EXHIBIT 4.7
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PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST I
AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT
AMONG
PREMIER BANCSHARES, INC., AS DEPOSITOR,
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, AS PROPERTY TRUSTEE,
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, AS DELAWARE TRUSTEE,
AND
THE ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEES NAMED HEREIN
DATED AS OF NOVEMBER 13, 1997
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
DEFINED TERMS
SECTION 1.1 Definitions.......................................................... 1
ARTICLE II ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUST
SECTION 2.1 Name................................................................. 10
SECTION 2.2 Office of the Delaware Trustee, Principal Place of Business.......... 11
SECTION 2.3 Initial Contribution of Trust Property; Organizational Expenses...... 11
SECTION 2.4 Issuance of the Preferred Securities................................. 11
SECTION 2.5 Issuance of the Common Securities; Subscription and
Purchase of Debentures............................................... 11
SECTION 2.6 Declaration of Trust................................................. 12
SECTION 2.7 Authorization to Enter Into Certain Transactions..................... 12
SECTION 2.8 Assets of Trust...................................................... 16
SECTION 2.9 Title to Trust Property.............................................. 16
ARTICLE III PAYMENT ACCOUNT
SECTION 3.1 Payment Account...................................................... 16
ARTICLE IV DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTION
SECTION 4.1 Distributions........................................................ 17
SECTION 4.2 Redemption........................................................... 18
SECTION 4.3 Subordination of Common Securities................................... 19
SECTION 4.4 Payment Procedures................................................... 20
SECTION 4.5 Tax Returns and Reports.............................................. 20
SECTION 4.6 Payment of Taxes, Duties, Etc. of the Trust.......................... 21
SECTION 4.7 Payments Under Indenture............................................. 21
ARTICLE V TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES
SECTION 5.1 Initial Ownership.................................................... 21
SECTION 5.2 The Trust Securities Certificates.................................... 21
SECTION 5.3 Execution and Delivery of Trust Securities Certificates.............. 22
SECTION 5.4 Global Preferred Security............................................ 22
SECTION 5.6 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Trust Securities Certificates... 25
SECTION 5.7 Persons Deemed Security Holders...................................... 25
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SECTION 5.8 Access to List of Securityholders' Names and Addresses............. 25
SECTION 5.9 Maintenance of Office or Agency.................................... 25
SECTION 5.10 Appointment of Paying Agent........................................ 26
SECTION 5.11 Ownership of Common Securities by Depositor........................ 26
SECTION 5.12 Notices to Clearing Agency......................................... 27
SECTION 5.13 Rights of Securityholders.......................................... 27
ARTICLE VI ACTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS; MEETINGS; VOTING
SECTION 6.1 Limitations on Voting Rights....................................... 28
SECTION 6.2 Notice of Meetings................................................. 29
SECTION 6.3 Meetings of Preferred Securityholders.............................. 29
SECTION 6.4 Voting Rights...................................................... 30
SECTION 6.5 Proxies, Etc....................................................... 30
SECTION 6.6 Securityholder Action by Written Consent........................... 30
SECTION 6.7 Record Date for Voting and Other Purposes.......................... 30
SECTION 6.8 Acts of Securityholders............................................ 30
SECTION 6.9 Inspection of Records.............................................. 31
ARTICLE VII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
SECTION 7.1 Representations and Warranties of the Bank and the Property
Trustee............................................................ 32
SECTION 7.2 Representations and Warranties of the Delaware Bank and the
Delaware Trustee................................................... 33
SECTION 7.3 Representations and Warranties of Depositor........................ 34
ARTICLE VIII TRUSTEES
SECTION 8.1 Certain Duties and Responsibilities................................ 34
SECTION 8.2 Certain Notices.................................................... 36
SECTION 8.3 Certain Rights of Property Trustee................................. 36
SECTION 8.4 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities............. 38
SECTION 8.5 May Hold Securities................................................ 38
SECTION 8.6 Compensation; Indemnity; Fees...................................... 39
SECTION 8.7 Corporate Property Trustee Required; Eligibility of Trustees....... 39
SECTION 8.8 Conflicting Interests.............................................. 40
SECTION 8.9 Co-Trustees and Separate Trustee................................... 40
SECTION 8.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.................. 41
SECTION 8.11 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor............................. 43
SECTION 8.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business........ 43
SECTION 8.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Depositor or Trust....... 44
SECTION 8.14 Reports by Property Trustee........................................ 44
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SECTION 8.15 Reports to the Property Trustee.................................... 44
SECTION 8.16 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent................... 45
SECTION 8.17 Number of Trustees................................................. 45
SECTION 8.18 Delegation of Power................................................ 45
SECTION 8.19 Voting............................................................. 46
ARTICLE IX TERMINATION, LIQUIDATION AND MERGER
SECTION 9.1 Termination Upon Expiration Date................................... 46
SECTION 9.2 Early Termination.................................................. 46
SECTION 9.3 Termination........................................................ 46
SECTION 9.4 Liquidation........................................................ 47
