Smartfinancial Inc S-3, filed Jun 26, 2020
Smartfinancial Inc. (SMBK)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 2020
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
SMARTFINANCIAL, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Tennessee | 62-1173944 | |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600
Knoxville, Tennessee
(865) 437-5700
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
William (Billy) Y. Carroll, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
SmartFinancial, Inc.
5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600
Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
Tel: (865) 437-5700
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)
The Commission is requested to send copies of all communications to:
Mark C. Kanaly, Esq.
Alston & Bird LLP
1201 W. Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-3424
Telephone: (404) 881-7975
Facsimile: (404) 253-8390
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ¨ | Accelerated filer | x |
| Non-accelerated filer | ¨ | Smaller reporting company | x |
| 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. ¨
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered (1)(2)(3) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit (1) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2)(3) |
Amount of Registration Fee (4) |
| Common Stock | ||||
| Preferred Stock | ||||
| Senior Debt Securities | ||||
| Subordinated Debt Securities | ||||
| Depositary Shares | ||||
| Purchase Contracts | ||||
| Units(5) | ||||
| Warrants | ||||
| Rights | ||||
| Total | $100,000,000 | $12,980.00 |
| (1) | Not specified as to each class of securities to be registered pursuant to General Instruction II.D of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). |
| (2) | The Registrant is hereby registering an indeterminate principal amount and number of each identified class of its securities up to a proposed maximum aggregate offering price of $100,000,000, which may be offered from time to time in unspecified numbers at unspecified prices. The Registrant has estimated the proposed maximum aggregate offering price solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. Securities registered hereunder may be sold separately, together or as units with other securities registered hereunder. |
| (3) | The Registrant is hereby registering such indeterminate amount and number of each identified class of the identified securities as may be issued upon conversion, exchange, or exercise of any other securities that provide for such conversion, exchange or exercise. |
| (4) | Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. |
| (5) | Each unit will be issued under a unit agreement and will represent an interest in two or more other securities, which may or may not be separable from one another. |
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 26, 2020
PROSPECTUS
SmartFinancial, Inc.
$100,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Senior Debt Securities
Subordinated Debt Securities
Depositary Shares
Purchase Contracts
Units
Warrants
Rights
SmartFinancial, Inc. may offer the securities listed above in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices, and on terms determined at the time of the offering. We may sell our securities through agents we select or through underwriters and dealers we select. If we use agents, underwriters or dealers, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus or prospectus supplement.
This prospectus provides a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide specific terms of the securities offered in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus or prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in any securities. This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless accompanied by the applicable prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and trades on the exchange under the symbol “SMBK.” Each prospectus supplement will indicate if the securities offered thereby will be listed on any securities exchange. This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement or a free writing prospectus.
We may offer securities through underwriting syndicates managed or co-managed by one or more underwriters, or directly to purchasers. The prospectus supplement for each offering of securities will describe in detail the plan of distribution for that offering. For general information about the distribution of securities offered, please see “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors referred to on page 5 of this prospectus and set forth in the documents incorporated by reference herein before making any decision to invest in our securities.
None of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) or any state securities commission or any other federal regulatory agency has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
These securities are not savings accounts or deposits or obligations of any bank and are not insured by the FDIC, the Bank Insurance Fund, or any other government agency or instrumentality.
This prospectus is dated June 26, 2020.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This prospectus is a part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may sell, from time to time, any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the terms of the securities and the offering. A prospectus supplement may include a discussion of any risk factors or other special considerations applicable to those securities or to us. The supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should carefully read both this prospectus and any supplement, together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” below.
The registration statement containing this prospectus, including exhibits to the registration statement, provides additional information about us and the securities offered under this prospectus. The registration statement, including the exhibits and the documents incorporated herein by reference, can be read at the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov or at the SEC office mentioned under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” below.
We may sell securities to underwriters who will sell the securities to the public on terms fixed at the time of sale. In addition, the securities may be sold by us directly or through dealers or agents designated from time to time. If we, directly or through agents, solicit offers to purchase the securities, we reserve the sole right to accept and, together with any agents, to reject, in whole or in part, any of those offers.
Any prospectus supplement will contain the names of the underwriters, dealers or agents, if any, together with the terms of the offering, the compensation of those underwriters and the net proceeds to us. Any underwriters, dealers or agents participating in the offering may be deemed “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
All references to “SMBK,” “we,” “our,” “us,” “SmartFinancial,” or the “Company” as used in this prospectus refer to SmartFinancial, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, including SmartBank, which we sometimes refer to as “SmartBank,” or unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires.
Unless otherwise indicated, currency amounts in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement are stated in U.S. dollars.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at (800) SEC-0330 for further information about the Public Reference Room. Our filings with the SEC are also available to the public through the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. In addition, since some of our securities are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, you can read our SEC filings at the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., Reports Section, 1735 K Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. We also maintain an Internet site at www.smartfinancialinc.com at which there is additional information about our business, however the contents of that site are not incorporated by reference into, and are not otherwise a part of, this prospectus.
Incorporation of Certain INFORMATION by Reference
The SEC’s rules allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document. Any information referred to in this way is considered part of this prospectus from the date we file that document. Any reports filed by us with the SEC after the date of this prospectus will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference the following documents (other than information “furnished” and not “filed”):
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| · | Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as amended, filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020; |
| · | Those portions of our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 17, 2020 that are incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019; |
| · | Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 22, 2020, January 23, 2020, March 2, 2020, March 11, 2020, April 3, 2020, April 24, 2020, April 28, 2020, April 29, 2020, and May 29, 2020 (except for information furnished to the SEC that is not deemed to be “filed” for purposes of the Exchange Act); |
| · | The description of our common stock in our Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed with the SEC on December 6, 2019; |
| · | Any documents we file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the initial filing of this registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the effectiveness of such registration statement (except for information furnished to the SEC that is not deemed to be “filed” for purposes of the Exchange Act); and |
| · | Any documents we file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act on or after the date of this prospectus and before the termination of the offering of the securities offered hereby (except for information furnished to the SEC that is not deemed to be “filed” for purposes of the Exchange Act). |
We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon his or her written or oral request, a copy of any or all documents referred to above which have been or may be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, excluding exhibits to those documents unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents. You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at:
Investor Relations
SMARTFINANCIAL, INC.
5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600
Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
Tel: (865) 437-5700
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with additional or different information. We may only use this prospectus to sell securities if it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. We are only offering these securities in jurisdictions where the offer is permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement or any document incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the dates of the applicable documents.
SPECIAL CAUTIONARY NOTICE
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made or incorporated by reference in this prospectus which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of, and subject to the protections of, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, targets, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions and future performance and involve known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control and which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements or the commercial banking industry or economy generally, to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
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All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “assumes,” “predicts,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “intends,” “targets,” “estimates,” “projects,” “plans,” “potential” and other similar words and expressions of the future or otherwise regarding the outlook for our future business and financial performance and/or the performance of the commercial banking industry and economy in general. Forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements in this registration statement, including, but not limited to: competitive pressures among financial institutions increasing significantly; economic conditions, either nationally or locally, in areas in which the Company conducts operations being less favorable than expected; and legislation or regulatory changes which adversely affect the ability of the consolidated Company to conduct business combinations or new operations.
Other potential risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
| ● | the effects of future economic, business and market conditions and disruptions in the credit and financial markets, domestic and foreign; | ||
| ● | changes in the local economies in our market areas which adversely affect our customers and their ability to transact profitable business with us, including the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans according to their terms or a change in the value of the related collateral; | ||
| ● | changes in the availability of funds resulting in increased costs or reduced liquidity, as well as the adequacy of our cash flow from operations and borrowings to meet our short-term liquidity needs; | ||
| ● | a deterioration or downgrade in the credit quality and credit agency ratings of the investment securities in our investment securities portfolio; | ||
| ● | impairment concerns and risks related to our investment securities portfolio of collateralized mortgage obligations, agency mortgage-backed securities, and obligations of states and political; | ||
| ● | the incurrence and possible impairment of goodwill associated with current or future acquisitions and possible adverse short-term effects on our results of operations; | ||
| ● | increased credit risk in our assets and increased operating risk caused by a material change in commercial, consumer and/or real estate loans as a percentage of our total loan portfolio; | ||
| ● | the concentration of our loan portfolio in loans collateralized by real estate; | ||
| ● | our level of construction and land development and commercial real estate loans; | ||
| ● | failure to prevent a breach to our Internet-based system and online commerce security; | ||
| ● | changes in the levels of loan prepayments and the resulting effects on the value of our loan portfolio; | ||
| ● | the failure of assumptions and estimates underlying the establishment of and provisions made to the allowance for loan losses; | ||
| ● | our ability to expand and grow our business and operations, including the establishment of additional branches and acquisition of additional branches and banks, and our ability to realize the cost savings and revenue enhancements we expect from such activities; | ||
| ● | government intervention in the U.S. financial system, including the effects of legislative, tax, accounting and regulatory actions and reforms, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the capital ratios of Basel III as adopted by the federal banking authorities and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; | ||
| ● | uncertainty related to the transition away from or methods of calculating the London Inter-bank Offered Rate; | ||
| ● | increased competition for deposits and loans adversely affecting rates and terms; | ||
| ● | the continued service of key management personnel; | ||
| ● | the potential payment of interest on demand deposit accounts to effectively compete for customers; | ||
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| ● | potential environmental liability risk associated with properties that we assume upon foreclosure; | |
| ● | increased asset levels and changes in the composition of assets and the resulting impact on our capital levels and regulatory capital ratios; | |
| ● | risks of current or future mergers and acquisitions, including the related time and cost of implementing transactions and the potential failure to achieve expected gains, revenue growth or expense savings; | |
| ● | increases in regulatory capital requirements for banking organizations generally, which may adversely affect our ability to expand our business or could cause us to shrink our business; | |
| ● | acts of God or of war or other conflicts, acts of terrorism, pandemics or other catastrophic events that may affect general economic conditions; | |
| ● | impact of the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19); | |
| ● | changes in accounting policies, rules and practices and applications or determinations made thereunder; | |
| ● | fraudulent and negligent acts by loan applicants, mortgage brokers and our employees; | |
| ● | failure to maintain effective internal controls and procedures; | |
| ● | the risk that our deferred tax assets could be reduced if future taxable income is less than currently estimated, if corporate tax rates in the future are less than current rates, or if sales of our capital stock trigger limitations on the amount of net operating loss carryforwards that we may utilize for income tax purposes; and | |
| ● | our ability to attract and retain qualified employees. |
For a discussion of these and other risks that may cause actual results to differ from expectations, refer to “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors” and other information contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and our other periodic filings, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, that we file from time to time with the SEC. All written or oral forward-looking statements that are made by or are attributable to the Company are expressly qualified by this cautionary notice. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements since those statements speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of new information or unanticipated events, except as may otherwise be required by law.
The following is a brief summary of our business. It does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. Before you decide to purchase any of our securities, you should read carefully this entire prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, along with any other information we refer to in, or incorporate by reference into, this prospectus and accompanying prospectus supplement.
We are a bank holding company that was incorporated on September 19, 1983 under the laws of the State of Tennessee, and operate primarily through our wholly-owned bank subsidiary, SmartBank. SmartBank provides a comprehensive suite of commercial and consumer banking services to clients through 35 full-service bank branches and two loan production offices in select markets in East and Middle Tennessee, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
While we offer a wide range of commercial banking services, we focus on making loans secured primarily by commercial real estate and other types of secured and unsecured commercial loans to small and medium-sized businesses in a number of industries, as well as loans to individuals for a variety of purposes. Our principal sources of funds for loans and investing in securities are deposits and, to a lesser extent, borrowings. We offer a broad range of deposit products, including checking (“NOW”), savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit. We actively pursue business relationships by utilizing the business contacts of our senior management, other bank officers and our directors, thereby capitalizing on our knowledge of our local market areas.
SMBK had, on a consolidated basis, total assets of $2.87 billion, total loans of $2.14 billion, total deposits of $2.34 billion and shareholders’ equity of $336.2 million at March 31, 2020.
The principal executive offices of SMBK are located at 5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919, and its telephone number is (865) 437-5700. SMBK’s website can be accessed at www.smartfinancialinc.com. Information contained in SMBK’s website does not constitute a part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus.
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Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q which descriptions are incorporated by reference herein, as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto before making a decision to invest in our securities. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations and financial condition.
We intend to use the net proceeds from the sales of the securities as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We will not receive any proceeds from the resale of shares of common stock by selling shareholders under this prospectus or any supplement to it.
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
This prospectus contains summary descriptions of our common stock, preferred stock, senior and subordinated debt securities, depositary shares, purchase contracts, units, warrants and rights that we may offer from time to time. These summary descriptions are not meant to be complete descriptions of such securities. The particular terms of any security will be described in the related prospectus supplement and other offering material.
The material terms and provisions of the Company’s capital stock are summarized as set forth below. The following summary is not intended to be relied upon as an exhaustive list or a detailed description of the provisions discussed and is qualified in its entirety by the Tennessee Business Corporation Act (the “TBCA”) and by the Second Amended and Restated Charter (the “Charter”) and Second Amended and Restated Bylaws (as amended, the “Bylaws”) of the Company. Copies of our Charter and Bylaws are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation Of Certain Information By Reference.”
General
We are authorized to issue 42,000,000 shares of capital stock of which 40,000,000 are shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, and 2,000,000 are shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share. As of June 25, 2020, there were 15,216,932 shares of common stock outstanding (inclusive of 63,318 shares of restricted common stock having voting rights) and no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
Common Stock
General. Each share of SMBK common stock has the same relative rights as, and is identical in all respects to, each other share of SMBK common stock. SMBK’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “SMBK.”
Voting Rights; Cumulative Voting. The outstanding shares of SMBK common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. Holders of SMBK common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders. Holders of SMBK common stock do not have preemptive rights and are not entitled to cumulative voting rights with respect to the election of directors. SMBK’s common stock is neither redeemable nor convertible into other securities, and there are no sinking fund provisions with respect to the common stock. Subject to the preferences applicable to any shares of SMBK preferred stock outstanding at the time, holders of common stock are entitled to, in the event of liquidation, share pro rata in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities.
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Board of Directors. The business of SMBK is controlled by a board of directors, which is elected by a non-cumulative vote of the common shareholders. SMBK’s bylaws provide that the power to increase or decrease the number of directors and to fill vacancies is vested in SMBK’s board of directors. The overall effect of this provision may be to prevent a person or entity from seeking to acquire control of SMBK through an increase in the number of directors on the board of directors and the election of designated nominees to fill newly created vacancies.
Dividends. Holders of SMBK common stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as and if declared by SMBK’s board of directors out of funds legally available for dividends. In order to pay any dividends, SMBK generally must receive dividends from SmartBank. Under the Tennessee Banking Act, SmartBank is subject to restrictions on the payment of dividends to SMBK. Pursuant to these laws, SmartBank may only make a dividend from the surplus profits arising from the business of the bank, and may not declare dividends in any calendar year that exceeds the total of its retained net income of that year combined with its retained net income of the preceding two years without the prior approval of the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Financial institutions (the “TDFI”). Moreover, Tennessee laws regulating SmartBank requires certain charges against and transfers from SmartBank’s undivided profit account before undivided profits can be made available for the payment of dividends. Furthermore, the TDFI also has the authority to prohibit the payment of dividends by SmartBank if it determines such payment to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice. SMBK’s ability to pay dividends to shareholders in the future will depend on its earnings and financial condition, liquidity and capital requirements, the general economic and regulatory climate, SMBK’s ability to service any equity or debt obligations senior to SMBK’s common stock and other factors deemed relevant by SMBK’s board of directors.
The principal source of funds from which SMBK pays cash dividends are the dividends received from its bank subsidiary, SmartBank. Consequently, dividends are dependent upon SmartBank’s earnings, capital needs, and regulatory policies, as well as statutory and regulatory limitations. Federal and state banking laws and regulations restrict the amount of dividends and loans a bank may make to its parent company. Approval by SMBK’s regulators is required if the total of all dividends declared in any calendar year exceeds the total of its net income for that year combined with its retained net income of the preceding two years.
Under certain conditions, dividends paid to SMBK by SmartBank are subject to approval by the TDFI. In addition, under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act, banks may not pay a dividend if, after paying the dividend, the bank would be undercapitalized.
Preemptive Rights; Liquidation; Redemption. SMBK common stock does not carry any preemptive rights enabling a holder to subscribe for or receive shares of SMBK common stock. In the event of liquidation, holders of SMBK common stock are entitled to share in the distribution of assets remaining after payment of debts and expenses and after required payments to holders of SMBK preferred stock, if any such shares are outstanding. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to SMBK common stock.
Preferred Stock
Under the terms of our Charter, the Company has authorized the issuance of up to 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, any part or all of which shares may be established and designated from time to time by the board of directors by filing an amendment to the Charter, which is effective without shareholder action. If we offer preferred stock, we will file the terms of the preferred stock with the SEC, and the prospectus supplement relating to that offering will include a description of the specific terms of the offerings. Our Charter authorizes our board of directors to establish one or more series of preferred stock, and to establish such preferences, limitations and relative rights as may be applicable to each series of preferred stock. The issuance of preferred stock and the determination of the terms of preferred stock by the board of directors, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, adversely affect the voting power of the holders of our common stock. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Amended and Restated Charter and Bylaws of SMBK and the TBCA.
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In addition, as described under “Description of Depositary Shares,” we may, instead of offering full shares of any series of preferred stock, offer depositary shares evidenced by depositary receipts, each representing a fraction of a share of the particular series of preferred stock issued and deposited with a depositary. The fraction of a share of preferred stock which each depositary share represents will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such depositary shares.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
General. Our charter and bylaws, as well as the TBCA, contain certain provisions designed to enhance the ability of our board of directors to deal with attempts to acquire control of us. These provisions may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may discourage takeover attempts which have not been approved by the board of directors (including takeovers which certain shareholders may deem to be in their best interest). To the extent that such takeover attempts are discouraged, temporary fluctuations in the market price of common stock resulting from actual or rumored takeover attempts may be inhibited. These provisions also could discourage or make more difficult a merger, tender offer or proxy contest, even though such transaction may be favorable to the interests of shareholders, and could potentially adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
The following briefly summarizes protective provisions that are contained in our charter and bylaws and which are provided by the TBCA. This summary is necessarily general and is not intended to be a complete description of all the features and consequences of those provisions and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our charter and bylaws and the statutory provisions contained in the TBCA.
