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EXHIBIT 4.4
DRAFT
MAY 28, 1998
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AMENDED AND RESTATED
TRUST AGREEMENT
among
AMERICAN BANCSHARES, INC.
as Depositor
BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,
as Property Trustee,
and
BANKERS TRUST (DELAWARE),
as Delaware Trustee
dated as of
______ __, 1998
ABI CAPITAL TRUST
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ABI CAPITAL TRUST
Certain Sections of this Trust Agreement relating to
Sections 310 through 318 of the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939:
Trust Indenture Trust Agreement
Act Section Section
----------------- -----------------
Section 310 (a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.7
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.7
(a)(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.9
(a)(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7(a)(ii)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.8, 10.10(b)
Section 311 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 10.10(b)
Section 312 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10(b)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10(b), (f)
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.7
Section 313 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.15(a)
(a)(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10(c)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.15(c), 10.10(c)
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.8, 10.10(c)
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10(c)
Section 314 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.16, 10.10(d)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(c)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.17, 10.10(d), (e)
(c)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.17, 10.10(d), (e)
(c)(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.17, 10.10(d), (e)
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.17, 10.10(e)
Section 315 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1(d)
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.2
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1(c)
(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1(d)
(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
Section 316 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(a)(1)(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(a)(1)(B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.13
(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7
Section 317 (a)(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not Applicable
(a)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.14
(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.10
Section 318 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.10(a)
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to
be a part of the Trust Agreement.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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ARTICLE I. DEFINED TERMS
Section 1.1. Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
ARTICLE II. CONTINUATION OF THE ISSUER TRUST
Section 2.1. Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 2.2. Office of the Delaware Trustee;
Principal Place of Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Section 2.3. Initial Contribution of Trust Property,
Organizational Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Section 2.4. Issuance of the Preferred Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Section 2.5. Issuance of the Common Securities;
Subscription and Purchase of Junior
Subordinated Debentures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Section 2.6. Declaration of Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Section 2.7. Authorization to Enter into Certain
Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Section 2.8. Assets of Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Section 2.9. Title to Trust Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
ARTICLE III. PAYMENT ACCOUNT
Section 3.1. Payment Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
ARTICLE IV. DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTION
Section 4.1. Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Section 4.2. Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Section 4.3. Subordination of Common Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Section 4.4. Payment Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Section 4.5. Tax Returns and Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Section 4.6. Payment of Taxes, Duties, Etc.
of the Issuer Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Section 4.7. Payments under Indenture or Pursuant
to Direct Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Section 4.8. Liability of the Holder of Common
Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
ARTICLE V. TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES
Section 5.1. Initial Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Section 5.2. The Trust Securities Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Section 5.3. Execution and Delivery of Trust
Securities Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Section 5.4. Global Preferred Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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Section 5.5. Registration of Transfer and Exchange
Generally; Certain Transfers and
Exchanges; Preferred Securities
Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Section 5.6. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Trust Securities Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Section 5.7. Persons Deemed Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Section 5.8. Access to List of Holders'
Names and Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Section 5.9. Maintenance of Office or Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Section 5.10. Appointment of Paying Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Section 5.11. Ownership of Common Securities
by Depositor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Section 5.12. Notices to Clearing Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Section 5.13. Rights of Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
ARTICLE VI. ACTS OF HOLDERS; MEETINGS; VOTING
Section 6.1. Limitations on Holder's Voting
Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Section 6.2. Notice of Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Section 6.3. Meetings of Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Section 6.4. Voting Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Section 6.5. Proxies, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Section 6.6. Holder Action by Written Consent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Section 6.7. Record Date for Voting and Other
Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Section 6.8. Acts of Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Section 6.9. Inspection of Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
ARTICLE VII. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
Section 7.1. Representations and Warranties
of the Property Trustee and
the Delaware Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Section 7.2. Representations and Warranties of
Depositor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
ARTICLE VIII. THE ISSUER TRUSTEES; THE ADMINISTRATORS
Section 8.1. Certain Duties and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Section 8.2. Certain Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Section 8.3. Certain Rights of Property Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Section 8.4. Not Responsible for Recitals
or Issuance of Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Section 8.5. May Hold Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Section 8.6. Compensation; Indemnity; Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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Section 8.7. Corporate Property Trustee Required;
Eligibility of Trustees and
Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Section 8.8. Conflicting Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Section 8.9. Co-Trustees and Separate Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Section 8.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment
of Successor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Section 8.11. Acceptance of Appointment by
Successor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Section 8.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or
Succession to Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Section 8.13. Preferential Collection of Claims
Against Depositor or Issuer Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Section 8.14. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Section 8.15. Reports by Property Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Section 8.16. Reports to the Property Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section 8.17. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions
Precedent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section 8.18. Number of Issuer Trustees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section 8.19. Delegation of Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section 8.20. Appointment of Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
ARTICLE IX. DISSOLUTION, LIQUIDATION AND MERGER
Section 9.1. Dissolution Upon Expiration Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Section 9.2. Early Dissolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Section 9.3. Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Section 9.4. Liquidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Section 9.5. Mergers, Consolidations, Amalgamations
or Replacements of the Issuer Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
ARTICLE X. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 10.1. Limitation of Rights of Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Section 10.2. Amendment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Section 10.3. Separability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Section 10.4. Governing Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Section 10.5. Payments Due on Non-Business Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Section 10.6. Successors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Section 10.7. Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Section 10.8. Reports, Notices and Demands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Section 10.9. Agreement Not to Petition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Section 10.10. Trust Indenture Act; Conflict with
Trust Indenture Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Section 10.11. Acceptance of Terms of Trust Agreement,
Guarantee and Indenture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Certificate of Trust
Exhibit B Form of Certificate Depositary Agreement
Exhibit C Form of Common Securities Certificate
Exhibit D Form of Preferred Securities Certificate
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AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT, dated as of ______ __, 1998
(this "Trust Agreement"), is among (a) AMERICAN BANCSHARES, INC., a Florida
corporation (including any successors or assigns, the "Depositor"), (b) BANKERS
TRUST COMPANY, a New York banking corporation, as property trustee (in such
capacity, the "Property Trustee" and, in its separate corporate capacity and
not in its capacity as Property Trustee, the "Bank"), and (c) BANKERS TRUST
(DELAWARE), a Delaware banking corporation, as Delaware trustee (the "Delaware
Trustee") (the Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee are referred to
collectively herein as the "Issuer Trustees") and (d) the several Holders, as
hereinafter defined.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Depositor and the Delaware Trustee have heretofore duly
declared and established a business trust pursuant to the Delaware Business
Trust Act by the entering into a certain Trust Agreement, dated as of ______,
1998 (the "Original Trust Agreement"), and by the execution and filing by
the Delaware Trustee with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware of
the Certificate of Trust, filed on ______ __, 1998 (the "Certificate of
Trust"), a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the Depositor and the Delaware Trustee desire to amend and
restate the Original Trust Agreement in its entirety as set forth herein to
provide for, among other things, (a) the issuance of the Common Securities by
the Issuer Trust to the Depositor, (b) the issuance and sale of the Preferred
Securities by the Issuer Trust pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, (c) the
acquisition by the Issuer Trust from the Depositor of all of the right, title
and interest in the Junior Subordinated Debentures, (d) the appointment of the
Administrators and (e) the addition of the Property Trustee as a party to the
Original Trust Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set
forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, each party, for the benefit of
the other parties and for the benefit of the Holders, hereby amends and
restates the Original Trust Agreement in its entirety and agrees, intending to
be legally bound, as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1. Definitions
For all purposes of this Trust Agreement, except as otherwise
expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the terms defined in this Article I have the meanings assigned
to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;
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(b) all other terms used herein that are defined in the Trust
Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings
assigned to them therein;
(c) the words "include," "includes" and "including" shall be
deemed to be followed by the phrase "without limitation";
(d) all accounting terms used but not defined herein have the
meanings assigned to them in accordance with United States generally accepted
accounting principles as in effect at the time of computation;
(e) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an
"Article" or a "Section" refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be,
of this Trust Agreement;
(f) the words "herein," "hereof" and "hereunder" and other words
of similar import refer to this Trust Agreement as a whole and not to any
particular Article, Section or other subdivision; and
(g) all references to the date the Preferred Securities were
originally issued shall refer to the date the ___% Preferred Securities were
originally issued.
"25% Capital Limitation" means the limitation imposed by the Federal
Reserve that the proceeds of certain qualifying securities similar to the Trust
Securities will qualify as Tier 1 capital of the Company up to an amount not to
exceed, when taken together with all cumulative preferred stock of the Company,
if any, 25% of the Company's Tier 1 capital, or any subsequent limitation
adopted by the Federal Reserve.
"Act" has the meaning specified in Section 6.8.
"Additional Amount" means, with respect to Trust Securities of a given
Liquidation Amount and/or for a given period, the amount of Additional Interest
(as defined in the Indenture) paid by the Depositor on a Like Amount of Junior
Subordinated Debentures for such period.
"Additional Sums" has the meaning specified in Section 10.6 of the
Indenture.
"Administrators" means each Person appointed in accordance with
Section 8.20 solely in such Person's capacity as Administrator of the Issuer
Trust heretofore formed and continued hereunder and not in such Person's
individual capacity, or any successor Administrator appointed as herein
provided; with the initial Administrators being ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.
"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition,
"control" when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to
direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise;
and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the
foregoing.
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"Applicable Procedures" means, with respect to any transfer or
transaction involving a Global Preferred Security or beneficial interest
therein, the rules and procedures of the Depositary for such Preferred
Security, in each case to the extent applicable to such transaction and as in
effect from time to time.
"Bank" has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Trust
Agreement.
"Bankruptcy Event" means, with respect to any Person:
(a) the entry of a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction
in the premises judging such Person a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as
properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjudication or
composition of or in respect of such Person under any applicable federal or
state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law, or
appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other
similar official) of such Person or of any substantial part of its property or
ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of
any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive
days; or
(b) the institution by such Person of proceedings to be
adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the institution of
bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by it of a
petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any
applicable federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other
similar law, or the consent by it to the filing of any such petition or to the
appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or
similar official) of such Person or of any substantial part of its property or
the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the
admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they
become due and its willingness to be adjudicated a bankrupt, or the taking of
corporate action by such Person in furtherance of any such action.
"Bankruptcy Laws" has the meaning specified in Section 10.9.
"Board of Directors" means the board of directors of the Depositor or
the executive committee of the board of directors of the Depositor (or any
other committee of the board of directors of the Depositor performing similar
functions) or, for purposes of this Trust Agreement a committee designated by
the board of directors of the Depositor (or any such committee), comprised of
two or more members of the board of directors of the Depositor or officers of
the Depositor, or both.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Depositor to have been duly adopted
by the Depositor's Board of Directors, or such committee of the Board of
Directors or officers of the Depositor to which authority to act on behalf of
the Board of Directors has been delegated, and to be in full force and effect
on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Issuer Trustees.
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"Business Day" means a day other than (a) a Saturday or Sunday, (b) a
day on which banking institutions in the State of Florida or in the City of New
York, are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or
(c) a day on which the Property Trustee's Corporate Trust Office or the
Delaware Trustee's Corporate Trust Office or the Corporate Trust Office of the
Debenture Trustee is closed for business.
"Capital Treatment Event" means, in respect of the Issuer Trust, the
reasonable determination by the Depositor that, as a result of the occurrence
of any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in,
the laws (or any rules or regulations thereunder) of the United States or any
political subdivision thereof or therein, or as a result of any official or
administrative pronouncement or action or judicial decision interpreting or
applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or change is effective or
such pronouncement, action or decision is announced on or after the date of the
issuance of the Preferred Securities of the Issuer Trust, there is more than an
insubstantial risk that the Depositor will not be entitled to treat an amount
equal to the Liquidation Amount of such Preferred Securities as "Tier 1
Capital" (or the then equivalent thereof), except as otherwise restricted under
the 25% Capital Limitation, for purposes of the risk-based capital adequacy
guidelines of the Federal Reserve, as then in effect and applicable to the
Depositor.
"Cede" means Cede & Co.
"Certificate Depositary Agreement" means the agreement among the
Issuer Trust, the Depositor and the Depositary, as the initial Clearing Agency,
dated as of the Closing Date, substantially in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit B, as the same may be amended and supplemented from time to time.
"Certificate of Trust" has the meaning specified in the preamble to
this Trust Agreement.
"Clearing Agency" means an organization registered as a "clearing
agency" pursuant to Section 17A of the Exchange Act. The Depositary shall be
the initial Clearing Agency.
"Clearing Agency Participant" means a broker, dealer, bank, other
financial institution or other Person for whom from time to time a Clearing
Agency effects book-entry transfers and pledges of securities deposited with
the Clearing Agency.
"Closing Date" means the Time of Delivery for the Firm Securities,
which date is also the date of execution and delivery of this Trust Agreement.
"Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended or any
successor statute, in each case as amended from time to time.
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from
time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act or, if at any time
after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing and
performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then
the body performing such duties at such time.
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"Common Securities Certificate" means a certificate evidencing
ownership of Common Securities, substantially in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit C.
"Common Security" means an undivided beneficial interest in the assets
of the Issuer Trust, having a Liquidation Amount of $10 and having the rights
provided therefor in this Trust Agreement, including the right to receive
Distributions and a Liquidation Distribution as provided herein.
"Corporate Trust Office" means (a) with respect to the Property
Trustee or the Debenture Trustee, the principal office of the Property Trustee
located in the City of New York, New York, which at the time of the execution
of this Trust Agreement is located at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇; Attention: Corporate Trust and Agency Group - Corporate Market Services,
and (b) with respect to the Delaware Trustee, the principal office of the
Delaware Trustee located at ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Building, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇.
"Debenture Event of Default" means an "Event of Default" as defined in
the Indenture.
"Debenture Redemption Date" means, with respect to any Junior
Subordinated Debentures to be redeemed under the Indenture, the date fixed for
redemption of such Junior Subordinated Debentures under the Indenture.
"Debenture Trustee" means Bankers Trust Company, a New York banking
corporation and any successor, as trustee under the Indenture.
"Delaware Business Trust Act" means Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the
Delaware Code, 12 Del. C. 3801, et seq., as it may be amended from time to
time.
"Delaware Trustee" means the corporation identified as the "Delaware
Trustee" in the preamble to this Trust Agreement solely in its capacity as
Delaware Trustee of the Issuer Trust continued hereunder and not in its
individual capacity, or its successor in interest in such capacity, or any
successor trustee appointed as herein provided.
"Depositary" means The Depository Trust Company or any successor
thereto.
"Depositor" has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Trust
Agreement.
"Direct Action" has the meaning specified in Section 5.13(c).
"Distribution Date" has the meaning specified in Section 4.1(a).
"Distributions" means amounts payable in respect of the Trust
Securities as provided in Section 4.1.
"Early Termination Event" has the meaning specified in Section 9.2.
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"Event of Default" means any one of the following events (whatever the
reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or
involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment,
decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any
administrative or governmental body):
(a) the occurrence of a Debenture Event of Default;
(b) default by the Issuer Trust in the payment of any Distribution
when it becomes due and payable, and continuation of such default for a period
of 30 days;
(c) default by the Issuer Trust in the payment of any Redemption
Price of any Trust Security when it becomes due and payable;
(d) default in the performance, or breach, in any material
respect, of any covenant or warranty of the Issuer Trust in this Trust
Agreement (other than a covenant or warranty a default in the performance of
which or the breach of which is dealt with in clause (b) or (c) above) and
continuation of such default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has
been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Issuer Trustees and the
Depositor by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate Liquidation Amount of the
Outstanding Preferred Securities, a written notice specifying such default or
breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a
"Notice of Default" hereunder; or
(e) the occurrence of any Bankruptcy Event with respect to the
Property Trustee or all or substantially all of its property if a successor
Property Trustee has not been appointed within a period of 90 days thereof.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and any successor statute thereto, in each case as amended from time
to time.
"Expiration Date" has the meaning specified in Section 9.1.
"Extension Period" has the meaning specified in Section 4.1.
"Federal Reserve" means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System.
"Firm Securities" means an aggregate Liquidation Amount of $15,000,000
of the Issuer Trust's ____% preferred securities.
"Global Preferred Securities Certificate" means a Preferred Securities
Certificate evidencing ownership of Global Preferred Securities.
"Global Preferred Security" means a Preferred Security, the ownership
and transfers of which shall be made through book entries by a Clearing Agency
as described in Section 5.4.
"Guarantee Agreement" means the Guarantee Agreement executed and
delivered by the Depositor and Bankers Trust Company, as guarantee trustee,
contemporaneously with the
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execution and delivery of this Trust Agreement, for the benefit of the Holders
of the Preferred Securities, as amended from time to time.
"Holder" means a Person in whose name a Trust Security or Trust
Securities is registered in the Securities Register; any such Person shall be a
beneficial owner within the meaning of the Delaware Business Trust Act.
"Indemnified Person" has the meaning specified in Section 8.6(c).
"Indenture" means the Junior Subordinated Indenture, dated as of
______ __, 1998, between the Depositor and the Debenture Trustee (as amended or
supplemented from time to time) relating to the issuance of the Junior
Subordinated Debentures.
"Investment Company Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended or any successor statute, in each case as amended from time to time.
"Investment Company Event" means the receipt by the Issuer Trust of an
Opinion of Counsel, rendered by a law firm experienced in such matters, to the
effect that, as a result of the occurrence of a change in law or regulation or
a written change (including any announced prospective change) in interpretation
or application of law or regulation by any legislative body, court,
governmental agency or regulatory authority, there is more than an
insubstantial risk that the Issuer Trust is or will be considered an
"investment company" that is required to be registered under the Investment
Company Act, which change or prospective change becomes effective or would
become effective, as the case may be, on or after the date of the issuance of
the Preferred Securities.