SECTION 9.5 Mergers, Consolidations, Amalgamations or Replacements of
the Trust.......................................................... 48
ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 10.1 Limitation of Rights of Securityholders............................ 49
SECTION 10.2 Amendment.......................................................... 49
SECTION 10.3 Separability....................................................... 50
SECTION 10.4 Governing Law...................................................... 51
SECTION 10.5 Payments Due on Non-Business Day................................... 51
SECTION 10.6 Successors......................................................... 51
SECTION 10.7 Headings........................................................... 51
SECTION 10.8 Reports, Notices and Demands....................................... 51
SECTION 10.9 Agreement Not to Petition.......................................... 52
SECTION 10.10 Trust Indenture Act; Conflict with Trust Indenture Act............. 52
SECTION 10.11 Acceptance of Terms of Trust Agreement, Guarantee and
Indenture.......................................................... 53
EXHIBITS
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Exhibit A Certificate of Trust
Exhibit B Form of Common Securities Certificate
Exhibit C Form of Expense Agreement
Exhibit D Form of Preferred Securities Certificate
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
Section of Trust Indenture Act
of 1939, as amended Section of Trust Agreement
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310(a)(1)...............................................................8.7
310(a)(2)...............................................................8.7
310(a)(3)...............................................................8.7
310(a)(4).........................................................2.7(a)(ii)
310(b)..................................................................8.8
311(a).................................................................8.13
311(b).................................................................8.13
312(a)..................................................................5.7
312(b)..................................................................5.7
312(c)..................................................................5.7
313(a)..............................................................8.14(a)
313(a)(4)...........................................................8.14(b)
313(b)..............................................................8.14(b)
313(c).................................................................10.8
313(d)..............................................................8.14(c)
314(a).................................................................8.15
314(b).......................................................Not Applicable
314(c).................................................................8.16
314(c)(2)..............................................................8.16
314(c)(3)....................................................Not Applicable
314(d).......................................................Not Applicable
314(e)............................................................1.1,.8.16
315(a).......................................................8.1(a),.8.3(a)
315(b)............................................................8.2,.10.8
315(c)...............................................................8.1(a)
315(d).............................................................8.1,.8.3
316(a)(2)....................................................Not Applicable
316(b).......................................................Not Applicable
316(c)..................................................................6.7
317(a)(1)....................................................Not Applicable
317(a)(2)....................................................Not Applicable
317(b)..................................................................5.9
318(a)................................................................10.10
Note: This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of this Agreement and
shall not affect the interpretation of any of its terms or provisions.
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AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT
AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT, dated as of November 13, 1997,
among (i) PREMIER BANCSHARES, INC., a Georgia corporation (including any
successors or assigns, the "Depositor"), (ii) STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY, a Massachusetts banking corporation duly organized and existing under
the laws of the State of Massachusetts, as property trustee (the "Property
Trustee" and, in its separate corporate capacity and not in its capacity as
Property Trustee, the "Bank"), (iii) WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, a Delaware
banking corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of
Delaware, as Delaware trustee (the "Delaware Trustee," and, in its separate
corporate capacity and not in its capacity as Delaware Trustee, the "Delaware
Bank") (iv) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, an individual, and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, an
individual, each of whose address is c/o Company (each an "Administrative
Trustee" and collectively the "Administrative Trustees") (the Property Trustee,
the Delaware Trustee and the Administrative Trustees referred to collectively as
the "Trustees"), and (v) the several Holders (as hereinafter defined).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Depositor, the Delaware Trustee, the Property Trustee and
the Administrative Trustees desire to duly declare and establish a business
trust pursuant to the Delaware Business Trust Act to provide for, among other
things, (i) the issuance of the Common Securities (as defined herein) by the
Trust (as defined herein) to the Depositor; (ii) the issuance and sale of the
Preferred Securities (as defined herein) by the Trust pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement (as defined herein); (iii) the acquisition by the Trust
from the Depositor of all of the right, title and interest in the Debentures (as
defined herein); and (iv) the appointment of the Trustees;
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 Securityholders (as defined herein),
hereby agrees as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINED TERMS
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 I and include the plural as well as the singular;
(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) 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; and
(d) 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.