Authorized but Unissued Stock. The authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock will be available for future issuance without shareholder approval. These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future private or public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions, and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved shares of common stock and preferred stock may enable the board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which could render more difficult or discourage any attempt to obtain control of us by means such as a proxy contest, tender offer, or merger, and thereby protect the continuity of the company’s management.
Removal of Directors and Filling Vacancies. Our charter and bylaws provide that a director may be removed from office prior to the expiration of such director’s term only for cause at a meeting called for such purpose. Our bylaws provide that all vacancies on our board may be filled by the board of directors for the unexpired term.
Advance Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals. Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with regard to shareholder proposals. These procedures provide that the shareholder must submit certain information regarding the proposal, together with the proposal itself, to our corporate secretary in advance of the annual meeting. Shareholders submitting proposals for inclusion in our proxy statement must comply with the proxy rules under the Exchange Act. We may reject a shareholder proposal that is not made in accordance with such procedures.
Certain Nomination Requirements. Pursuant to our bylaws, we have established certain nomination requirements for an individual to be elected as a director at any annual or special meeting of the shareholders, including that the nominating party provide us within a specified time prior to the meeting (i) the name and address of the shareholder who intends to make the nomination and of the person or persons to be nominated; (ii) a representation that the shareholder is a holder of record of SMBK stock entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice; (iii) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the shareholder and each nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nomination or nominations are to be made by the shareholder; (iv) such other information regarding each nominee proposed by such shareholder as would be required to be included in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC, had the nominee been nominated, or intended to be nominated, by the board of directors; and (v) the consent of each nominee to serve as a director of the Company if so elected. These provisions could reduce the likelihood that a third party would nominate and elect individuals to serve on our board of directors.
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Business Combinations with Interested Shareholders. The Tennessee business combinations statute provides that a 10% or greater shareholder of a resident domestic corporation cannot engage in a “business combination” (as defined in the statute) with such corporation for a period of two years following the date on which the 10% shareholder became such, unless the business combination or the acquisition of shares is approved by a majority of the disinterested members of such corporation’s board of directors before the 10% shareholder’s share acquisition date. This statute further provides that at no time (even after the two-year period subsequent to such share acquisition date) may the 10% shareholder engage in a business combination with the relevant corporation unless certain approvals of the board of directors or disinterested shareholders are obtained or unless the consideration given in the combination meets certain minimum standards set forth in the statute. The law is very broad in its scope and is designed to inhibit unfriendly acquisitions but it does not apply to corporations whose charter contains a provision electing not to be covered by the law. Our charter does not contain such a provision. An amendment of our charter to that effect would, however, permit a business combination with an interested shareholder even though that status was obtained prior to the amendment.
Indemnification. The TBCA provides that a corporation may indemnify any of its directors and officers against liability incurred in connection with a proceeding if (i) the director or officer acted in good faith, (ii) in the case of conduct in his or her official capacity with the corporation, the director or officer reasonably believed such conduct was in the corporation’s best interest, (iii) in all other cases, the director or officer reasonably believed that his or her conduct was not opposed to the best interest of the corporation, and (iv) in connection with any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. In actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, however, the TBCA provides that no indemnification may be made if the director or officer was adjudged to be liable to the corporation. In cases where the director or officer is wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding instigated because of his or her status as an officer or director of a corporation, the TBCA mandates that the corporation indemnify the director or officer against reasonable expenses incurred in the proceeding. The TBCA also provides that in connection with any proceeding charging improper personal benefit to an officer or director, no indemnification may be made if such officer or director is adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the TBCA provides that a court of competent jurisdiction, upon application, may order that an officer or director be indemnified for reasonable expenses if, in consideration of all relevant circumstances, the court determines that such individual is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, notwithstanding the fact that (i) such officer or director was adjudged liable to the corporation in a proceeding by or in right of the corporation, (ii) such officer or director was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by him, or (iii) such officer or director breached his duty of care to the corporation.
The TBCA also empowers a corporation to provide insurance for directors and officers against liability arising out of their positions, even though the insurance coverage may be broader than the corporation’s power to indemnify. SMBK maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for the benefit of its directors and officers.
Our bylaws provide that the company will indemnify, to the fullest extent authorized by the TBCA and applicable federal law or regulations, any person who is made a party to or is involved in any proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of SMBK, provided that the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director or officer.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling SMBK pursuant to the provisions discussed above, SMBK has been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
Certain rules of the FDIC limit the ability of certain depository institutions, their subsidiaries and their affiliated depository institution holding companies to indemnify affiliated parties, including institution directors. In general, subject to the ability to purchase directors and officers liability insurance and to advance professional expenses under certain circumstances, the rules prohibit such institutions from indemnifying a director for certain costs incurred with regard to an administrative or enforcement action commenced by any federal banking agency that results in a final order or settlement pursuant to which the director is assessed a civil money penalty, removed from office, prohibited from participating in the affairs of an insured depository institution or required to cease and desist from or take an affirmative action described in Section 8(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. § 1818(b)).
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Anti-Takeover Statutes
In addition to certain of the provisions in our charter discussed above, the State of Tennessee has adopted statutes that can have an anti-takeover effect and may delay or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a shareholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for shares of our common stock.
Tennessee Control Share Acquisition Act. The Tennessee Control Share Acquisition Act generally provides that, except as stated below, “control shares” will not have any voting rights. Control shares are shares acquired by a person under certain circumstances which, when added to their shares owned, would give such person effective control over one-fifth or more, or a majority of all voting power (to the extent such acquired shares cause such a person to exceed one-fifth or one-third of all voting power) in the election of a Tennessee corporation’s directors. However, voting rights will be restored to control shares by resolutions approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the corporation’s voting stock, other than shares held by the owner of the control shares. If voting rights are granted to control shares which give the holder a majority of all voting power in the election of the corporation’s directors, then the corporation’s other shareholders may require the corporation to redeem their shares at fair value.
The Tennessee Control Share Acquisition Act is not applicable to us because our charter does not contain a specific provision “opting in” to the act, as is required.
Tennessee Investor Protection Act. The Tennessee Investor Protection Act provides that unless a Tennessee corporation’s board of directors has recommended a takeover offer to shareholders, no offeror beneficially owning 5% or more of any class of equity securities of the offeree company, any of which was purchased within the preceding year, may make a takeover offer for any class of equity security of the offeree company if after completion the offeror would be a beneficial owner of more than 10% of any class of outstanding equity securities of the company unless the offeror, before making such purchase: (1) makes a public announcement of his or her intention with respect to changing or influencing the management or control of the offeree company; (2) makes a full, fair and effective disclosure of such intention to the person from whom he or she intends to acquire such securities; and (3) files with the Tennessee Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance, or Commissioner, and the offeree company a statement signifying such intentions and containing such additional information as may be prescribed by the Commissioner.
The offeror must provide that any equity securities of an offeree company deposited or tendered pursuant to a takeover offer may be withdrawn by an offeree at any time within seven days from the date the offer has become effective following filing with the Commissioner and the offeree company and public announcement of the terms or after 60 days from the date the offer has become effective. If the takeover offer is for less than all the outstanding equity securities of any class, such an offer must also provide for acceptance of securities pro rata if the number of securities tendered is greater than the number the offeror has offered to accept and pay for. If such an offeror varies the terms of the takeover offer before its expiration date by increasing the consideration offered to offerees, the offeror must pay the increased consideration for all equity securities accepted, whether accepted before or after the variation in the terms of the offer.
The Tennessee Investor Protection Act does not apply to us, as it does not apply to bank holding companies subject to regulation by a federal agency and does not apply to any offer involving a vote by holders of equity securities of the offeree company.
TBCA. The Tennessee Business Combination Act generally prohibits a “business combination” by a company or any of our subsidiaries with an “interested shareholder” within five years after the shareholder becomes an interested shareholder. The company or any of its subsidiaries can, however, enter into a business combination within that period if, before the interested shareholder became such, the company’s board of directors approved the business combination or the transaction in which the interested shareholder became an interested shareholder. After that five-year moratorium, the business combination with the interested shareholder can be consummated only if it satisfies certain fair price criteria or is approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the other shareholders.
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For purposes of these provisions of the Tennessee Business Combination Act, a “business combination” includes mergers, share exchanges, sales and leases of assets, issuances of securities, and similar transactions. An “interested shareholder” is generally any person or entity that beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of any outstanding class or series of our stock.
Tennessee Greenmail Act. The Tennessee Greenmail Act applies to a Tennessee corporation that has a class of voting stock registered or traded on a national securities exchange or registered with the SEC pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act. Under the Tennessee Greenmail Act, a company may not purchase any of its shares at a price above the market value of such shares from any person who holds more than 3% of the class of securities to be purchased if such person has held such shares for less than two years, unless the purchase has been approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of each class of voting stock issued by the company or the company makes an offer, or at least equal value per share, to all shareholders of such class.
Bank Holding Company Act. The Bank Holding Company Act requires any “bank holding company,” as defined in the Bank Holding Company Act, to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board prior to the acquisition of 5% or more of our common stock. Any person, other than a bank holding company, is required to obtain prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board to acquire 10% or more of our common stock under the Change in Bank Control Act. Any holder of 25% or more of our common stock, or a holder of 5% or more if such holder otherwise exercises a “controlling influence” over us, is subject to regulation as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act.
DESCRIPTION OF SENIOR AND SUBORDINATED DEBT SECURITIES
We may offer from time to time debt securities in the form of either senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities. Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. We will issue debt securities under one or more separate indentures between us and a trustee to be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The following summary of the general terms and provisions of the indenture is not complete (the text below refers to both indentures as the form of “indenture”). Forms of indentures for senior indebtedness and subordinated indebtedness are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The indentures are substantially identical except as described below under “Subordinated Debt Securities” in this section. You should read the indentures for provisions that may be important to you.
When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, the prospectus supplement will describe the specific terms of the series, and it will also address whether the general terms and provisions described below apply to the particular series of debt securities. Capitalized terms used in the summary have the meanings specified in the forms of indenture.
General
Unless otherwise provided in a supplemental indenture, our board of directors will set the particular terms of each series of debt securities, which will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series. We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture, in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium or at a discount. Among other things, the prospectus supplement relating to a series of debt securities being offered will address the following terms of the debt securities:
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| · | the title of the debt securities; |
| · | the price(s), expressed as a percentage of the principal amount, at which we will sell the debt securities; | |
| · | whether the debt securities will be senior or subordinated, and, if subordinated, any such provisions that are different from those described below under “Subordinated Debt Securities;” | |
| · | any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; | |
| · | the date(s) when principal payments are due on the debt securities; | |
| · | the interest rate(s) on the debt securities, which may be fixed or variable, per annum or otherwise, and the method used to determine the rate(s), the dates on which interest will begin to accrue and be payable, and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; | |
| · | the place(s) where principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be payable; | |
| · | provisions governing redemption of the debt securities, including any redemption or purchase requirements pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities, and the redemption price and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations; | |
| · | the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than minimum denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof; |
| · | whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities; |
| · | the portion of the principal of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the entire principal amount; |
| · | any additional or modified events of default from those described in this prospectus or in the indenture and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture; | |
| · | any additional or modified covenants from those described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; |
| · | any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities; and | |
| · | any other specific terms of such debt securities. |
In addition, we may issue convertible debt securities. Any conversion provisions of a particular series of debt securities will be set forth in the officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture related to that series of debt securities and will be described in the relevant prospectus supplement. To the extent applicable, conversion may be mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option, in which case the number of shares of common or preferred stock to be received upon conversion would be calculated as of a time and in the manner stated in the prospectus supplement.
The applicable prospectus supplement will provide an overview of the U.S. federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any debt securities we offer for sale.
Transfer and Exchange
As described in the applicable prospectus supplement, each debt security will be represented by either a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) or one or more global securities registered in the name of a depositary, or its nominee (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), in the aggregate principal amount of the series of debt securities. Except as described below under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System,” book-entry debt securities will not be certificated.
Certificated Debt Securities
You can transfer certificated debt securities (and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest thereon) only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities. Either we or the trustee will reissue the existing certificate, or issue a new certificate, to the new holder.
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You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. There is no service charge, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any taxes or other governmental charges payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System
Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company (which we refer to below as “DTC” or the “depositary”), as the depositary, and registered in its (or its nominee’s) name. DTC is a limited-purpose trust company and a “banking organization” organized under New York law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within in the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to Section 17A of the Exchange Act. We understand that DTC intends to follow the following procedures with respect to book-entry debt securities.
Ownership of beneficial interests in book-entry debt securities will be limited to “participants” or persons that may hold interests through participants (sometimes called “indirect participants”). A participant is a person having an account with the depositary for the related global debt security, typically broker-dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations. Upon the issuance of a global debt security, the depositary will credit the participants’ accounts on its book-entry registration and transfer system with the respective principal amounts of the book-entry debt securities owned by such participants; the depositary will have no knowledge of the underlying beneficial owners of the book-entry debt securities owned by participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the book-entry debt securities will designate accounts to be credited. Ownership of book-entry debt securities will be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary for the related global debt security (with respect to interests of participants) and on the records of participants (with respect to interests of indirect participants). Some states may legally require certain purchasers to take physical delivery of such securities, which may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in book-entry debt securities.
So long as DTC (or its nominee) is the registered owner of a global debt security, DTC or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the book-entry debt securities represented by such global debt security for all purposes under the indenture. This means that, except as described below, beneficial owners of book-entry debt securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names or to receive physical delivery of a certificate in definitive form nor will such beneficial owners be considered the owners or holders of those securities under the indenture. Accordingly, to exercise any rights of a holder under the indenture each person beneficially owning book-entry debt securities must rely on DTC’s procedures for the related global debt security and, if such person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which such person owns its interest. As a beneficial owner of book-entry debt securities, information regarding your holdings will come through the participant, or indirect participant, through which you own such securities.
Notwithstanding the above, under existing industry practice, the depositary may authorize persons on whose behalf it holds a global debt security to exercise certain of a holder’s rights. For purposes of obtaining any consents or directions required to be given by holders of the debt securities under the indenture, we, the trustee and our respective agents will treat DTC as the holder of a debt security and/or any persons specified in a written statement of the depositary with respect to that global debt security.
All payments of principal of, and premium and interest on, book-entry debt securities will be paid to DTC (or its nominee) as the registered holder of the related global debt security, and any redemption notices will be sent directly to DTC. Neither we, the trustee nor any other agent of ours or agent of the trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in a global debt security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to beneficial ownership interests. We expect DTC, upon receipt of any payment of principal of, premium or interest on a global debt security, to immediately credit participants’ accounts with payments ratably according to the respective amounts of book-entry debt securities held by each participant. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in book-entry debt securities held through those participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, similar to those for securities held in “street name.”
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We will issue certificated debt securities in exchange for each global debt security if the depositary at any time cannot or will not continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and we fail to appoint a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days. In addition, we may at any time and in our sole discretion decide not to have the book-entry debt securities represented by global debt securities; in that event, we will issue certificated debt securities in exchange for the global debt securities of that series. If an event of default with respect to the book-entry debt securities represented by those global debt securities has occurred and is continuing, holders may exchange global debt securities for certificated debt securities.
We have obtained the foregoing information concerning DTC and its book-entry system from sources we believe to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions affording holders of the debt securities protection, such as prior consent or acceleration rights, in the event we agree to a change in control or a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control), which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Covenants
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe any restrictive covenants applicable to any debt securities we offer for sale.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate or merge with, or sell or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to, any person, which we refer to as a “successor,” unless:
| · | we are the surviving corporation or the successor (if not us) is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; |
| · | immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no event of default, and no event which after the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, would become an event of default, shall have occurred and be continuing under the indenture; and |
| · | certain other conditions are met. |
Events of Default
For any series of debt securities, in addition to any event of default described in the prospectus supplement applicable to that series, an event of default will include the following events:
| · | default in the payment when due of any interest on any debt security of that series, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless we deposit the entire amount of such payment with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of such 30-day period); |
| · | default in the payment when due of principal of any debt security of that series; |
| · | default in the deposit when due of any sinking fund payment in respect of any debt security of that series; |
| · | default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty in the indenture that applies to such series, which default continues (without such default or breach having been waived in accordance with the provisions of the indenture) for a period of 90 days after we have received written notice of the failure to perform in the manner specified in the indenture; and |
| · | certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization involving us. |
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The applicable prospectus supplement will explain whether or not an event of default with respect to one series of debt securities will constitute a cross-default with respect to any other series of debt securities (except that certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization will always constitute cross-defaults).
If an event of default with respect to any outstanding debt securities occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of 25.0% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by written notice to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), accelerate the payment of the principal (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. Such acceleration is automatic (without any notice required) in the case of an event of default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization. Following acceleration, payments on our subordinated debt securities, if any, will be subject to the subordination provisions described below under “Subordinated Debt Securities.” At any time after acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series, but before the trustee has obtained a court judgment or decree for payment of the amounts due, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. The prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities will contain particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an event of default.
Each indenture will provide that the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any rights or powers under such indenture at the request of any holder of outstanding debt securities unless the trustee is indemnified to its satisfaction against any loss, liability or expense. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.
No holder of any debt security may institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
| · | that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing event of default with respect to debt securities of that series; and |
| · | the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have requested the trustee in writing (and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee) to institute the proceeding (and have not subsequently given contrary instructions), and the trustee has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
Under the indenture we must furnish the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year. The indenture provides that, other than with respect to payment defaults, the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of a default or event of default if it in good faith determines that withholding notice is in the interests of the holders of those debt securities.
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Modification and Waiver
We may amend or supplement the indenture or a series of debt securities if the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments consent thereto. We may not make any amendment or waiver without the consent of the specific holder of an affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment or waiver will:
| · | reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; |
| · | reduce the rate of, or extend the time for payment of, interest (including default interest) on any debt security; |
| · | reduce the principal or change the stated maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation; |
| · | reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity; |
| · | waive a default or event of default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); |
| · | make the principal of or interest, if any, on any debt security payable in any currency other than that stated in the debt security; |
| · | make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, holders’ rights to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or |
| · | waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security. |
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of all holders waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. In certain circumstances, the indenture can be amended without the consent of the holders. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of all holders waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a payment default or a default of a covenant or provision which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of the series affected; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration.
Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance
We may deposit with the trustee, in trust, cash or U.S. government securities in an amount that, which through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide, not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, which is sufficient in the opinion of our independent public accountants to make all payments of principal and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities of that series on the due dates for such payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities. If we make such a deposit, unless otherwise provided under the applicable series of debt securities, we will be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of such series (except for obligations relating to the transfer or exchange of debt securities and the replacement of stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities and relating to maintaining paying agencies and the treatment of funds held by paying agents and certain rights of the trustee and our obligations with respect thereto). However, this discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee a legal opinion stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and, based thereon confirming that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.
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Defeasance of Certain Covenants
Under the indenture (and unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities), upon making the deposit and delivering the legal opinion described in “Legal Defeasance” above, we will not need to comply with the covenants described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants that may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and any such noncompliance will not constitute a default or an event of default with respect to the debt securities of that series, or covenant defeasance.
Covenant Defeasance and Events of Default
If we exercise our option to effect covenant defeasance with respect to any series of debt securities and the debt securities of that series are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any event of default, the amounts on deposit with the trustee will be sufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities of that series at the time of their stated maturity but may not be sufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities of that series at the time of the acceleration resulting from the event of default. We will remain liable for those payments.
The Trustee
The indentures limit the right of the trustee, should it become a creditor of us, to obtain payment of claims or secure its claims. The trustee is permitted to engage in certain other transactions. However, if the trustee acquires any conflicting interest, and there is a default under the debt securities of any series for which it is trustee, the trustee must eliminate the conflict or resign.
Subordinated Debt Securities
The indenture will govern the extent to which payment on any subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the prior payment in full of all of our senior indebtedness. The subordinated debt securities also are effectively subordinated to all debt and other liabilities, including trade payables and lease obligations, if any, of our subsidiaries.
Upon any distribution of our assets upon any dissolution, winding up, liquidation or reorganization, the payment of principal and interest on subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the prior payment in full of all senior indebtedness in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such senior indebtedness. If subordinated debt securities are accelerated because of an event of default, the holders of any senior indebtedness would be entitled to payment in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to such holders of all senior indebtedness obligations before the holders of the subordinated debt securities are entitled to receive any payment or distribution. The indenture requires us or the trustee to promptly notify holders of designated senior indebtedness of any acceleration of payment of the subordinated debt securities.
We may not make any payment on the subordinated debt securities, including upon redemption (whether at the holder’s or our option) if:
| · | a default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, interest, rent or other obligations in respect of any senior indebtedness occurs and is continuing beyond any applicable grace period (called a “payment default”); or |
| · | a default (other than a payment default) with respect to designated senior indebtedness occurs and is continuing that permits holders of designated senior indebtedness to accelerate its maturity, and the trustee receives a notice of such default (called a “payment blockage notice”) from us or any other person permitted to give such notice under the indenture (called a “non-payment default”). |
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We may resume payments and distributions on the subordinated debt securities, in the case of a payment default, upon the date on which such default is cured or waived or ceases to exist; and, in the case of a non-payment default, the earlier of the date on which such nonpayment default is cured or waived and 179 days after the date on which the payment blockage notice is received, if the maturity of the designated senior indebtedness has not been accelerated, unless the indenture otherwise prohibits such payment or distribution at the time of such payment or distribution.
No new payment blockage notice may be given unless and until 365 days have elapsed since the initial effectiveness of the immediately prior payment blockage notice and all scheduled payments, premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities that have come due have been paid in full in cash. A non-payment default existing or continuing on the date of delivery of any payment blockage notice cannot be the basis for any later payment blockage notice.
If the trustee or any holder of the notes receives any payment or distribution of our assets in contravention of the foregoing subordination provisions, then such payment or distribution will be held in trust for the benefit of holders of senior indebtedness or their representatives to the extent necessary to make payment in full in cash or payment satisfactory to the holders of senior indebtedness of all unpaid senior indebtedness.
In the event of our bankruptcy, dissolution or reorganization, holders of senior indebtedness may receive more, ratably, and holders of the subordinated debt securities may receive less, ratably, than our other creditors (including our trade creditors). This subordination will not prevent the occurrence of any event of default under the indenture.
The indenture does not prohibit us from incurring debt, including senior indebtedness. We may from time to time incur additional debt, including senior indebtedness.
We are obligated to pay compensation to the trustee, reimburse the trustee for reasonable expenses and to indemnify the trustee against certain losses, liabilities or expenses it incurs in connection with its duties relating to the subordinated debt securities. The trustee’s claims for these payments will generally be senior to those of noteholders in respect of all funds collected or held by the trustee and will not be subject to subordination.
Certain Definitions
“Indebtedness” means:
(1) all indebtedness, obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) for borrowed money (including our obligations in respect of overdrafts, foreign exchange contracts, currency exchange agreements, interest rate protection agreements, and any loans or advances from banks, whether or not evidenced by notes or similar instruments) or evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such person or to only a portion thereof) (other than any account payable or other accrued current liability or obligation incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with the obtaining of materials or services);
(2) all reimbursement obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) with respect to letters of credit, bank guarantees or bankers’ acceptances;
(3) all obligations and liabilities (contingent or otherwise) in respect of leases required, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, to be accounted for as capitalized lease obligations on our balance sheet;
(4) all obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) under any lease or related document (including a purchase agreement) in connection with the lease of real property which contractually obligates us to purchase or cause a third party to purchase the leased property and thereby guarantee a minimum residual value of the leased property to the lessor and the obligations of such person under such lease or related document to purchase or to cause a third party to purchase such leased property;
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(5) all obligations (contingent or otherwise) with respect to an interest rate or other swap, cap or collar agreement or other similar instrument or agreement or foreign currency hedge, exchange, purchase or similar instrument or agreement;
(6) all direct or indirect guaranties or similar agreements in respect of, and obligations or liabilities (contingent or otherwise), to purchase or otherwise acquire or otherwise assure a creditor against loss in respect of indebtedness, obligations or liabilities of others of the type described in (1) through (5) above;
(7) any indebtedness or other obligations described in (1) through (6) above secured by any mortgage, pledge, lien or other encumbrance existing on property which we own or hold, regardless of whether the indebtedness or other obligation secured thereby shall be assumed by us; and
(8) any and all refinancings, replacements, deferrals, renewals, extensions and refundings of, or amendments, modifications or supplements to, any indebtedness, obligation or liability of the kind described in clauses (1) through (7) above.
“Senior indebtedness” means the principal, premium, if any, interest, including any interest accruing after bankruptcy, additional amounts, if any, and rent or termination payment on or other amounts due on our current or future indebtedness, whether created, incurred, assumed, guaranteed or in effect guaranteed by us, including any deferrals, renewals, extensions, refundings, amendments, modifications or supplements to the above. Senior indebtedness does not include:
| · | indebtedness that expressly provides that it shall not be senior in right of payment to subordinated debt securities or expressly provides that it is on the same basis or junior to subordinated debt securities; and |
| · | our indebtedness to any of our majority-owned subsidiaries. |
Governing Law
Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement applicable to the particular series of debt securities, the indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
The following briefly summarizes the general provisions of the depositary shares representing a fraction of a share of preferred stock of a specific series, or “depositary shares,” and depositary receipts (as defined below) that we may issue from time to time and which would be important to holders of depositary receipts. The specific terms of any depositary shares or depositary receipts, including pricing and related terms, will be disclosed in the applicable prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the general provisions summarized below will apply to the depositary shares or depositary receipts being offered. The following description and any description in a prospectus supplement is a summary only and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to the terms and provisions of the deposit agreement(s), which we will file with the SEC in connection with an issuance of depositary shares.
Description of Depositary Shares
We may offer depositary shares evidenced by receipts for such depositary shares, which we sometimes refer to as “depositary receipts.” Each depositary receipt represents a fraction of a share of the particular series of preferred stock issued and deposited with a depositary. The fraction of a share of preferred stock which each depositary share represents will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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We will deposit the shares of any series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares according to the provisions of a deposit agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, which we will select as our preferred stock depositary, and which may be the same institution that serves as an indenture trustee. The depositary must have its principal office in the United States and have combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. We will name the depositary in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each owner of a depositary share will be entitled to all the rights and preferences of the underlying preferred stock in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share. These rights may include dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights. The depositary will send the holders of depositary shares all reports and communications that we deliver to the depositary and which we are required to furnish to the holders of depositary shares. We may issue depositary receipts in temporary, definitive or book-entry form.
Withdrawal of Preferred Stock
A holder of depositary shares may receive the number of whole shares of the series of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by the holder’s depositary receipts after surrendering the depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the depositary. Partial shares of preferred stock will not be issued. If the surrendered depositary shares exceed the number of depositary shares that represent the number of whole shares of preferred stock the holder wishes to withdraw, then the depositary will deliver to the holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares. Once the holder has withdrawn the preferred stock, the holder will not be entitled to re-deposit such preferred stock under the deposit agreement or to receive depositary shares in exchange for such preferred stock.
Dividends and Other Distributions
Holders of depositary shares of any series will receive their pro rata share of cash dividends or other cash distributions received by the depositary on the preferred stock of that series held by it. Each holder will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of depositary shares owned by the holder. The depositary will distribute only whole United States dollars and cents. The depositary will add any fractional cents not distributed to the next sum received for distribution to record holders of depositary shares. In the event of a non-cash distribution, the depositary will distribute property to the record holders of depositary shares, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make such a distribution. If this occurs, the depositary, with our approval, may sell the property and distribute the net proceeds from the sale to the holders.
Redemption of Depositary Shares
If a series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares is subject to redemption, then we will give the necessary proceeds to the depositary. The depositary will then redeem the depositary shares using the funds they received from us for the preferred stock. The depositary will notify the record holders of the depositary shares to be redeemed not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days before the date fixed for redemption at the holders’ addresses appearing in the depositary’s books. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the redemption price payable per share for the applicable series of the preferred stock and any other amounts per share payable with respect to that series of preferred stock multiplied by the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by one depositary share. Whenever we redeem shares of a series of preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem the depositary shares representing the shares of preferred stock on the same day. If fewer than all the depositary shares of a series are to be redeemed, the depositary shares will be selected by lot, ratably or by such other equitable method as we and the depositary may determine.
Upon and after the redemption of shares of the underlying series of preferred stock, the depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be considered outstanding. Therefore, all rights of holders of the depositary shares will then cease, except that the holders will still be entitled to receive any cash payable upon the redemption and any money or other property to which the holder was entitled at the time of redemption.
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Voting Rights
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of preferred stock of the related series are entitled to vote, the depositary will notify holders of depositary shares of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to the holders. The record date for determining holders of depositary shares that are entitled to vote will be the same as the record date for the related series of preferred stock. The materials the holders will receive will (1) describe the matters to be voted on and (2) explain how the holders, on a certain date, may instruct the depositary to vote the shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares. For instructions to be valid, the depositary must receive them on or before the date specified. The depositary will attempt, as far as practical, to vote the shares as instructed by the holder. We will cooperate with the depositary to enable it to vote as instructed by holders of depositary shares. If any holder does not instruct the depositary how to vote the holder’s shares, the depositary will abstain from voting those shares.
Conversion or Exchange
The depositary will convert or exchange all depositary shares on the same day that the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares is converted or exchanged. In order for the depositary to do so, we will deposit with the depositary any other preferred stock, common stock or other securities into which the preferred stock is to be converted or for which it will be exchanged.
The exchange or conversion rate per depositary share will be equal to the exchange or conversion rate per share of preferred stock, multiplied by the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by one depositary share. All amounts per depositary share payable by us for dividends that have accrued on the preferred stock to the exchange or conversion date that have not yet been paid shall be paid in appropriate amounts on the depositary shares.
The depositary shares, as such, cannot be converted or exchanged into other preferred stock, common stock, securities of another issuer or any other of our securities or property. Nevertheless, if so specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, a holder of depositary shares may be able to surrender the depositary receipts to the depositary with written instructions asking the depositary to instruct us to convert or exchange the preferred stock represented by the depositary shares into other shares of preferred stock or common stock or to exchange the preferred stock for securities of another issuer. If the depositary shares carry this right, upon the payment of applicable fees and taxes, if any, we will cause the conversion or exchange of the preferred stock using the same procedures as we use for the delivery of preferred stock. If a holder is only surrendering part of the depositary shares represented by a depositary receipt for conversion, new depositary receipts will be issued for any depositary shares that are not surrendered.
Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement
We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the form of depositary receipt without consent of the holder at any time. However, if the amendment adds or increases fees or charges payable by holders of the depositary shares or prejudices an important right of holders, it will only become effective with the approval of holders of at least a majority of the affected depositary shares then outstanding. If an amendment becomes effective, holders are deemed to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the amended deposit agreement if they continue to hold their depositary receipts.
The deposit agreement will automatically terminate if:
| · | all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed and all amounts payable upon redemption have been paid; |
| · | each share of preferred stock held by the depositary has been converted into or exchanged for common stock, other preferred stock or other securities; or |
| · | a final distribution in respect of the preferred stock held by the depositary has been made to the holders of depositary receipts in connection with our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up. |
We may also terminate the deposit agreement at any time. Upon such event, the depositary will give notice of termination to the holders not less than 30 days before the termination date. Once depositary receipts are surrendered to the depositary, it will send to each holder the number of whole and fractional shares of the series of preferred stock underlying that holder’s depositary receipts, provided that, at our election we may pay cash in lieu of fractional shares of preferred stock that may be issuable.
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Charges of Depositary and Expenses
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges in connection with the establishment of the depositary arrangements. We will pay all charges and fees of the depositary for the initial deposit of the preferred stock, the depositary’s services and redemption of the preferred stock. Holders of depositary shares will pay transfer and other taxes and governmental charges and the charges that are provided in the deposit agreement to be for the holder’s account.
Limitations on Our Obligations and Liability to Holders of Depositary Receipts
The deposit agreement may limit our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It may also limit our liability and the liability of the depositary as follows:
| · | we and the depositary will only be obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in the deposit agreement in good faith; |
| · | we and the depositary will not be liable if either is prevented or delayed by law or circumstances beyond our or its control from performing our or its obligations under the deposit agreement; |
| · | we and the depositary will not be liable if either exercises discretion permitted under the deposit agreement; |
| · | we and the depositary will have no obligation to become involved in any legal or other proceeding related to the depositary receipts or the deposit agreement on behalf of the holders of depositary receipts or any other party, unless we and the depositary are provided with satisfactory indemnity; and |
| · | we and the depositary will be permitted to rely upon any written advice of counsel or accountants and on any documents we believe in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party. |
In the deposit agreement, we may agree to indemnify the depositary under certain circumstances.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by notifying us of its election to do so. In addition, we may remove the depositary at any time. Such resignation or removal will take effect when we appoint a successor depositary and it accepts the appointment. We must appoint the successor depositary within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and the new depositary must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000.
DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS
We also may issue purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and obligating us to sell to holders, a fixed or varying number of debt or equity securities at a future date or dates. The consideration for such securities may be fixed at the time that the purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the purchase contracts. Any purchase contract may include anti-dilution provisions to adjust the number of shares issuable pursuant to such purchase contract upon the occurrence of certain events.
The purchase contracts may be issued separately or as a part of units consisting of a purchase contract and other securities. These contracts, and the holders’ obligations to purchase our securities under the purchase contracts, may be secured by cash, certificates of deposit, U.S. government securities that may mature prior to, or simultaneously with, the maturity of the purchase contract, standby letters of credit from an affiliated U.S. bank that is FDIC-insured or other collateral satisfactory to the Federal Reserve Board. The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to holders of the purchase units, or vice versa, and such payments may be unsecured or prefunded and may be paid on a current or on a deferred basis as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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We also may offer two or more of the securities described in this prospectus in the form of a “unit,” including pursuant to a unit agreement. The unit may be transferable only as a whole, or the securities comprising a unit may, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement, be separated and transferred by the holder separately. There may or may not be an active market for units or the underlying securities, and not all the securities comprising a unit may be listed or traded on a securities exchange or market.
General
We may issue warrants in one or more series to purchase common stock, preferred stock, senior debt securities, subordinated debt securities, other securities or any combination of these securities. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any underlying securities and may be attached to or separate from the underlying securities. We may issue each series of warrants under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. If applicable, the warrant agent would act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants of such series and would not assume any obligation or relationship of agency for or on behalf of holders or beneficial owners of warrants. The following outlines some of the general terms and provisions of the warrants. Further terms of the warrants and a description of the applicable warrant agreement will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. The following description and any description of the warrants in a prospectus supplement are not complete and are subject to and qualified in their entirety by reference to the terms and provisions of the warrant agreement, which we will file with the SEC in connection with an issuance of any warrants.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any warrants, including the following, as may be applicable:
| · | the title of the warrants; |
| · | the total number of warrants to be issued; |
| · | the consideration for which we will issue the warrants, including the applicable currency or currencies; |
| · | anti-dilution provisions to adjust the number of shares of our common stock or other securities to be delivered upon exercise of the warrants; |
| · | the designation and terms of the underlying securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| · | the price at which and the currency or currencies in which investors may purchase the underlying securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| · | the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire; |
| · | the procedures and conditions relating to the exercise of the warrants; |
| · | whether the warrants will be in registered or bearer form; |
| · | information with respect to book-entry registration and transfer procedures, if any; |
| · | the minimum or maximum amount of warrants which may be exercised at any one time; |
| · | the designation and terms of the underlying securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each underlying security; |
| · | the date on and after which the warrants and securities issued with the warrants will be separately transferable; |
| · | a discussion of material United States federal income tax considerations; |
| · | the identity of any warrant agent; and |
| · | any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange, transfer and exercise of the warrants. |
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Warrant certificates may be exchanged for new warrant certificates of different denominations, and warrants may be exercised at the warrant agent’s corporate trust office or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Prior to the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants exercisable for debt securities will not have any of the rights of holders of the debt securities purchasable upon such exercise and will not be entitled to payments of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the debt securities purchasable upon such exercise. Prior to the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants exercisable for shares of common stock, preferred stock or depositary shares will not have any rights of holders of the common stock, preferred stock or depositary shares purchasable upon such exercise, including any rights to vote such shares or to receive any distributions or dividends thereon.