"Issuer Trust" means ABI Capital Trust .
"Issuer Trustees" means, collectively, the Property Trustee and the
Delaware Trustee.
"Junior Subordinated Debentures" means the aggregate principal amount
of the Depositor's ____% junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures,
due ______ __, 2028, which date may be shortened once at any time by the
Depositor to any date not earlier than ______ __, 2003, issued pursuant to the
Indenture.
"Lien" means any lien, pledge, charge, encumbrance, mortgage, deed of
trust, adverse ownership interest, hypothecation, assignment, security interest
or preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement
of any kind or nature whatsoever.
"Like Amount" means (a) with respect to a redemption of Trust
Securities, Trust Securities having a Liquidation Amount equal to that portion
of the principal amount of Junior Subordinated Debentures to be
contemporaneously redeemed in accordance with the Indenture, allocated to the
Common Securities and to the Preferred Securities based upon the relative
Liquidation Amounts of such classes and (b) with respect to a distribution of
Junior Subordinated Debentures to Holders of Trust Securities in connection
with a dissolution or liquidation of the Issuer Trust, Junior Subordinated
Debentures having a principal amount equal to the Liquidation
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Amount of the Trust Securities of the Holder to whom such Junior Subordinated
Debentures are distributed.
"Liquidation Amount" means the stated amount of $10 per Trust
Security.
"Liquidation Date" means the date on which Junior Subordinated
Debentures or the Liquidation Distributions are to be distributed to Holders of
Trust Securities in connection with a dissolution and liquidation of the Issuer
Trust pursuant to Section 9.4.
"Liquidation Distribution" has the meaning specified in Section
9.4(d).
"Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities" or
"Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Common Securities" means, except as
provided by the Trust Indenture Act, Preferred Securities or Common Securities,
as the case may be, representing more than 50% of the aggregate Liquidation
Amount of all then Outstanding Preferred Securities or Common Securities, as
the case may be.
"Officers' Certificate" means, a certificate signed by the Chairman of
the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or a Vice President and by the
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, an Associate Treasurer, an Assistant
Treasurer, the Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, of the Depositor, and
delivered to the appropriate Issuer Trustee. Any Officers' Certificate
delivered with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for
in this Trust Agreement shall include:
(a) a statement by each officer signing the Officers' Certificate
that such officer has read the covenant or condition and the definitions
relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the examination
or investigation undertaken by such officer in rendering the Officers'
Certificate;
(c) a statement that such officer has made such examination or
investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is necessary to enable such
officer 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, in the opinion of each such
officer, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be
counsel for or an employee of the Depositor or any Affiliate of the Depositor.
"Option Closing Date" shall have the meaning provided in the
Underwriting Agreement.
"Option Securities" means an aggregate Liquidation Amount of
$2,250,000 of the Issuer Trust's ____% Preferred Securities, issuable to the
Underwriter, at its option, exercisable within 30 days after the date of the
Prospectus, solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
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"Option Preferred Securities Certificate" means the certificate
evidencing ownership of Preferred Securities issued if the Underwriter
exercises its option described in Section 2.4, which certificate shall be
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D.
"Original Trust Agreement" has the meaning specified in the recitals
to this Trust Agreement.
"Outstanding," with respect to Trust Securities, means, as of the date
of determination, all Trust Securities theretofore executed and delivered under
this Trust Agreement, except:
(a) Trust Securities theretofore canceled by the Property Trustee
or delivered to the Property Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Trust Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the
necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Property Trustee or
any Paying Agent for the Holders of such Preferred Securities, provided that if
such Trust Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been
duly given pursuant to this Trust Agreement; and
(c) Trust Securities which have been paid or in exchange for or in
lieu of which other Trust Securities have been executed and delivered pursuant
to Sections 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite
Liquidation Amount of the Outstanding Preferred Securities have given any
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, or waiver
hereunder, Preferred Securities owned by the Depositor, any Issuer Trustee, any
Administrator, or any Affiliate of the Depositor or any Issuer Trustee shall be
disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that (i) in determining
whether any Issuer Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request,
demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Preferred
Securities that such Issuer Trustee or such Administrator, as the case may be,
knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded and (ii) the foregoing shall not
apply at any time when all of the outstanding Preferred Securities are owned by
the Depositor, one or more of the Issuer Trustees, one or more of the
Administrators and/or any such Affiliate. Preferred Securities so owned which
have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee
establishes to the satisfaction of the Administrators the pledgee's right so to
act with respect to such Preferred Securities and that the pledgee is not the
Depositor or any Affiliate of the Depositor.
"Owner" means each Person who is the beneficial owner of Global
Preferred Securities as reflected in the records of the Clearing Agency or, if
a Clearing Agency Participant is not the Owner, then as reflected in the
records of a Person maintaining an account with such Clearing Agency, directly
or indirectly, in accordance with the rules of such Clearing Agency.
"Paying Agent" means any paying agent or co-paying agent appointed
pursuant to Section 5.10 and shall initially be the Property Trustee.
"Payment Account" means a segregated non-interest-bearing corporate
trust account maintained by the Property Trustee in its trust department for
the benefit of the Holders in which
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all amounts paid in respect of the Junior Subordinated Debentures will be held
and from which the Property Trustee, through the Paying Agent, shall make
payments to the Holders in accordance with Sections 4.1 and 4.2.
"Person" means a legal person, including any individual, corporation,
estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, company,
limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or
any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity of whatever
nature.
"Preferred Securities Certificate" means a certificate evidencing
ownership of Preferred Securities, substantially in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit D.
"Preferred Security" means a Firm Security or an Option Security, each
constituting a preferred undivided beneficial interest in the assets of the
Issuer Trust, having a Liquidation Amount of $10 and having the rights provided
therefor in this Trust Agreement, including the right to receive Distributions
and a Liquidation Distribution as provided herein.
"Property Trustee" means the Person identified as the "Property
Trustee" in the preamble to this Trust Agreement solely in its capacity as
Property Trustee of the Issuer Trust continued hereunder and not in its
individual capacity, or its successor in interest in such capacity, or any
successor property trustee appointed as herein provided.
"Prospectus" means the final prospectus covering the Preferred
Securities, Junior Subordinated Debentures and the Guarantee Agreement.
"Redemption Date" means, with respect to any Trust Security to be
redeemed, the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Trust
Agreement; provided that each Debenture Redemption Date and the stated maturity
of the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall be a Redemption Date for a Like
Amount of Trust Securities, including but not limited to any date of redemption
pursuant to the occurrence of any Special Event.
"Redemption Price" means with respect to a redemption of any Trust
Security, the Liquidation Amount of such Trust Security, together with
accumulated but unpaid Distributions to but excluding the date fixed for
redemption, plus the related amount of the premium, if any, paid by the
Depositor upon the concurrent redemption of a Like Amount of Junior
Subordinated Debentures.
"Relevant Trustee" has the meaning specified in Section 8.10.
"Responsible Officer" when used with respect to the Property Trustee
means any officer assigned to the Corporate Trust Office, including any
managing director, principal, vice president, assistant vice president,
assistant treasurer, assistant secretary or any other officer of the Property
Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of
the above designated officers and having direct responsibility for the
administration of this Trust Agreement, and also, with respect to a particular
matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of such
officer's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
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"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any
successor statute thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
"Securities Register" and "Securities Registrar" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 5.5.
"Special Event" means any Tax Event, Capital Treatment Event, or
Investment Company Event.
"Successor Preferred Securities Certificate" of any particular
Preferred Securities Certificate means every Preferred Securities Certificate
issued after, and evidencing all or a portion of the same beneficial interest
in the Issuer Trust as that evidenced by, such particular Preferred Securities
Certificate; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Preferred Securities
Certificate executed and delivered under Section 5.6 in exchange for or in lieu
of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Preferred Securities Certificate
shall be deemed to evidence the same beneficial interest in the Issuer Trust as
the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Preferred Securities Certificate.
"Successor Preferred Security" has the meaning specified in Section
9.5.
"Tax Event" means the receipt by the Issuer Trust of an Opinion of
Counsel experienced in such matters to the effect that, as a result of any
amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the
laws (or any regulations thereunder) of the United States or any political
subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, or as a result of any
official or administrative pronouncement or action or judicial decision
interpreting or applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or change is
effective or which pronouncement, action or decision is announced on or after
the date of issuance of the Preferred Securities, there is more than an
insubstantial risk that (a) the Issuer Trust is, or will be within 90 days of
the delivery of such Opinion of Counsel, subject to United States federal
income tax with respect to income received or accrued on the Junior
Subordinated Debentures, (b) interest payable by the Depositor on the Junior
Subordinated Debentures is not, or within 90 days of the delivery of such
Opinion of Counsel will not be, deductible by the Depositor, in whole or in
part, for United States federal income tax purposes, or (c) the Issuer Trust
is, or will be within 90 days of the delivery of such Opinion of Counsel,
subject to more than a de minimis amount of other taxes, duties or other
governmental charges.
"Time of Delivery" means 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, either (a) with
respect to the Firm Securities or the Common Securities, on the fourth Business
Day (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section __ of the
Underwriting Agreement) following the date of execution of the Underwriting
Agreement, or such other time not later than ten Business Days after such date
as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter, the Issuer Trust and the Company,
or (b) with respect to the Option Securities, the Option Closing Date.
"Trust Agreement" means this Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, as
the same may be modified, amended or supplemented in accordance with the
applicable provisions hereof,
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including (a) all Exhibits hereto, and (b) for all purposes of this Amended and
Restated Trust Agreement and any such modification, amendment or supplement, the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern
this Amended and Restated Trust Agreement and any modification, amendment or
supplement, respectively.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended by the Trust Indenture Reform Act of 1990, or any successor statute,
in each case as amended from time to time.
"Trust Property" means (a) the Junior Subordinated Debentures, (b) any
cash on deposit in, or owing to, the Payment Account, and (c) all proceeds and
rights in respect of the foregoing and any other property and assets for the
time being held or deemed to be held by the Property Trustee pursuant to the
trusts of this Trust Agreement.
"Trust Securities Certificate" means any one of the Common Securities
Certificates or the Preferred Securities Certificates.
"Trust Security" means any one of the Common Securities or the
Preferred Securities.
"Underwriter" has the meaning specified in the Underwriting Agreement.
"Underwriting Agreement" means the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of
______ __, 1998, among the Issuer Trust, the Depositor and the Underwriter, as
the same may be amended from time to time.
ARTICLE II
CONTINUATION OF THE ISSUER TRUST
Section 2.1. Name.
The Issuer Trust continued hereby shall be known as "ABI Capital
Trust," as such name may be modified from time to time by the Administrators
following written notice to the Holders of Trust Securities and the Issuer
Trustees, in which name the Administrators and the Issuer Trustees may engage
in the transactions contemplated hereby, make and execute contracts and other
instruments on behalf of the Issuer Trust and ▇▇▇ and be sued.
Section 2.2. Office of the Delaware Trustee; Principal Place of Business.
The address of the Delaware Trustee in the State of Delaware is
Bankers Trust (Delaware), ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Building, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, or such other
address in the State of Delaware as the Delaware Trustee may designate by
written notice to the Holders and the Depositor. The principal executive
office of the Issuer Trust is in care of American Bancshares, Inc., ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Office of the Secretary.
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Section 2.3. Initial Contribution of Trust Property; Organizational
Expenses.
The Issuer Trustees acknowledge receipt in trust from the Depositor in
connection with this Trust Agreement of the sum of $10, which constitutes the
initial Trust Property. The Depositor shall pay all organizational expenses of
the Issuer Trust as they arise or shall, upon request of any Issuer Trustee,
promptly reimburse such Issuer Trustee for any such reasonable expenses paid by
such Issuer Trustee. The Depositor shall make no claim upon the Trust Property
for the payment of such expenses.
Section 2.4. Issuance of the Preferred Securities.
On ______ __, 1998, the Depositor, both on its own behalf and on
behalf of the Issuer Trust pursuant to the Original Trust Agreement, executed
and delivered the Underwriting Agreement. Contemporaneously with the execution
and delivery of this Trust Agreement, an Administrator, on behalf of the Issuer
Trust, shall execute in accordance with Section 5.3 and the Property Trustee
shall authenticate in accordance with Section 5.3 and deliver to the
Underwriter, Firm Securities Certificates, registered in the names requested by
the Underwriter, in an aggregate amount of 1,500,000 Firm Securities having an
aggregate Liquidation Amount of $15,000,000, against receipt of the aggregate
purchase price of such Preferred Securities of $15,000,000, by the Property
Trustee.
At the option of the Underwriter, within 30 days of the date of the
Prospectus, and solely for the purpose of covering an over-allotment, if any,
an Administrator, on behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall execute in accordance
with Section 5.3 and the Property Trustee shall authenticate in accordance with
Section 5.3 and deliver to the Underwriter, Option Preferred Securities
Certificates, registered in the names requested by the Underwriter,
representing up to 225,000 Option Securities having an aggregate Liquidation
Amount of up to $2,250,000 against receipt of the aggregate purchase price of
such Option Securities of up to $2,250,000 by the Property Trustee.
Section 2.5. Issuance of the Common Securities; Subscription and Purchase
of Junior Subordinated Debentures.
Contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Trust
Agreement, an Administrator, on behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall execute in
accordance with Section 5.3 and the Property Trustee shall authenticate in
accordance with Section 5.3 and deliver to the Depositor, Common Securities
Certificates, registered in the name of the Depositor, in an aggregate amount
of 46,392 Common Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of $463,920
against receipt by the Property Trustee of the aggregate purchase price of such
Common Securities of $463,920 by the Property Trustee. In the event of any
exercise of an over-allottment option requiring issuance of Optional Preferred
Securities Certificates, as described in Section 2.4 above, a proportionate
number of additional Common Securities Certificates, with corresponding
aggregate Liquidation Amount, shall be delivered to the Depositor.
Contemporaneously with the executions, and deliveries of Common Securities
Certificates and any Preferred Securities Certificates, an Administrator, on
behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall subscribe for and purchase from the
Depositor, corresponding amounts of Junior Subordinated Debentures, registered
in the
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name of the Issuer Trust and having an aggregate principal amount equal to
$15,000,000, plus, in the event of any exercise of the over-allotment option (a)
a corresponding additional number of Junior Subordinated Debentures not
exceeding an aggregate principal amount of $2,250,000 and (b) a corresponding
number of Junior Subordinated Debentures not exceeding an aggregate principal
amount equal to the aggregate Liquidation Amount of Common Securities issued
pursuant to such exercise of an over-allotment option; and, in satisfaction of
the purchase price for such Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Property
Trustee, on behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall deliver to the Depositor the sum
of $15,000,000, plus any corresponding over-allotment option amount (being the
sum of the amounts delivered to the Property Trustee pursuant to (a) the second
sentence of Section 2.4 and (b) the first and second sentences of this Section
2.5) and receive the Junior Subordinated Debentures on behalf of the Issuer
Trust.
Section 2.6. Declaration of Trust.
The exclusive purposes and functions of the Issuer Trust are to (a)
issue and sell Trust Securities and use the proceeds from such sale to acquire
the Junior Subordinated Debentures, and (b) engage in only those other
activities necessary, convenient, or incidental thereto. The Depositor hereby
appoints the Issuer Trustees as trustees of the Issuer Trust, to have all the
rights, powers and duties to the extent set forth herein, and the Issuer
Trustees hereby accept such appointment. The Property Trustee hereby declares
that it will hold the Trust Property in trust upon and subject to the
conditions set forth herein for the benefit of the Issuer Trust and the
Holders. The Depositor hereby appoints the Administrators (as agents of the
Issuer Trust), with such Administrators having all rights, powers, and duties
set forth herein with respect to accomplishing the purposes of the Issuer
Trust, and the Administrators hereby accept such appointment, provided,
however, that it is the intent of the parties hereto that such Administrators
shall not be trustees or, to the fullest extent permitted by law, fiduciaries
with respect to the Issuer Trust and this Trust Agreement shall be construed in
a manner consistent with such intent. The Property Trustee shall have the
right and power to perform those duties assigned to the Administrators. The
Delaware Trustee shall not be entitled to exercise any powers, nor shall the
Delaware Trustee have any of the duties and responsibilities, of the Property
Trustee or the Administrators set forth herein. The Delaware Trustee shall be
one of the trustees of the Issuer Trust for the sole and limited purpose of
fulfilling the requirements of Section 3807 of the Delaware Business Trust Act
and for taking such actions as are required to be taken by a Delaware trustee
under the Delaware Business Trust Act.
Section 2.7. Authorization to Enter into Certain Transactions.
(a) The Issuer Trustees and the Administrators shall conduct the
affairs of the Issuer Trust in accordance with the terms of this Trust
Agreement. Subject to the limitations set forth in paragraph (b) of this
Section 2.7 and in accordance with the following provisions (i) and (ii), the
Issuer Trustees and the Administrators shall act as follows:
(i) Each Administrator shall have the power and authority
to act on behalf of the Issuer Trust with respect to the following:
(A) the issuance and sale of the Trust
Securities;
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(B) the compliance with the Underwriting
Agreement regarding the issuance and sale of the Trust
Securities;
(C) the compliance with the Securities Act,
applicable state securities or blue sky laws, and the Trust
Indenture Act;
(D) the listing of the Preferred Securities upon
such securities exchange or exchanges or upon the Nasdaq
National Market as shall be determined by the Depositor, with
the registration of the Preferred Securities under the
Exchange Act, if required, and the preparation and filing of
all periodic and other reports and other documents pursuant to
the foregoing;
(E) the application for a taxpayer
identification number for the Issuer Trust;
(F) the preparation of a registration statement
and a prospectus in relation to the Preferred Securities,
including any amendments thereto and the taking of any action
necessary or desirable to sell the Preferred Securities in a
transaction or series of transactions subject to the
registration requirements of the Securities Act; and
(G) any action incidental to the foregoing as the
Administrators may from time to time determine is necessary or
advisable to give effect to the terms of this Trust Agreement.
