 and 10.5 of the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes only.
Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of the Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate in a form reasonably acceptable to the Trustee stating that all covenants and conditions precedent, if any, provided for in the Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with, and an Opinion of Counsel in a form reasonably acceptable to the Trustee stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such covenants and conditions precedent have been complied with. The Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel provided for in the Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in the Indenture shall include: (1) a statement that the Person making such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel has read such covenant or condition; (2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statement or opinion contained in such Officer’s Certificate or Opinion of Counsel is based; (3) a statement that, in the opinion of such Person, such Person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such Person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with; provided, however, that with respect to matters of fact an Opinion of Counsel may rely on an Officer’s Certificate or certificates of public officials.
Section 10.2 No Recourse Against Others.
This Section 10.2 shall replace Section 10.8 of the Base Indenture with respect to the Notes only.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in Article V of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, no recourse for the payment of the principal of (including the Redemption Price upon redemption pursuant to Article IV) or premium, if any, or interest on any Note or for any claim
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based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture or in any Note, or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, partner, member, manager, employee, agent, officer, director or subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company, any Guarantor or any of the Parent Guarantor’s Subsidiaries or of any successor thereto, either directly or through the Company, any Guarantor or any of the Parent Guarantor’s Subsidiaries or any successor thereto, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the issue of the Notes.
Section 10.3 Trust Indenture Act Controls.
If any provision of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.
Section 10.4 Governing Law.
THIS FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND ANY NOTE GUARANTEE, INCLUDING ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE BASE INDENTURE, THE FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, THE NOTES AND ANY NOTE GUARANTEE, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
Section 10.5 Counterparts.
This Fourth Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Fourth Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile, email or other electronic format (including, without limitation, “pdf,” “tif” or “jpg”) and other electronic signatures (including without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign). The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code. Without limitation to the foregoing, and anything in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) any Officer’s
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Certificate, Company Order, Opinion of Counsel, Note, Note Guarantee, opinion of counsel, instrument, agreement or other document delivered pursuant to this Fourth Supplemental Indenture may be executed, attested and transmitted by any of the foregoing electronic means and formats, (b) all references in Section 2.3 of the Base Indenture, Section 5.2 of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture or elsewhere in the Indenture to the execution, attestation or authentication of any Note, any Guarantee endorsed on any Note, or any certificate of authentication appearing on or attached to any Note by means of a manual or facsimile signature shall be deemed to include signatures that are made or transmitted by any of the foregoing electronic means or formats, and (c) any requirement in this Indenture that any signature be made under a corporate seal (or facsimile thereof) shall not be applicable to the Notes or any Note Guarantees. The Company agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of using digital signatures, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions.
Section 10.6 Successors.
All agreements of the Company and each Guarantor in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall bind their respective successors.
All agreements of the Trustee in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall bind its successor.
Section 10.7 Severability.
In case any provision in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 10.8 Table of Contents, Headings, Etc.
The Table of Contents and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Section 10.9 Ratifications.
The Base Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this Fourth Supplemental Indenture, is in all respects ratified and confirmed. The Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument. All provisions included in this Fourth Supplemental Indenture with respect to the Notes supersede any conflicting provisions included in the Base Indenture unless not permitted by law. The Trustee accepts the trusts created by the Indenture, and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions of the Indenture.
Section 10.10 Effectiveness.
The provisions of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture shall become effective as of the date hereof.
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Section 10.11 The Trustee.
The Trustee accepts the trusts created by the Indenture, and agrees to perform the same upon the terms and conditions of the Indenture. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this Fourth Supplemental Indenture or the due execution thereof by the Company. The recitals contained herein shall be taken as the statements solely of the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company (or any other obligor upon the Notes), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b), the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of the TIA regarding the collection of the claims against the Company (or any such other obligor). If the Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest within the meaning of the TIA, the Trustee shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the TIA and the Indenture.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Fourth Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first written above.
| PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P., as the Company | ||
| By: Phillips Edison Grocery Center OP GP I LLC, its sole general partner | ||
| By: | /s/ John P. Caulfield | |
| Name: John P. Caulfield | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President & Treasurer | ||
| PHILLIPS EDISON & COMPANY, INC., as Parent Guarantor | ||
| By: | /s/ John P. Caulfield | |
| Name: John P. Caulfield | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President & Treasurer | ||
| U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as the Trustee | ||
| By: | /s/ Christina Bruno | |
| Name: Christina Bruno | ||
| Title: Vice President | ||
EXHIBIT A
PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P.
THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.2 OF THE FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.2(a) OF THE FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.12 OF THE BASE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P. UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK) (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
Exhibit A-1
PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P.
5.250% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2032
Certificate No. [ ]
CUSIP No.: [ ]
ISIN: [ ]
$[ ]
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (herein called the “Company,” which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co., or its registered assigns, the principal sum of [ ] MILLION DOLLARS ($[ ]), or such lesser amount as is set forth in the Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note on the other side of this Note, on August 15, 2032 at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts, and to pay interest semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on February 15, 2026 to the Holder in whose name the Note is registered in the security register on the preceding February 1 or August 1, whether or not a Business Day, as the case may be, in accordance with the terms of the Indenture. Interest on the Notes will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. The Company shall pay interest on any Notes in certificated form by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the Registrar (containing the requisite information for the Trustee or Paying Agent to make such wire transfer) at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the Persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the Registrar, or on any Global Notes by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account of the Depositary or its nominee. This Note shall not be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed manually by the Trustee or a duly authorized authenticating agent under the Indenture.
Dated: [ ], 20[ ]
Exhibit A-2
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be duly executed.
| PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P., as the Company | ||
| By: Phillips Edison Grocery Center OP GP I LLC, its sole general partner | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Exhibit A-3
TRUSTEE’S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Notes described in the within-named Indenture.
Dated: [ ], 20[ ]
| U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee | ||
| By: |
| |
| Authorized Signatory | ||
Exhibit A-4
[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF NOTE]
PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P.
5.250% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2032
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Company, designated as its 5.250% Senior Notes due 2032 (herein called the “Notes”), issued under and pursuant to an Indenture dated as of October 6, 2021 (herein called the “Base Indenture”), among the Company, Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (the “Parent Guarantor”) and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association), as trustee (herein called the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2025 (herein called the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture,” and together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee, the Company, the Parent Guarantor and the Holders of the Notes. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Note shall have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Indenture.
If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in Sections 7.1(f), 7.1(g) and 7.1(h) of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture with respect to the Company) occurs and is continuing, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest on all Notes may be declared to be due and payable by either the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, and, upon said declaration the same shall be immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Sections 7.1(f), 7.1(g) and 7.1(h) of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture occurs, the principal of and premium, if any, and interest accrued and unpaid on all the Notes shall be immediately and automatically due and payable without necessity of further action.
The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding, to execute supplemental indentures adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of the Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Notes, subject to exceptions set forth in Section 8.2 of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture. Subject to the provisions of the Indenture, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding may, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Notes, waive any past default or Event of Default, subject to exceptions set forth in the Indenture.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall impair, as among the Company and the Holder of the Notes, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on this Note at the place, at the respective times, at the rate and in the coin or currency prescribed herein and in the Indenture.
Interest on the Notes shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
Exhibit A-5
The Notes are issuable in fully registered form, without coupons, in minimum denominations of $2,000 principal amount and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. At the office or agency of the Company referred to on the face hereof, and in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, without payment of any service charge but with payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration or exchange of Notes, Notes may be exchanged for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of any other authorized denominations.
The Company shall have the right to redeem the Notes under certain circumstances as set forth in Section 4.1, Section 4.2 and Section 4.3 of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture.
The Notes are not subject to redemption through the operation of any sinking fund.
The obligations of the Guarantors to the Holders of the Notes and to the Trustee pursuant to the Note Guarantee and the Indenture are expressly set forth in Article V of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture and reference is hereby made to such Indenture for the precise terms of the Note Guarantee.
Except as expressly provided in Article V of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, no recourse for the payment of the principal of (including the Redemption Price (as defined in Section 4.1 of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture) upon redemption pursuant to Article IV of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture) or any premium, if any, or interest on this Note, or for any claim based hereon or otherwise in respect hereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company in the Indenture or in any Note, or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, partner, member, manager, employee, agent, officer, director or subsidiary, as such, past, present or future, of the Company, any Guarantor or any of the Parent Guarantor’s Subsidiaries or of any successor thereto, either directly or through the Company, any Guarantor or any of the Parent Guarantor’s Subsidiaries or of any successor thereto, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as consideration for, the execution of the Indenture and the issue of this Note.