"Act" has the meaning specified in Section 6.8.
"Additional Amount" means, with respect to Trust Securities of a given
Liquidation Amount and/or a given period, the amount of additional interest
accrued on interest in arrears and paid by the Depositor on a Like Amount of
Debentures for such period.
"Additional Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 1.1 of the
Indenture.
"Administrative Trustee" means each of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ individually in his capacity as Administrative Trustee of the Trust
formed and continued hereunder and not in his individual capacity, or such
Administrative Trustee's successor in interest in such capacity, or any
successor trustee appointed as herein provided.
"Affiliate" means, with respect to a specified Person, (a) any Person
directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or
more of the outstanding voting securities or other ownership interests of the
specified Person, (b) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting
securities or other ownership interests are directly or indirectly owned,
controlled or held with the power to vote by the specified Person; (c) any
Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common
control with the specified Person; (d) a partnership in which the specified
Person is a general partner; (e) any officer or director of the specified
Person; and (f) if the specified Person is an individual, any entity of which
the specified Person is an officer, director or general partner.
"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 adjudging such Person a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as
properly filed a petition seeking liquidation or reorganization of or in respect
of such Person under the United States Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as amended, or
any other similar applicable federal or state law, and the continuance of any
such decree or order unvacated and unstayed for a period of 90 days; or the
commencement
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of an involuntary case under the United States Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as
amended, in respect of such Person, which shall continue undismissed for a
period of 90 days or entry of an order for relief in such case; or the entry of
a decree or order of a court having jurisdiction in the premises for the
appointment on the ground of insolvency or bankruptcy of a receiver, custodian,
liquidator, trustee or assignee in bankruptcy or insolvency of such Person or of
its property, or for the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and such
decree or order shall have remained in force unvacated and unstayed for a period
of 90 days; or
(b) the institution by such Person of proceedings to be adjudicated a
voluntary bankrupt, or the consent by such Person to the filing of a bankruptcy
proceeding against it, or the filing by such Person of a petition or answer or
consent seeking liquidation or reorganization under the United States Bankruptcy
Code of 1978, as amended, or other similar applicable Federal or State law, or
the consent by such Person to the filing of any such petition or to the
appointment on the ground of insolvency or bankruptcy of a receiver or custodian
or liquidator or trustee or assignee in bankruptcy or insolvency of such Person
or of its property, or if such Person shall make a general assignment for the
benefit of creditors.
"Bankruptcy Laws" has the meaning specified in Section 10.9.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by the
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 appropriate Trustee.
"Business Day" means a day other than a Saturday or Sunday, a day on
which banking institutions in Atlanta, Georgia are authorized or required by
law, executive order or regulation to remain closed, or a day on which the
Property Trustee's Corporate Trust Office or the Corporate Trust Office of the
Debenture Trustee is closed for business.
"Capital Event" means the receipt by the Trust of an Opinion of Counsel
experienced in such matters (which may be counsel to the Company) that the
Company cannot, or within 90 days after the date of the Opinion of such Counsel,
will not be permitted by the applicable regulatory authorities, due to a change
in law, regulation, policy or guideline or interpretation or application of law
or regulation, policy or guideline, to account for the Preferred Securities as
Tier 1 capital under the capital guidelines or policies of the Federal Reserve.
"Certificate Depositary Agreement" means the agreement among the Trust,
the Depositor and the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), as the initial Clearing
Agency, dated as of the Closing Date, as the same may be amended and
supplemented from time to time.