(ii) The Property Trustee shall have the power and
authority to act on behalf of the Issuer Trust with respect to the
following matters:
(A) the establishment of the Payment Account;
(B) the receipt of the Junior Subordinated
Debentures;
(C) the receipt and collection of interest,
principal and any other payments made in respect of the Junior
Subordinated Debentures in the Payment Account;
(D) the distribution of amounts owed to the
Holders in respect of the Trust Securities in accordance with
the terms of this Trust Agreement;
(E) the exercise of all of the rights, powers,
and privileges of a holder of the Junior Subordinated
Debentures;
(F) the sending of notices of default and other
information regarding the Trust Securities and the Junior
Subordinated Debentures to the Holders in accordance with this
Trust Agreement;
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(G) the distribution of the Trust Property in
accordance with the terms of this Trust Agreement;
(H) to the extent provided in this Trust
Agreement, the winding up of the affairs of and liquidation of
the Issuer Trust and the preparation, execution and filing of
the certificate of cancellation with the Secretary of State of
the State of Delaware; and
(I) after an Event of Default (other than under
paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of the definition of such term if
such Event of Default is by or with respect to the Property
Trustee), comply with the provisions of this Trust Agreement
and take any action to give effect to the terms of this Trust
Agreement and protect and conserve the Trust Property for the
benefit of the Holders (without consideration of the effect of
any such action on any particular Holder);
provided, however, that nothing in this Section 2.7(a)(ii) shall require the
Property Trustee to take any action that is not otherwise required in this
Trust Agreement.
(b) So long as this Trust Agreement remains in effect, the Issuer
Trust (or the Issuer Trustees or Administrators acting on behalf of the Issuer
Trust) shall not undertake any business, activities or transaction except as
expressly provided herein or contemplated hereby. In particular, neither the
Issuer Trustees nor the Administrators (in each case acting on behalf of the
Issuer Trust) shall (i) acquire any investments or engage in any activities not
authorized by this Trust Agreement, (ii) sell, assign, transfer, exchange,
mortgage, pledge, set-off, or otherwise dispose of any of the Trust Property or
interests therein, including to Holders, except as expressly provided herein,
(iii) take any action that would reasonably be expected to cause the Issuer
Trust to become taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax
purposes, (iv) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or issue any other
debt, or (v) take or consent to any action that would result in the placement
of a Lien on any of the Trust Property. The Property Trustee shall defend all
claims and demands of all Persons at any time claiming any Lien on any of the
Trust Property adverse to the interest of the Issuer Trust or the Holders in
their capacity as Holders.
(c) In connection with the issue and sale of the Preferred
Securities, the Depositor shall have the power and authority to assist the
Issuer Trust with respect to, or effect on behalf of the Issuer Trust, the
following (and any actions taken by the Depositor in furtherance of the
following prior to the date of this Trust Agreement are hereby ratified and
confirmed in all respects):
(i) the preparation and filing by the Issuer Trust with
the Commission, and the execution and delivery on behalf of the Issuer
Trust, of a registration statement and a prospectus in relation to the
Preferred Securities, including any amendments thereto, and the taking
of any action necessary or desirable to sell the Preferred Securities
in a transaction or a series of transactions subject to the
registration requirements of the Securities Act;
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(ii) the determination of the states in which to take
appropriate action to qualify or register for sale all or part of the
Preferred Securities and the determination of any and all such acts,
other than actions that must be taken by or on behalf of the Issuer
Trust, and the advice to the Issuer Trustees of actions they must take
on behalf of the Issuer Trust, and the preparation for execution and
filing of any documents to be executed and filed by the Issuer Trust
or on behalf of the Issuer Trust, as the Depositor deems necessary or
advisable in order to comply with the applicable laws of any such
states in connection with the offer and sale of the Preferred
Securities;
(iii) the negotiation of the terms of, and the execution
and delivery of, the Underwriting Agreement providing for the sale of
the Preferred Securities;
(iv) the preparation and filing by the Issuer Trust with
the Commission and the execution on behalf of the Issuer trust of a
registration statement on Form 8-A relating to the registration of
the Preferred Securities under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including any amendments
thereto;
(v) compliance with the listing requirements of the
Preferred Securities upon such securities exchange or exchanges, or
upon the Nasdaq National Market, as shall be determined by the
Depositor, the registration of the Preferred Securities under the
Exchange Act, if required, and the preparation and filing of all
periodic and other reports and other documents pursuant to the
foregoing; and
(vi) the taking of any other actions necessary or
desirable to carry out any of the foregoing activities.
(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the
Administrators and the Property Trustee are authorized and directed to conduct
the affairs of the Issuer Trust and to operate the Issuer Trust so that the
Issuer Trust will not be deemed to be an "investment company" required to be
registered under the Investment Company Act, and will not be taxable as a
corporation for the United States federal income tax purposes and so that the
Junior Subordinated Debentures will be treated as indebtedness of the Depositor
for United States federal income tax purposes. In this connection, the
Property Trustee, the Administrators, and the Holders of Common Securities are
authorized to take any action, not inconsistent with applicable law, the
Certificate of Trust, or this Trust Agreement, that the Property Trustee, the
Administrators, and Holders of Common Securities determine in their discretion
to be necessary or desirable for such purposes, as long as such action does not
adversely affect in any material respect the interests of the Holders of the
Outstanding Preferred Securities. In no event shall the Administrators or the
Issuer Trustees be liable to the Issuer Trust or the Holders for any failure to
comply with this section that results from a change in law or regulations or in
the interpretation thereof.
Section 2.8. Assets of Trust.
The assets of the Issuer Trust shall consist solely of the Trust
Property.
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Section 2.9. Title to Trust Property.
Legal title to all Trust Property shall be vested at all times in the
Issuer Trust and shall be held and administered by the Property Trustee (in its
capacity as such) for the benefit of the Issuer Trust and the Holders in
accordance with this Trust Agreement.
ARTICLE III
PAYMENT ACCOUNT
Section 3.1. Payment Account.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Property Trustee shall
establish the Payment Account. The Property Trustee and its agents shall have
exclusive control and sole right of withdrawal with respect to the Payment
Account for the purpose of making deposits in and withdrawals from the Payment
Account in accordance with this Trust Agreement. All monies and other property
deposited or held from time to time in the Payment Account shall be held by the
Property Trustee in the Payment Account for the exclusive benefit of the
Holders and for distribution as herein provided, including (and subject to) any
priority of payments provided for herein.
(b) The Property Trustee shall deposit in the Payment Account,
promptly upon receipt, all payments of principal of or interest on, and any
other payments or proceeds with respect to, the Junior Subordinated Debentures.
Amounts held in the Payment Account shall not be invested by the Property
Trustee pending distribution thereof.
ARTICLE IV
DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTION
Section 4.1. Distributions.
(a) The Trust Securities represent undivided beneficial interests
in the Trust Property, and Distributions (including Distributions of Additional
Amounts) will be made on the Trust Securities at the rate and on the dates that
payments of interest (including payments of Additional Interest, as defined in
the Indenture) are made on the Junior Subordinated Debentures. Accordingly:
(i) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be
cumulative and will accumulate whether or not there are funds of the
Issuer Trust available for the payment of Distributions.
Distributions shall accumulate from _______ __, 1998, and, except in
the event (and to the extent) that the Depositor exercises its right
to defer the payment of interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures
pursuant to the Indenture, shall be payable quarterly in arrears on
March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year,
commencing on _______ __, 1998. If any date on which a Distribution
is otherwise
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payable on the Trust Securities is not a Business Day, then the payment
of such Distribution shall be made on the next succeeding day that is a
Business Day (without any interest or other payment in respect of any
such delay), except that, if such Business Day is in the next
succeeding calendar year, payment of such Distributions shall be made
on the immediately preceding Business Day, in either case with the same
force and effect as if made on the date on which such payment was
originally payable (each date on which distributions are payable in
accordance with this Section 4.1(a), a "Distribution Date").
(ii) The Trust Securities shall be entitled to
Distributions payable at a rate of ____% per annum of the Liquidation
Amount of the Trust Securities. The amount of Distributions payable
for any period less than a full Distribution period shall be computed
on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and the actual
number of days elapsed in a partial month in a period. Distributions
payable for each full Distribution period will be computed by dividing
the rate per annum by four. The amount of Distributions payable for
any period shall include any Additional Amounts in respect of such
period.
(iii) So long as no Debenture Event of Default has occurred
and is continuing, the Depositor has the right under the Indenture to
defer the payment of interest on the Junior Subordinated Debentures at
any time and from time to time for a period not exceeding 20
consecutive quarterly periods (an "Extension Period"), provided that
no Extension Period may extend beyond ____ __, 2028. As a consequence
of any such deferral, quarterly Distributions on the Trust Securities
by the Issuer Trust will also be deferred (and the amount of
Distributions to which Holders of the Trust Securities are entitled
will accumulate additional Distributions thereon at the rate per annum
of ____% per annum, compounded quarterly) from the relevant payment
date for such Distributions, computed on the basis of a 360-day year
of twelve 30-day months and the actual days elapsed in a partial month
in such period. Additional Distributions payable for each full
Distribution period will be computed by dividing the rate per annum by
four. The term "Distributions" as used in Section 4.1 shall include
any such additional Distributions provided pursuant to this Section
4.1(a)(iii).
(iv) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be made
by the Property Trustee from the Payment Account and shall be payable
on each Distribution Date only to the extent that the Issuer Trust has
funds then on hand and available in the Payment Account for the
payment of such Distributions.
(b) Distributions on the Trust Securities with respect to a
Distribution Date shall be payable to the Holders thereof as they appear on the
Securities Register for the Trust Securities at the close of business on the
relevant record date, which shall be at the close of business on the 15th day
of March, June, September or December (whether or not a Business Day).
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Section 4.2. Redemption.
(a) On each Debenture Redemption Date and on the stated maturity
of the Junior Subordinated Debentures, the Issuer Trust will be required to
redeem a Like Amount of Trust Securities at the Redemption Price.
(b) Notice of redemption shall be given by the Property Trustee by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60
days prior to the Redemption Date to each Holder of Trust Securities to be
redeemed, at such Holder's address appearing in the Security Register. All
notices of redemption shall state:
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the Redemption Price, or if the Redemption Price
cannot be calculated prior to the time the notice is required to be
sent, the estimate of the Redemption Price provided pursuant to the
Indenture together with a statement that it is an estimate and that
the actual Redemption Price will be calculated on the third Business
Day prior to the Redemption Date (and if an estimate is provided, a
further notice shall be sent of the actual Redemption Price on the
date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, that notice of such actual
Redemption Price is received pursuant to the Indenture);
(iii) the CUSIP number or CUSIP numbers of the Preferred
Securities affected;
(iv) if less than all the Outstanding Trust Securities are
to be redeemed, the identification and the total Liquidation Amount of
the particular Trust Securities to be redeemed;
(v) that, on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price
will become due and payable upon each such Trust Security to be
redeemed and that Distributions thereon will cease to accumulate on
and after said date, except as provided in Section 4.2(d) below; and
(vi) the place or places where Trust Securities are to be
surrendered for the payment of the Redemption Price.
The Issuer Trust in issuing the Trust Securities shall use "CUSIP"
numbers, and the Property Trustee shall indicate the "CUSIP" numbers of the
Trust Securities in notices of redemption and related materials 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 Trust Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption and related
material.
(c) The Trust Securities redeemed on each Redemption Date shall be
redeemed at the Redemption Price with the applicable proceeds from the
contemporaneous redemption of Junior Subordinated Debentures. Redemptions of
the Trust Securities shall be made and the Redemption Price shall be payable on
each Redemption Date only to the extent that the Issuer Trust has funds then on
hand and available in the Payment Account for the payment of such Redemption
Price.
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(d) If the Property Trustee gives a notice of redemption in
respect of any Preferred Securities, then, by 12:00 noon, New York City time,
on the Redemption Date, subject to Section 4.2(c), the Property Trustee will,
with respect to Preferred Securities held in global form, irrevocably deposit
with the Clearing Agency for such Preferred Securities, to the extent available
therefor, funds sufficient to pay the applicable Redemption Price and will give
such Clearing Agency irrevocable instructions and authority to pay the
Redemption Price to the Owners of the Preferred Securities. With respect to
Preferred Securities that are not held in global form, the Property Trustee,
subject to Section 4.2(c), will irrevocably deposit with the Paying Agent, to
the extent available therefor, funds sufficient to pay the applicable Redemption
Price and will give the Paying Agent irrevocable instructions and authority to
pay the Redemption Price to the Holders of the Preferred Securities upon
surrender of their Preferred Securities Certificates. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Distributions payable on or prior to the Redemption Date for any
Trust Securities called for redemption shall be payable to the Holders of such
Trust Securities as they appear on the Securities Register for the Trust
Securities on the relevant record dates for the related Distribution Dates. If
notice of redemption shall have been given and funds deposited as required,
then, upon the date of such deposit, all rights of Holders holding Trust
Securities so called for redemption will cease, except the right of such Holders
to receive the Redemption Price and any Distributions payable in respect of the
Trust Securities on or prior to the Redemption Date, but without interest, and
such Trust Securities will cease to be Outstanding. In the event that any date
on which any applicable Redemption Price is payable is not a Business Day, then
payment of the applicable Redemption Price payable on such date will be made on
the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or
other payment in respect of any such delay), except that, if such Business Day
is in the next succeeding calendar year, such payment shall be made on the
immediately preceding Business Day, in each case, with the same force and effect
as if made on such date. In the event that payment of the Redemption Price in
respect of any Trust Securities called for redemption is improperly withheld or
refused and not paid either by the Issuer Trust or by the Depositor pursuant to
the Guarantee Agreement, Distributions on such Trust Securities will continue to
accumulate, as set forth in Section 4.1, from the Redemption Date originally
established by the Issuer Trust for such Trust Securities to the date such
applicable Redemption Price is actually paid, in which case the actual payment
date will be the date fixed for redemption for purposes of calculating the
applicable Redemption Price.
(e) Subject to Section 4.3(a), if less than all the Outstanding
Trust Securities are to be redeemed on a Redemption Date, then the particular
Preferred Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date by the Property Trustee from the Outstanding
Preferred Securities not previously called for redemption in such a manner as
the Property Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate.
Section 4.3. Subordination of Common Securities.
(a) Payment of Distributions (including Additional Amounts, if
applicable) on, the Redemption Price of, and the Liquidation Distribution in
respect of, the Trust Securities, as applicable, shall be made, subject to
Section 4.2(e), pro rata among the Common Securities and the Preferred
Securities based on the Liquidation Amount of such Trust Securities; provided,
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however, that if on any Distribution Date or Redemption Date any Event of
Default resulting from a Debenture Event of Default in Section 5.1(a) or 5.1(b)
of the Indenture shall have occurred and be continuing, no payment of any
Distribution (including Additional Amounts, if applicable) on, or Redemption
Price of, or Liquidation Distribution in respect of, any Common Security, and
no other payment on account of the redemption, liquidation, or other
acquisition of Common Securities, shall be made unless payment in full in cash
of all accumulated and unpaid Distributions (including Additional Amounts, if
applicable) on all Outstanding Preferred Securities for all Distribution
periods terminating on or prior thereto, or, in the case of payment of the
Redemption Price, the full amount of such Redemption Price on all Outstanding
Preferred Securities then called for redemption, or in the case of payment of
the Liquidation Distribution the full amount of such Liquidation Distribution
on all Outstanding Preferred Securities, shall have been made or provided for,
and all funds immediately available to the Property Trustee shall first be
applied to the payment in full in cash of all Distributions (including
Additional Amounts, if applicable) on, or the Redemption Price of, or
Liquidation Distribution in respect of Preferred Securities then due and
payable. The existence of an Event of Default does not entitle the Holders of
Preferred Securities to accelerate the maturity thereof.
(b) In the case of the occurrence of any Event of Default
resulting from any Debenture Event of Default, the Holder of the Common
Securities shall have no right to act with respect to any such Event of Default
under this Trust Agreement until the effects of all such Events of Default with
respect to the Preferred Securities have been cured, waived, or otherwise
eliminated. Until all such Events of Default under this Trust Agreement with
respect to the Preferred Securities have been so cured, waived, or otherwise
eliminated, the Property Trustee shall act solely on behalf of the Holders of
the Preferred Securities and not on behalf of the Holder of the Common
Securities, and only the Holders of the Preferred Securities will have the right
to direct the Property Trustee to act on their behalf.
Section 4.4. Payment Procedures.
Payments of Distributions (including Additional Amounts, if
applicable) in respect of the Preferred Securities shall be made by check
mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall
appear on the Securities Register or, if the Preferred Securities are held by a
Clearing Agency, such Distributions shall be made to the Clearing Agency in
immediately available funds, which will credit the relevant accounts on the
applicable Distribution Dates. Payments of Distributions to Holders of
$1,000,000 or more in aggregate Liquidation Amount of Preferred Securities may
be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds upon written request of
such Holder of Preferred Securities to the Securities Registrar not later than
15 calendar days prior to the date on which the Distribution is payable.