Exhibit A-6
ASSIGNMENT FORM
To assign this Note, fill in the form below:
(I) or (we) assign and transfer this Note to:
(Insert assignee’s legal name)
(Insert assignee’s soc. sec. or tax I.D. no.)
(Print or type assignee’s name, address and zip code)
and irrevocably appoint
to transfer this Note on the books of the Company. The agent may substitute another to act for him.
Date:
Your Signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the face of this Note)
Signature Guarantee*:
| * | Participant in a recognized Signature Guarantee Medallion Program (or other signature guarantor acceptable to the Trustee). |
Exhibit A-7
SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF INTERESTS IN THE GLOBAL NOTE
The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for an interest in another Global Note or for a Definitive Note, or exchanges of a part of another Global Note or Definitive Note for an interest in this Global Note, have been made:
| Date of Exchange |
Amount of decrease in principal amount at maturity of this Global Note |
Amount of increase in principal amount at maturity of this Global Note |
Principal amount at maturity of this Global Note following such decrease(or increase) |
Signature of authorized officer of Trustee or Custodian |
Exhibit A-8
EXHIBIT B
[FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE TO BE ENTERED INTO BY SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS]
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), dated as of , 20 , among (the “Guaranteeing Subsidiary”) and a Subsidiary of the Parent Guarantor (as defined below), Phillips Edison & Company, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Parent Guarantor”), Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Company”), and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee under the Indenture referred to below (the “Trustee”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Company, the Parent Guarantor and the Trustee (as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association) have heretofore entered into an Indenture dated as of October 6, 2021 (the “Base Indenture”) providing for the issuance from time to time of Securities in one or more Series;
WHEREAS, the Company, the Parent Guarantor and the Trustee have heretofore entered into a Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of June 17, 2025 (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture”), amending and supplementing the Base Indenture and establishing a Series of Securities designated as the Company’s “5.250% Senior Notes due 2032” (the “Notes”);
WHEREAS, the Base Indenture, as amended and supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, provides that under certain circumstances the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture and Notation of Guarantee pursuant to which the Guaranteeing Subsidiary shall fully and unconditionally guarantee all of the Company’s obligations under the Notes on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Indenture, including without limitation in Article V of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture;
WHEREAS, the Base Indenture as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, and as further supplemented from time to time, including without limitation pursuant to this Supplemental Indenture, is referred to herein as the “Indenture;” and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 8.1 of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the Trustee is authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Guaranteeing Subsidiary and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of Notes as follows:
Exhibit B-1
ARTICLE I.
RELATION TO INDENTURE; DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1 Relation to Indenture.
With respect to the Notes, this Supplemental Indenture constitutes an integral part of the Indenture.
Section 1.2 Definitions.
For all purposes of this Supplemental Indenture, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned thereto in the Indenture.
Section 1.3 General References.
Unless otherwise specified or unless the context otherwise requires, (1) all references in this Supplemental Indenture to Articles and Sections refer to the corresponding Articles and Sections of this Supplemental Indenture and (2) the terms “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and any other word of similar import refer to this Supplemental Indenture.
ARTICLE II.
SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEE
Section 2.1 Agreement to Guarantee.
The Guaranteeing Subsidiary hereby fully and unconditionally guarantees all of the Company’s obligations under the Notes on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Indenture, including without limitation in Article V of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, and the Notation of Guarantee.
ARTICLE III.
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 3.1 Certain Trustee Matters.
The recitals contained herein shall be taken as the statements of the Company, the Parent Guarantor and the Guaranteeing Subsidiary, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness.
The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture or the Notes or any Guarantee or the proper authorization or the due execution hereof or thereof by the Company or the Parent Guarantor.
Except as expressly set forth herein, nothing in this Supplemental Indenture shall alter the duties, rights or obligations of the Trustee set forth in the Indenture.
Exhibit B-2
Section 3.2 Continued Effect.
Except as expressly supplemented and amended by this Supplemental Indenture, the Indenture shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with the provisions thereof, and the Indenture, as heretofore amended and supplemented, is in all respects hereby ratified and confirmed. This Supplemental Indenture and all its provisions shall be deemed a part of the Indenture, in the manner and to the extent herein and therein provided.