Exercise of Warrants
A warrant will entitle the holder to purchase for cash an amount of securities at an exercise price that will be stated in, or that will be determinable as described in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Warrants may be exercised at any time prior to the close of business on the expiration date and in accordance with the procedures set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon and after the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will be void and have no further force, effect or value.
Enforceability of Rights; Governing Law
The holders of warrants, without the consent of the warrant agent, may, on their own behalf and for their own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against us to enforce their rights to exercise and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of their warrants. Unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, each issue of warrants and the applicable warrant agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee.
The following briefly summarizes the general provisions of rights to purchase additional shares of our common stock or any series of preferred stock, which we may issue. The specific terms of any rights, including the period during which the rights may be exercised, the manner of exercising such rights, and the transferability of rights, will be disclosed in the applicable prospectus supplement.
General
We may distribute rights, which may or may not be transferable, to the holders of our common stock or any series of our preferred stock as of a record date set by our board of directors, at no cost to such holders. Each holder will be given the right to purchase a specified number of whole shares of our common stock or preferred stock for every share of our common stock or share of a series of preferred stock that the holder thereof owned on such record date, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights will be evidenced by rights certificates, which may be in definitive or book-entry form. Each right will entitle the holder to purchase shares of our common stock or a series of preferred stock at a rate and price per share to be established by our board of directors, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. If holders of rights wish to exercise their rights, they must do so before the expiration date of the rights offering, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon the expiration date, the rights will expire and will no longer be exercisable, unless, in our sole discretion prior to the expiration date, we extend the rights offering.
Exercise Price
Our board of directors will determine the exercise price or prices for the rights based upon a number of factors, including, without limitation, our business prospects; our capital requirements; the price or prices at which an underwriter or standby purchasers may be willing to purchase shares that remain unsold in the rights offering; and general conditions in the securities markets, especially for securities of financial institutions.
The subscription price may or may not reflect the actual or long-term fair value of the common stock or preferred stock offered in the rights offering. We provide no assurances as to the market values or liquidity of any rights issued, or as to whether or not the market prices of the common stock or preferred stock subject to the rights will be more or less than the rights’ exercise price during the term of the rights or after the rights expire.
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Exercising Rights; Fees and Expenses
The manner of exercising rights will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any subscription agent or escrow agent will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will pay all fees charged by any subscription agent and escrow agent in connection with the distribution and exercise of rights. Rights holders will be responsible for paying all other commissions, fees, taxes or other expenses incurred in connection with their transfer of rights that are transferable. Neither we nor the subscription agent will pay such expenses.
Expiration of Rights
The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the expiration date and time (“Expiration Date”) for exercising rights. If holders of rights do not exercise their rights prior to such time, their rights will expire and will no longer be exercisable and will have no value.
We will extend the Expiration Date as required by applicable law and may, in our sole discretion, extend the Expiration Date. If we elect to extend the Expiration Date, we will issue a press release announcing such extension prior to the scheduled Expiration Date.
Withdrawal and Termination
We may withdraw the rights offering at any time prior to the Expiration Date for any reason. We may terminate the rights offering, in whole or in part, at any time before completion of the rights offering if there is any judgment, order, decree, injunction, statute, law or regulation entered, enacted, amended or held to be applicable to the rights offering that in the sole judgment of our board of directors would or might make the rights offering or its completion, whether in whole or in part, illegal or otherwise restrict or prohibit completion of the rights offering. We may waive any of these conditions and choose to proceed with the rights offering even if one or more of these events occur. If we terminate the rights offering, in whole or in part, all affected rights will expire without value, and all subscription payments received by the subscription agent will be returned promptly without interest.
Rights of Subscribers
Holders of rights will have no rights as shareholders with respect to the shares of common stock or preferred stock for which the rights may be exercised until they have exercised their rights by payment in full of the exercise price and in the manner provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, and such shares of common stock or preferred stock, as applicable, have been issued to such persons. Holders of rights will have no right to revoke their subscriptions or receive their monies back after they have completed and delivered the materials required to exercise their rights and have paid the exercise price to the subscription agent. All exercises of rights will be final and cannot be revoked by the holder of rights.
Regulatory Limitations
We will not be required to issue any person or group of persons shares of our common stock or preferred stock pursuant to the rights offering if, in our sole opinion, such person would be required to give prior notice to or obtain prior approval from, any state or federal governmental authority to own or control such shares if, at the time the rights offering is scheduled to expire, such person has not obtained such clearance or approval in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to us.
Standby Agreements
We may enter into one or more separate agreements with one or more standby underwriters or other persons to purchase, for their own account or on our behalf, any shares of our common stock or preferred stock not subscribed for in the rights offering. The terms of any such agreements will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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We may sell the securities covered in this prospectus in any of three ways (or in any combination):
| · | through underwriters or dealers; |
| · | directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser; or |
| · | through agents. |
Each time that we use this prospectus to sell securities, we will also provide a prospectus or prospectus supplement that contains the specific terms of the offering. The prospectus or prospectus supplement will set forth the terms of the offering of the securities, including:
| · | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of any securities underwritten or purchased by each of them; and |
| · | the public offering price of the common stock and the proceeds to us and any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers. |
Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
If underwriters are used in the sale of any securities, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The securities may be either offered to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by underwriters. Generally, the underwriters’ obligations to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities if they purchase any securities.
We may sell the securities through agents from time to time. The prospectus or prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and any commissions we pay to them. Generally, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
We may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the prospectus or prospectus supplement, and the prospectus or prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we pay for solicitation of these contracts.
Agents and underwriters may be entitled to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to contribution with respect to payments which the agents or underwriters may be required to make in respect thereof. Agents and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus or prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus or prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of securities, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of securities. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus or prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment).
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Each series of securities will be a new issue of securities and will have no established trading market other than the common stock which is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The securities, other than the common stock, may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta, Georgia. If the validity of the securities offered hereby in connection with offerings made pursuant to this prospectus is being passed upon by counsel of the underwriters, dealers or agents, if any, such counsel will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering.
The consolidated financial statements of SmartFinancial, Inc. and its subsidiary as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2019, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, incorporated by reference herein, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report of Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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PART II. INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following is an itemized statement of the estimated fees and expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered hereby:
| Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee | $ | 12,980 | ||
| Listing fees and expenses | * | |||
| FINRA filing fee | * | |||
| Printing and engraving expenses | * | |||
| Trustee, registrar and transfer agent, and depositary fees and expenses | * | |||
| Attorneys’ fees and expenses | * | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses | * | |||
| Miscellaneous expenses | * | |||
| Total | $ | * | ||
* Estimated expenses are not presently known.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
The TBCA provides that a corporation may indemnify any of its directors and officers against liability incurred in connection with a proceeding if: (a) such person acted in good faith; (b) in the case of conduct in an official capacity with the corporation, the person reasonably believed such conduct was in the corporation’s best interests; (c) in all other cases, the person reasonably believed that the person’s conduct was at least not opposed to the best interests of the corporation; and (d) in connection with any criminal proceeding, such person had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. In actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, however, the TBCA provides that no indemnification may be made if the director or officer was adjudged to be liable to the corporation. The TBCA also provides that in connection with any proceeding charging improper personal benefit to an officer or director, no indemnification may be made if such officer or director is adjudged liable on the basis that such personal benefit was improperly received. In cases where the director or officer is wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding instigated because of his or her status as a director or officer of a corporation, the TBCA mandates that the corporation indemnify the director or officer against reasonable expenses incurred in the proceeding. The TBCA provides that a court of competent jurisdiction, unless the corporation’s charter provides otherwise, upon application, may order that an officer or director be indemnified for reasonable expenses if, in consideration of all relevant circumstances, the court determines that such individual is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, notwithstanding the fact that (a) such officer or director was adjudged liable to the corporation in a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation; (b) such officer or director was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received by the officer or director; or (c) such officer or director breached the officer’s or director’s duty of care to the corporation.
The Company’s second amended and restated charter contains a provision stating that directors shall not be personally liable for monetary damage to the corporation or its shareholders for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent required by the TBCA in effect from time to time.
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Under the Company’s second amended and restated bylaws, each person who was or is made a party to, or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in, any proceeding, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, or employee of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, provided that the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, or employee within the scope of such indemnitee’s duties and authority, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company to the fullest extent authorized by the TBCA, as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Company to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Company prior to such amendment), and applicable federal laws and regulations (including without limitation applicable FDIC regulations regarding indemnification payments by a depository institution holding company, as the same may be amended from time to time), against all expense, liability, and loss (including without limitation attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, excise taxes, penalties, and amounts paid into settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such indemnitee in connection therewith, and such indemnification shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, or employee and shall inure to the benefit of the indemnitee’ s heirs, executors, and administrators.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall indemnify an indemnitee with respect to a proceeding initiated or instituted by the indemnitee only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the board of directors.
The right to indemnification conferred by the Company is a contract right and shall include the right to be paid by the Company the expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that any such advancement of expenses for expenses incurred by an indemnitee in his or her capacity as a director, officer, or employee (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such indemnitee, including without limitation service to any employee benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the Company of an undertaking by and on behalf of such indemnitee to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right of appeal that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses.
Moreover, the foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of other rights to which such person, his heirs, executors, administrators, successors or assigns may be entitled under any law, bylaw, agreement, vote of shareholders or otherwise.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to its bylaws, or otherwise, the Company has been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
The Company carries standard directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering its directors and officers.
Item 16. Exhibits
See the Exhibit Index attached hereto, which is incorporated into this registration statement by reference.
Item 17. Undertakings
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
| (ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; |
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| (iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; |
provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
| (4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: |
| (i) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and |
| (ii) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. |
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: |
| (i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; |
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| (ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; |
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and |
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
| (6) | That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
| (7) | To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Act. |
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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* To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated by reference herein.
** To be filed separately pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, if applicable.
*** Filed herewith.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Knoxville, State of Tennessee, on June 26, 2020.
| SMARTFINANCIAL, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ William Y. Carroll, Jr. | |
| Name: William Y. Carroll, Jr. | ||
| Title: President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints William Y. Carroll, Jr. his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including pre-effective and post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to sign any registration statement (and any post-effective amendments thereto) effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming that said attorney-in-fact, agent or his substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Wesley M. Welborn | Chairman of the Board | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Wesley M. Welborn | ||||
| /s/ William Y. Carroll, Jr. | President, Chief Executive Officer and | June 26, 2020 | ||
| William Y. Carroll, Jr. | Director (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Ron Gorczynski | Executive Vice President and Chief | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Ron Gorczynski | Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Victor L. Barrett | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Victor L. Barrett | ||||
| /s/ Monique P. Berke | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Monique P. Berke | ||||
| /s/ William Y. Carroll, Sr. | Vice Chairman and Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| William Y. Carroll, Sr. |
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| /s/ Ted C. Miller | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Ted C. Miller | ||||
| /s/ David A. Ogle | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| David A. Ogle | ||||
| /s/ Ottis H. Phillips, Jr. | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Ottis H. Phillips, Jr. | ||||
| /s/ Steven B. Tucker | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Steven B. Tucker | ||||
| /s/ Keith E. Whaley | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Keith E. Whaley | ||||
| /s/ Geoffrey A. Wolpert | Director | June 26, 2020 | ||
| Geoffrey A. Wolpert |
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Exhibit 4.7
SMARTFINANCIAL, INC.
SENIOR DEBT INDENTURE
DATED AS OF , 20
, AS TRUSTEE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Number
| Article I DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | 1 | ||
| Section 1.1 | Definitions. | 1 | |
| Section 1.2 | Other Definitions. | 4 | |
| Section 1.3 | Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act | 4 | |
| Section 1.4 | Rules Of Construction | 4 | |
| Article II THE SECURITIES | 5 | ||
| Section 2.1 | Issuable In Series | 5 | |
| Section 2.2 | Establishment Of Terms Of Series Of Securities | 5 | |
| Section 2.3 | Execution and Authentication. | 7 | |
| Section 2.4 | Registrar and Paying Agent | 8 | |
| Section 2.5 | Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust | 8 | |
| Section 2.6 | Securityholder Lists | 8 | |
| Section 2.7 | Transfer and Exchange | 9 | |
| Section 2.8 | Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities | 9 | |
| Section 2.9 | Outstanding Securities | 9 | |
| Section 2.10 | Treasury Securities | 10 | |
| Section 2.11 | Temporary Securities | 10 | |
| Section 2.12 | Cancellation | 10 | |
| Section 2.13 | Defaulted Interest | 11 | |
| Section 2.14 | Global Securities. | 11 | |
| Section 2.15 | CUSIP Numbers | 12 | |
| Article III REDEMPTION | 12 | ||
| Section 3.1 | Notice To Trustee | 12 | |
| Section 3.2 | Selection of Securities to be Redeemed | 12 | |
| Section 3.3 | Notice of Redemption | 13 | |
| Section 3.4 | Effect of Notice of Redemption | 13 | |
| Section 3.5 | Deposit of Redemption Price | 14 | |
| Section 3.6 | Securities Redeemed in Part | 14 | |
| Article IV COVENANTS | 14 | ||
| Section 4.1 | Payment of Principal and Interest | 14 | |
| Section 4.2 | SEC Reports | 14 | |
| Section 4.3 | Compliance Certificate | 14 | |
| Section 4.4 | Stay, Extension and Usury Laws | 14 | |
| Section 4.5 | Corporate Existence | 15 | |
| Section 4.6 | Taxes | 15 | |
| Article V SUCCESSORS | 15 | ||
| Section 5.1 | When Company May Merge, Etc | 15 | |
| Section 5.2 | Successor Corporation Substituted | 15 | |
| Article VI DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 15 | ||
| Section 6.1 | Events of Default. | 15 | |
| Section 6.2 | Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment | 17 | |
| Section 6.3 | Collection Of Indebtedness And Suits For Enforcement By Trustee | 17 | |
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| Section 6.4 | Trustee May File Proofs Of Claim | 18 | |
| Section 6.5 | Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession Of Securities | 18 | |
| Section 6.6 | Application of Money Collected | 18 | |
| Section 6.7 | Limitation On Suits | 19 | |
| Section 6.8 | Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest | 19 | |
| Section 6.9 | Restoration of Rights and Remedies | 19 | |
| Section 6.10 | Rights and Remedies Cumulative | 19 | |
| Section 6.11 | Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 20 | |
| Section 6.12 | Control by Holders | 20 | |
| Section 6.13 | Waiver Of Past Defaults | 20 | |
| Section 6.14 | Undertaking For Costs | 20 | |
| Article VII TRUSTEE | 21 | ||
| Section 7.1 | Duties of Trustee. | 21 | |
| Section 7.2 | Rights of Trustee. | 22 | |
| Section 7.3 | Individual Rights of Trustee | 23 | |
| Section 7.4 | Trustee’s Disclaimer | 24 | |
| Section 7.5 | Notice Of Defaults | 24 | |
| Section 7.6 | Reports by Trustee to Holders | 24 | |
| Section 7.7 | Compensation and Indemnity | 24 | |
| Section 7.8 | Replacement of Trustee | 25 | |
| Section 7.9 | Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc | 26 | |
| Section 7.10 | Eligibility; Disqualification | 26 | |
| Section 7.11 | Referential Collection of Claims Against Company | 26 | |
| Article VIII SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE | 26 | ||
| Section 8.1 | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 26 | |
| Section 8.2 | Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification. | 27 | |
| Section 8.3 | Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series | 28 | |
| Section 8.4 | Covenant Defeasance | 29 | |
| Section 8.5 | Repayment to Company | 30 | |
| Article IX AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS | 30 | ||
| Section 9.1 | Without Consent of Holders | 30 | |
| Section 9.2 | With Consent of Holders | 31 | |
| Section 9.3 | Limitations | 31 | |
| Section 9.4 | Compliance With Trust Indenture Act | 32 | |
| Section 9.5 | Revocation and Effect of Consents | 32 | |
| Section 9.6 | Notation on or Exchange of Securities | 32 | |
| Section 9.7 | Trustee Protected | 32 | |
| Article X MISCELLANEOUS | 33 | ||
| Section 10.1 | Trust Indenture Act Controls | 33 | |
| Section 10.2 | Notices | 33 | |
| Section 10.3 | Communication by Holders with Other Holders | 34 | |
| Section 10.4 | Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent | 34 | |
| Section 10.5 | Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion | 34 | |
| Section 10.6 | Rules by Trustee and Agents | 34 | |
| Section 10.7 | Legal Holidays | 34 | |
| Section 10.8 | No Recourse Against Others | 34 | |
| Section 10.9 | Counterparts | 35 | |
| Section 10.10 | Governing Laws | 35 | |
| Section 10.11 | No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements | 35 | |
| Section 10.12 | Successors | 35 | |
| Section 10.13 | Severability | 35 | |
| Section 10.14 | Table of Contents, Headings, Etc | 35 | |
| Article XI SINKING FUNDS | 35 | ||
| Section 11.1 | Applicability of Article | 35 | |
| Section 11.2 | Satisfaction Of Sinking Fund Payments With Securities | 36 | |
| Section 11.3 | Redemption Of Securities For Sinking Fund | 36 | |
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CROSS REFERENCE TABLE
| Trust Indenture | Indenture | |
| Act Section | Section | |
| Section 310 | (a)(1) | 7.10 |
| (a)(2) | 7.10 | |
| (a)(3) | N/A | |
| (a)(4) | N/A | |
| (a)(5) | 7.10 | |
| (b) | 7.10 | |
| Section 311 | (a) | 7.11 |
| (b) | 7.11 | |
| (c) | N/A | |
| Section 312 | (a) | 2.6 |
| (b) | 10.3 | |
| (c) | 10.3 | |
| Section 313 | (a) | 7.6 |
| (b)(1) | 7.6 | |
| (b)(2) | 7.6 | |
| (c)(1) | 7.6 | |
| (d) | 7.6 | |
| Section 314 | (a) | 4.2, 10.5 |
| (b) | N/A | |
| (c)(1) | 10.4 | |
| (c)(2) | 10.4 | |
| (c)(3) | N/A | |
| (d) | N/A | |
| (e) | 10.5 | |
| (f) | N/A | |
| Section 315 | (a) | 7.1 |
| (b) | 7.5 | |
| (c) | 7.1 | |
| (d) | 7.1 | |
| (e) | 6.14 | |
| Section 316 | (a) | 2.10 |
| (a)(1)(A) | 6.12 | |
| (a)(1)(B) | 6.13 | |
| (b) | 6.8 | |
| Section 317 | (a)(1) | 6.3 |
| (a)(2) | 6.4 | |
| (b) | 2.5 | |
| Section 318 | (a) | 10.1 |
* This Cross Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of this Indenture.
iii
This Senior Debt Indenture, dated as of , 20 is made by and between SMARTFINANCIAL, INC., a Tennessee corporation (the “Company”), and , not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee (the “Trustee”).