Payments in respect of the Common Securities shall be made in such manner as
shall be mutually agreed between the Property Trustee and the Holder of the
Common Securities.
Section 4.5. Tax Returns and Reports.
(a) The Administrators shall prepare and file (or cause to be
prepared and filed), at the Depositor's expense, all United States federal,
state, and local tax and information returns and reports required to be filed
by or in respect of the Issuer Trust. In this regard, the Administrators
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shall (i) prepare and file (or cause to be prepared and filed) all Internal
Revenue Service forms required to be filed in respect of the Issuer Trust in
each taxable year of the Issuer Trust and (ii) prepare and furnish (or cause to
be prepared and furnished) to each Holder all Internal Revenue Service forms
required to be provided by the Issuer Trust. The Administrators shall provide
the Depositor and the Property Trustee with a copy of all such returns and
reports promptly after such filing or furnishing. The Issuer Trustees and the
Administrators shall comply with United States federal withholding and backup
withholding tax laws and information reporting requirements with respect to any
payments to Holders under the Trust Securities.
(b) On or before December 15 of each year during which any
Preferred Securities are outstanding, the Administrators shall furnish to the
Paying Agent such information as may be reasonably requested by the Property
Trustee in order that the Property Trustee may prepare the information which it
is required to report for such year on Internal Revenue Service Forms 1096 and
1099 pursuant to Section 6049 of the Code. Such information shall include the
amount of original issue discount includible in income for each outstanding
Preferred Security during such year.
Section 4.6. Payment of Taxes; Duties, Etc. of the Issuer Trust.
Upon receipt under the Junior Subordinated Debentures of Additional
Sums, the Property Trustee, at the direction of an Administrator or the
Depositor, shall promptly pay any taxes, duties or governmental charges of
whatsoever nature (other than withholding taxes) imposed on the Issuer Trust by
the United States or any other taxing authority.
Section 4.7. Payments under Indenture or Pursuant to Direct Actions.
Any amount payable hereunder to any Holder of Preferred Securities
shall be reduced by the amount of any corresponding payment such Holder (or any
Owner related thereto) has directly received pursuant to Section 5.8 of the
Indenture or Section 5.13 of this Trust Agreement.
Section 4.8. Liability of the Holder of Common Securities.
The Holder of Common Securities shall be liable for the debts and
obligations of the Issuer Trust as set forth in Section 6.7(c) of the Indenture
regarding allocation of expenses.
ARTICLE V
TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES
Section 5.1. Initial Ownership.
Until the issuance of the Trust Securities, and at any time during
which no Trust Securities are outstanding, the Depositor shall be the sole
beneficial owner of the Issuer Trust.
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Section 5.2. The Trust Securities Certificates.
(a) The Trust Securities Certificates shall be executed on behalf
of the Issuer Trust by manual or facsimile signature of at least one
Administrator. Trust Securities Certificates bearing the signatures of
individuals who were, at the time when such signatures shall have been affixed,
authorized to sign on behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall be validly issued and
entitled to the benefits of this Trust Agreement, notwithstanding that such
individuals or any of them shall have ceased to be so authorized prior to the
delivery of such Trust Securities Certificates or did not hold such offices at
the date of delivery of such Trust Securities Certificates. A transferee of a
Trust Securities Certificate shall become a Holder, and shall be entitled to
the rights and subject to the obligations of a Holder hereunder, upon due
registration of such Trust Securities Certificate in such transferee's name
pursuant to Section 5.5.
(b) Upon their original issuance, Preferred Securities
Certificates shall be issued in the form of one or more fully registered Global
Preferred Securities Certificates which will be deposited with or on behalf of
Cede as the Depositary's nominee and registered in the name of Cede as the
Depositary's nominee. Unless and until it is exchangeable in whole or in part
for the Preferred Securities in definitive form, a global security may not be
transferred except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary
or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the
Depositary or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a successor of such
Depositary or a nominee of such successor.
(c) A single Common Securities Certificate representing the Common
Securities shall be issued to the Depositor in the form of a definitive Common
Securities Certificate.
Section 5.3. Execution and Delivery of Trust Securities Certificates.
On the Closing Date, and on the Option Closing Date if applicable, an
Administrator shall cause Trust Securities Certificates, in an aggregate
Liquidation Amount as provided in Sections 2.4 and 2.5, as the case may be, to
be executed on behalf of the Issuer Trust and delivered to the Property Trustee
and upon such delivery the Property Trustee shall authenticate such Trust
Securities Certificates and deliver such Trust Securities Certificates upon the
written order of the Trust, executed by an Administrator thereof, without
further corporate action by the Trust, in authorized denominations.
Section 5.4. Global Preferred Security.
(a) Any Global Preferred Security issued under this Trust
Agreement shall be registered in the name of the nominee of the Clearing Agency
and delivered to such custodian therefor, and such Global Preferred Security
shall constitute a single Preferred Security for all purposes of this Trust
Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Trust Agreement, a
Global Preferred Security may not be exchanged in whole or in part for
Preferred Securities registered, and no transfer of the Global Preferred
Security in whole or in part may be registered, in the name of any Person other
than the Clearing Agency for such Global Preferred Security, Cede, or other
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nominee thereof unless (i) such Clearing Agency advises the Depositor and the
Issuer Trustees in writing that such Clearing Agency is no longer willing or
able to properly discharge its responsibilities as Clearing Agency with respect
to such Global Preferred Security, and the Depositor is unable to locate a
qualified successor within 90 days of receipt of such notice from the
Depositary, (ii) the Depositor at its option advises the Depositary in writing
that it elects to terminate the book-entry system through the Clearing Agency,
or (iii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default.
(c) If a Preferred Security is to be exchanged in whole or in part
for a beneficial interest in a Global Preferred Security, then either (i) such
Global Preferred Security shall be so surrendered for exchange as provided in
this Article V or (ii) the Liquidation Amount thereof shall be reduced or
increased by an amount equal to the portion thereof to be so exchanged, or
equal to the Liquidation Amount of such other Preferred Security to be so
exchanged for a beneficial interest therein, as the case may be, by means of an
appropriate adjustment made on the records of the Security Registrar, whereupon
the Property Trustee, in accordance with the Applicable Procedures, shall
instruct the Clearing Agency or its authorized representative to make a
corresponding adjustment to its records. Upon any such surrender or adjustment
of a Global Preferred Security by the Clearing Agency, accompanied by
registration instructions, the Property Trustee shall, subject to Section
5.4(b) and as otherwise provided in this Article V, authenticate and deliver
and an Administrator shall execute any Preferred Securities issuable in
exchange for such Global Preferred Security (or any portion thereof) in
accordance with the instructions of the Clearing Agency. The Property Trustee
shall not be liable for any delay in delivery of such instructions and may
conclusively rely on, and shall be fully protected in relying on, such
instructions.
(d) Every Preferred Security registered, executed, authenticated,
and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu
of, a Global Preferred Security or any portion thereof, whether pursuant to
this Article V or Article IV or otherwise, shall be executed, authenticated and
delivered in the form of, and shall be, a Global Preferred Security, unless
such Global Preferred Security is registered in the name of a Person other than
the Clearing Agency for such Global Preferred Security or a nominee thereof.
(e) The Clearing Agency or its nominee, as the registered owner of
a Global Preferred Security, shall be considered the Holder of the Preferred
Securities represented by such Global Preferred Security for all purposes under
this Trust Agreement and the Preferred Securities, and owners of beneficial
interests in such Global Preferred Security shall hold such interests pursuant
to the Applicable Procedures and, except as otherwise provided herein, shall
not be entitled to receive physical delivery of any such Preferred Securities
in definitive form and shall not be considered the Holders thereof under this
Trust Agreement. Accordingly, any such Owner's beneficial interest in the
Global Preferred Security shall be shown only on, and the transfer of such
interest shall be effected only through, records maintained by the Clearing
Agency or its nominee. Neither the Property Trustee, the Securities Registrar
nor the Depositor shall have any liability in respect of any transfers effected
by the Clearing Agency.
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(f) The rights of Owners of beneficial interests in a Global
Preferred Security shall be exercised only through the Clearing Agency and
shall be limited to those established by law and agreements between such Owners
and the Clearing Agency.
Section 5.5. Registration of Transfer and Exchange Generally; Certain
Transfers and Exchanges; Preferred Securities Certificates.
(a) The Property Trustee shall keep or cause to be kept at its
Corporate Trust Office a register or registers for the purpose of registering
Trust Securities Certificates and transfers and exchanges of Preferred
Securities Certificates in which the registrar and transfer agent with respect
to the Preferred Securities (the "Securities Registrar"), subject to such
reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, shall provide for the registration
of Preferred Securities Certificates and Common Securities Certificates
(subject to Section 5.11 in the case of Common Securities Certificates) and
registration of transfers and exchanges of Preferred Securities Certificates as
herein provided. Such register is herein sometimes referred to as the
"Securities Register." The Property Trustee is hereby appointed "Securities
Registrar" for the purpose of registering Preferred Securities and transfers of
Preferred Securities as herein provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Preferred Security
at the offices or agencies of the Property Trustee designated for that purpose,
an Administrator shall execute and the Property Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more
new Preferred Securities of the same series of any authorized denominations of
like tenor and aggregate Liquidation Amount and bearing such legends as may be
required by this Trust Agreement.
At the option of the Holder, Preferred Securities may be exchanged for
other Preferred Securities of any authorized denominations, of like tenor and
aggregate Liquidation Amount and bearing such legends as may be required by
this Trust Agreement, upon surrender of the Preferred Securities to be
exchanged at such office or agency. Whenever any Preferred Securities are so
surrendered for exchange, an Administrator shall execute and the Property
Trustee shall authenticate and deliver the Preferred Securities that the Holder
making the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Preferred Securities issued upon any transfer or exchange of
Preferred Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Issuer Trust,
evidencing the same interest, and entitled to the same benefits under this
Trust Agreement, as the Preferred Securities surrendered upon such transfer or
exchange.
Every Preferred Security presented or surrendered for transfer or
exchange shall (if so required by the Property Trustee) be duly endorsed, or be
accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the
Property Trustee and the Securities Registrar, duly executed by the Holder
thereof or such Holder's attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any transfer or
exchange of Preferred Securities, but the Property Trustee may require payment
of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
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other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer or
exchange of Preferred Securities.
Neither the Issuer Trust nor the Property Trustee shall be required,
pursuant to the provisions of this Section, (i) to issue, register the transfer
of, or exchange any Preferred Security during a period beginning at the opening
of business 15 days before the day of selection for redemption of Preferred
Securities pursuant to Article IV and ending at the close of business on the
day of mailing of the notice of redemption, or (ii) to register the transfer of
or exchange any Preferred Security so selected for redemption in whole or in
part, except, in the case of any such Preferred Security to be redeemed in
part, any portion thereof not to be redeemed.
(b) Certain Transfers and Exchanges. Trust Securities may only be
transferred, in whole or in part, in accordance with the terms and conditions
set forth in this Trust Agreement. Any transfer or purported transfer of any
Trust Security not made in accordance with this Trust Agreement shall be null
and void.
(i) Non-Global Security to Non-Global Security. A Trust
Security that is not a Global Preferred Security may be transferred,
in whole or in part, to a Person who takes delivery in the
form of another Trust Security that is not a Global Preferred Security
as provided in Section 5.5(a).
(ii) Free Transferability. Subject to this Section 5.5,
Preferred Securities shall be freely transferable.
(iii) Exchanges Between Global Preferred Security and
Non-Global Preferred Security. A beneficial interest in a Global
Preferred Security may be exchanged for a Preferred Security that is
not a Global Preferred Security as provided in Section 5.4.
Section 5.6. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Trust Securities
Certificates.
If (a) any mutilated Trust Securities Certificate shall be surrendered
to the Securities Registrar, or if the Securities Registrar shall receive
evidence to its satisfaction of the destruction, loss, or theft of any Trust
Securities Certificate and (b) there shall be delivered to the Securities
Registrar and the Administrators such security or indemnity as may be required
by them to save each of them harmless, then in the absence of notice that such
Trust Securities Certificate shall have been acquired by a bona fide purchaser
or a protected purchaser, the Administrators, or any one of them, on behalf of
the Issuer Trust shall execute and make available for delivery, and the
Property Trustee shall authenticate, in exchange for or in lieu of any such
mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen Trust Securities Certificate, a new Trust
Securities Certificate of like class, tenor and denomination. In connection
with the issuance of any new Trust Securities Certificate under this Section,
the Administrators or the Securities Registrar may require the payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection therewith. Any duplicate Trust Securities Certificate issued
pursuant to this Section shall constitute conclusive evidence of an undivided
beneficial interest in the assets of the Issuer Trust corresponding to that
evidenced by the lost, stolen or destroyed Trust
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Securities Certificate, as if originally issued, whether or not the lost, stolen
or destroyed Trust Securities Certificate shall be found at any time.
Section 5.7. Persons Deemed Holders.
The Issuer Trustees, the Administrators, the Securities Registrar, or
the Depositor shall treat the Person in whose name any Trust Securities are
registered in the Securities Register as the owner of such Trust Securities for
the purpose of receiving Distributions and for all other purposes whatsoever,
and none of the Issuer Trustees, the Administrators, the Securities Registrar
nor the Depositor shall be bound by any notice to the contrary.
Section 5.8. Access to List of Holders' Names and Addresses.
Each Holder and each Owner shall be deemed to have agreed not to hold
the Depositor, the Property Trustee, or the Administrators accountable by
reason of the disclosure of its name and address, regardless of the source from
which such information was derived.
Section 5.9. Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Property Trustee shall designate, with the consent of the
Administrators, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, an office or
offices or agency or agencies where Preferred Securities Certificates may be
surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and
demands to or upon the Issuer Trustees in respect of the Trust Securities
Certificates may be served. The Property Trustee initially designates its
Corporate Trust Office for such purposes. The Property Trustee shall give
prompt written notice to the Depositor, the Administrators and the Holders of
any change in the location of the Securities Register or any such office or
agency.
Section 5.10. Appointment of Paying Agent.
The Paying Agent shall make Distributions to Holders from the Payment
Account and shall report the amounts of such Distributions to the Property
Trustee and the Administrators. Any Paying Agent shall have the revocable
power to withdraw funds from the Payment Account solely for the purpose of
making the Distributions referred to above. The Property Trustee may revoke
such power and remove any Paying Agent in its sole discretion. The Paying
Agent shall initially be the Property Trustee. Any Person acting as Paying
Agent shall be permitted to resign as Paying Agent upon 30 days' written notice
to the Administrators and the Property Trustee. In the event that the Property
Trustee shall no longer be the Paying Agent or a successor Paying Agent shall
resign or its authority to act be revoked, the Property Trustee shall appoint a
successor (which shall be a bank or trust company) that is reasonably
acceptable to the Administrators to act as Paying Agent. Such successor Paying
Agent appointed by the Property Trustee, or any additional Paying Agent
appointed by the Administrators, shall execute and deliver to the Issuer
Trustees an instrument in which such successor Paying Agent or additional
Paying Agent shall agree with the Issuer Trustees that as Paying Agent, such
successor Paying Agent or additional Paying Agent will hold all sums, if any,
held by it for payment to the Holders in trust for the benefit of the Holders
entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such
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Holders. The Paying Agent shall return all unclaimed funds to the Property
Trustee and upon removal of a Paying Agent such Paying Agent shall also return
all funds in its possession to the Property Trustee. The provisions of Sections
8.1, 8.3 and 8.6 herein shall apply to the Bank also in its role as Paying
Agent, for so long as the Bank shall act as Paying Agent and, to the extent
applicable, to any other paying agent appointed hereunder. Any reference in
this Trust Agreement to the Paying Agent shall include any co-paying agent
chosen by the Property Trustee unless the context requires otherwise.
Section 5.11. Ownership of Common Securities by Depositor.
On the Closing Date, and on the Option Closing Date if applicable, the
Depositor shall acquire and retain beneficial and record ownership of the
Common Securities except (a) in connection with a consolidation or merger of
the Depositor into another corporation or any conveyance, transfer or lease by
the Depositor of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any
Person, pursuant to Section 8.1 of the Indenture, or (b) a transfer to an
Affiliate of the Depositor in compliance with applicable law (including the
Securities Act and applicable state securities and blue sky laws). To the
fullest extent permitted by law, any other attempted transfer of the Common
Securities shall be void. The Administrators shall cause each Common
Securities Certificate issued to the Depositor to contain a legend stating
"THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT TO A SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO THE
DEPOSITOR OR AN AFFILIATE OF THE DEPOSITOR IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW
AND SECTION 5.11 OF THE TRUST AGREEMENT."
Section 5.12. Notices to Clearing Agency.
To the extent that a notice or other communication to the Holders is
required under this Trust Agreement, for so long as Preferred Securities are
represented by a Global Preferred Securities Certificate, the Administrators
and the Property Trustee shall give all such notices and communications
specified herein to be given to the Clearing Agency, and shall have no
obligations to the Owners.
Section 5.13. Rights of Holders.
(a) The legal title to all Trust Property shall be vested at all
times in the Issuer Trust and shall be held and administered by the Property
Trustee (in its capacity as such) in accordance with Section 2.9, and the
Holders shall not have any right or title therein other than the undivided
beneficial interest in the assets of the Issuer Trust conferred by their Trust
Securities and they shall have no right to call for any partition or division
of property, profits, or rights of the Issuer Trust except as described below.