Section 3.3 Governing Law.
THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, INCLUDING ANY CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE BASE INDENTURE, FOURTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE OR THE NOTES, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS THEREOF.
Section 3.4 Counterparts.
This Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Supplemental Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or PDF transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Supplemental Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Supplemental Indenture for all purposes. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in this Supplemental Indenture shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile, email or other electronic format (including, without limitation, “pdf,” “tif” or “jpg”) and other electronic signatures (including without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign). The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code.
Section 3.5 Effect of Headings.
The Article and Section headings in this Supplemental Indenture are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
[Signature Pages Follow]
Exhibit B-3
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first written above.
| [Name of Guaranteeing Subsidiary] | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| PHILLIPS EDISON GROCERY CENTER OPERATING PARTNERSHIP I, L.P., as the Company | ||
| By: | Phillips Edison Grocery Center OP GP I LLC, its sole general partner | |
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| PHILLIPS EDISON & COMPANY, INC., as Parent Guarantor | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as the Trustee | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Exhibit B-4
Exhibit 5.1
June 17, 2025
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.
11501 Northlake Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
| Re: | Phillips Edison & Company, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) – Issuance and sale of $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.250% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “Notes”) by Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration Nos. 333-284765 and 333-284765-01) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on February 7, 2025 (the “Registration Statement”) |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as Maryland corporate counsel to the Company in connection with the registration of the Notes and the Guarantee (as defined herein) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), under the Registration Statement, which was filed with the Commission on or about February 7, 2025. You have requested our opinion with respect to the matters set forth below.
We understand that the Notes will be issued under, and subject to the terms of, the Indenture (as defined herein), and, pursuant to Article V of the Supplemental Indenture (as defined herein), the Company will provide a full and unconditional guarantee with respect to the Notes.
In our capacity as Maryland corporate counsel to the Company and for the purposes of this opinion, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents:
| 1. | the corporate charter of the Company (the “Charter”) represented by Articles of Amendment and Restatement filed with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”) on August 4, 2020, Articles of Amendment filed with the SDAT on July 2, 2021, Articles of Amendment filed with the SDAT on July 2, 2021, Articles Supplementary filed with the SDAT on July 2, 2021, Articles of Amendment filed with the SDAT on July 2, 2021, Articles Supplementary filed with the SDAT on July 16, 2021 and Articles Supplementary filed with the SDAT on May 5, 2022; |
| 2. | the Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, effective as of July 19, 2021 (the “Bylaws”); |
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.
June 17, 2025
Page 2
| 3. | resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, or a duly authorized committee thereof, on or as of May 1, 2025 and June 12, 2025, which, among other things, authorized the issuance of the Notes (collectively, the “Directors’ Resolutions”); |
| 4. | a fully executed counterpart of that certain global note, dated June 17, 2025, registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company’s nominee Cede & Co. representing the Notes (the “Global Note”), and a fully executed counterpart of that certain notation of guarantee, dated June 17, 2025, made by the Company for the benefit of the holders of the Notes, annexed to the Global Note (the “Guarantee”); |
| 5. | a fully executed counterpart of the Indenture, dated as of October 6, 2021 (the “Base Indenture”), by and among the Operating Partnership, the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association), as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 17, 2025, relating to the Notes (the “Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), by and among the Operating Partnership, the Company and the Trustee; |
| 6. | a certificate of two officers of the Company, dated as of a recent date (the “Officers’ Certificate”), to the effect that, among other things, the Charter, the Bylaws and the Directors’ Resolutions are true, correct and complete and have not been rescinded or modified, and that the Charter, the Bylaws and the Directors’ Resolutions are in full force and effect, as of the date of the Officers’ Certificate, and certifying as to the manner of adoption of the Directors’ Resolutions, and the form, approval, execution and delivery of the Guarantee and the Indenture; |
| 7. | the Registration Statement and the related base prospectus and prospectus supplement included therein, in substantially the form filed or to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Act; |
| 8. | a status certificate of the SDAT, dated as of a recent date, to the effect that the Company is duly incorporated and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland; and |
| 9. | such other laws, records, documents, certificates, opinions and instruments as we have deemed necessary to render this opinion, subject to the limitations, assumptions and qualifications noted below. |
In reaching the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the following:
| (a) | each person executing any instrument, document or agreement on behalf of any party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so; |
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.