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture:
Article
I
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Section 1.1 Definitions.
“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.
“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent.
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday, a legal holiday or any other day on which banking institutions in the City of New York, New York, any Place of Payment, or the city in which the Corporate Trust Office is located, are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
“Capital Stock” means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock.
“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.
“Company Request” means a written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, the President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at , Attention: , or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Company.
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depository” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depository with respect to the Securities of such Series.
“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
“Dollars” and “$” means the currency of the United States of America. “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect as of the date of determination.
“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee.
“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered.
“Indenture” means this Senior Debt Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.
“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or installment of principal thereof, means the date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, or otherwise.
“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.
“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.
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“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 outside counsel designated by the Corporation, rendered, if applicable, in accordance with Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.
“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of or within any Series, means the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Securities are payable as specified and as contemplated by Section 2.1.
“principal” or “principal amount” of a Security means the principal amount of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.
“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject, in each case, who has direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2.
“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.
“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.
“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.
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“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, and which in the case of clauses (a) and (b) are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
Section 1.2 Other Definitions.
| Term | Defined in Section |
| “Bankruptcy Law” | 6.1 |
| “Custodian” | 6.1 |
| “Event of Default” | 6.1 |
| “Legal Holiday” | 10.7 |
| “mandatory sinking fund payment” | 11.1 |
| “optional sinking fund payment” | 11.1 |
| “Paying Agent” | 2.4 |
| “Registrar” | 2.4 |
| “Service Agent” | 2.4 |
| “successor person” | 5.1 |
Section 1.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“Commission” means the SEC.
“indenture securities” means the Securities.
“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.
“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.
Section 1.4 Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:
| (a) | a term has the meaning assigned to it; |
| (b) | an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
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| (c) | references to “generally accepted accounting principles” and “GAAP” shall mean generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, in effect as of the time when and for the period as to which such accounting principles are to be applied; |
| (d) | “or” is not exclusive; |
| (e) | words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and |
| (f) | provisions apply to successive events and transactions. |
Article
II
THE SECURITIES
Section 2.1 Issuable in Series. The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters; provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
Section 2.2 Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities. At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Section 2.2(a) and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally, in the case of Sections 2.2(b) through 2.2(q)) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate:
| (a) | the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series); |
| (b) | the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued; |
| (c) | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6); |
| (d) | the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable; |
| (e) | the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; |
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| (f) | the Place of Payment where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means; |
| (g) | if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company; |
| (h) | the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation; |
| (i) | the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations; |
| (j) | if other than minimum denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable; |
| (k) | the forms of the Securities of the Series in fully registered form (and whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities); |
| (l) | if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2; |
| (m) | the provisions, if any, relating to any lien, security or encumbrance provided for the Securities of the Series; |
| (n) | any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2; |
| (o) | any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Article IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series; |
| (p) | any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series); and |
| (q) | any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein. |
All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.
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Section 2.3 Execution and Authentication.
Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual, facsimile signature or electronic signature. Unless otherwise provided herein or in any other Securities, the words “execute”, “execution”, “signed”, and “signature” and words of similar import used in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Indenture, any other Securities or any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including amendments, waivers, consents and other modifications) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures and the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature in ink or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as applicable, to the fullest extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, and any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee is not under any obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by such Trustee pursuant to procedures approved by such Trustee.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. Such a signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
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Section 2.4 Registrar and Paying Agent. The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the Place of Payment specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (the “Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (the “Registrar”) and where notices and demands (other than service of process) to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served (the “Service Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands (other than any service of process).
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional service agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional service agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Service Agent” includes any additional service agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.
Section 2.5 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. The Company shall require each Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent.
Section 2.6 Securityholder Lists. The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at such times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities; provided that no such list need be furnished by the Company to the Trustee so long as the Trustee is acting as Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 2.6 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
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Section 2.7 Transfer and Exchange. Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).
Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business 15 days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part, or (c) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series between a record date and the relevant payment date.
Section 2.8 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities. If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or satisfactory indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of written notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its written request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 2.9 Outstanding Securities. The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.
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If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue (to the extent of the Maturity of such Security if less than the entire principal amount is due and payable on such date of Maturity).
A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
Section 2.10 Treasury Securities. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.11 Temporary Securities. Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon written request shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and Stated Maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary Securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.
Section 2.12 Cancellation. All Securities and coupons surrendered for payment, redemption, repayment at the option of the Holder, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities and coupons and Securities and coupons surrendered directly to the Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. If the Company shall so acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. Cancelled Securities and coupons held by the Trustee shall be destroyed by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures. The Company by Company Order may direct the Trustee to deliver a certificate of such destruction to the Company.
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Section 2.13 Defaulted Interest. If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least 10 days before the record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.
Section 2.14 Global Securities.
| (a) | Terms of Securities. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depository for such Global Security or Securities. |
| (b) | Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depository for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or if at any time such Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depository registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security shall have happened and be continuing. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depository shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms. |
Except as provided in this Section 2.14(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.
| (c) | Legend. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form: |
“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”
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| (d) | Acts of Holders. The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under this Indenture. |
| (e) | Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof. |
| (f) | Consents, Declaration and Directions. Except as provided in Section 2.14(e), the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture. |
Section 2.15 CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
Article
III
REDEMPTION
Section 3.1 Notice to Trustee. The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 45 days before the redemption date (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee).
Section 3.2 Selection of Securities to be Redeemed. Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if less than all the Securities of any Series issued on the same day with the same terms are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the redemption date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such Series issued on such date with the same terms not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate, and, in the case of Global Securities, in accordance with the procedures of the Depository; provided that such method complies with the rules of any national securities exchange or quotation system on which the Securities are listed (and the Company shall notify the Trustee of any such listing), and may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that Series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such Series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that Series; provided, however, that no such partial redemption shall reduce the portion of the principal amount of a Security not redeemed to less than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such Series.
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The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Registrar (if other than itself) in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security to be redeemed is a Global Security then any partial redemption of that Series of Securities will be made in accordance with the Depository’s applicable procedures among all Holders of such Series of Securities.
Section 3.3 Notice of Redemption. Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed.
The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:
| (a) | the redemption date; |
| (b) | the redemption price and accrued interest, if any, to the redemption date payable as provided; |
| (c) | the name and address of the Paying Agent; |
| (d) | that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price; |
| (e) | that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date; |
| (f) | the CUSIP number, if any; |
| (g) | any conditions precedent that must be satisfied prior to the redemption; and |
| (h) | any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed. |
At the Company’s written request given at least five Business Days prior to the date such notice is given to Holders, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense.
Section 3.4 Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of redemption is mailed or published as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price, subject to, with respect to any redemption that is conditioned upon the satisfaction of any conditions precedent, (i) the delay of such redemption date until such time as any or all of such conditions precedent have been satisfied or (ii) the revocation of such redemption if the Company determines that such conditions precedent will not be satisfied. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to, but excluding, the redemption date; provided that installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the redemption date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities (or one or more predecessor Securities) registered at the close of business on the relevant record date therefor according to their terms and the terms of this Indenture.
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Section 3.5 Deposit of Redemption Price. On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.
Section 3.6 Securities Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
Article
IV
COVENANTS
Section 4.1 Payment of Principal and Interest. The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
Section 4.2 SEC Reports. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a). Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely exclusively on an Officers’ Certificate).
Section 4.3 Compliance Certificate. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his/her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he may have knowledge).
The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 4.4 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.
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Section 4.5 Corporate Existence. Subject to Article V, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.
Section 4.6 Taxes. The Company shall pay prior to delinquency all taxes, assessments and governmental levies, except as contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings.
Article
V
SUCCESSORS
Section 5.1 When Company May Merge, Etc. The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”), nor shall the Company permit any other person to consolidate with or merge into it or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to it, in either case unless:
| (a) | the Company is the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than the Company) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture; and |
| (b) | immediately after giving effect to the transaction, and treating any indebtedness that becomes the obligation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as having been incurred at the effective date of such transaction no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. |
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officers’ Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.
Section 5.2 Successor Corporation Substituted. Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, conveyance or other disposition (other than a lease) shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
Article
VI
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.1 Events of Default.
“Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
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| (a) | default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to the expiration of such period of 30 days); |
| (b) | default in the payment of principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity; |
| (c) | default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due in respect of any Security of that Series; |
| (d) | default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty for which the consequences of nonperformance or breach are addressed elsewhere in this Section 6.1 and other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of Series of Securities other than that Series), which default or breach continues uncured or unwaived in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of not less than 25.0% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; |
| (e) | the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law: |
| i. | commences a voluntary case, |
| ii. | consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, |
| iii. | consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, |
| iv. | makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or |
| v. | generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or |
| (f) | a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that: |
| i. | is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case, |
| ii. | appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or |
| iii. | orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or |
| (g) | any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2(n). |
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The term “Bankruptcy Law” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
Section 6.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment. Except to the extent provided otherwise in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate for such Series, if an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(e) or 6.1(f)), then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25.0% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or portion thereof) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or 6.1(f) shall occur, the principal amount (or portion thereof) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities 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 such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.3 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee. The Company covenants that if:
| (a) | default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, |
| (b) | default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or |
| (c) | default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of a Security, |
then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
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If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 6.4 Trustee may File Proofs of Claim. In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise, (a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and (b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
Section 6.5 Trustee may Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities. All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 6.6 Application of Money Collected. Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7; and
Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and
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Third: To the Company.
Section 6.7 Limitation on Suits. No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
| (a) | such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series; |
| (b) | the Holders of not less than 25.0% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder; |
| (c) | such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request; |
| (d) | the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity or security has failed to institute any such proceeding; and |
| (e) | no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series; |
it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.
Section 6.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 6.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
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Section 6.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 6.12 Control by Holders. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series; provided that:
| (a) | the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such direction shall be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture; |
| (b) | the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction; and |
| (c) | the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability or expense for which it is not adequately indemnified, or is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders). |
Section 6.13 Waiver of Past Defaults. The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default (a) in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration) or (b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security of such Series affected. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.14 Undertaking for Costs. All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).
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Article
VII
TRUSTEE
Section 7.1 Duties of Trustee.
| (a) | The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of their own affairs. |
| (b) | Except during the continuance of an Event of Default: |
| i. | The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers. The Trustee is not required to give any bond or surety with respect to the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers under this Indenture. The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so. |
| ii. | The Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture. |
| (c) | The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that: |
| i. | This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section. |
| ii. | The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts. |
| iii. | The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series. |
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| (d) | Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (g) of this Section. |
| (e) | The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power at the request or direction of any Holder or Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holder or Holders shall have offered and, if requested, provided to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee in its sole and absolute discretion against any costs, losses, liabilities and expenses which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction. |
| (f) | The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. |
| (g) | No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or satisfactory indemnity against such risk is not assured to it. |
| (h) | The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care as are set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section with respect to the Trustee. |
Section 7.2 Rights of Trustee.
| (a) | The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, judgment, bond, debenture, note, coupon, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person, not only as to due execution, validity and effectiveness, but also as to the truth and accuracy of any information contained therein. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document. |
| (b) | Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate, an Opinion of Counsel, or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate and/or Opinion of Counsel. |
| (c) | The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depository shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depository. |
| (d) | The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute negligence or willful misconduct. |
| (e) | The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction. |
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| (f) | The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without negligence and in good faith and in reliance thereon. |
| (g) | The Trustee may conclusively rely upon and shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit. |
| (h) | The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture. |
| (i) | Delivery of reports, information and documents (including, without limitation, reports contemplated in this Section) to the Trustee is for information purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipts thereof shall not constitute actual or constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with covenants under this Indenture, Securities, and guarantees (if any), as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates. |
| (j) | The Trustee shall have no responsibility for monitoring the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants under this Indenture. |
| (k) | The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for punitive, special, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of actions. |
| (l) | Any permissive right of the Trustee to take or refrain from taking actions enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty. |
| (m) | The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; terrorism; wars; civil or military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions; loss or malfunction of utilities, computer (hardware or software) or communication services; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authorities and governmental actions; or the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or telex or other wire or communication facility. |
| (n) | The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series. |
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Section 7.3 Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
Section 7.4 Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication. In accepting the trust hereby created, the Trustee acts solely as Trustee under this Indenture and not in its individual capacity and all persons, including without limitation the Holders of Securities and the Company having any claim against the Trustee arising from this Indenture shall look only to the funds and accounts held by the Trustee hereunder for payment except as otherwise provided herein.
Section 7.5 Notice of Defaults. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as it in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.
Section 7.6 Reports by Trustee to Holders. Within 60 days after April 15 in each year, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such April 15, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA Section 313.
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange, if any, on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange.
Section 7.7 Compensation and Indemnity. The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services hereunder as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred by it in connection with the performance of its duties under this Indenture. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee for and hold it harmless, (including the cost of defending itself) against any and all loss, liability, claim, suit or expense (including attorneys’ fees and expenses, and including other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee), including without limitation the costs and expenses of defending itself against any third-party claim (whether asserted by any Holder or any other person), without negligence or willful misconduct, as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, arising out of or in connection with its acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers hereunder and including the enforcement of this Agreement (including, without limitation, this Section 7.7). With respect to any such claim other than a claim brought by the Company, (i) the Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity, (ii) the Company may at its option defend the claim, in which event the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense and the Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel and (iii) the Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
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To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or 6.1(f) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the termination of this Indenture.
Section 7.8 Replacement of Trustee. A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:
| (a) | the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10; |
| (b) | the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law; |
| (c) | a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or |
| (d) | the Trustee becomes incapable of acting. |
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
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A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.
Section 7.9 Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. Any corporation or other entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to or acquiring all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee (including the administration of the trust created by this Indenture), shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to, or by succession to or acquisition of all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of, such successor Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification. This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Sections 310(a)(1), 310(a)(2) and 310(a)(5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b).
Section 7.11 Referential Collection of Claims Against Company. The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.
Article
VIII
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
Section 8.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(a) either:
| i. | all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or |
| ii. | all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation |
(1) have become due and payable, or
(2) will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or
(3) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company; or
(4) are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable;
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and the Company, in the case of clauses (1), (2) and (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;
| (b) | the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and |
| (c) | the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with. |
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.
Section 8.2 Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.
| (a) | Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (other than the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Section 8.3 or 8.4. |
| (b) | The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders. |
| (c) | The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any U.S. Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Section 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations held under this Indenture. |
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Section 8.3 Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series. Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2(p), to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 90th day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (c) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, at Company Request, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:
| (a) | the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (c) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series; |
| (b) | the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5; and |
| (c) | the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder; provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied: |
| i. | the Company shall have deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a regionally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due; |
| ii. | such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound; |
| iii. | no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 90th day after such date; |
| iv. | the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (B) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred; |
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| v. | the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and |
| vi. | the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with. |
Section 8.4 Covenant Defeasance. Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2(p) to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, on and after the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) hereof, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6, and 5.1 as well as any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(p) (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(n) and designated as an Event of Default shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series; provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
| (a) | With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a regionally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due; |
| (b) | Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound; |
| (c) | No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 90th day after such date; |
| (d) | The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred; and |
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| (e) | The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with. |
Section 8.5 Repayment to Company. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for six months. After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.
Article
IX
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS
Section 9.1 Without Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder by indentures supplemental hereto:
| (a) | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency; |
| (b) | to comply with Article V; |
| (c) | to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company, or successive successions, pursuant to Article XI, and the assumption by the successor corporation of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company herein and in the Securities; |
| (d) | to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as its Board of Directors shall consider to be for the protection of the holders of Securities, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any of such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth, with such period of grace, if any, and subject to such conditions as such supplemental indenture may provide; |
| (e) | [reserved]; |
| (f) | to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA, or under any similar federal statute hereafter enacted, and to add to this Indenture such other provisions as may be expressly permitted by the TIA, excluding however, the provisions referred to in Section 316(a)(2) of the TIA or any corresponding provision in any similar federal statute hereafter enacted; |
| (g) | to add any additional Events of Default (and if such Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all Series of Securities, stating that such are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such Series); |
| (h) | to modify, eliminate or add to any of the provisions of this Indenture; provided that any such change or elimination (i) shall become effective only when there is no Security of any Series Outstanding and created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision or (ii) shall not apply to any Security Outstanding; |
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| (i) | to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; |
| (j) | to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder; |
| (k) | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture; |
| (l) | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; or |
| (m) | to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA. |
Section 9.2 With Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by written notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.
Section 9.3 Limitations. Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:
| (a) | reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; |
| (b) | reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security; |
| (c) | reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation; |
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| (d) | reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
| (e) | waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); |
| (f) | make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security; |
| (g) | make any change in Section 6.8, 6.13, or 9.3 (this sentence); or |
| (h) | waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security. |
Section 9.4 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.
Section 9.5 Revocation and Effect of Consents. Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date of the supplemental indenture or the date the waiver becomes effective.
Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.
Section 9.6 Notation on or Exchange of Securities. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.
Section 9.7 Trustee Protected. In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel stating that all conditions precedent have been satisfied, the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such supplemental indenture is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects it.
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Article X
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 10.1 Trust Indenture Act Controls. If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.
Section 10.2 Notices. Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:
if to the Company:
SmartFinancial, Inc.
5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600
Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
Attention: Ronald J. Gorczynski, Chief Financial Officer
Telephone: (865) 437-5700
if to the Trustee:
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.
If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event or any other communication (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) to a Securityholder of a Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to Depository (or its designee) pursuant to the applicable procedures from Depository or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices at Depository.
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Section 10.3 Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).
Section 10.4 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
| (a) | an Officers’ Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and |
| (b) | an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with. |
Section 10.5 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(e) and shall include:
| (a) | a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; |
| (b) | a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; |
| (c) | a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and |
| (d) | a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with. |
Section 10.6 Rules by Trustee and Agents. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by, or a meeting of, Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
Section 10.7 Legal Holidays. Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
Section 10.8 No Recourse Against Others. A director, officer, employee or shareholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.