The Trust Securities shall be personal property giving only the rights
specifically set forth therein and in this Trust Agreement. The Trust
Securities shall have no preemptive or similar rights and when issued and
delivered to Holders against payment of the purchase price therefor will be
fully paid and nonassessable by the Issuer Trust. Subject to Section 4.8
hereof, the Holders of the Trust Securities, in their capacities as such, shall
be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to
stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
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(b) For so long as any Preferred Securities remain Outstanding,
if, upon a Debenture Event of Default, the Debenture Trustee fails, or the
holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Junior
Subordinated Debentures fail, to declare the principal of all of the Junior
Subordinated Debentures to be immediately due and payable, the Holders of at
least 25% in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities then Outstanding
shall have such right to make such declaration by a notice in writing to the
Property Trustee, the Depositor and the Debenture Trustee.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to
the Junior Subordinated Debentures has been made and before a judgment or
decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Debenture Trustee
as provided in the Indenture, the Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount
of the Preferred Securities, by written notice to the Property Trustee, the
Depositor, and the Debenture Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration
and its consequences if:
(i) the Depositor has paid or deposited with the Debenture
Trustee a sum sufficient to pay:
(A) all overdue installments of interest on all
of the Junior Subordinated Debentures,
(B) any accrued Additional Interest on all of the
Junior Subordinated Debentures,
(C) the principal of (and premium, if any, on)
any Junior Subordinated Debentures which have become due
otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and
interest and Additional Interest thereon at the rate borne by
the Junior Subordinated Debentures, and
(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Debenture
Trustee under the Indenture and the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Debenture Trustee
and the Property Trustee, their agents and counsel; and
(ii) all Events of Default with respect to the Junior
Subordinated Debentures, other than the non-payment of the principal
of the Junior Subordinated Debentures which has become due solely by
such acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section
5.13 of the Indenture.
The Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Preferred
Securities, waive any past default under the Indenture, except a default in the
payment of principal or interest (unless such default has been cured and a sum
sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal due
otherwise than by acceleration has been deposited with the Debenture Trustee)
or a default in respect of a covenant or provision which under the Indenture
cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each
outstanding Junior Subordinated Debentures affected thereby. No such rescission
shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
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Upon receipt by the Property Trustee of written notice declaring such
an acceleration, or rescission and annulment thereof, by Holders of the
Preferred Securities all or part of which is represented by Global Preferred
Securities, a record date shall be established for determining Holders of
Outstanding Preferred Securities entitled to join in such notice, which record
date shall be at the close of business on the day the Property Trustee receives
such notice. The Holders on such record date, or their duly designated
proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join in such notice,
whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; provided,
that, unless such declaration of acceleration, or rescission and annulment, as
the case may be, shall have become effective by virtue of the requisite
percentage having joined in such notice prior to the day which is 90 days after
such record date, such notice of declaration of acceleration, or rescission and
annulment, as the case may be, shall automatically and without further action
by any Holder be canceled and of no further effect. Nothing in this paragraph
shall prevent a Holder, or a proxy of a Holder, from giving, after expiration
of such 90-day period, a new written notice of declaration of acceleration, or
rescission and annulment thereof, as the case may be, that is identical to a
written notice which has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the preceding
sentence, in which event a new record date shall be established pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 5.13(b).
(c) For so long as any Preferred Securities remain Outstanding, to
the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the terms of this Trust
Agreement and the Indenture, upon a Debenture Event of Default specified in
Section 5.1(a) or 5.1(b) of the Indenture, any Holder of Preferred Securities
shall have the right to institute a proceeding directly against the Depositor,
pursuant to Section 5.8 of the Indenture, for enforcement of payment to such
Holder of the principal amount of or interest on Junior Subordinated Debentures
having an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate Liquidation Amount
of the Preferred Securities of such Holder (a "Direct Action"). Except as set
forth in Sections 5.13(b) and 5.13(c) of this Trust Agreement, the Holders of
Preferred Securities shall have no right to exercise directly any right or
remedy available to the holders of, or in respect of, the Junior Subordinated
Debentures.
ARTICLE VI
ACTS OF HOLDERS; MEETINGS; VOTING
Section 6.1. Limitations on Holder's Voting Rights.
(a) Except as provided in this Trust Agreement and in the
Indenture and as otherwise required by law, no Holder of Preferred Securities
shall have any right to vote or in any manner otherwise control the
administration, operation, and management of the Issuer Trust or the
obligations of the parties hereto, nor shall anything herein set forth or
contained in the terms of the Trust Securities Certificates be construed so as
to constitute the Holders from time to time as members of an association.
(b) So long as any Junior Subordinated Debentures are held by the
Property Trustee on behalf of the Issuer Trust, the Property Trustee shall not
(i) direct the time, method, and place of conducting any proceeding for any
remedy available to the Property Trustee, or executing any
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trust or power conferred on the Debenture Trustee with respect to such Junior
Subordinated Debentures, (ii) waive any past default that may be waived under
Section 5.13 of the Indenture, (iii) exercise any right to rescind or annul a
declaration that the principal of all the Junior Subordinated Debentures shall
be due and payable, or (iv) consent to any amendment, modification, or
termination of the Indenture or the Junior Subordinated Debentures, where such
consent shall be required, without, in each case, obtaining the prior approval
of the Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred
Securities; provided, however, that where a consent under the Indenture would
require the consent of each holder of Junior Subordinated Debentures affected
thereby, no such consent shall be given by the Property Trustee without the
prior written consent of each Holder of Preferred Securities. The Property
Trustee shall not revoke any action previously authorized or approved by
a vote of the Holders of Preferred Securities, except by a subsequent vote of
the Holders of Preferred Securities. The Property Trustee shall notify all
Holders of the Preferred Securities of any notice of default received with
respect to the Junior Subordinated Debentures. In addition to obtaining the
foregoing approvals of the Holders of the Preferred Securities, prior to taking
any of the foregoing actions, the Property Trustees shall, at the expense of
the Depositor, obtain an Opinion of Counsel experienced in such matters to the
effect that such action will not cause the Issuer Trust to be taxable as a
corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.
(c) If any proposed amendment to the Trust Agreement provides for,
or the Issuer Trust otherwise proposes to effect, (i) any action that would
adversely affect in any material respect the interests, powers, preferences, or
special rights of the Preferred Securities, whether by way of amendment to the
Trust Agreement or otherwise, or (ii) the dissolution of the Issuer Trust,
other than pursuant to the terms of this Trust Agreement, then the Holders of
Outstanding Trust Securities as a class will be entitled to vote on such
amendment or proposal and such amendment or proposal shall not be effective
except with the approval of the Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation
Amount of the Preferred Securities. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Trust Agreement, no amendment to this Trust Agreement may be made if, as a
result of such amendment, it would cause the Issuer Trust to be taxable as a
corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.
Section 6.2. Notice of Meetings.
Notice of all meetings of the Holders, stating the time, place, and
purpose of the meeting, shall be given by the Property Trustee pursuant to
Section 10.8 to each Holder of record, at his registered address, at least 15
days and not more than 90 days before the meeting. At any such meeting, any
business properly before the meeting may be so considered whether or not stated
in the notice of the meeting. Any adjourned meeting may be held as adjourned
without further notice.
Section 6.3. Meetings of Holders.
(a) No annual meeting of Holders is required to be held. The
Property Trustee, however, shall call a meeting of Holders to vote on any
matter upon the written request of the Holders of record of 25% of the
aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities and
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the Administrators or the Property Trustee may, at any time in their discretion,
call a meeting of Holders of Preferred Securities to vote on any matters as to
which Holders are entitled to vote.
(b) Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities, present in person or represented by proxy, shall
constitute a quorum at any meeting of Holders of Preferred Securities.
(c) If a quorum is present at a meeting, an affirmative vote by
the Holders of record present, in person or by proxy, holding Preferred
Securities representing at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities held by the Holders present, either in person or by proxy,
at such meeting shall constitute the action of the Holders of Preferred
Securities, unless this Trust Agreement requires a greater number of
affirmative votes.
Section 6.4. Voting Rights.
Holders shall be entitled to one vote for each $10 of Liquidation
Amount represented by their Outstanding Trust Securities in respect of any
matter as to which such Holders are entitled to vote.
Section 6.5. Proxies, etc.
At any meeting of Holders, any Holder entitled to vote thereat may
vote by proxy, provided that no proxy shall be voted at any meeting unless it
shall have been placed on file with the Property Trustee, or with such other
officer or agent of the Issuer Trust as the Property Trustee may direct, for
verification prior to the time at which such vote shall be taken. Pursuant to
a resolution of the Property Trustee, proxies may be solicited in the name of
the Property Trustee or one or more officers of the Property Trustee. Only
Holders of record shall be entitled to vote. When Trust Securities are held
jointly by several persons, any one of them may vote at any meeting in person
or by proxy in respect of such Trust Securities, but if more than one of them
shall be present at such meeting in person or by proxy, and such joint owners
or their proxies so present disagree as to any vote to be cast, such vote shall
not be received in respect of such Trust Securities. A proxy purporting to be
executed by or on behalf of a Holder shall be deemed valid unless challenged at
or prior to its exercise, and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest on
the challenger. No proxy shall be valid more than three years after its date
of execution.
Section 6.6. Holder Action by Written Consent.
Any action which may be taken by Holders at a meeting may be taken
without a meeting if Holders holding at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount
of all Trust Securities entitled to vote in respect of such action (or such
larger proportion thereof as shall be required by any other provision of this
Trust Agreement) shall consent to the action in writing.
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Section 6.7. Record Date for Voting and Other Purposes.
For the purposes of determining the Holders who are entitled to notice
of and to vote at any meeting or by written consent, or to participate in any
Distribution on the Trust Securities in respect of which a record date is not
otherwise provided for in this Trust Agreement, or for the purpose of any other
action, the Administrators (or the Property Trustee if the Administrators are
unable or unwilling to act) may from time to time fix a date, not more than 90
days prior to the date of any meeting of Holders or the payment of a
Distribution or other action, as the case may be, as a record date for the
determination of the identity of the Holders of record for such purposes.
Section 6.8. Acts of Holders.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver, or other action provided or permitted by this Trust Agreement
to be given, made, or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one
or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in
person or by an agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as otherwise
expressly provided herein, such action shall become effective when such
instrument or instruments are delivered to the Property Trustee. Such
instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced
thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the "Act" of the Holders signing
such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or
of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose of
this Trust Agreement and (subject to Section 8.1) conclusive in favor of the
Issuer Trustees, if made in the manner provided in this Section 6.8.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such
instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such
execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by
law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing
such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where
such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual
capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof
of his authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or
writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved
in any other manner which any Issuer Trustee or Administrator receiving the
same deems sufficient.
(c) The ownership of Trust Securities shall be proved by the
Securities Register.
(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver, or other Act of the Holder of any Trust Security shall bind
every future Holder of the same Trust Security and the Holder of every Trust
Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange
therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted, or suffered
to be done by the Issuer Trustees, the Administrators, or the Issuer Trust in
reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such
Trust Security.
(e) Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to
take any action hereunder with regard to any particular Trust Security may do
so with regard to all or any part of
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the Liquidation Amount of such Trust Security or by one or more duly appointed
agents each of which may do so pursuant to such appointment with regard to all
or any part of such Liquidation Amount.
(f) If any dispute shall arise among the Holders, the
Administrators or the Issuer Trustees with respect to the authenticity,
validity or binding nature of any request, demand, authorization, direction,
consent, waiver or other Act of such Holder or Issuer Trustee under this
Article VI, then the determination of such matter by the Property Trustee shall
be conclusive with respect to such matter.
Section 6.9. Inspection of Records.
Upon reasonable notice to the Administrators and the Property Trustee,
the records of the Issuer Trust shall be open to inspection by Holders during
normal business hours for any purpose reasonably related to such Holder's
interest as a Holder.
ARTICLE VII
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
Section 7.1. Representations and Warranties of the Property Trustee and the
Delaware Trustee.
The Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee (and any successors
thereto at the time of their appointment), each severally on behalf of and as
to itself, hereby represents and warrants for the benefit of the Depositor and
the Holders that:
(a) The Property Trustee is a banking corporation duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of New York, with trust
power and authority to execute and deliver, and to carry out and perform its
obligations under the terms of this Trust Agreement.
(b) The execution, delivery, and performance by the Property
Trustee of this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of the Property Trustee; and this Trust Agreement
has been duly executed and delivered by the Property Trustee, and constitutes a
legal, valid, and binding obligation of the Property Trustee, enforceable
against it in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy,
reorganization, moratorium, insolvency, and other similar laws affecting
creditors' rights generally and to general principles of equity and the
discretion of the court (regardless of whether the enforcement of such remedies
is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(c) The execution, delivery and performance of this Trust
Agreement by the Property Trustee does not conflict with or constitute a breach
of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Property Trustee.
(d) At the Time of Delivery, the Property Trustee has not
knowingly created any Liens or encumbrances on the Trust Securities.
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(e) No consent, approval, or authorization of, or registration
with or notice to, any New York State or federal banking authority is required
for the execution, delivery, or performance by the Property Trustee, of this
Trust Agreement.
(f) The Delaware Trustee is duly organized, validly existing, and
in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with trust power and
authority to execute and deliver, and to carry out and perform its obligations
under the terms of, the Trust Agreement.
(g) The execution, delivery and performance by the Delaware
Trustee of this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of the Delaware Trustee; and this Trust Agreement
has been duly executed and delivered by the Delaware Trustee, and constitutes a
legal, valid and binding obligation of the Delaware Trustee, enforceable
against it in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy,
reorganization, moratorium, insolvency, and other similar laws affecting
creditors' right generally and to general principles of equity and the
discretion of the court (regardless of whether the enforcement of such remedies
is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(h) The execution, delivery and performance of this Trust
Agreement by the Delaware Trustee does not conflict with or constitute a breach
of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Delaware Trustee.
(i) No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration with
or notice to any state or Federal banking authority is required for the
execution, delivery, or performance by the Delaware Trustee, of this Trust
Agreement.
(j) The Delaware Trustee is an entity which has its principal
place of business in the State of Delaware.
Section 7.2. Representations and Warranties of the Depositor.
The Depositor hereby represents and warrants for the benefit of the
Holders that:
(a) the Trust Securities Certificates issued at the Time of
Delivery on behalf of the Issuer Trust have been duly authorized and will have
been duly and validly executed, and, subject to payment therefor, issued and
delivered by the Issuer Trustees pursuant to the terms and provisions of, and
in accordance with the requirements of, this Trust Agreement, and the Holders
will be, as of each such date, entitled to the benefits of this Trust
Agreement; and
(b) there are no taxes, fees or other governmental charges payable
by the Issuer Trust (or the Issuer Trustees on behalf of the Issuer Trust)
under the laws of the State of Delaware or any political subdivision thereof in
connection with the execution, delivery and performance by either the Property
Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, as the case may be, of this Trust Agreement.
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ARTICLE VIII
THE ISSUER TRUSTEES; THE ADMINISTRATORS
Section 8.1. Certain Duties and Responsibilities.
(a) The duties and responsibilities of the Issuer Trustees and the
Administrators shall be as provided by this Trust Agreement and, in the case of
the Property Trustee, by the Trust Indenture Act. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, no provision of this Trust Agreement shall require the Issuer
Trustees or the Administrators to expend or risk their own funds or otherwise
incur any financial liability in the performance of any of their duties
hereunder, or in the exercise of any of their rights or powers, if they shall
have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate
indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it or
them. Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this
Trust Agreement relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or
affording protection to the Issuer Trustees or the Administrators shall be
subject to the provisions of this Section. Nothing in this Trust Agreement
shall be construed to release an Administrator from liability for his or her
own grossly negligent action, his or her own grossly negligent failure to act,
or his or her own willful misconduct. To the extent that, at law or in equity,
an Issuer Trustee or Administrator has duties and liabilities relating to the
Issuer Trust or to the Holders, such Issuer Trustee or Administrator shall not
be liable to the Issuer Trust or to any Holder for such Issuer Trustee's or
Administrator's good faith reliance on the provisions of this Trust Agreement.
The provisions of this Trust Agreement, to the extent that they restrict the
duties and liabilities of the Issuer Trustees and Administrators otherwise
existing at law or in equity, are agreed by the Depositor and the Holders to
replace such other duties and liabilities of the Issuer Trustees and
Administrators.
(b) All payments made by the Property Trustee or a Paying Agent in
respect of the Trust Securities shall be made only from the revenue and
proceeds from the Trust Property and only to the extent that there shall be
sufficient revenue or proceeds from the Trust Property to enable the Property
Trustee or a Paying Agent to make payments in accordance with the terms hereof.
Each Holder, by his or its acceptance of a Trust Security, agrees that he or it
will look solely to the revenue and proceeds from the Trust Property to the
extent legally available for distribution to it or him as herein provided and
that neither the Issuer Trustees nor the Administrators are personally liable
to it or him for any amount distributable in respect of any Trust Security or
for any other liability in respect of any Trust Security. This Section 8.1(b)
does not limit the liability of the Issuer Trustees expressly set forth
elsewhere in this Trust Agreement or, in the case of the Property Trustee, in
the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) The Property Trustee, before the occurrence of any Event of
Default and after the curing of all Events of Default that may have occurred,
shall undertake to perform only such duties as are specifically set forth in
this Trust Agreement (including pursuant to Section 10.10), and no implied
covenants shall be read into this Trust Agreement against the Property Trustee.
If an Event of Default has occurred (that has not been cured or waived pursuant
to Section 5.13 of the Indenture), the Property Trustee shall enforce this
Trust Agreement for the benefit of the Holders and shall exercise such of the
rights and powers vested in it by this Trust Agreement,
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and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise thereof, as a prudent
person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his or
her own affairs.