"Certificate of Trust" means the certificate of trust filed with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware with respect to the Trust, as
amended or restated from time to time.
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"Change in 1940 Act Law" shall have the meaning set forth in the
definition of "Investment Company Event."
"Clearing Agency" means an organization registered as a "clearing agency"
pursuant to Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. DTC
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 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.
"Common Securities Certificate" means a certificate evidencing ownership
of Common Securities, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
"Common Security" means an undivided beneficial interest in the assets of
the Trust, having a Liquidation Amount of $25.00 and having the rights provided
therefor in this Trust Agreement, including the right to receive Distributions
and a Liquidation Distribution as provided herein.
"Company" means Premier Bancshares, Inc.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office at which, at any particular
time, the corporate trust business of the Property Trustee or the Debenture
Trustee, as the case may be, shall be principally administered, which office at
the date hereof, in each such case, is located at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇.
"Debenture Event of Default" means an "Event of Default" as defined in
Section 7.1 of the Indenture.
"Debenture Redemption Date" means, with respect to any Debentures to be
redeemed under the Indenture, the date fixed for redemption under the Indenture.
"Debenture Tax Event" means a "Tax Event" as specified in Section 1.1 of
the Indenture.
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"Debenture Trustee" means State Street Bank and Trust Company, a
Massachusetts banking corporation organized under the laws of the State of
Massachusetts and any successor thereto, as trustee under the Indenture.
"Debentures" means the $25,773,196 (or $29,639,175 if the underwriters
purchase the Option Securities), aggregate principal amount of the Depositor's
___% Subordinated Debentures due December 31, 2027, issued pursuant to the
Indenture.
"Delaware Bank" has the meaning specified in the Preamble to this Trust
Agreement.
"Delaware Business Trust Act" means Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the
Delaware Code, 12 Delaware Code Sections 3801 et seq. as it may be amended from
time to time.
"Delaware Trustee" means the commercial bank or trust company identified
as the "Delaware Trustee" in the Preamble to this Trust Agreement solely in its
capacity as Delaware Trustee of the Trust formed and 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.
"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.
"DTC" means the Depository Trust Company.
"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; or
(b) default by the Trust in the payment of any Distribution when it
becomes due and payable, and continuation of such default for a period of 30
days; or
(c) default by the Trust in the payment of any Redemption Price of any
Trust Security when it becomes due and payable; or
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(d) default in the performance, or breach, in any material respect, of
any covenant or warranty of the Trustees 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 defaulting Trustee or Trustees by the
Holders of at least 25% in aggregate liquidation preference 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 a Bankruptcy Event with respect to the Property
Trustee and the failure by the Depositor to appoint a successor Property Trustee
within 60 days thereof.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"Expense Agreement" means the Agreement as to Expenses and Liabilities
between the Depositor and the Trust, substantially in the form attached as
Exhibit C, as amended from time to time.
"Expiration Date" has the meaning specified in Section 9.1.
"Extended Interest Payment Period" has the meaning specified in Section
4.1 of the Indenture.
"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" means the Preferred Securities Guarantee Agreement executed
and delivered by the Depositor and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as
trustee, contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Trust
Agreement, for the benefit of the holders of the Preferred Securities, as
amended from time to time.
"Indenture" means the Indenture, dated as of November 13, 1997, between
the Depositor and the Debenture Trustee, as trustee, as amended or supplemented
from time to time.
"Investment Company Act," means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, as in effect at the date of execution of this instrument.
"Investment Company Event" means the receipt by the Trust of an Opinion
of Counsel, 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 change in
interpretation or application of law or regulation by any
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legislative body, court, governmental agency or regulatory authority (a "Change
in 1940 Act Law"), the Trust is or shall be considered an "investment company"
that is required to be registered under the Investment Company Act, which Change
in 1940 Act Law becomes effective on or after the date of original issuance of
the Preferred Securities under this Trust Agreement.