June 17, 2025
Page 3
| (b) | each natural person executing any instrument, document or agreement is legally competent to do so; |
| (c) | there are no material modifications of, or amendments to, the pertinent sections of the Guarantee and the Indenture; |
| (d) | all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic; all documents submitted to us as certified, facsimile or photostatic copies conform to the original document; all signatures on all documents submitted to us for examination are genuine; and all public records reviewed are accurate and complete; |
| (e) | the Officers’ Certificate and all other certificates submitted to us are true and correct both when made and as of the date hereof; and |
| (f) | each of the parties thereto (other than the Company) have duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered each instrument, document and agreement, including but not limited to the Guarantee and the Indenture, executed in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Guarantee and the Indenture to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are its legal, valid and binding obligations, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms. |
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions and qualifications set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date of this letter:
| (i) | The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT. |
| (ii) | The Company has the corporate power to create the obligation evidenced by the Guarantee. |
| (iii) | The guarantee of the Notes by the Company pursuant to the Indenture, and the execution and delivery by the Company of the Guarantee and the Indenture, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and the Guarantee and the Indenture have been duly executed and delivered by the Company. |
The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland, and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to the applicability or effect of any federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers, or with respect to the actions required for the Operating Partnership to authorize, execute, deliver or perform its obligations under any document, instrument or agreement. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter.
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.
June 17, 2025
Page 4
This opinion letter is issued as of the date hereof and is necessarily limited to laws now in effect and facts and circumstances presently existing and brought to our attention. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion letter if any applicable laws change after the date hereof, or if we become aware of any facts or circumstances that now exist or that occur or arise in the future and may change the opinions expressed herein after the date hereof.
We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s Current Report on Form 8-K which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, and further consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the applications to securities commissioners for the various states of the United States for registration of the Notes and the Guarantee. We also consent to the identification of our firm as Maryland counsel to the Company in the section of the Registration Statement entitled “Legal Matters”. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Ballard Spahr LLP
Exhibit 5.2
| 355 South Grand Avenue, Suite 100 | ||||
| Los Angeles, California 90071-1560 | ||||
| Tel: +1.213.485.1234 Fax: +1.213.891.8763 www.lw.com | ||||
|
FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES | |||
| Austin | Milan | |||
| Beijing | Munich | |||
| Boston | New York | |||
| Brussels | Orange County | |||
| Century City | Paris | |||
| Chicago | Riyadh | |||
| June 17, 2025 | Dubai | San Diego | ||
| Düsseldorf | San Francisco | |||
| Frankfurt | Seoul | |||
| Hamburg | Silicon Valley | |||
| Hong Kong | Singapore | |||
| Houston | Tel Aviv | |||
| London | Tokyo | |||
| Los Angeles | Washington, D.C. | |||
| Madrid | ||||
Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.
11501 Northlake Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3 and Prospectus Supplement; $350,000,000 Aggregate Principal Amount of Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P.’s 5.250% Senior Notes Due 2032
To the addressees set forth above:
We have acted as special counsel to Phillips Edison Grocery Center Operating Partnership I, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), and Phillips Edison & Company, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Guarantor”), in connection with the issuance of $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Operating Partnership’s 5.250% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “Notes”) and the guarantee of the Notes (the “Guarantee”) by the Guarantor, under an indenture dated as of October 6, 2021 (the “Base Indenture”) among the Operating Partnership, the Guarantor and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of the date hereof, among the Operating Partnership, the Guarantor and the Trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), and pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on February 7, 2025 (Registration Nos. 333-284765 and 333-284765-01) (as so filed and as amended, the “Registration Statement”), a base prospectus dated February 7, 2025 included as part of the Registration Statement (the “Base Prospectus”), a preliminary prospectus supplement dated June 12, 2025 filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, a prospectus supplement dated June 12, 2025 filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act (together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”), and an underwriting agreement dated June 12, 2025 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) among the Operating Partnership, the Guarantor, and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Fifth Third Securities, Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein. This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Notes and the Guarantee.