(d) No provision of this Trust Agreement shall be construed to
relieve the Property Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its
own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and
after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default that may
have occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Property
Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions
of this Trust Agreement (including pursuant to Section 10.10),
and the Property Trustee shall not be liable except for the
performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically
set forth in this Trust Agreement (including pursuant to
Section 10.10); and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of
the Property Trustee, the Property Trustee may conclusively
rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of
the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or
opinions furnished to the Property Trustee and conforming to
the requirements of this Trust Agreement; but in the case of
any such certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof
or of the Trust Indenture Act are specifically required to be
furnished to the Property Trustee, the Property Trustee shall
be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or
not they conform to the requirements of this Trust Agreement;
(ii) the Property Trustee shall not be liable for any
error of judgment made in good faith by an authorized officer of the
Property Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Property Trustee
was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(iii) the Property 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 at least a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities relating to the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available
to the Property Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred
upon the Property Trustee under this Trust Agreement;
(iv) the Property Trustee's sole duty with respect to the
custody, safe keeping and physical preservation of the Junior
Subordinated Debentures and the Payment Account shall be to deal with
such Property in a similar manner as the Property Trustee deals with
similar property for its own account, subject to the protections and
limitations on liability afforded to the Property Trustee under this
Trust Agreement and the Trust Indenture Act;
(v) the Property Trustee shall not be liable for any
interest on any money received by it except as it may otherwise agree
with the Depositor; and money held by the Property Trustee need not be
segregated from other funds held by it except in relation
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to the Payment Account maintained by the Property Trustee pursuant to
Section 3.1 and except to the extent otherwise required by law;
(vi) the Property Trustee shall not be responsible for
monitoring the compliance by the Administrators or the Depositor with
their respective duties under this Trust Agreement, nor shall the
Property Trustee be liable for the default or misconduct of any other
Issuer Trustee, the Administrators or the Depositor; and
(vii) no provision of this Trust Agreement shall require
the Property Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise
incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of its
duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if the
Property Trustee shall have reasonable grounds for believing that the
repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to it
under the terms of this Trust Agreement or adequate indemnity against
such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
(e) The Administrators shall not be responsible for monitoring the
compliance by the Issuer Trustees or the Depositor with their respective duties
under this Trust Agreement, nor shall either Administrator be liable for the
default or misconduct of any other Administrator, the Issuer Trustees or the
Depositor.
Section 8.2. Certain Notices.
(a) Within five Business Days after the occurrence of any Event of
Default actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Property Trustee, the
Property Trustee shall transmit, in the manner and to the extent provided in
Section 10.8, notice of such Event of Default to the Holders and the
Administrators, unless such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived.
(b) Within five Business Days after the receipt of notice of the
Depositor's exercise of its right to defer the payment of interest on the
Junior Subordinated Debentures pursuant to the Indenture, the Property Trustee
shall transmit, in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 10.8,
notice of such exercise to the Holders and the Administrators, unless such
exercise shall have been revoked.
(c) In the event the Property Trustee receives notice of the
Depositor's exercise of its right to shorten the stated maturity of the Junior
Subordinated Debentures as provided in Section 3.16 of the Indenture, the
Property Trustee shall give notice of such shortening of the stated maturity to
the Holders at least 30 but not more than 60 days before the effective date
thereof.
Section 8.3 Certain Rights of Property Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 8.1:
(a) the Property Trustee may rely and shall be fully protected in
acting or refraining from acting in good faith upon any resolution, Opinion of
Counsel, certificate, written representation of a Holder or transferee,
certificate of auditors or any other certificate, statement,
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instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, appraisal, bond,
debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document
believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper
party or parties;
(b) any direction or act of the Depositor contemplated by this
Trust Agreement shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers' Certificate;
(c) the Property Trustee shall have no duty to see to any
recording, filing or registration of any instrument (including any financing or
continuation statement or any filing under tax or securities laws) or any
re-recording, refiling or re-registration thereof;
(d) the Property Trustee may consult with counsel of its own
choosing (which counsel may be counsel to the Depositor or any of its
Affiliates, and may include any of its employees) and the advice of such
counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of
any action taken suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in
reliance thereon and in accordance with such advice; the Property Trustee shall
have the right at any time to seek instructions concerning the administration
of this Trust Agreement from any court of competent jurisdiction;
(e) the Property Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise
any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Trust Agreement at the request
or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Trust Agreement, unless
such Holders shall have offered to the Property 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; provided that,
nothing contained in this Section 8.3(e) shall be taken to relieve the Property
Trustee, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, of its obligation to
exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Trust Agreement;
(f) the Property Trustee shall not be bound to make any
investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate,
statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order,
approval, bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness or other
paper or document, unless requested in writing to do so by one or more Holders,
but the Property Trustee may make such further inquiry or investigation into
such facts or matters as it may see fit;
(g) the Property Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers
hereunder or perform any of its duties hereunder either directly or by or
through its agents or attorneys, provided that the Property Trustee shall not
be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or
attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;
(h) whenever in the administration of this Trust Agreement the
Property Trustee shall deem it desirable to receive instructions with respect
to enforcing any remedy or right or taking any other action hereunder, the
Property Trustee (i) may request instructions from the Holders (which
instructions may only be given by the Holders of the same proportion in
Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities as would be entitled to direct the
Property Trustee under the terms of the Trust Securities in respect of such
remedy, right or action), (ii) may refrain from
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enforcing such remedy or right or taking such other action until such
instructions are received, and (iii) shall be fully protected in acting in
accordance with such instructions; and
(i) except as otherwise expressly provided by this Trust
Agreement, the Property Trustee shall not be under any obligation to take any
action that is discretionary under the provisions of this Trust Agreement.
No provision of this Trust Agreement shall be deemed to impose any
duty or obligation on any Issuer Trustee or Administrator to perform any act or
acts or exercise any right, power, duty or obligation conferred or imposed on
it, in any jurisdiction in which it shall be illegal, or in which the Property
Trustee shall be unqualified or incompetent in accordance with applicable law,
to perform any such act or acts, or to exercise any such right, power, duty or
obligation. No permissive power or authority available to any Issuer Trustee
or Administrator shall be construed to be a duty.
Section 8.4. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.
The recitals contained herein and in the Trust Securities Certificates
shall be taken as the statements of the Issuer Trust, and the Issuer Trustees
and the Administrators do not assume any responsibility for their correctness.
The Issuer Trustees and the Administrators shall not be accountable for the use
or application by the Depositor of the proceeds of the Junior Subordinated
Debentures.
Section 8.5. May Hold Securities.
Except as provided in the definition of the term "Outstanding" in
Article I, the Administrators, any Issuer Trustee or any other agent of any
Issuer Trustee or the Issuer Trust, in its individual or any other capacity,
may become the owner or pledgee of Trust Securities and, subject to Sections
8.8 and 8.13, may otherwise deal with the Issuer Trust with the same rights it
would have if it were not an Administrator, Issuer Trustee or such other agent.
Section 8.6. Compensation; Indemnity; Fees.
The Depositor agrees:
(a) to pay to the Issuer Trustees from time to time reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by them hereunder (which compensation
shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a
trustee of an express trust);
(b) to reimburse the Issuer Trustees and the Administrators upon
request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements, and advances incurred or
made by the Issuer Trustees in accordance with any provision of this Trust
Agreement (including the reasonable compensation, expenses and disbursements of
its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement, or advance as
may be attributable to the Issuer Trustee's bad faith, negligence or willful
misconduct (or, in the case of the Administrators, any such expense,
disbursement, or advance as may be attributable to his or her gross negligence,
bad faith or willful misconduct); and
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(c) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to
indemnify and hold harmless (i) each Issuer Trustee, (ii) each Administrator,
(iii) any Affiliate of any Issuer Trustee, (iv) any officer, director,
shareholder, employee, representative or agent of any Issuer Trustee, and (v)
any employee or agent of the Issuer Trust, (referred to herein as an
"Indemnified Person") from and against any loss, damage, liability, tax
(excluding income taxes, other than taxes referred to in Sections 4.5 and 4.6
hereunder), penalty, expense or claim of any kind or nature whatsoever incurred
by such Indemnified Person arising out of or in connection with the creation,
operation, or dissolution of the Issuer Trust or any act or omission performed
or omitted by such Indemnified Person in good faith on behalf of the Issuer
Trust and in a manner such Indemnified Person reasonably believed to be within
the scope of authority conferred on such Indemnified Person by this Trust
Agreement, except that no Indemnified Person shall be entitled to be
indemnified in respect of any loss, damage or claim incurred by such
Indemnified Person by reason of bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct
with respect to such acts or omissions, except that, in the case of the
Administrators, such indemnification shall be so limited only by reason of
gross negligence, gad faith or willful misconduct).
The provisions of this Section 8.6 shall survive the termination of
this Trust Agreement.
No Issuer Trustee may claim any lien or charge on any Trust Property
as a result of any amount due pursuant to this Section 8.6.
The Depositor, any Administrator and any Issuer Trustee may engage in
or possess an interest in other business ventures of any nature or description,
independently or with others, similar or dissimilar to the business of the
Issuer Trust, and the Issuer Trust and the Holders of Trust Securities shall
have no rights by virtue of this Trust Agreement in and to such independent
ventures or the income or profits derived therefrom, and the pursuit of any
such venture, even if competitive with the business of the Issuer Trust, shall
not be deemed wrongful or improper. Neither the Depositor, any Administrator,
nor any Issuer Trustee shall be obligated to present any particular investment
or other opportunity to the Issuer Trust even if such opportunity is of a
character that, if presented to the Issuer Trust, could be taken by the Issuer
Trust, and the Depositor, any Administrator or any Issuer Trustee shall have
the right to take for its own account (individually or as a partner or
fiduciary) or to recommend to others any such particular investment or other
opportunity. Any Issuer Trustee may engage or be interested in any financial
or other transaction with the Depositor or any Affiliate of the Depositor, or
may act as depository for, trustee or agent for, or act on any committee or
body of holders of, securities or other obligations of the Depositor or its
Affiliates.
Section 8.7. Corporate Property Trustee Required; Eligibility of Trustees
and Administrators.
(a) There shall at all times be a Property Trustee hereunder with
respect to the Trust Securities. The Property Trustee shall be a Person that
is a national or state chartered bank and eligible pursuant to the Trust
Indenture Act to act as such and has a combined capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000. If any such Person publishes reports of condition at least
annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of its supervising or
examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined
capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be
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its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of
condition so published. If at any time the Property Trustee with respect to the
Trust Securities shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of
this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect
hereinafter specified in this Article VIII. At the time of appointment, the
Property Trustee must have securities rated in one of the three highest rating
categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
(b) There shall at all times be one or more Administrators
hereunder. Each Administrator shall be either a natural person who is at least
21 years of age or a legal entity that shall act through one or more persons
authorized to bind that entity. An employee, officer, or Affiliate of the
Depositor may serve as an Administrator.
(c) There shall at all times be a Delaware Trustee. The Delaware
Trustee shall either be (i) a natural person who is at least 21 years of age
and a resident of the State of Delaware or (ii) a legal entity with its
principal place of business in the State of Delaware and that otherwise meets
the requirements of applicable Delaware law that shall act through one or more
persons authorized to bind such entity.
Section 8.8. Conflicting Interests.
(a) If the Property Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting
interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Property Trustee
shall either eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner
provided by, and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this
Trust Agreement.
(b) The Guarantee Agreement and the Indenture shall be deemed to
be specifically described in this Trust Agreement for the purposes of clause
(i) of the first proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture
Act.
Section 8.9. Co-Trustees and Separate Trustee.
(a) Unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, at any time or times, for the purpose of meeting the legal
requirements of the Trust Indenture Act or of any jurisdiction in which any
part of the Trust Property may at the time be located, the Property Trustee
shall have power to appoint, and upon the written request of the Property
Trustee, the Depositor and the Administrators shall for such purpose join with
the Property Trustee in the execution, delivery, and performance of all
instruments and agreements necessary or proper to appoint, one or more Persons
approved by the Property Trustee either to act as co-trustee, jointly with the
Property Trustee, of all or any part of such Trust Property, or to the extent
required by law to act as separate trustee of any such property, in either case
with such powers as may be provided in the instrument of appointment, and to
vest in such Person or Persons in the capacity aforesaid, any property, title,
right or power deemed necessary or desirable, subject to the other provisions
of this Section 8.9. Any co-trustee or separate trustee appointed pursuant to
this Section 8.9 shall either be (i) a natural person who is at least 21 years
of age and a resident of the United States or (ii) a legal entity with its
principal place of business in the United States that shall act through one or
more persons authorized to bind such entity.
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(b) Should any written instrument from the Depositor be required
by any co-trustee or separate trustee so appointed for more fully confirming to
such co-trustee or separate trustee such property, title, right, or power, any
and all such instruments shall, on request, be executed, acknowledged and
delivered by the Depositor.
(c) Every co-trustee or separate trustee shall, to the extent
permitted by law, but to such extent only, be appointed subject to the
following terms, namely:
(i) The Trust Securities shall be executed by one or more
Administrators, and the Trust Securities shall be executed and delivered and
all rights, powers, duties, and obligations hereunder in respect of the custody
of securities, cash and other personal property held by, or required to be
deposited or pledged with, the Property Trustees specified hereunder, shall be
exercised, solely by the Property Trustee and not by such co-trustee or
separate trustee.
(ii) The rights, powers, duties, and obligations hereby
conferred or imposed upon the Property Trustee in respect of any property
covered by such appointment shall be conferred or imposed upon and exercised or
performed by the Property Trustee and such co-trustee or separate trustee
jointly, as shall be provided in the instrument appointing such co-trustee or
separate trustee, except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in
which any particular act is to be performed, the Property Trustee shall be
incompetent or unqualified to perform such act, in which event such rights,
powers, duties, and obligations shall be exercised and performed by such
co-trustee or separate trustee.
(iii) The Property Trustee at any time, by an instrument in
writing executed by it, with the written concurrence of the Depositor, may
accept the resignation of or remove any co-trustee or separate trustee
appointed under this Section, and, in case a Debenture Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, the Property Trustee shall have power to accept the
resignation of, or remove, any such co-trustee or separate trustee without the
concurrence of the Depositor. Upon the written request of the Property
Trustee, the Depositor shall join with the Property Trustee in the execution,
delivery and performance of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper
to effectuate such resignation or removal. A successor to any co-trustee or
separate trustee so resigned or removed may be appointed in the manner provided
in this Section 8.9.
(iv) No co-trustee or separate trustee hereunder shall be
personally liable by reason of any act or omission of the Property Trustee or
any other trustee hereunder.
(v) The Property Trustee shall not be liable by reason of
any act of a co-trustee or separate trustee.
(vi) Any Act of Holders delivered to the Property Trustee
shall be deemed to have been delivered to each such co-trustee and separate
trustee.
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Section 8.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.
(a) No resignation or removal of any Issuer Trustee (the "Relevant
Trustee") and no appointment of a successor Issuer Trustee pursuant to this
Article VIII shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the
successor Issuer Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of
Section 8.11.
(b) Subject to Section 8.10(a), a Relevant Trustee may resign at
any time by giving written notice thereof to the Holders. The Relevant Trustee
shall appoint a successor by requesting from at least three Persons meeting the
eligibility requirements its expenses and charges to serve as the successor
Issuer Trustee on a form provided by the Administrators, and selecting the
Person who agrees to the lowest expenses and charges, subject to the prior
consent of the Depositor which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. If
the instrument of acceptance by the successor Issuer Trustee required by
Section 8.11 shall not have been delivered to the Relevant Trustee within 60
days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the Relevant Trustee may
petition, at the expense of the Issuer Trust, any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Issuer Trustee.
(c) The Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee may be removed at
any time by Act of the Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of
the Preferred Securities, delivered to the Relevant Trustee (in its individual
capacity and on behalf of the Issuer Trust) (i) for cause, or (ii) if a
Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at any time.
(d) If a resigning Relevant Trustee shall fail to appoint a
successor, or if a Relevant Trustee shall be removed or become incapable of
acting as Issuer Trustee, or if any vacancy shall occur in the office of any
Issuer Trustee for any cause, the Holders of the Preferred Securities, by Act
of the Holders of record of not less than 25% aggregate Liquidation Amount of
the Preferred Securities then Outstanding delivered to such Relevant Trustee,
shall promptly appoint a successor Issuer Trustee or Trustees, and such
successor Issuer Trustee shall comply with the applicable requirements of
Section 8.11. If no successor Issuer Trustee shall have been so appointed by
the Holders of the Preferred Securities and accepted appointment in the manner
required by Section 8.11, any Holder, on behalf of himself and all others
similarly situated, or any other Issuer Trustee, may petition any court in the
State of Delaware for the appointment of a successor Issuer Trustee.
(e) The Property Trustee shall give notice of each resignation and
each removal of a Relevant Trustee and each appointment of a successor Issuer
Trustee to all Holders in the manner provided in Section 10.8 and shall give
notice to the Depositor and to the Administrators. Each notice shall include
the name of the Relevant Trustee and the address of its Corporate Trust Office
if it is the Property Trustee.
(f) Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this
Trust Agreement, in the event any Delaware Trustee who is a natural person dies
or becomes, in the opinion of the Holders of the Common Securities, incompetent
or incapacitated, the vacancy created by such death, incompetence or incapacity
may be filled by the Property Trustee following the
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procedures regarding expenses and charges set forth above (with the successor in
each case being a Person who satisfies the eligibility requirement for Delaware
Trustee set forth in Section 8.7).