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Section 10.9 Counterparts. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
Section 10.10 Governing Laws; Waiver of Jury Trial; Jurisdiction. THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY (OTHER THAN SECTIONS 5-1401 AND 5-1402 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW). EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING AMONG THE PARTIES HERETO ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
The parties hereby (i) irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of any federal or state court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, the city of New York, (ii) waive any objection to laying of venue in any such action or proceeding in such courts, and (iii) waive any objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum or do not have jurisdiction over any party.
Section 10.11 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
Section 10.12 Successors. All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
Section 10.13 Severability. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 10.14 Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Article
XI
SINKING FUNDS
Section 11.1 Applicability of Article. The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.
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Section 11.2 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities. The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (a) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (b) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officers’ Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.
Section 11.3 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund. Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| SMARTFINANCIAL, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| , as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Exhibit 4.9
SMARTFINANCIAL, INC.
SUBORDINATED INDENTURE
DATED AS OF __________, 20
, AS TRUSTEE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page Number | |
| Article I DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | 1 |
| Section 1.1 Definitions | 1 |
| Section 1.2 Other Definitions | 5 |
| Section 1.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act | 5 |
| Section 1.4 Rules Of Construction | 6 |
| Article II THE SECURITIES | 6 |
| Section 2.1 Issuable In Series | 6 |
| Section 2.2 Establishment Of Terms Of Series Of Securities | 6 |
| Section 2.3 Execution and Authentication | 8 |
| Section 2.4 Registrar and Paying Agent | 9 |
| Section 2.5 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust | 9 |
| Section 2.6 Securityholder Lists | 9 |
| Section 2.7 Transfer and Exchange | 10 |
| Section 2.8 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities | 10 |
| Section 2.9 Outstanding Securities | 10 |
| Section 2.10 Treasury Securities | 11 |
| Section 2.11 Temporary Securities | 11 |
| Section 2.12 Cancellation | 11 |
| Section 2.13 Defaulted Interest | 12 |
| Section 2.14 Global Securities | 12 |
| Section 2.15 CUSIP Numbers | 13 |
| Article III REDEMPTION | 13 |
| Section 3.1 Notice To Trustee | 13 |
| Section 3.2 Selection of Securities to be Redeemed | 13 |
| Section 3.3 Notice of Redemption | 14 |
| Section 3.4 Effect of Notice of Redemption | 14 |
| Section 3.5 Deposit of Redemption Price | 15 |
| Section 3.6 Securities Redeemed in Part | 15 |
| Article IV COVENANTS | 15 |
| Section 4.1 Payment of Principal and Interest | 15 |
| Section 4.2 SEC Reports | 15 |
| Section 4.3 Compliance Certificate | 15 |
| Section 4.4 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws | 15 |
| Section 4.5 Corporate Existence | 16 |
| Section 4.6 Taxes | 16 |
| Article V SUCCESSORS | 16 |
| Section 5.1 When Company May Merge, Etc | 16 |
| Section 5.2 Successor Corporation Substituted | 16 |
| Article VI DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 16 |
| Section 6.1 Events of Default | 16 |
| Section 6.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment | 18 |
| Section 6.3 Collection Of Indebtedness And Suits For Enforcement By Trustee | 18 |
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| Section 6.4 Trustee May File Proofs Of Claim | 19 |
| Section 6.5 Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession Of Securities | 19 |
| Section 6.6 Application of Money Collected | 19 |
| Section 6.7 Limitation On Suits | 20 |
| Section 6.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest | 20 |
| Section 6.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies | 20 |
| Section 6.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative | 20 |
| Section 6.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 21 |
| Section 6.12 Control by Holders | 21 |
| Section 6.13 Waiver Of Past Defaults | 21 |
| Section 6.14 Undertaking For Costs | 21 |
| Article VII TRUSTEE | 22 |
| Section 7.1 Duties of Trustee | 22 |
| Section 7.2 Rights of Trustee | 23 |
| Section 7.3 Individual Rights of Trustee | 24 |
| Section 7.4 Trustee’s Disclaimer | 24 |
| Section 7.5 Notice Of Defaults | 25 |
| Section 7.6 Reports by Trustee to Holders | 25 |
| Section 7.7 Compensation and Indemnity | 25 |
| Section 7.8 Replacement of Trustee | 26 |
| Section 7.9 Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc | 26 |
| Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification | 26 |
| Section 7.11 Referential Collection of Claims Against Company | 27 |
| Article VIII SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE | 27 |
| Section 8.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 27 |
| Section 8.2 Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification | 27 |
| Section 8.3 Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series | 28 |
| Section 8.4 Covenant Defeasance | 29 |
| Section 8.5 Repayment to Company | 30 |
| Article IX AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS | 30 |
| Section 9.1 Without Consent of Holders | 30 |
| Section 9.2 With Consent of Holders | 31 |
| Section 9.3 Limitations | 32 |
| Section 9.4 Compliance With Trust Indenture Act | 32 |
| Section 9.5 Revocation and Effect of Consents | 32 |
| Section 9.6 Notation on or Exchange of Securities | 33 |
| Section 9.7 Trustee Protected | 33 |
| Article X MISCELLANEOUS | 33 |
| Section 10.1 Trust Indenture Act Controls | 33 |
| Section 10.2 Notices | 33 |
| Section 10.3 Communication by Holders with Other Holders | 34 |
| Section 10.4 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent | 34 |
| Section 10.5 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion | 34 |
| Section 10.6 Rules by Trustee and Agents | 35 |
| Section 10.7 Legal Holidays | 35 |
| Section 10.8 No Recourse Against Others | 35 |
| Section 10.9 Counterparts | 35 |
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| Section 10.10 Governing Laws | 35 |
| Section 10.11 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements | 35 |
| Section 10.12 Successors | 35 |
| Section 10.13 Severability | 35 |
| Section 10.14 Table of Contents, Headings, Etc | 36 |
| Article XI SINKING FUNDS | 36 |
| Section 11.1 Applicability of Article | 36 |
| Section 11.2 Satisfaction Of Sinking Fund Payments With Securities | 36 |
| Section 11.3 Redemption Of Securities For Sinking Fund | 36 |
| Article XII SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES | 37 |
| Section 12.1 Agreement of Subordination | 37 |
| Section 12.2 Payments to Holders | 37 |
| Section 12.3 Subrogation of Securities | 39 |
| Section 12.4 Authorization to Effect Subordination | 40 |
| Section 12.5 Notice to Trustee | 40 |
| Section 12.6 Trustee’s Relation to Senior Indebtedness | 41 |
| Section 12.7 No Impairment of Subordination | 41 |
| Section 12.8 Article Applicable to Paying Agents | 41 |
| Section 12.9 Senior Indebtedness Entitled to Rely | 41 |
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CROSS REFERENCE TABLE
| Trust Indenture | Indenture | |||
| Act Section | Section | |||
| Section 310 | (a)(1) | 7.10 | ||
| (a)(2) | 7.10 | |||
| (a)(3) | N/A | |||
| (a)(4) | N/A | |||
| (a)(5) | 7.10 | |||
| (b) | 7.10 | |||
| Section 311 | (a) | 7.11 | ||
| (b) | 7.11 | |||
| (c) | N/A | |||
| Section 312 | (a) | 2.6 | ||
| (b) | 10.3 | |||
| (c) | 10.3 | |||
| Section 313 | (a) | 7.6 | ||
| (b)(1) | 7.6 | |||
| (b)(2) | 7.6 | |||
| (c)(1) | 7.6 | |||
| (d) | 7.6 | |||
| Section 314 | (a) | 4.2, 10.5 | ||
| (b) | N/A | |||
| (c)(1) | 10.4 | |||
| (c)(2) | 10.4 | |||
| (c)(3) | N/A | |||
| (d) | N/A | |||
| (e) | 10.5 | |||
| (f) | N/A | |||
| Section 315 | (a) | 7.1 | ||
| (b) | 7.5 | |||
| (c) | 7.1 | |||
| (d) | 7.1 | |||
| (e) | 6.14 | |||
| Section 316 | (a) | 2.10 | ||
| (a)(1)(A) | 6.12 | |||
| (a)(1)(B) | 6.13 | |||
| (b) | 6.8 | |||
| Section 317 | (a)(1) | 6.3 | ||
| (a)(2) | 6.4 | |||
| (b) | 2.5 | |||
| Section 318 | (a) | 10.1 |
* This Cross Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of this Indenture.
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This SUBORDINATED INDENTURE, dated as of __________, 20 is made by and between SMARTFINANCIAL, INC., a Tennessee corporation (the “Company”), and , not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee (the “Trustee”).
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture:
Article
I
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Section 1.1 Definitions.
“Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified herein or therein and which are owing to such Holders.
“Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.
“Agent” means any Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent.
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.
“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day” means, unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, any day except a Saturday, Sunday, a legal holiday or any other day on which banking institutions in the City of New York, New York, any Place of Payment, or the city in which the Corporate Trust Office is located, are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
“Capital Stock” means any and all shares, interests, participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of corporate stock.
“Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it and thereafter means the successor.
“Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.
“Company Request” means a written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, the President or a Vice President, and by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at , Attention: , or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depository” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depository with respect to the Securities of such Series.
“Designated Senior Indebtedness” means any of the Company’s Senior Indebtedness that expressly provides that it is “designated senior indebtedness” for purposes of this Indenture (provided that the instrument, agreement or other document creating or evidencing such Senior Indebtedness may place limitations and conditions on the right of such Senior Indebtedness to exercise the rights of Designated Senior Indebtedness).
“Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Stated Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
“Dollars” and “$” means the currency of the United States of America.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect as of the date of determination.
“Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.2 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee.
“Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered.
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“Indebtedness” means, with respect to any person, and without duplication, (a) all indebtedness, obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of such person for borrowed money (including obligations of the Company in respect of overdrafts, foreign exchange contracts, currency exchange agreements, interest rate protection agreements, and any loans or advances from banks, whether or not evidenced by notes or similar instruments) or evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments (whether or not the recourse of the lender is to the whole of the assets of such person or to only a portion thereof) (other than any account payable or other accrued current liability or obligation incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with the obtaining of materials or services), (b) all reimbursement obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of such person with respect to letters of credit, bank guarantees or bankers’ acceptances, (c) all obligations and liabilities (contingent or otherwise) in respect of leases of such person required, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, to be accounted for as capitalized lease obligations on the balance sheet of such person and all obligations and other liabilities (contingent or otherwise) under any lease or related document (including a purchase agreement) in connection with the lease of real property which provides that such person is contractually obligated to purchase or cause a third party to purchase the leased property and thereby guarantee a minimum residual value of the leased property to the lessor and the obligations of such person under such lease or related document to purchase or to cause a third party to purchase such leased property, (d) all obligations of such person (contingent or otherwise) with respect to an interest rate or other swap, cap or collar agreement or other similar instrument or agreement or foreign currency hedge, exchange, purchase or similar instrument or agreement, (e) all direct or indirect guaranties or similar agreements by such person in respect of, and obligations or liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of such person to purchase or otherwise acquire or otherwise assure a creditor against loss in respect of indebtedness, obligations or liabilities of another person of the kind described in clauses (a) through (d), (f) any indebtedness or other obligations described in clauses (a) through (e) secured by any mortgage, pledge, lien or other encumbrance existing on property which is owned or held by such person, regardless of whether the indebtedness or other obligation secured thereby shall have been assumed by such person and (g) any and all refinancings, replacements, deferrals, renewals, extensions and refundings of, or amendments, modifications or supplements to, any indebtedness, obligation or liability of the kind described in clauses (a) through (f).
“Indenture” means this Subordinated Indenture as amended or supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.
“interest” with respect to any Discount Security which by its terms bears interest only after Maturity, means interest payable after Maturity.
“Maturity,” when used with respect to any Security or installment of principal thereof, means the date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, or otherwise.
“Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.
“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.
“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 outside counsel designated by the Corporation, rendered, if applicable, in accordance with Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act.
“person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of or within any Series, means the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest, if any, on such Securities are payable as specified and as contemplated by Section 2.1.
“principal” or “principal amount” of a Security means the principal amount of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.
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“Representative” means the (a) indenture trustee or other trustee, agent or representative for any Senior Indebtedness or (b) with respect to any Senior Indebtedness that does not have any such trustee, agent or other representative, (i) in the case of such Senior Indebtedness issued pursuant to an agreement providing for voting arrangements as among the holders or owners of such Senior Indebtedness, any holder or owner of such Senior Indebtedness acting with the consent of the required persons necessary to bind such holders or owners of such Senior Indebtedness and (ii) in the case of all other such Senior Indebtedness, the holder or owner of such Senior Indebtedness.
“Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject, in each case, who has direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Senior Indebtedness” means the principal, premium, if any, interest, including any interest accruing after bankruptcy, Additional Amounts, if any, and rent or termination payment on or other amounts due on the Company’s current or future Indebtedness, whether created, incurred, assumed, guaranteed or in effect guaranteed by the Company, including any deferrals, renewals, extensions, refundings, amendments, modifications or supplements to the above. However, Senior Indebtedness does not include: (i) Indebtedness that expressly provides that it shall not be senior in right of payment to the Securities or expressly provides that it is on the same basis or junior in right of payment to the Securities; (ii) the Company’s Indebtedness to any of the Company’s Subsidiaries; and (iii) the Securities.
“Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2.
“Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.
“Subsidiary” of any specified person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.
“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act as so amended.
“Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.
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“U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are (a) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (b) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, and which in the case of clauses (a) and (b) are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
Section 1.2 Other Definitions.
| Term | Defined in Section | |
| “Bankruptcy Law” | 6.1 | |
| “Custodian” | 6.1 | |
| “Event of Default” | 6.1 | |
| “Legal Holiday” | 10.7 | |
| “mandatory sinking fund payment” | 11.1 | |
| “optional sinking fund payment” | 11.1 | |
| “Paying Agent” | 2.4 | |
| “Payment Blockage Notice” | 12.2 | |
| “Registrar” | 2.4 | |
| “Service Agent” | 2.4 | |
| “successor person” | 5.1 |
Section 1.3 Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“Commission” means the SEC.
“indenture securities” means the Securities.
“indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.
“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.
All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.
Section 1.4 Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:
| (a) | a term has the meaning assigned to it; |
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| (b) | an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| (c) | references to “generally accepted accounting principles” and “GAAP” shall mean generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, in effect as of the time when and for the period as to which such accounting principles are to be applied; |
| (d) | “or” is not exclusive; |
| (e) | words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; and |
| (f) | provisions apply to successive events and transactions. |
Article
II
THE SECURITIES
Section 2.1 Issuable in Series. The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters; provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of this Indenture, but all Securities issued hereunder shall be subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner set forth in Article XII, to all Senior Indebtedness of the Company.
Section 2.2 Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities. At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Section 2.2(a) and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally, in the case of Sections 2.2(b) through 2.2(q)) by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate:
| (a) | the title of the Series (which shall distinguish the Securities of that particular Series from the Securities of any other Series); |
| (b) | the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued; |
| (c) | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of the Series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of the Series pursuant to Section 2.7, 2.8, 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6); |
| (d) | the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable; |
| (e) | the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall accrue, the date or dates on which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; |
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| (f) | the Place of Payment where the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series shall be payable, where the Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served, and the method of such payment, if by wire transfer, mail or other means; |
| (g) | if applicable, the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of the Series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company; |
| (h) | the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of the Series pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation; |
| (i) | the dates, if any, on which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series will be repurchased by the Company at the option of the Holders thereof and other detailed terms and provisions of such repurchase obligations; |
| (j) | if other than minimum denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable; |
| (k) | the forms of the Securities of the Series in fully registered form (and whether the Securities will be issuable as Global Securities); |
| (l) | if other than the entire principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2; |
| (m) | the provisions, if any, relating to any lien, security or encumbrance provided for the Securities of the Series; |
| (n) | any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.2; |
| (o) | any addition to or change in the covenants set forth in Article IV or V which applies to Securities of the Series; |
| (p) | any other terms of the Securities of the Series (which may modify or delete any provision of this Indenture insofar as it applies to such Series); and |
| (q) | any depositories, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to Securities of such Series if other than those appointed herein. |
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All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuances of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.
Section 2.3 Execution and Authentication.
Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual, facsimile signature or electronic signature. Unless otherwise provided herein or in any other Securities, the words “execute”, “execution”, “signed”, and “signature” and words of similar import used in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Indenture, any other Securities or any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including amendments, waivers, consents and other modifications) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures and the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature in ink or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as applicable, to the fullest extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, and any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, provided that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trustee is not under any obligation to agree to accept electronic signatures in any form or in any format unless expressly agreed to by such Trustee pursuant to procedures approved by such Trustee.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. Such a signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2, except as provided in Section 2.8.
Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.2) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 10.4, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.4.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not be taken lawfully; or (b) if the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability.
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The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
Section 2.4 Registrar and Paying Agent. The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the Place of Payment specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.2, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (the “Paying Agent”), where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (the “Registrar”) and where notices and demands (other than service of process) to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such Series and this Indenture may be served (the “Service Agent”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands (other than any service of process).
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars, additional paying agents or additional service agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.2 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar, additional paying agent or additional service agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent; and the term “Service Agent” includes any additional service agent.
The Company hereby appoints the Trustee as the initial Registrar, Paying Agent and Service Agent for each Series unless another Registrar, Paying Agent or Service Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued.
Section 2.5 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. The Company shall require each Paying Agent (other than the Trustee) to hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee in writing of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent.
Section 2.6 Securityholder Lists. The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at such times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities; provided that no such list need be furnished by the Company to the Trustee so long as the Trustee is acting as Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in Section 2.6 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
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Section 2.7 Transfer and Exchange. Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange (except as otherwise expressly permitted herein), but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.6 or 9.6).
Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business 15 days immediately preceding the mailing of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part, or (c) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series between a record date and the relevant payment date.
Section 2.8 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities. If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or satisfactory indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of written notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its written request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.
Every new Security of any Series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
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Section 2.9 Outstanding Securities. The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.8, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue (to the extent of the Maturity of such Security if less than the entire principal amount is due and payable on such date of Maturity).
A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds the Security.
In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.2.