"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 the principal amount of
Debentures to be contemporaneously redeemed in accordance with the Indenture and
the proceeds of which shall be used to pay the Redemption Price of such Trust
Securities; and (b) with respect to a distribution of Debentures to Holders of
Trust Securities in connection with a termination or liquidation of the Trust,
Debentures having a principal amount equal to the Liquidation Amount of the
Trust Securities of the Holder to whom such Debentures are distributed. Each
Debenture distributed pursuant to clause (b) above shall carry with it
accumulated interest in an amount equal to the accumulated and unpaid interest
then due on such Debentures.
"Liquidation Amount" means the stated amount of $25.00 per Trust
Security.
"Liquidation Date" means the date on which Debentures are to be
distributed to Holders of Trust Securities in connection with a termination and
liquidation of the Trust pursuant to Section 9.4(a).
"Liquidation Distribution" has the meaning specified in Section 9.4(d).
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the President or a
Vice President and by the Treasurer or the Controller or the Secretary, of the
Depositor, and delivered to the appropriate Trustee. One of the officers
signing an Officers' Certificate given pursuant to Section 8.16 shall be the
principal executive, financial or accounting officer of the Depositor. Any
Officers' Certificate delivered with respect to compliance with a condition or
covenant provided for in this Trust Agreement shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers' Certificate
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 each officer in rendering the Officers' Certificate;
(c) a statement that each 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
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(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 an opinion in writing of legal counsel, who
may be counsel for the Trust, the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or the
Depositor, but not an employee of any thereof, and who shall be reasonably
acceptable to the Property Trustee.
"Option Closing Date" shall have the meaning provided in the Underwriting
Agreement.
"Option Securities" means an aggregate Liquidation Amount of $3,750,000
of the Trust's ____% preferred securities, issuable to the Underwriters, at its
option, exercisable within 30 days after the date of the Prospectus, solely to
cover over-allotments, if any.
"Outstanding", when used with respect to Preferred Securities, means, as
of the date of determination, all Preferred Securities theretofore executed and
delivered under this Trust Agreement, except:
(a) Preferred Securities theretofore canceled by the Property Trustee
or delivered to the Property Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Preferred 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 Preferred Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been
duly given pursuant to this Trust Agreement; and
(c) Preferred Securities which have been paid or in exchange for or in
lieu of which other Preferred Securities have been executed and delivered
pursuant to Sections 5.4 and 5.5; 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
Trustee or any Affiliate of the Depositor or any Trustee shall be disregarded
and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that (a) in determining whether any
Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Preferred Securities
that such Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded; and (b) 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 Trustees 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 Administrative Trustees the pledgee's right so to 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.
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"Paying Agent" means any paying agent or co-paying agent appointed
pursuant to Section 5.10 and shall initially be the Bank.
"Payment Account" means a segregated non-interest-bearing corporate trust
account maintained by the Property Trustee with the Bank in its trust department
for the benefit of the Securityholders in which all amounts paid in respect of
the Debentures shall be held and from which the Property Trustee shall make
payments to the Securityholders in accordance with Sections 4.1 and 4.2.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust, limited liability company or corporation, unincorporated organization or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Preferred Security" means an undivided beneficial interest in the assets
of the Trust, having a Liquidation Amount of $25.00 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 commercial bank or trust company identified
as the "Property Trustee," in the Preamble to this Trust Agreement solely in its
capacity as Property Trustee of the Trust heretofore formed and 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.
"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 Debentures shall be a Redemption Date for a Like Amount of Trust
Securities.
"Redemption Price" means, with respect to any Trust Security, the
Liquidation Amount of such Trust Security, plus accumulated and unpaid
Distributions to the Redemption Date, allocated on a pro rata basis (based on
Liquidation Amounts) among the Trust Securities.
"Relevant Trustee" shall have the meaning specified in Section 8.10.
"Securities Register" and "Securities Registrar" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 5.5.
"Securityholder" or "Holder" means a Person in whose name a Trust
Security or Securities is registered in the Securities Register; any such Person
shall be deemed to be a beneficial owner within the meaning of the Delaware
Business Trust Act.
"Trust" means the Delaware business trust created and continued hereby
and identified on the cover page to this Trust Agreement.
9
"Trust Agreement" means this Trust Agreement, as the same may be
modified, amended or supplemented in accordance with the applicable provisions
hereof, including all exhibits hereto, including, for all purposes of this 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 Trust
Agreement and any such modification, amendment or supplement, respectively.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended,
as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed; provided,
however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, is
amended after such date, "Trust Indenture Act" means, to the extent required by
any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.