June 17, 2025
Page 2
As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Operating Partnership, the Guarantor and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the internal laws of the State of New York and, in numbered paragraph 1, the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, and we express no opinion with respect to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the laws of any other jurisdiction or, in the case of Delaware, any other laws, or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state. Various issues pertaining to Maryland law are addressed in the opinion of Ballard Spahr LLP, which has been separately provided to you. We express no opinion with respect to those matters herein, and to the extent elements of those opinions are necessary to the conclusions expressed herein, we have, with your consent, assumed such matters.
Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof:
| (1) | When the Notes have been duly executed, issued and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in the circumstances contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, the Notes will have been duly authorized by all necessary limited partnership action of the Operating Partnership and will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Operating Partnership, enforceable against the Operating Partnership in accordance with their terms. |
| (2) | Assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Guarantor on its own behalf, when the Notes have been duly executed, issued and authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor in the circumstances contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, the Guarantee will be a legally valid and binding obligation of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with its terms. |
Our opinions are subject to: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, preference, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors; (ii)(a) the effect of general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law (including the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief), (b) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, and (c) the discretion of the court before which a proceeding is brought; and (iii) the invalidity under certain circumstances under law or court decisions of provisions providing for the indemnification of or contribution to a party with respect to a liability where such indemnification or contribution is contrary to public policy.
June 17, 2025
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We express no opinion as to (a) any provision for liquidated damages, default interest, late charges, monetary penalties, make-whole premiums or other economic remedies to the extent such provisions are deemed to constitute a penalty, (b) consents to, or restrictions upon, governing law, jurisdiction, venue, arbitration, remedies, or judicial relief, (c) the waiver of rights or defenses contained in Section 4.4 of the Base Indenture and Section 5.1(b) of the Supplemental Indenture (except, with respect to Section 5.1(b) of the Supplemental Indenture, to the extent such waiver is limited to the fullest extent that the Guarantor may do so under applicable law); (d) any provision requiring the payment of attorneys’ fees, where such payment is contrary to law or public policy; (e) any provision permitting, upon acceleration of the Notes, collection of that portion of the stated principal amount thereof which might be determined to constitute unearned interest thereon; (f) any provision to the extent it requires that a claim with respect to the Notes (or a judgment in respect of such a claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange at a particular date, to the extent applicable law otherwise provides; (g) provisions purporting to make a guarantor primarily liable rather than as a surety and provisions purporting to waive modifications of any guaranteed obligation to the extent such modification constitutes a novation; (h) advance waivers of claims, defenses, rights granted by law, or notice, opportunity for hearing, evidentiary requirements, statutes of limitation, trial by jury or at law, or other procedural rights; (i) waivers of broadly or vaguely stated rights; (j) covenants not to compete; (k) provisions for exclusivity, election or cumulation of rights or remedies; (l) provisions authorizing or validating conclusive or discretionary determinations; (m) grants of setoff rights; (n) proxies, powers and trusts; and (o) provisions prohibiting, restricting, or requiring consent to assignment or transfer of any right or property and (p) the severability, if invalid, of provisions to the foregoing effect.
With your consent, we have assumed (a) that the Notes, the Indenture and the Guarantee (collectively, the “Documents”) have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto other than the Operating Partnership, (b) that the Documents constitute legally valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto, enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms other than the Operating Partnership and the Guarantor and (c) that the status of the Documents as legally valid and binding obligations of the parties is not affected by any (i) breaches of, or defaults under, agreements or instruments, (ii) violations of statutes, rules, regulations or court or governmental orders or (iii) failures to obtain required consents, approvals or authorizations from, or make required registrations, declarations or filings with, governmental authorities.
We have further assumed, with your consent, that the Guarantor, as the sole member of Phillips Edison Shopping Center OP GP I LLC (the “General Partner”), a Delaware limited liability company and the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, has duly taken such internal actions (such as board approval) as may be necessary to enable it to duly act and that the Guarantor has duly acted (and duly authorized, executed and delivered the Documents, as applicable), in its capacity as sole member of the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, on behalf of the Operating Partnership, in connection with the Documents.
This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Guarantor’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 17, 2025 and to the reference to our firm contained in the Prospectus under
June 17, 2025
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the heading “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Sincerely, |
| /s/ Latham & Watkins LLP |