Section 2.10 Treasury Securities. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, Securities of a Series owned by the Company shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.11 Temporary Securities. Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities upon a Company Order. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon written request shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and Stated Maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary Securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.
Section 2.12 Cancellation. All Securities and coupons surrendered for payment, redemption, repayment at the option of the Holder, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities and coupons and Securities and coupons surrendered directly to the Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee (or to any other Person for delivery to the Trustee) for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee. If the Company shall so acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities cancelled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture.
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Cancelled Securities and coupons held by the Trustee shall be destroyed by the Trustee in accordance with its customary procedures. The Company by Company Order may direct the Trustee to deliver a certificate of such destruction to the Company.
Section 2.13 Defaulted Interest. If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay the defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest, to the persons who are Securityholders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least 10 days before the record date, the Company shall mail to the Trustee and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.
Section 2.14 Global Securities.
| (a) | Terms of Securities. A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depository for such Global Security or Securities. |
| (b) | Transfer and Exchange. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.7 and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.7 for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depository for such Security or its nominee only if (i) such Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or if at any time such Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depository registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act within 90 days of such event, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (iii) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security shall have happened and be continuing. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Securities registered in such names as the Depository shall direct in writing in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security with like tenor and terms. |
Except as provided in this Section 2.14(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.
| (c) | Legend. Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form: |
“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”
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| (d) | Acts of Holders. The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under this Indenture. |
| (e) | Payments. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.2, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof. |
| (f) | Consents, Declaration and Directions. Except as provided in Section 2.14(e), the Company, the Trustee and any Agent shall treat a person as the Holder of such principal amount of outstanding Securities of such Series represented by a Global Security as shall be specified in a written statement of the Depository with respect to such Global Security, for purposes of obtaining any consents, declarations, waivers or directions required to be given by the Holders pursuant to this Indenture. |
Section 2.15 CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP” numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
Article
III
REDEMPTION
Section 3.1 Notice to Trustee. The Company may, with respect to any Series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least 45 days before the redemption date (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee).
Section 3.2 Selection of Securities to be Redeemed. Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if less than all the Securities of any Series issued on the same day with the same terms are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 45 days prior to the redemption date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of such Series issued on such date with the same terms not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate, and, in the case of Global Securities, in accordance with the procedures of the Depository; provided that such method complies with the rules of any national securities exchange or quotation system on which the Securities are listed (and the Company shall notify the Trustee of any such listing), and may provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that Series or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such Series of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of that Series; provided, however, that no such partial redemption shall reduce the portion of the principal amount of a Security not redeemed to less than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such Series.
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The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Registrar (if other than itself) in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected for partial redemption, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be redeemed.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security to be redeemed is a Global Security then any partial redemption of that Series of Securities will be made in accordance with the Depository’s applicable procedures among all Holders of such Series of Securities.
Section 3.3 Notice of Redemption. Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before a redemption date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed.
The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:
| (a) | the redemption date; |
| (b) | the redemption price and accrued interest, if any, to the redemption date payable as provided; |
| (c) | the name and address of the Paying Agent; |
| (d) | that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price; |
| (e) | that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date; |
| (f) | the CUSIP number, if any; |
| (g) | any conditions precedent that must be satisfied prior to the redemption; and |
| (h) | any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed. |
At the Company’s written request given at least five Business Days prior to the date such notice is given to Holders, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense.
Section 3.4 Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of redemption is mailed or published as provided in Section 3.3, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price, subject to, with respect to any redemption that is conditioned upon the satisfaction of any conditions precedent, (i) the delay of such redemption date until such time as any or all of such conditions precedent have been satisfied or (ii) the revocation of such redemption if the Company determines that such conditions precedent will not be satisfied. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to, but excluding, the redemption date; provided that installments of interest whose Stated Maturity is on or prior to the redemption date shall be payable to the Holders of such Securities (or one or more predecessor Securities) registered at the close of business on the relevant record date therefor according to their terms and the terms of this Indenture.
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Section 3.5 Deposit of Redemption Price. On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.
Section 3.6 Securities Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
Article IV
COVENANTS
Section 4.1 Payment of Principal and Interest. The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
Section 4.2 SEC Reports. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a). Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to conclusively rely exclusively on an Officers’ Certificate).
Section 4.3 Compliance Certificate. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his/her knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he may have knowledge).
The Company will, so long as any of the Securities are outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon becoming aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers’ Certificate specifying such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
Section 4.4 Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.
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Section 4.5 Corporate Existence. Subject to Article V, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.
Section 4.6 Taxes. The Company shall pay prior to delinquency all taxes, assessments and governmental levies, except as contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings.
Article V
SUCCESSORS
Section 5.1 When Company May Merge, Etc. The Company shall not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to, any person (a “successor person”), nor shall the Company permit any other person to consolidate with or merge into it or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its properties and assets to it, in either case unless:
| (a) | the Company is the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than the Company) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes the Company’s obligations on the Securities and under this Indenture; and |
| (b) | immediately after giving effect to the transaction, and treating any indebtedness that becomes the obligation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as having been incurred at the effective date of such transaction no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. |
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction an Officers’ Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and any supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.
Section 5.2 Successor Corporation Substituted. Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor Company in the case of a sale, conveyance or other disposition (other than a lease) shall be released from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities.
Article VI
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
Section 6.1 Events of Default. “Event of Default,” wherever used herein with respect to Securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:
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| (a) | default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to the expiration of such period of 30 days); |
| (b) | default in the payment of principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity; |
| (c) | default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due in respect of any Security of that Series; |
| (d) | default in the performance or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty for which the consequences of nonperformance or breach are addressed elsewhere in this Section 6.1 and other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in this Indenture solely for the benefit of Series of Securities other than that Series), which default or breach continues uncured or unwaived in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of not less than 25.0% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder; |
| (e) | the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law: |
| i. | commences a voluntary case, |
| ii. | consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, |
| iii. | consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, |
| iv. | makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors, or |
| v. | generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or |
| (f) | a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that: |
| i. | is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case, |
| ii. | appoints a Custodian of the Company or for all or substantially all of its property, or |
| iii. | orders the liquidation of the Company, and the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days; or |
| (g) | any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.2(n). |
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The term “Bankruptcy Law” means title 11, U.S. Code or any similar Federal or State law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
Section 6.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment. Except to the extent provided otherwise in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate for such Series, if an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any Series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing (other than an Event of Default referred to in Section 6.1(e) or 6.1(f)), then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25.0% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series may declare the principal amount (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the Securities of that Series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon any such declaration such principal amount (or portion thereof) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, shall become immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or 6.1(f) shall occur, the principal amount (or portion thereof) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding Securities 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 such a declaration of acceleration with respect to any Series has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series, by written notice to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that Series, other than the non-payment of the principal and interest, if any, of Securities of that Series which have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 6.13.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.3 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee. The Company covenants that if:
| (a) | default is made in the payment of any interest on any Security when such interest becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, |
| (b) | default is made in the payment of principal of any Security at the Maturity thereof, or |
| (c) | default is made in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when and as due by the terms of a Security, |
then, the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest and, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, interest on any overdue principal and any overdue interest at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or deemed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.
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If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 6.4 Trustee may File Proofs of Claim. In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise, (a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and (b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
Section 6.5 Trustee may Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities. All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.
Section 6.6 Application of Money Collected. Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.7; and
Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and
Third: To the Company.
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Section 6.7 Limitation on Suits. No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:
| (a) | such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series; |
| (b) | the Holders of not less than 25.0% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder; |
| (c) | such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity or security satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request; |
| (d) | the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity or security has failed to institute any such proceeding; and |
| (e) | no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series; |
it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.
Section 6.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
Section 6.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 6.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.8, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not, to the extent permitted by law, prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
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Section 6.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
Section 6.12 Control by Holders. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee, with respect to the Securities of such Series; provided that:
| (a) | the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such direction shall be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture; |
| (b) | the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction; and |
| (c) | the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability or expense for which it is not adequately indemnified, or is unduly prejudicial to the rights of any other Holder (it being understood that the Trustee does not have an affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders). |
Section 6.13 Waiver of Past Defaults. The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default (a) in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration) or (b) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security of such Series affected. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 6.14 Undertaking for Costs. All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).
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Article VII
TRUSTEE
Section 7.1 Duties of Trustee.
| (a) | The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Securities and after the curing or waiving of all Events of Default which may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture. If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of their own affairs. |
| (b) | Except during the continuance of an Event of Default: |
| i. | The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers. The Trustee is not required to give any bond or surety with respect to the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers under this Indenture. The permissive right of the Trustee to take the actions permitted by this Indenture shall not be construed as an obligation or duty to do so. |
| ii. | The Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture. |
| (c) | The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct, except that: |
| i. | This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section. |
| ii. | The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts. |
| iii. | The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series. |
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| (d) | Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (g) of this Section. |
| (e) | The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power at the request or direction of any Holder or Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holder or Holders shall have offered and, if requested, provided to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee in its sole and absolute discretion against any costs, losses, liabilities and expenses which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction. |
| (f) | The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. |
| (g) | No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or satisfactory indemnity against such risk is not assured to it. |
| (h) | The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the protections, immunities and standard of care as are set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section with respect to the Trustee. |
Section 7.2 Rights of Trustee.
| (a) | The Trustee may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, judgment, bond, debenture, note, coupon, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person, not only as to due execution, validity and effectiveness, but also as to the truth and accuracy of any information contained therein. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document. |
| (b) | Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate, an Opinion of Counsel, or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate and/or Opinion of Counsel. |
| (c) | The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care. No Depository shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depository. |
| (d) | The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, provided that the Trustee’s conduct does not constitute negligence or willful misconduct. |
| (e) | The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders of Securities unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction. |
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| (f) | The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder without negligence and in good faith and in reliance thereon. |
| (g) | The Trustee may conclusively rely upon and shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit. |
| (h) | The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities generally or the Securities of a particular Series and this Indenture. |
| (i) | Delivery of reports, information and documents (including, without limitation, reports contemplated in this Section) to the Trustee is for information purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipts thereof shall not constitute actual or constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with covenants under this Indenture, Securities, and guarantees (if any), as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates. |
| (j) | The Trustee shall have no responsibility for monitoring the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants under this Indenture. |
| (k) | The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for punitive, special, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including, but not limited to, loss of profit) irrespective of whether the Trustee has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage and regardless of the form of actions. |
| (l) | Any permissive right of the Trustee to take or refrain from taking actions enumerated in this Indenture shall not be construed as a duty. |
| (m) | The Trustee shall not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires; floods; terrorism; wars; civil or military disturbances; sabotage; epidemics; riots; interruptions; loss or malfunction of utilities, computer (hardware or software) or communication services; accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authorities and governmental actions; or the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire or telex or other wire or communication facility. |
| (n) | The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series. |
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Section 7.3 Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
Section 7.4 Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication. In accepting the trust hereby created, the Trustee acts solely as Trustee under this Indenture and not in its individual capacity and all persons, including without limitation the Holders of Securities and the Company having any claim against the Trustee arising from this Indenture shall look only to the funds and accounts held by the Trustee hereunder for payment except as otherwise provided herein.
Section 7.5 Notice of Defaults. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if it is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as it in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.
Section 7.6 Reports by Trustee to Holders. Within 60 days after April 15 in each year, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such April 15, in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA Section 313.
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange, if any, on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange.
Section 7.7 Compensation and Indemnity. The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time compensation for its services hereunder as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred by it in connection with the performance of its duties under this Indenture. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify each of the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee for and hold it harmless, (including the cost of defending itself) against any and all loss, liability, claim, suit or expense (including attorneys’ fees and expenses, and including other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee), including without limitation the costs and expenses of defending itself against any third-party claim (whether asserted by any Holder or any other person), without negligence or willful misconduct, as finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, arising out of or in connection with its acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the performance of its duties or the exercise of its powers hereunder and including the enforcement of this Agreement (including, without limitation, this Section 7.7). With respect to any such claim other than a claim brought by the Company, (i) the Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity, (ii) the Company may at its option defend the claim, in which event the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense and the Trustee may have one separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel and (iii) the Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.
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To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities of that Series.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(e) or 6.1(f) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee and the termination of this Indenture.
Section 7.8 Replacement of Trustee. A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.
The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:
| (a) | the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10; |
| (b) | the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law; |
| (c) | a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or |
| (d) | the Trustee becomes incapable of acting. |
If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within 60 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.7, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.8, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.7 shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.
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Section 7.9 Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. Any corporation or other entity into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to or acquiring all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee (including the administration of the trust created by this Indenture), shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to, or by succession to or acquisition of all or substantially all of the corporate trust business of, such successor Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.
Section 7.10 Eligibility; Disqualification. This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Sections 310(a)(1), 310(a)(2) and 310(a)(5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b).
Section 7.11 Referential Collection of Claims Against Company. The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.
Article VIII
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
Section 8.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.1), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
| (a) | either: |
| i. | all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or |
| ii. | all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation |
| (1) | have become due and payable, or |
| (2) | will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within one year, or |
(3) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company; or
| (4) | are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.3, as applicable; |
and the Company, in the case of clauses (1), (2) and (3) above, has irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;
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| (b) | the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and |
| (c) | the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with. |
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.7, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.1, 8.2 and 8.5 shall survive.
Section 8.2 Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.
| (a) | Subject to the provisions of Section 8.5, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.1, all money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (other than the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Section 8.3 or 8.4. |
| (b) | The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Section 8.3 or 8.4 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders. |
| (c) | The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon Company Request any U.S. Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Section 8.3 or 8.4 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations held under this Indenture. |
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Section 8.3 Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series. Unless this Section 8.3 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.2(p), to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any Series on the 90th day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (c) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, at Company Request, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:
| (a) | the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (c) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series; |
| (b) | the provisions of Sections 2.4, 2.7, 2.8, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.5; and |
| (c) | the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder; provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied: |
| i. | the Company shall have deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a regionally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due; |
| ii. | such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound; |
| iii. | no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 90th day after such date; |
| iv. | the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (A) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (B) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred; |
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| v. | the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and |
| vi. | the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with. |
Section 8.4 Covenant Defeasance. Unless this Section 8.4 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.2(p) to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, on and after the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) hereof, the Company may omit to comply with respect to the Securities of any Series with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6, and 5.1 as well as any additional covenants specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(p) (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default with respect to such Series under Section 6.1) and the occurrence of any event specified in a supplemental indenture for such Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.2(n) and designated as an Event of Default shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series; provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
| (a) | With reference to this Section 8.4, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.2(c)) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a regionally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal of and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal and such sinking fund payments are due; |
| (b) | Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound; |
| (c) | No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 90th day after such date; |
| (d) | The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and covenant defeasance had not occurred; and |
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| (e) | The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the covenant defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with. |
Section 8.5 Repayment to Company. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for six months. After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person.
Article IX
AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS
Section 9.1 Without Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder by indentures supplemental hereto:
| (a) | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency; |
| (b) | to comply with Article V; |
| (c) | to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company, or successive successions, pursuant to Article XI, and the assumption by the successor corporation of the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company herein and in the Securities; |
| (d) | to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions as its Board of Directors shall consider to be for the protection of the holders of Securities, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any of such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth, with such period of grace, if any, and subject to such conditions as such supplemental indenture may provide; |
| (e) | [reserved]; |
| (f) | to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA, or under any similar federal statute hereafter enacted, and to add to this Indenture such other provisions as may be expressly permitted by the TIA, excluding however, the provisions referred to in Section 316(a)(2) of the TIA or any corresponding provision in any similar federal statute hereafter enacted; |
| (g) | to add any additional Events of Default (and if such Events of Default are to be for the benefit of less than all Series of Securities, stating that such are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such Series); |
| (h) | to modify, eliminate or add to any of the provisions of this Indenture; provided that any such change or elimination (i) shall become effective only when there is no Security of any Series Outstanding and created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture that is entitled to the benefit of such provision or (ii) shall not apply to any Security Outstanding; |
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| (i) | to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities; |
| (j) | to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder; |
| (k) | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture; |
| (l) | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; or |
| (m) | to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA. |
Section 9.2 With Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of each Series affected by such supplemental indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series by written notice to the Trustee (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.2 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this Section becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders of Securities affected thereby a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to mail or publish such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.
Section 9.3 Limitations. Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:
| (a) | reduce the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; |
| (b) | reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any Security; |
| (c) | reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation; |
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| (d) | reduce the principal amount of Discount Securities payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
| (e) | waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); |
| (f) | make the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security payable in any currency other than that stated in the Security; |
| (g) | make any change in Section 6.8, 6.13, or 9.3 (this sentence); or |
| (h) | waive a redemption payment with respect to any Security. |
Section 9.4 Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.
Section 9.5 Revocation and Effect of Consents. Until an amendment is set forth in a supplemental indenture or a waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date of the supplemental indenture or the date the waiver becomes effective.
Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (h) of Section 9.3. In that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.
Section 9.6 Notation on or Exchange of Securities. The Trustee may place an appropriate notation about an amendment or waiver on any Security of any Series thereafter authenticated. The Company in exchange for Securities of that Series may issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the amendment or waiver.
Section 9.7 Trustee Protected. In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Officers’ Certificate and Opinion of Counsel stating that all conditions precedent have been satisfied, the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such supplemental indenture is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects it.
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Article X
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 10.1 Trust Indenture Act Controls. If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.
Section 10.2 Notices. Any notice or communication by the Company or the Trustee to the other, or by a Holder to the Company or the Trustee, is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail:
if to the Company:
SmartFinancial, Inc.
5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600
Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
Attention: Ronald J. Gorczynski, Chief Financial Officer
Telephone: (865) 437-5700
if to the Trustee:
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Any notice or communication to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.
If a notice or communication is mailed or published in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Securityholders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or any Security, where this Indenture or any Security provides for notice of any event or any other communication (including any notice of redemption or repurchase) to a Securityholder of a Security (whether by mail or otherwise), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to Depository (or its designee) pursuant to the applicable procedures from Depository or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices at Depository.
Section 10.3 Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).
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Section 10.4 Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
| (a) | an Officers’ Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and |
| (b) | an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with. |
Section 10.5 Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(e) and shall include:
| (a) | a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; |
| (b) | a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; |
| (c) | a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and |
| (d) | a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with. |
Section 10.6 Rules by Trustee and Agents. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by, or a meeting of, Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
Section 10.7 Legal Holidays. Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
Section 10.8 No Recourse Against Others. A director, officer, employee or shareholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or this Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.