"Trust Property" means (a) the Debentures; (b) the rights of the Property
Trustee under the Guarantee; (c) any cash on deposit in, or owing to, the
Payment Account; and (d) 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 Security" means any one of the Common Securities or the Preferred
Securities.
"Trust Securities Certificate" means any one of the Common Securities
Certificate or the Global Preferred Securities Certificate.
"Trustees" means, collectively, the Property Trustee, the Delaware
Trustee and the Administrative Trustees.
"Underwriting Agreement" means the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of
November 10, 1997, among the Trust, the Depositor and the Underwriters named
therein.
ARTICLE II
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUST
SECTION 2.1 NAME.
The Trust created and continued hereby shall be known as "Premier Capital
Trust I," as such name may be modified from time to time by the Administrative
Trustees following written notice to the Holders of Trust Securities and the
other Trustees, in which name the Trustees may engage in the transactions
contemplated hereby, make and execute contracts and other instruments on behalf
of the 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 c/o
Wilmington Trust Company, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Square North, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attn: Corporate Trust Administration, or such
other address in the State of Delaware as the Delaware
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Trustee may designate by written notice to the Securityholders and the
Depositor. The principal executive office of the Trust is c/o Premier
Bancshares, Inc., 2180 Atlanta Plaza, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
SECTION 2.3 INITIAL CONTRIBUTION OF TRUST PROPERTY; ORGANIZATIONAL EXPENSES.
The Trustees acknowledge receipt in trust from the Depositor the sum of
$10.00, which constitutes the initial Trust Property. The Depositor shall pay
organizational expenses of the Trust as they arise or shall, upon request of any
Trustee, promptly reimburse such Trustee for any such expenses paid by such
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.
Contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Trust
Agreement, (a) the Depositor and an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the
Trust shall execute and deliver the Underwriting Agreement, and (b) an
Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall execute in accordance with
Section 5.2 and deliver in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement, the
Preferred Securities in registered global form (the "Global Preferred
Securities") in an aggregate amount of 1,000,000 Preferred Securities having an
aggregate Liquidation Amount of $25 million against receipt of the aggregate
purchase price of such Preferred Securities of $25,000,000, which amount such
Administrative Trustee shall promptly deliver to the Property Trustee. If the
underwriters purchase the Option Securities and there is an Option Closing Date,
then an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall execute in
accordance with Section 5.2 and deliver in accordance with the Underwriting
Agreement, the Global Preferred Securities in registered, global form in an
aggregate amount of up to 1,150,000 Preferred Securities having an aggregate
Liquidation Amount of up to $3,750,000 against receipt of the aggregate purchase
price of such Preferred Securities of $3,750,000, which amount such
Administrative Trustee shall promptly deliver to the Property Trustee.
SECTION 2.5 ISSUANCE OF THE COMMON SECURITIES; SUBSCRIPTION AND PURCHASE OF
DEBENTURES.
(a) Contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Trust
Agreement, an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall execute in
accordance with Section 5.2 and deliver to the Depositor, Common Securities
Certificates, registered in the name of the Depositor, in an aggregate amount of
Common Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of $773,196 against
payment by the Depositor of such amount. Contemporaneously therewith, an
Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall subscribe to and purchase
from the Depositor Debentures, registered in the name of the Property Trustee on
behalf of the Trust and having an aggregate principal amount equal to
$25,773,196 and, in satisfaction of the purchase price for such Debentures, the
Property Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall deliver to the Depositor the sum
of $25,773,196.
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(b) If the underwriters purchase the Option Securities and there is an
Option Closing Date, then an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Trust,
shall execute in accordance with Section 5.2 and deliver to the Depositor,
Common Securities Certificates, registered in the name of the Depositor, in an
aggregate amount of Common Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of
up to $889,175 against payment by the Depositor of such amount.
Contemporaneously therewith, an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Trust,
shall subscribe to and purchase from the Depositor, Debentures, registered in
the name of the Trust and having an aggregate principal amount of up to
$889,175, and, in satisfaction of the purchase price of such Debentures, the
Property Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall deliver to the Depositor the sum
of $889,175.