Section 8.11. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Issuer
Trustee, the retiring Relevant Trustee and each such successor Issuer Trustee
with respect to the Trust Securities shall execute, acknowledge and deliver an
instrument wherein each successor Issuer Trustee shall accept such appointment
and which shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to
transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Issuer Trustee all the
rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Relevant Trustee with respect
to the Trust Securities and the Issuer Trust, and upon the execution and
delivery of such instrument the resignation or removal of the retiring Relevant
Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such
successor Issuer Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall
become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the Relevant
Trustee; but, on request of the Issuer Trust or any successor Issuer Trustee
such Relevant Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor
Issuer Trustee all Trust Property, all proceeds thereof and money held by such
Relevant Trustee hereunder with respect to the Trust Securities and the Issuer
Trust.
(b) Upon request of any such successor Issuer Trustee, the Issuer
Trust shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly
vesting in and confirming to such successor Issuer Trustee all such rights,
powers and trusts referred to in the first or second preceding paragraph, as
the case may be.
(c) No successor Issuer Trustee shall accept its appointment
unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Issuer Trustee shall be
qualified and eligible under this Article VIII.
Section 8.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.
Any Person into which the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee may
be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person
resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Relevant
Trustee shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to all or substantially all
the corporate trust business of such Relevant Trustee, shall be the successor
of such Relevant Trustee hereunder, provided that such Person shall be
otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article VIII, without the execution
or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties
hereto.
Section 8.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Depositor or Issuer
Trust.
If and when the Property Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the
Depositor (or any other obligor upon Junior Subordinated Debentures or the
Trust Securities), the Property Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of
the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the
Depositor or the Issuer Trust (or any such other obligor) as is required by the
Trust Indenture Act.
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Section 8.14. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.
In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy,
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition, or other similar judicial
proceeding relative to the Issuer Trust or any other obligor upon the Trust
Securities or the property of the Issuer Trust or of such other obligor, the
Property Trustee (irrespective of whether any Distributions on the Trust
Securities shall then be due and payable and irrespective of whether the
Property Trustee shall have made any demand on the Issuer Trust for the payment
of any past due Distributions) shall be entitled and empowered, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of any
Distributions owing and unpaid in respect of the Trust Securities and to file
such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to
have the claims of the Property Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable
compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Property Trustee, its
agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(b) to collect and receive any monies 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 Property Trustee and, in the event the Property Trustee
shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to
the Property Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Property Trustee, its agents and
counsel, and any other amounts due the Property Trustee.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Property
Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder
any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or compensation affecting
the Trust Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the
Property Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such
proceeding.
Section 8.15. Reports by Property Trustee.
(a) Within 60 days of January 31 of each year commencing with
January 31, 1999, the Property Trustee shall transmit to all Holders in
accordance with Section 10.8, and to the Depositor, a brief report dated as of
the immediately preceding January 31 with respect to:
(i) its eligibility under Section 8.7 or, in lieu
thereof, if to the best of its knowledge it has continued to be
eligible under said Section, a written statement to such effect; and
(ii) any change in the property and funds in its
possession as Property Trustee since the date of its last report and
any action taken by the Property Trustee in the performance of its
duties hereunder which it has not previously reported and which in its
opinion materially affects the Trust Securities.
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(b) In addition, the Property Trustee shall transmit to Holders
such reports concerning the Property Trustee and its actions under this Trust
Agreement as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times
and in the manner provided pursuant thereto as set forth in Section 10.10 of
this Trust Agreement.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such
transmission to Holders, be filed by the Property Trustee with the Depositor.
Section 8.16. Reports to the Property Trustee.
The Depositor and the Administrators on behalf of the Issuer Trust
shall provide to the Property Trustee such documents, reports and information
as required by Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act and the compliance
certificate required by Section 314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act in the form,
in the manner and at the times required by Section 314 of the Trust Indenture
Act, as set forth in Section 10.10 of this Trust Agreement. The Depositor and
the Administrators shall annually file with the Property Trustee a certificate
specifying whether such Person is in compliance with all the terms and
covenants applicable to such Person hereunder.
Section 8.17. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent.
Each of the Depositor and the Administrators on behalf of the Issuer
Trust shall provide to the Property Trustee such evidence of compliance with
any conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Trust Agreement that
relate to any of the matters set forth in Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture
Act as set forth in Section 10.10 of this Trust Agreement. Any certificate or
opinion required to be given by an officer pursuant to Section 314(c)(1) of the
Trust Indenture Act shall be given in the form of an Officers' Certificate.
Section 8.18. Number of Issuer Trustees.
(a) The number of Issuer Trustees shall be two. The Property
Trustee and the Delaware Trustee may be the same Person, in which event the
number of Issuer Trustees shall be one.
(b) If an Issuer Trustee ceases to hold office for any reason, a
vacancy shall occur. The vacancy shall be filled with an Issuer Trustee
appointed in accordance with Section 8.10.
(c) The death, resignation, retirement, removal, bankruptcy,
incompetence or incapacity to perform the duties of an Issuer Trustee shall not
operate to dissolve, terminate or annul the Issuer Trust or terminate this
Trust Agreement.
Section 8.19. Delegation of Power.
(a) Any Administrator may, by power of attorney consistent with
applicable law, delegate to any other natural person over the age of 21 his or
her power for the purpose of executing any documents contemplated in Section
2.7(a) or making any governmental filing.
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(b) The Administrators shall have power to delegate from time to
time to such of their number the doing of such things and the execution of such
instruments either in the name of the Issuer Trust or the names of the
Administrators or otherwise as the Administrators may deem expedient, to the
extent such delegation is not prohibited by applicable law or contrary to the
provisions of this Trust Agreement.
Section 8.20. Appointment of Administrators.
(a) The Administrators (other than the initial Administrators)
shall be appointed by the Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Common Securities and all Administrators (including the initial Administrators)
may be removed by the Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Common
Securities or may resign at any time. Each Administrator shall sign an
agreement agreeing to comply with the terms of this Trust Agreement. If at any
time there is no Administrator, the Property Trustee or any Holder who has been
a Holder of Trust Securities for at least six months may petition any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of one or more Administrators.
(b) Whenever a vacancy in the number of Administrators shall
occur, until such vacancy is filled by the appointment of an Administrator in
accordance with this Section 8.20, the Administrators in office, regardless
of their number (and notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust
Agreement), shall have all the powers granted to the Administrators and shall
discharge all the duties imposed upon the Administrators by this Trust
Agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this
Trust Agreement, in the event any Administrator or a Delaware Trustee who is a
natural person dies or becomes, in the opinion of the Holders of a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of the Common Securities, incompetent, or incapacitated, the
vacancy created by such death, incompetence or incapacity may be filled by the
remaining Administrators, if there were at least two of them prior to such
vacancy and by the Depositor, if there were not two such Administrators
immediately prior to such vacancy (with the successor in each case being a
Person who satisfies the eligibility requirement for Administrators or Delaware
Trustee, as the case may be, set forth in Section 8.7).
(d) Except as otherwise provided in this Trust Agreement or by
applicable law, any one Administrator may execute any document or otherwise
take any action which the Administrators are authorized to take under this
Trust Agreement.
ARTICLE IX
DISSOLUTION, LIQUIDATION AND MERGER
Section 9.1. Dissolution Upon Expiration Date.
Unless earlier dissolved, the Issuer Trust shall automatically
dissolve on ______ __, 20__ (the "Expiration Date").
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Section 9.2. Early Dissolution.
The first to occur of any of the following events is an "Early
Termination Event," upon the occurrence of which the Issuer Trust shall
dissolve:
(a) the occurrence of any Bankruptcy Event with respect to the
Depositor, unless the Depositor shall transfer the Common Securities as
provided by Section 5.11, in which case this provision shall refer instead to
any Bankruptcy Event with respect to the successor Holder of the Common
Securities;
(b) delivery of the written direction to the Property Trustee from
the Holder of the Common Securities at any time to dissolve the Issuer Trust
and, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors of the Issuer Trust as
provided by applicable law, to distribute the Junior Subordinated Debentures to
Holders in exchange for the Preferred Securities (which direction, subject to
Section 9.4(a), is optional and wholly within the discretion of the Holder of
the Common Securities);
(c) the redemption of all of the Preferred Securities in
connection with the redemption of all the Junior Subordinated Debentures; and
(d) the entry of an order for dissolution of the Issuer Trust by a
court of competent jurisdiction.
Section 9.3. Termination.
The respective obligations and responsibilities of the Issuer
Trustees, the Administrators and the Issuer Trust created and continued hereby
shall terminate upon the latest to occur of the following: (a) the
distribution by the Property Trustee to Holders of all amounts required to be
distributed hereunder upon the liquidation of the Issuer Trust pursuant to
Section 9.4, or upon the redemption of all of the Trust Securities pursuant to
Section 4.2, (b) the payment of any expenses owed by the Issuer Trust, (c) the
discharge of all administrative duties of the Administrators, including the
performance of any tax reporting obligations with respect to the Issuer Trust
or the Holders, and (d) the filing of a certificate of cancellation with the
Delaware Secretary of State pursuant to Section 3810 of the Delaware Business
Trust Act.
Section 9.4. Liquidation.
(a) If an Early Termination Event specified in clause (a), (b) or
(d) of Section 9.2 occurs or upon the Expiration Date, the Issuer Trust shall
be liquidated by the Property Trustee as expeditiously as the Property Trustee
determines to be possible by distributing, after satisfaction of liabilities to
creditors of the Issuer Trust as provided by applicable law, to each Holder a
Like Amount of Junior Subordinated Debentures, subject to Section 9.4(d).
Notice of liquidation shall be given by the Property Trustee by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, mailed not later than 15 nor more than 45 days prior to
the Liquidation Date to each Holder of Trust
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Securities at such Holder's address appearing in the Securities Register. All
notices of liquidation shall:
(i) state the Liquidation Date;
(ii) state that, from and after the Liquidation Date, the
Trust Securities will no longer be deemed to be Outstanding and any
Trust Securities Certificates not surrendered for exchange will be
deemed to represent a Like Amount of Junior Subordinated Debentures;
and
(iii) provide such information with respect to the
mechanics by which Holders may exchange Trust Securities Certificates
for Junior Subordinated Debentures, or if Section 9.4(d) applies
receive a Liquidation Distribution, as the Administrators or the
Property Trustee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Except where Section 9.2(c) or 9.4(d) applies, in order to
effect the liquidation of the Issuer Trust and distribution of the Junior
Subordinated Debentures to Holders, the Property Trustee shall establish a
record date for such distribution (which shall be not more than 30 days prior
to the Liquidation Date) and, either itself acting as exchange agent or through
the appointment of a separate exchange agent, shall establish such procedures
as it shall deem appropriate to effect the distribution of Junior Subordinated
Debentures in exchange for the Outstanding Trust Securities Certificates.
(c) Except where Section 9.2(c) or 9.4(d) applies, after the
Liquidation Date, (i) the Trust Securities will no longer be deemed to be
Outstanding, (ii) the Clearing Agency for the Preferred Securities or its
nominee, as the registered Holder of the Global Preferred Securities
Certificate, shall receive a registered global certificate or certificates
representing the Junior Subordinated Debentures to be delivered upon such
distribution with respect to Preferred Securities held by the Clearing Agency
or its nominee, and (iii) any Trust Securities Certificates not held by the
Clearing Agency for the Preferred Securities or its nominee as specified in
clause (ii) above will be deemed to represent Junior Subordinated Debentures
having a principal amount equal to the stated Liquidation Amount of the Trust
Securities represented thereby and bearing accrued and unpaid interest in an
amount equal to the accumulated and unpaid Distributions on such Trust
Securities until such certificates are presented to the Securities Registrar
for transfer or reissuance.
(d) If, notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 9.4,
whether because of an order for dissolution entered by a court of competent
jurisdiction or otherwise, distribution of the Junior Subordinated Debentures is
not practical, or if any Early Termination Event specified in clause (c) of
Section 9.2 occurs, the Trust Property shall be liquidated, and the Issuer Trust
shall be liquidated by the Property Trustee in such manner as the Property
Trustee determines. In such event, on the date of the dissolution of the Issuer
Trust, Holders will be entitled to receive out of the assets of the Issuer Trust
available for distribution to Holders, after satisfaction of liabilities to
creditors of the Issuer Trust as provided by applicable law, an amount equal to
the aggregate of the Liquidation Amount per Trust Security plus accumulated and
unpaid Distributions thereon to the date of payment (such amount being the
"Liquidation Distribution").
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If, upon any such dissolution, the Liquidation Distribution can be paid only in
part because the Issuer Trust has insufficient assets available to pay in full
the aggregate Liquidation Distribution, then, subject to the next succeeding
sentence, the amounts payable by the Issuer Trust on the Trust Securities shall
be paid on a pro rata basis (based upon Liquidation Amounts). The Holders of
the Common Securities will be entitled to receive Liquidation Distributions upon
any such liquidation pro rata (determined as aforesaid) with Holders of
Preferred Securities, except that, if a Debenture Event of Default has occurred
and is continuing, the Preferred Securities shall have a priority over the
Common Securities as provided in Section 4.3.
(e) Following the dissolution of the Issuer Trust and after the
completion of the winding up of the affairs of the Issuer Trust, one of the
Issuer Trustees shall file a certificate of cancellation with the Delaware
Secretary of State.
Section 9.5. Mergers, Consolidations, Amalgamations or Replacements of the
Issuer Trust.
The Issuer Trust may not merge with or into, consolidate, amalgamate,
or be replaced by, or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets
substantially as an entirety to, any entity, except pursuant to this Section
9.5 and Section 9.4. At the request of the Holders of the Common Securities,
and with the consent of the Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation
Amount of the Preferred Securities but without the consent of the Delaware
Trustee or the Property Trustee, the Issuer Trust may merge with or into,
consolidate, amalgamate, or be replaced by or convey, transfer or lease its
properties and assets substantially as an entirety to a trust organized as such
under the laws of any state; provided, however, that (a) such successor entity
either (i) expressly assumes all of the obligations of the Issuer Trust with
respect to the Preferred Securities or (ii) substitutes for the Preferred
Securities other securities having substantially the same terms as the
Preferred Securities (the "Successor Preferred Securities") so long as the
Successor Preferred Securities have the same priority as the Preferred
Securities with respect to distributions and payments upon liquidation,
redemption and otherwise, (b) a trustee of such successor entity possessing the
same powers and duties as the Property Trustee is appointed to hold the Junior
Subordinated Debentures, (c) such merger, consolidation, amalgamation,
replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease does not cause the Preferred
Securities (including any Successor Preferred Securities) to be downgraded by
any nationally recognized statistical rating organization if the Preferred
Securities were rated by any nationally recognized statistical rating
organization immediately prior to such merger, consolidation, amalgamation,
replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease, (d) such merger, consolidation,
amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease does not adversely
affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of the Preferred
Securities (including any Successor Preferred Securities) in any material
respect, (e) such successor entity has a purpose substantially identical to
that of the Issuer Trust, (f) prior to such merger, consolidation,
amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease, the Issuer Trustee
has received an Opinion of Counsel from independent counsel experienced in such
matters to the effect that (i) such merger, consolidation, amalgamation,
replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease does not adversely affect the rights
preferences and privileges of the holders of the Preferred Securities
(including any Successor Preferred Securities) in any material respect, and
(ii) following such merger, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement,
conveyance, transfer or lease, neither the Issuer Trust nor such successor
entity will be required to register as an "investment company" under the
Investment
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Company Act, and (g) the Depositor or any permitted transferee to whom it has
transferred the Common Securities hereunder owns all of the common securities of
such successor entity and guarantees the obligations of such successor entity
under the Successor Preferred Securities at least to the extent provided by the
Guarantee Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Issuer Trust shall not,
except with the consent of Holders of 100% in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities, consolidate, amalgamate, merge with or into, or be
replaced by or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially
as an entirety to any other entity or permit any other entity to consolidate,
amalgamate, merge with or into, or replace it if such consolidation,
amalgamation, merger, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease would cause the
Issuer Trust or the successor entity to be taxable as a corporation for United
States federal income tax purposes. Any merger or similar agreement shall be
executed by the Administrators on behalf of the Issuer Trust.
ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 10.1. Limitation of Rights of Holders.
Except as set forth in Section 9.2, the bankruptcy, dissolution,
termination, death or incapacity of any Person having an interest, beneficial
or otherwise, in Trust Securities shall not operate to terminate this Trust
Agreement or dissolve, terminate or annul the Issuer Trust, nor entitle the
legal representatives or heirs of such Person or any Holder for such Person, to
claim an accounting, take any action or bring any proceeding in any court for a
partition or winding-up of the arrangements contemplated hereby, nor otherwise
affect the rights, obligations and liabilities of the parties hereto or any of
them.
Section 10.2. Amendment.
(a) This Trust Agreement may be amended from time to time by the
Property Trustee, the Administrators or the Holders of a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of the Common Securities, without the consent of any Holder
of the Preferred Securities, (i) to cure any ambiguity, correct or supplement
any provision herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein,
or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising
under this Trust Agreement; provided, however, that such amendment shall not
adversely affect in any material respect the interests of any Holder or (ii) to
modify, eliminate, or add to any provisions of this Trust Agreement to such
extent as shall be necessary to ensure that the Issuer Trust will not be
taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes at any
time that any Trust Securities are Outstanding or to ensure that the Issuer
Trust will not be required to register as an "investment company" under the
Investment Company Act.