Section 10.9 Counterparts. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement. The exchange of copies of this Indenture and of signature pages by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Indenture as to the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original Indenture for all purposes. Signatures of the parties hereto transmitted by facsimile or electronic format (e.g., “.pdf” or “.tif”) shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
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Section 10.10 Governing Laws; Waiver of Jury Trial; Jurisdiction. THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY (OTHER THAN SECTIONS 5-1401 AND 5-1402 OF THE NEW YORK GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW). EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING AMONG THE PARTIES HERETO ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
The parties hereby (i) irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of any federal or state court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, the city of New York, (ii) waive any objection to laying of venue in any such action or proceeding in such courts, and (iii) waive any objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum or do not have jurisdiction over any party.
Section 10.11 No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
Section 10.12 Successors. All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
Section 10.13 Severability. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 10.14 Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Article XI
SINKING FUNDS
Section 11.1 Applicability of Article. The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment.” If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.2. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the Securities of such Series.
Section 11.2 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities. The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (a) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (b) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been repurchased by the Company or redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Trustee, together with an Officers’ Certificate with respect thereto, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the Trustee begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.2, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $100,000, the Trustee need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Trustee or a Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.
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Section 11.3 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund. Not less than 45 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.2, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than 30 days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.3. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6.
Article XII
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
Section 12.1 Agreement of Subordination. The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of Securities issued hereunder by accepting a Security likewise covenants and agrees, that all Securities shall be issued subject to the provisions of this Article XII; and each Person holding any Security, whether upon original issue or upon transfer, assignment or exchange thereof, accepts and agrees to be bound by such provisions.
The payment of the principal of and interest on all Securities (including, but not limited to, the redemption price with respect to the Securities called for redemption in accordance with Article III as provided in this Indenture) issued hereunder shall, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, be subordinated and subject in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date of this Indenture or thereafter incurred.
No provision of this Article XII shall prevent the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default hereunder.
Section 12.2 Payments to Holders. Except as otherwise provided in a supplemental indenture, no payment shall be made with respect to the principal of or interest on the Securities (including, but not limited to, the redemption price with respect to the Securities to be called for redemption in accordance with Article III as provided in this Indenture), except payments and distributions made by the Trustee as permitted by the first or second paragraph of Section 12.5, if:
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| (a) | a default in the payment of principal, premium, interest, rent or other obligations due on any Senior Indebtedness occurs and is continuing (or, in the case of Senior Indebtedness for which there is a period of grace, in the event of such a default that continues beyond the period of grace, if any, specified in the instrument or lease evidencing such Senior Indebtedness) (a “payment default”), unless and until such default shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist; or |
| (b) | a default, other than a payment default, on a Designated Senior Indebtedness occurs and is continuing that then permits holders of such Designated Senior Indebtedness to accelerate its maturity and the Trustee receives a written notice of the default (a “Payment Blockage Notice”) from a Representative or the Company. |
If the Trustee receives any Payment Blockage Notice pursuant to clause (b) above, no subsequent Payment Blockage Notice shall be effective for purposes of this Section unless and until (A) at least 365 days shall have elapsed since the initial effectiveness of the immediately prior Payment Blockage Notice, and (B) all scheduled payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities that have come due have been paid in full in cash. No non-payment default that existed or was continuing on the date of delivery of any Payment Blockage Notice to the Trustee shall be, or be made, the basis for a subsequent Payment Blockage Notice.
The Company may and shall resume payments on and distributions in respect of the Securities upon the earlier of:
| (1) | the date upon which the applicable default is cured or waived or ceases to exist, or |
| (2) | in the case of a default referred to in clause (b) above, 179 days pass after notice is received if the maturity of such Designated Senior Indebtedness has not been accelerated, unless this Article XII otherwise prohibits the payment or distribution at the time of such payment or distribution. |
Upon any payment by the Company, or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to creditors upon any dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings, all amounts due or to become due upon all Senior Indebtedness shall first be paid in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, or payment thereof in accordance with its terms provided for in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, before any payment is made on account of the principal of or interest on the Securities (except payments made pursuant to Article VI from monies deposited with the Trustee pursuant thereto prior to commencement of proceedings for such dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization); and upon any such dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of the Company or bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceeding, any payment by the Company, or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled, except for the provision of this Article XII, shall (except as aforesaid) be paid by the Company or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, or by the Holders of the Securities or by the Trustee under this Indenture if received by them or it, directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amounts of Senior Indebtedness held by such holders, or as otherwise required by law or a court order) or their Representative or Representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing any Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, to the extent necessary to pay all Senior Indebtedness in full, in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders of Senior Indebtedness, before any payment or distribution or provision therefor is made to the Holders of the Securities or to the Trustee.
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For purposes of this Article XII, the words, “cash, property or securities” shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other person provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the payment of which is subordinated at least to the extent provided in this Article XII with respect to the Securities to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness which may at the time be outstanding; provided that (i) the Senior Indebtedness is assumed by the new person, if any, resulting from any reorganization or readjustment, and (ii) the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness (other than leases which are not assumed by the Company or the new person, as the case may be) are not, without the consent of such holders, altered by such reorganization or readjustment. The consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the Company into, another person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the conveyance or transfer of its property as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to another person upon the terms and conditions provided for in Article V shall not be deemed a dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes of this Section 12.2 if such other person shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions stated in Article V.
In the event of the acceleration of the Securities because of an Event of Default, no payment or distribution shall be made to the Trustee or any Holder of Securities in respect of the principal of or interest on the Securities (including, but not limited to, the redemption price with respect to the Securities called for redemption in accordance with Article III as provided in this Indenture), except payments and distributions made by the Trustee as permitted by the first or second paragraph of Section 12.5, until all Senior Indebtedness has been paid in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or such acceleration is rescinded in accordance with the terms of this Indenture. If payment of the Securities is accelerated because of an Event of Default, the Company shall promptly notify holders of Senior Indebtedness of the acceleration at the address set forth in the notice from the Agent (or successor agent) to the Trustee as being the address to which the Trustee should send its notice pursuant to this Section 12.2, unless there are no payment obligations of the Company thereunder and all obligations thereunder to extend credit have been terminated or expired.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, any payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities (including, without limitation, by way of setoff or otherwise), prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities before all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, or provision is made for such payment thereof in accordance with its terms in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, such payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall be paid over or delivered to the holders of Senior Indebtedness or their representative or representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing any Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, as calculated by the Company, for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to pay all Senior Indebtedness in full in cash or other payment satisfactory to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
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Nothing in this Section 12.2 shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 7.7. This Section 12.2 shall be subject to the further provisions of Section 12.5.
Section 12.3 Subrogation of Securities. Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness, the rights of the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated to the extent of the payments or distributions made to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII (equally and ratably with the holders of all Indebtedness of the Company which by its express terms is subordinated to other Indebtedness of the Company to substantially the same extent as the Securities are subordinated and is entitled to like rights of subrogation) to the rights of the holders of Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of cash, property or securities of the Company applicable to the Senior Indebtedness until the principal and interest on the Securities shall be paid in full; and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no payments or distributions to the holders of the Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or securities to which the Holders of the Securities or the Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article XII, and no payment over pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII, to or for the benefit of the holders of Senior Indebtedness by Holders of the Securities or the Trustee, shall, as between the Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or on account of the Senior Indebtedness; and no payments or distributions of cash, property or securities to or for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities pursuant to the subrogation provisions of this Article XII, which would otherwise have been paid to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be deemed to be a payment by the Company to or for the account of the Securities. It is understood that the provisions of this Article XII are and are intended solely for the purposes of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities, on the one hand, and the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand.
Nothing contained in this Article XII or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to or shall impair, as among the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness, and the Holders of the Securities, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay to the Holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Securities as and when the same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall affect the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities and creditors of the Company other than the holders of the Senior Indebtedness, nor shall anything herein or therein prevent the Trustee or the Holder of any Security from exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article XII of the holders of Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the Company received upon the exercise of any such remedy.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to in this Article XII, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, and the Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree made by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such bankruptcy, dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization proceedings are pending, or a certificate of the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent or other person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders of the Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the persons entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of the Senior Indebtedness and other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon and all other facts pertinent thereto or to this Article XII.
Section 12.4 Authorization to Effect Subordination. Each Holder of a Security by the holder’s acceptance thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on the holder’s behalf to take such action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination as provided in this Article XII and appoints the Trustee to act as the holder’s attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes. If the Trustee does not file a proper proof of claim or proof of debt in the form required in any proceeding referred to in Section 6.3 hereof at least 30 days before the expiration of the time to file such claim, the holders of any Senior Indebtedness or their representatives are hereby authorized to file an appropriate claim for and on behalf of the Holders of the Securities.
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Section 12.5 Notice to Trustee. The Company shall give prompt written notice in the form of an Officers’ Certificate to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee and to any paying agent of any fact known to the Company which would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee or any paying agent in respect of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article XII or any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts which would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XII, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof at the Corporate Trust Office from the Company (in the form of an Officers’ Certificate) or a Representative or a holder or holders of Senior Indebtedness or from any trustee thereof; and before the receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts exist; provided that if on a date not fewer than two Business Days prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any such monies may become payable for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on any Security) the Trustee shall not have received, with respect to such monies, the notice provided for in this Section 12.5, then, anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to receive such monies and to apply the same to the purpose for which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary which may be received by it on or after such prior date.
Notwithstanding anything in this Article XII to the contrary, nothing shall prevent any payment by the Trustee to the Holders of monies deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.1, and any such payment shall not be subject to the provisions of Section 12.1 or 12.2.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, shall be entitled to rely on the delivery to it of a written notice by a Representative or a person representing himself or herself to be a holder of Senior Indebtedness (or a trustee on behalf of such holder) to establish that such notice has been given by a Representative or a holder of Senior Indebtedness or a trustee on behalf of any such holder or holders. In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is required with respect to the right of any person as a holder of Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this Article XII, the Trustee may request such person to furnish evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of Senior Indebtedness held by such person, the extent to which such person is entitled to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the rights of such person under this Article XII, and if such evidence is not furnished the Trustee may defer any payment to such person pending judicial determination as to the right of such person to receive such payment.
Section 12.6 Trustee’s Relation to Senior Indebtedness. The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the rights set forth in this Article XII in respect of any Senior Indebtedness at any time held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness, and nothing in Section 7.11 or elsewhere in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as such holder. Nothing in this Article XII shall apply to the Company’s obligations to the Trustee under Section 7.7.
With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article XII, and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Indebtedness and, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, the Trustee shall not be liable to any holder of Senior Indebtedness if it shall pay over or deliver to Holders of Securities, the Company or any other person money or assets to which any holder of Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of this Article XII or otherwise.
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Section 12.7 No Impairment of Subordination. No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the Company or by any act or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Company with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture, regardless of any knowledge thereof which any such holder may have or otherwise be charged with.
Section 12.8 Article Applicable to Paying Agents. If at any time any Paying Agent other than the Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company and be then acting hereunder, the term “Trustee” as used in this Article shall (unless the context otherwise requires) be construed as extending to and including such Paying Agent within its meaning as fully for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent were named in this Article in addition to or in place of the Trustee; provided, however, that the first paragraph of Section 12.5 shall not apply to the Company or any Affiliate of the Company if it or such Affiliate acts as Paying Agent.
Section 12.9 Senior Indebtedness Entitled to Rely. The holders of Senior Indebtedness (including, without limitation, Designated Senior Indebtedness) shall have the right to rely upon this Article XII, and no amendment or modification of the provisions contained herein shall diminish the rights of such holders unless such holders shall have agreed in writing thereto.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| SMARTFINANCIAL, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| , as Trustee | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
Exhibit 5.1
One Atlantic Center
1201 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309-3424
404-881-7000 | Fax: 404-881-7777
June 26, 2020
|
SmartFinancial, Inc. 5401 Kingston Pike, Suite 600 Knoxville, Tennessee 37919 |
| Re: | Registration Statement on Form S-3 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to SmartFinancial, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its filing on the date hereof of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
This opinion is being furnished pursuant to Item 16 of Form S-3 and Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
The Registration Statement registers an indeterminate amount of: (i) shares of Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”); (ii) shares of Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”); (iii) senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities (collectively, the “Debt Securities”), which may be issued pursuant to a senior debt indenture (the “Senior Debt Indenture”) between the Company and trustee (the “Senior Debt Trustee”), or a subordinated debt indenture (the “Subordinated Debt Indenture” and together with the Senior Debt Indenture, the “Indentures”) between the Company and a trustee (the “Subordinated Debt Trustee” and together with the Senior Debt Trustee, the “Trustees”); (iv) depositary shares to purchase fractional shares of Preferred Stock (the “Depositary Shares”), which may be issued pursuant to one or more depositary agreements (each a “Depositary Agreement”) to be entered into between the Company and the depositary agent to be named therein (the “Depositary Agent”); (v) purchase contracts to purchase the Company’s securities (the “Purchase Contracts”), which may be issued under one or more purchase contract agreements (each, a “Purchase Contract Agreement”); (vi) a combination of two or more securities that may be offered in the form of units (the “Units”); (vii) warrants to purchase the Company’s securities (the “Warrants”); and (viii) rights to purchase the Company’s securities (the “Rights”). The Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Depositary Shares, Purchase Contracts, Units, Warrants, and Rights are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities”.
| Alston & Bird LLP | www.alston.com |
Atlanta | Beijing | Brussels | Charlotte | Dallas | Los Angeles | New York | Research Triangle | San Francisco | Silicon Valley | Washington, D.C.
SmartFinancial, Inc.
June 26, 2020
Page 2
In rendering the opinions expressed herein, and except as hereinafter limited, we have examined the Amended and Restated Charter of the Company, as amended; the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended; the Registration Statement; and records of the proceedings of the Board of Directors of the Company as we deemed necessary for purposes of expressing the opinions set forth herein. In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as original documents and the conformity to original documents submitted to us as certified, conformed, facsimile, electronic or photostatic copies. In addition, we have assumed that the issuance and sale of such Securities will not violate or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company, whether by virtue of a waiver, consent, amendment or otherwise.
As to certain factual matters relevant to this opinion letter, we have relied conclusively upon originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records, agreements, documents and instruments, including certificates or comparable documents of officers of the Company and of public officials, as we have deemed appropriate as a basis for the opinions hereinafter set forth.
This opinion is limited in all respects to the laws of the State of Tennessee, and no opinion is expressed with respect to the laws of any other jurisdiction or any effect that such laws may have on the opinions expressed herein. This opinion is limited to the matters stated herein, and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the limitations, qualifications, exceptions and assumptions set forth herein, it is our opinion that:
(1) Any shares of Common Stock, when (a) the underwriting or similar agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto; (b) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary action to approve the issuance of the Common Stock; and (c) the shares of Common Stock have been delivered to and paid for by the purchasers thereof, will be duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock;
(2) Any shares of Preferred Stock, when (a) the underwriting or similar agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto; (b) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary action to approve the issuance of the Preferred Stock; and (c) the Preferred Stock has been duly issued and delivered pursuant to any underwriting agreement or a comparable agreement, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;
(3) Any Debt Securities, assuming the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and the Company, and when (a) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve and establish the terms of the Debt Securities and to authorize and approve the issuance thereof; (b) any supplemental indenture, officers’ certificate or board resolution in respect of the issuance of any Debt Securities has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee and the Company; (c) the specific terms of a particular series of Debt Securities have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Indenture and any supplemental indenture, officers’ certificate or board resolution to be entered into or adopted in connection with the issuance of such Debt Securities; and (d) such Debt Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the Indenture and any supplemental indenture, officers’ certificate or board resolution to be entered into or adopted in connection with the issuance of such Debt Securities and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity, provided that we express no opinion as to the applicability (and if applicable, the effect) of Section 548 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or any comparable provision of state law to the questions addressed above or on the conclusions expressed with respect thereto;
SmartFinancial, Inc.
June 26, 2020
Page 3
(4) Any Depositary Shares, when (a) the Depositary Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto; (b) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve and establish the terms of the Depositary Shares and to authorize and approve the issuance thereof; and (c) the Depositary Shares have been issued and delivered to and paid for by the purchasers thereof, will be validly issued and will represent fractional interests in, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable Preferred Stock;
(5) Any Purchase Contracts, when (a) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve and establish the terms of the Purchase Contracts and to authorize and approve the issuance thereof; (b) the Purchase Contract Agreement to be entered into in connection with the issuance of any Purchase Contracts has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the parties thereto; (c) the specific terms of the Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized and established in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement; and (d) such Purchase Contracts have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Purchase Contract Agreement and the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Purchase Contracts will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity;
(6) Any Units, when (a) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve and establish the terms of the Units and to authorize and approve the issuance thereof; and (b) such Units have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the applicable underwriting or other agreement against payment therefor, such Units will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity;
SmartFinancial, Inc.
June 26, 2020
Page 4
(7) Any Warrants, when (a) the warrant agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto; (b) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve and establish the terms of the Warrants and to authorize and approve the issuance thereof; and (c) the Warrants have been delivered to and paid for by the purchasers thereof, will be validly issued and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity; and
(8) Any Rights, when (a) the rights agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto; (b) the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and the appropriate officers of the Company have taken all necessary corporate action to approve and establish the terms of the Rights and to authorize and approve the issuance thereof; and (c) the Rights have been delivered to and paid for by the purchasers thereof, will be validly issued and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to the effect of general principles of equity.
This opinion is delivered as of the date hereof, and we make no undertaking and expressly disclaim any duty to supplement or update such opinion, if, after the date hereof, facts or circumstances come to our attention or changes in the law occur which could affect this opinion and other statements expressed herein. This opinion is being rendered solely for the benefit of the Company in connection with the matters addressed herein and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to or relied upon by any other person or for any other purpose without my prior express written consent.
We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| ALSTON & BIRD LLP | ||
| By: | /s/ Mark C. Kanaly | |
| Mark C. Kanaly | ||
| A partner | ||
Exhibit 23.1
Consent Of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of SmartFinancial, Inc. (the “Company”) of our reports dated March 12, 2020, relating to the consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of the Company, which appear in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in this Registration Statement.
/s/ Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP
Atlanta, Georgia
June 26, 2020