SECTION 2.6 DECLARATION OF TRUST.
The exclusive purposes and functions of the Trust are (a) to issue and
sell Trust Securities and use the proceeds from such sale to acquire the
Debentures; and (b) to engage in those activities necessary, convenient or
incidental thereto. The Depositor hereby appoints the Trustees as trustees of
the Trust, to have all the rights, powers and duties to the extent set forth
herein, and the Trustees hereby accept such appointment. The Property Trustee
hereby declares that it shall hold the Trust Property in trust upon and subject
to the conditions set forth herein for the benefit of the Securityholders. The
Administrative Trustees shall have all rights, powers and duties set forth
herein and in accordance with applicable law with respect to accomplishing the
purposes of the Trust. 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 Administrative Trustees set
forth herein. The Delaware Trustee shall be one of the Trustees of the Trust
for the sole and limited purpose of fulfilling the requirements of Section 3807
of the Delaware Business Trust Act.
SECTION 2.7 AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS.
(a) The Trustees shall conduct the affairs of the 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 Article VIII, and in accordance with the
following provisions (i) and (ii), the Administrative Trustees shall have the
authority to enter into all transactions and agreements determined by the
Administrative Trustees to be appropriate in exercising the authority, express
or implied, otherwise granted to the Administrative Trustees under this Trust
Agreement, and to perform all acts in furtherance thereof, including without
limitation, the following:
(i) As among the Trustees, each Administrative Trustee, acting singly
or jointly, shall have the power and authority to act on behalf of the Trust
with respect to the following matters:
(A) the issuance and sale of the Trust Securities;
(B) to cause the Trust to enter into, and to execute, deliver and
perform on behalf of the Trust, the Expense Agreement and
such other
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agreements or documents as may be necessary or desirable in
connection with the purposes and function of the Trust;
(C) assisting in the registration of the Preferred Securities
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and under state
securities or blue sky laws, and the qualification of this
Trust Agreement as a trust indenture under the Trust
Indenture Act;
(D) assisting in the listing of the Preferred Securities upon the
American Stock Exchange, Inc. or such securities exchange or
exchanges as shall be determined by the Depositor and the
registration of the Preferred Securities under the Exchange
Act, and the preparation and filing of all periodic and other
reports and other documents pursuant to the foregoing;
(E) the sending of notices (other than notices of default) and
other information regarding the Trust Securities and the
Debentures to the Securityholders in accordance with this
Trust Agreement;
(F) the appointment of a Paying Agent, authenticating agent and
Securities Registrar in accordance with this Trust Agreement;
(G) to the extent provided in this Trust Agreement, the winding
up of the affairs of and liquidation of the Trust and the
preparation, execution and filing of the certificate of
cancellation with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware;
(H) to take all action that may be necessary or appropriate for
the preservation and the continuation of the Trust's valid
existence, rights, franchises and privileges as a statutory
business trust under the laws of the State of Delaware and of
each other jurisdiction in which such existence is necessary
to protect the limited liability of the Holders of the
Preferred Securities or to enable the Trust to effect the
purposes for which the Trust was created; and
(I) the taking of any action incidental to the foregoing as the
Administrative Trustees may from time to time determine is
necessary or advisable to give effect to the terms of this
Trust Agreement for the benefit of the Securityholders
(without consideration of the effect of any such action on
any particular Securityholder).
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(ii) As among the Trustees, the Property Trustee shall have the power,
duty and authority to act on behalf of the Trust with respect to the following
matters:
(A) the establishment of the Payment Account;
(B) the receipt of the Debentures;
(C) the collection of interest, principal and any other payments
made in respect of the Debentures in the Payment Account;
(D) the distribution of amounts owed to the Securityholders 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 Debentures;
(F) the sending of notices of default and other information
regarding the Trust Securities and the Debentures to the
Securityholders in accordance with this Trust Agreement;
(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 Trust;
(I) after an Event of Default, the taking of any action incidental
to the foregoing as the Property Trustee may from time to time
determine is necessary or advisable to give effect to the
terms of this Trust Agreement and protect and conserve the
Trust Property for the benefit of the Securityholders (without
consideration of the effect of any such action on any
particular Securityholder);
(J) registering transfers of the Trust Securities in accordance
with this Trust Agreement; and
(K) except as otherwise provided in this Section 2.7(a)(ii), the
Property Trustee shall have none of the duties, liabilities,
powers or the authority of the Administrative Trustees set
forth in Section 2.7(a)(i).