(b) Except as provided in Section 6.1(c) or Section 10.2(c), any
provision of this Trust Agreement may be amended by the Property Trustee, the
Administrators, and the Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Common Securities with (i) the consent of Holders of at least a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities and (ii) receipt by the Issuer
Trustees of an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such amendment or the
exercise of
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any power granted to the Issuer Trustees in accordance with such amendment will
not cause the Issuer Trust to be taxable as a corporation for United States
federal income tax purposes or affect the Issuer Trust's exemption from status
of an "investment company" under the Investment Company Act.
(c) In addition to and notwithstanding any other provision in this
Trust Agreement, without the consent of each affected Holder (such consent
being obtained in accordance with Section 6.3 or 6.6 hereof), this Trust
Agreement may not be amended to (i) change the amount or timing of any
Distribution on the Trust Securities or otherwise adversely affect the amount
of any Distribution required to be made in respect of the Trust Securities as
of a specified date or (ii) restrict the right of a Holder to institute suit
for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such date. Notwithstanding
any other provision herein, without the unanimous consent of the Holders (such
consent being obtained in accordance with Section 6.3 or 6.6), this Section
10.2(c) may not be amended.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Trust Agreement,
no Issuer Trustee shall enter into or consent to any amendment to this Trust
Agreement which would cause the Issuer Trust to fail or cease to qualify for
the exemption from status as an "investment company" under the Investment
Company Act or be taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax
purposes.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Trust Agreement to the
contrary, without the consent of the Depositor and the Administrators, this
Trust Agreement may not be amended in a manner which imposes any additional
obligation on the Depositor or the Administrators.
(f) In the event that any amendment to this Trust Agreement is
made, the Administrators or the Property Trustee shall promptly provide to the
Depositor a copy of such amendment.
(g) Neither the Property Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall be
required to enter into any amendment to this Trust Agreement which affects its
own rights, duties or immunities under this Trust Agreement. The Property
Trustee shall be entitled to receive an Opinion of Counsel and an Officers'
Certificate stating that any amendment to this Trust Agreement is in compliance
with this Trust Agreement.
(h) Any amendments to this Trust Agreement shall become effective
when notice of such amendment is given to the Holders of the Trust Securities.
Section 10.3. Separability.
In case any provision in this Trust Agreement or in the Trust
Securities Certificates 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.
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Section 10.4. Governing Law.
THIS TRUST AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF EACH OF THE
HOLDERS, THE ISSUER TRUST, THE DEPOSITOR, THE ISSUER TRUSTEES, AND THE
ADMINISTRATORS WITH RESPECT TO THIS TRUST AGREEMENT AND THE TRUST SECURITIES
SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF
DELAWARE, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICT OF LAWS PROVISIONS THEREOF.
Section 10.5. Payments Due on Non-Business Day.
If the date fixed for any payment on any Trust Security shall be a day
that is not a Business Day, then such payment need not be made on such date but
may be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (except as
otherwise provided in Sections 4.2(d)), except that, if such Business Day is in
the next succeeding calendar year, payment on any Trust Security shall be made
on the immediately preceding Business Day, in each case, with the same force
and effect as though made on the date fixed for such payment, and no
Distributions shall accumulate on such unpaid amount for the period after such
date.
Section 10.6. Successors.
This Trust Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the
benefit of any successor to the Depositor, the Issuer Trust, the
Administrators, and any Issuer Trustee, including any successor by operation of
law. Except in connection with a consolidation, merger or sale involving the
Depositor that is permitted under Article VIII of the Indenture and pursuant to
which the assignee agrees in writing to perform the Depositor's obligations
hereunder, the Depositor shall not assign its obligations hereunder.
Section 10.7. Headings.
The Article and Section headings are for convenience only and shall
not affect the construction of this Trust Agreement.
Section 10.8. Reports, Notices and Demands.
(a) Any report, notice, demand or other communication that by any
provision of this Trust Agreement is required or permitted to be given or
served to or upon any Holder or the Depositor may be given or served in writing
by deposit thereof, first class postage prepaid, in the United States mail,
hand delivery or facsimile transmission, in each case, addressed, (i) in the
case of a Holder of Preferred Securities, to such Holder as such Holder's name
and address may appear on the Securities Register; and (ii) in the case of the
Holder of Common Securities or the Depositor, to American Bancshares, Inc.,
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ Attention: Office of the
Secretary, facsimile no.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ or to such other address as may be
specified in a written notice by the Depositor to the Property Trustee. Such
notice, demand or other communication to or upon a Holder shall be deemed to
have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, upon hand delivery,
mailing or transmission. Such notice,
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demand or other communication to or upon the Depositor shall be deemed to have
been sufficiently given or made only upon actual receipt of the writing by the
Depositor.
(b) Any notice, demand or other communication which by any
provision of this Trust Agreement is required or permitted to be given or
served to or upon the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee, the
Administrators, or the Issuer Trust shall be given in writing addressed (until
another address is published by the Issuer Trust) as follows: (i) with respect
to the Property Trustee to Bankers Trust Company, Four ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Corporate Trust and Agency Group Corporate Market
Services; (ii) with respect to the Delaware Trustee to Bankers Trust (Delaware),
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Building, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, (iii) with respect to the Administrators,
to them at the address above for notices to the Depositor, marked "Attention:
Office of the Secretary," and (iv) with respect to the Issuer Trust, to the
Administrators and the Property Trustee at their respective addresses listed
above. Such notice, demand or other communication to or upon the Issuer Trust
or the Property Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made
only upon actual receipt of the writing by the Issuer Trust, the Property
Trustee, or such Administrator.
Section 10.9. Agreement Not to Petition.
Each of the Issuer Trustees, the Administrators and the Depositor
agree for the benefit of the Holders that, until at least one year and one day
after the Issuer Trust has been terminated in accordance with Article IX, they
shall not file, or join in the filing of, a petition against the Issuer Trust
under any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law
(including, without limitation, the United States Bankruptcy Code)
(collectively, "Bankruptcy Laws") or otherwise join in the commencement of any
proceeding against the Issuer Trust under any Bankruptcy Law. In the event the
Depositor takes action in violation of this Section 10.9, the Property Trustee
agrees, for the benefit of Holders, that at the expense of the Depositor, it
shall file an answer with the bankruptcy court or otherwise properly contest
the filing of such petition by the Depositor against the Issuer Trust or the
commencement of such action and raise the defense that the Depositor has agreed
in writing not to take such action and should be estopped and precluded
therefrom and such other defenses, if any, as counsel for the Issuer Trustee or
the Issuer Trust may assert. If any Issuer Trustee or Administrator takes
action in violation of this Section 10.9, the Depositor agrees, for the benefit
of the Holders, that at the expense of the Depositor, it shall file an answer
with the bankruptcy court or otherwise properly contest the filing of such
petition by such Person against the Depositor or the commencement of such
action and raise the defense that such Person has agreed in writing not to take
such action and should be estopped and precluded therefrom and such other
defenses, if any, as counsel for the Depositor or the Issuer Trust may assert.
The provisions of this Section 10.9 shall survive the termination of this Trust
Agreement.
Section 10.10. Trust Indenture Act; Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
(a) Trust Indenture Act; Application. (i) This Trust Agreement is
subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be a
part of this Trust Agreement and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed
by such provisions; (ii) if and to the extent that any
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provision of this Trust Agreement limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties
imposed by Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such
imposed duties shall control; (iii) for purposes of this Trust Agreement, the
Property Trustee, to the extent permitted by applicable law and/or the rules and
regulations of the Commission, shall be the only Issuer Trustee which is a
trustee for the purposes of the Trust Indenture Act; and (iv) the application of
the Trust Indenture Act to this Trust Agreement shall not affect the nature of
the Preferred Securities and the Common Securities as equity securities
representing undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer Trust.
(b) Lists of Holders of Preferred Securities. (i) Each of the
Depositor and the Administrators on behalf of the Issuer Trust shall provide
the Property Trustee with such information as is required under Section 312(a)
of the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the manner provided in Section
312(a) and (ii) the Property Trustee shall comply with its obligations under
Sections 310(b), 311 and 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) Reports by the Property Trustee. Within 60 days after January
31 of each year, the Property Trustee shall provide to the Holders of the Trust
Securities such reports as are required by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture
Act, if any, in the form, in the manner and at the times provided by Section
313 of the Trust Indenture Act. The Property Trustee shall also comply with
the requirements of Section 313(d) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(d) Periodic Reports to Property Trustee. Each of the Depositor
and the Administrators on behalf of the Issuer Trust shall provide to the
Property Trustee, the Commission and the Holders of the Trust Securities, as
applicable, such documents, reports and information as required by Section
314(a)(1)-(3) (if any) of the Trust Indenture Act and the compliance
certificates required by Section 314(a)(4) and (c) of the Trust Indenture Act
(provided that any certificate to be provided pursuant to Section 314(a)(4) of
the Trust Indenture Act shall be provided within 120 days of the end of each
fiscal year of the Issuer Trust).
(e) Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent. Each of the
Depositor and the Administrators on behalf of the Issuer Trust shall provide to
the Property Trustee such evidence of compliance with any conditions precedent,
if any, provided for in this Trust Agreement which relate to any of the matters
set forth in Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act. Any certificate or
opinion required to be given pursuant to Section 314(c) shall comply with
Section 314(e) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(f) Disclosure of Information. The disclosure of information as
to the names and addresses of the Holders of Trust Securities in accordance
with Section 312 of the Trust Indenture Act, regardless of the source from
which such information was derived, shall not be deemed to be a violation of
any existing law or any law hereafter enacted which does not specifically refer
to Section 312 of the Trust Indenture Act, nor shall the Property Trustee be
held accountable by reason of mailing any material pursuant to a request made
under Section 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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Section 10.11. Acceptance of Terms of Trust Agreement, Guarantee and
Indenture.
THE RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE OF A TRUST SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN
BY OR ON BEHALF OF A HOLDER OR ANY BENEFICIAL OWNER, WITHOUT ANY SIGNATURE OR
FURTHER MANIFESTATION OF ASSENT, SHALL CONSTITUTE THE UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE
BY THE HOLDER AND ALL OTHERS HAVING A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN SUCH TRUST
SECURITY OF ALL THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST AGREEMENT, THE GUARANTEE
AGREEMENT AND THE INDENTURE, AND THE AGREEMENT TO THE SUBORDINATION PROVISIONS
AND OTHER TERMS OF THE GUARANTEE AGREEMENT AND THE INDENTURE, AND SHALL
CONSTITUTE THE AGREEMENT OF THE ISSUER TRUST, SUCH HOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS THAT
THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST AGREEMENT SHALL BE BINDING, OPERATIVE
AND EFFECTIVE AS BETWEEN THE ISSUER TRUST AND SUCH HOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS.
[SIGNATURES APPEAR ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amended and Restated
Trust Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
AMERICAN BANCSHARES, INC.
as Depositor
By:_______________________________________
Name:
Title:
BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,
as Property Trustee
By:_______________________________________
Name:
Title:
BANKERS TRUST (DELAWARE),
as Delaware Trustee and not
in its individual capacity
By:_______________________________________
Name:
Title:
Subscribed to and Accepted by,
as the Initial Administrators:
__________________________________
__________________________________
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EXHIBIT A
[INSERT CERTIFICATE OF TRUST FILED WITH DELAWARE SECRETARY OF STATE]
67
EXHIBIT B
[INSERT FORM OF CERTIFICATE DEPOSITARY AGREEMENT]
68
EXHIBIT C
THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT TO A
SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO THE DEPOSITOR OR AN AFFILIATE
OF THE DEPOSITOR IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW
AND SECTION 5.11 OF THE TRUST AGREEMENT
Certificate Number Number of Common Securities
C-__
Certificate Evidencing Common Securities
of
ABI Capital Trust
____% Common Securities
(liquidation amount $10 per Common Security)
ABI Capital Trust, a statutory business trust created under the laws
of the State of Delaware (the "Issuer Trust"), hereby certifies that American
Bancshares, Inc. (the "Holder") is the registered owner of _________ common
securities of the Issuer Trust representing undivided beneficial interests in
the assets of the Issuer Trust and designated the ABI Capital Trust ____%
Common Securities (liquidation amount $10 per Common Security) (the "Common
Securities"). Except in accordance with Section 5.11 of the Trust Agreement
(as defined below) the Common Securities are not transferable and any attempted
transfer hereof other than in accordance therewith shall be void. The
designations, rights, privileges, restrictions, preferences and other terms and
provisions of the Common Securities are set forth in, and this certificate and
the Common Securities represented hereby are issued and shall in all respects
be subject to the terms and provisions of, the Amended and Restated Trust
Agreement of the Issuer Trust, dated as of _____ __, 1998, as the same may be
amended from time to time (the "Trust Agreement") among American Bancshares,
Inc., as Depositor, Bankers Trust Company, as Property Trustee, Bankers Trust
(Delaware), as Delaware Trustee, and the Holders of Trust Securities, including
the designation of the terms of the Common Securities as set forth therein.
The Issuer Trust will furnish a copy of the Trust Agreement to the Holder
without charge upon written request to the Issuer Trust at its principal place
of business.
Upon receipt of this certificate, the Holder is bound by the Trust
Agreement and is entitled to the benefits thereunder.
Terms used but not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the
Trust Agreement.
69
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, one of the Administrators of the Issuer Trust has
executed this certificate this ___ day of ______________, 1998.
ABI CAPITAL TRUST
By: ___________________________________
Name:
Administrator
AUTHENTICATED AND REGISTERED:
BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,
as Property Trustee and Securities Registrar
By: _________________________________
Name:
Signatory Officer
2
70
EXHIBIT D
[IF THE PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE IS TO BE A GLOBAL PREFERRED
SECURITIES CERTIFICATE, INSERT - This Preferred Securities Certificate is a
Global Preferred Securities Certificate within the meaning of the Trust
Agreement hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of a Depositary
or a nominee of a Depositary. This Preferred Securities Certificate is
exchangeable for Preferred Securities Certificates registered in the name of a
person other than the Depositary or its nominee only in the limited
circumstances described in the Trust Agreement and may not be transferred
except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a
nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the
Depositary, except in the limited circumstances described in the Trust
Agreement.
Unless this Preferred Securities Certificate is presented by an
authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York
Corporation ("DTC"), to ABI Capital Trust or its agent for registration of
transfer, exchange or payment, and any Preferred Securities Certificate issued
is registered in the name of such nominee as is requested by an authorized
representative of DTC (and any payment is made to such entity as is requested
by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE
HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO A PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the
registered owner hereof, has an interest herein.]
71
CERTIFICATE NUMBER NUMBER OF PREFERRED SECURITIES
P-__
CUSIP NO. ________________________
CERTIFICATE EVIDENCING PREFERRED SECURITIES
OF
ABI CAPITAL TRUST
____% PREFERRED SECURITIES
(LIQUIDATION AMOUNT $10 PER PREFERRED SECURITY)
ABI Capital Trust, a statutory business trust created under the laws of
the State of Delaware (the "Issuer Trust"), hereby certifies that ______________
(the "Holder") is the registered owner of ___________ ( ) preferred securities
of the Issuer Trust representing a preferred undivided beneficial interest in
the assets of the Issuer Trust and designated the ABI Capital Trust ____%
Preferred Securities (liquidation amount $10 per Preferred Security) (the
"Preferred Securities"). The Preferred Securities are transferable on the books
and records of the Issuer Trust, in person or by a duly authorized attorney,
upon surrender of this certificate duly endorsed and in proper form for transfer
as provided in Section 5.5 of the Trust Agreement (as defined below). The
designations, rights, privileges, restrictions, preferences and other terms and
provisions of the Preferred Securities are set forth in, and this certificate
and the Preferred Securities represented hereby are issued and shall in all
respects be subject to the terms and provisions of, the Amended and Restated
Trust Agreement of the Issuer Trust, dated as of _______ __, 1998, as the same
may be amended from time to time (the "Trust Agreement"), among American
Bancshares, Inc. as Depositor, Bankers Trust Company, as Property Trustee,
Bankers Trust (Delaware), as Delaware Trustee, and the Holders of Trust
Securities, including the designation of the terms of the Preferred Securities
as set forth therein. The Holder is entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee
Agreement entered into by American Bancshares, Inc., a Florida corporation, and
Bankers Trust Company, as guarantee trustee, dated as of _______ __, 1998 (the
"Guarantee Agreement"), to the extent provided therein. The Issuer Trust will
furnish a copy of the Trust Agreement and the Guarantee Agreement to the Holder
without charge upon written request to the Issuer Trust at its principal place
of business.
Upon receipt of this certificate, the Holder is bound by the Trust
Agreement and is entitled to the benefits thereunder.
72
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, one of the Administrators of the Issuer Trust has
executed this certificate this _______ day of ____________, 1998.
ABI CAPITAL TRUST
By:_____________________________________
Name:
Administrator
AUTHENTICATED AND REGISTERED:
BANKERS TRUST COMPANY,
as Property Trustee and Securities Registrar
By:____________________________________
Name:
Authorized Signatory
73
ASSIGNMENT
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned assigns and transfers this
Preferred Securities Certificate to:
________________________________________________________________________________
(Insert assignee's social security or tax
identification number)
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Insert address and zip code of assignee)
and irrevocably appoints
_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
agent to transfer this Preferred Securities Certificate on the books of the
Issuer Trust. The agent may substitute another to act for him or her.
Date: _______________________
Signature: _______________________________________________
(Sign exactly as your name appears on
the other side of this Preferred Securities
Certificate)
The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution
(banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with
membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to
S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.