(b) So long as this Trust Agreement remains in effect, the Trust (or the
Trustees acting on behalf of the Trust) shall not undertake any business,
activities or transactions except as expressly
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provided herein or contemplated hereby. In particular, the Trustees shall not
(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 Securityholders, except as expressly provided herein; (iii) take
any action that would cause the Trust to fail or cease to qualify as a "grantor
trust" 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 Administrative Trustees 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 Trust or the Securityholders in their capacity as
Securityholders.
(c) In connection with the issue and sale of the Preferred Securities,
the Depositor shall have the right and responsibility to assist the Trust with
respect to, or effect on behalf of the 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 Trust with the Commission and
the execution on behalf of the Trust of a registration statement on the
appropriate form in relation to the Preferred Securities and the Debentures,
including any amendments thereto;
(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 to do any and all such acts, other than actions which must be taken by or on
behalf of the Trust, and advise the Trustees of actions they must take on behalf
of the Trust, and prepare for execution and filing any documents to be executed
and filed by the Trust or on behalf of the Trust, as the Depositor deems
necessary or advisable in order to comply with the applicable laws of any such
States;
(iii) the preparation for filing by the Trust and execution on
behalf of the Trust of an application to the American Stock Exchange, Inc. or
other organizations for listing upon notice of issuance of any Preferred
Securities and to file or cause an Administrative Trustee to file thereafter
with such exchange such notifications and documents as may be necessary from
time to time;
(iv) the preparation for filing by the Trust with the Commission and
the execution on behalf of the 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 Exchange Act, including any amendments thereto;
(v) the negotiation of the terms of, and the execution and delivery
of, the Underwriting Agreement providing for the sale of the Preferred
Securities; and
(vi) the taking of any other actions necessary or desirable to carry
out any of the foregoing activities.
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(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Administrative
Trustees are authorized and directed to conduct the affairs of the Trust and to
operate the Trust so that the Trust shall not be deemed to be an "investment
company" required to be registered under the Investment Company Act, shall be
classified as a "grantor trust" and not as an association taxable as a
corporation for United States federal income tax purposes and so that the
Debentures shall be treated as indebtedness of the Depositor for United States
federal income tax purposes. In this connection, subject to Section 10.2, the
Depositor and the Administrative Trustees are authorized to take any action, not
inconsistent with applicable law or this Trust Agreement, that each of the
Depositor and the Administrative Trustees determines in their discretion to be
necessary or desirable for such purposes.
SECTION 2.8 ASSETS OF TRUST.
The assets of the Trust shall consist of the Trust Property.
SECTION 2.9 TITLE TO TRUST PROPERTY.
Legal title to all Trust Property shall be vested at all times in the
Property Trustee (in its capacity as such) and shall be held and administered by
the Property Trustee for the benefit of the Securityholders 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 any agent of the Property Trustee
shall have exclusive control and sole right of withdrawal with respect to the
Payment Account for the purpose of making deposits 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 Securityholders 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 Debentures. Amounts held in the
Payment Account shall not be invested by the Property Trustee pending
distribution thereof.
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ARTICLE IV
DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTION
SECTION 4.1 DISTRIBUTIONS.
(a) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be cumulative, and shall
accumulate whether or not there are funds of the Trust available for the payment
of Distributions. Distributions shall accumulate from November ___, 1997, and,
except during any Extended Interest Payment Period with respect to the
Debentures, shall be payable quarterly in arrears on the last calendar day of
March, June, September and December of each year, commencing on December 31,
1997. If any date on which a Distribution is otherwise 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 (and without any interest
or other payment in respect of any such delay), in each case with the same force
and effect as if made on such date (each date on which distributions are payable
in accordance with this Section 4.1(a), a "Distribution Date").
(b) The Trust Securities represent undivided beneficial interests in the
Trust Property, and, as a practical matter, the Distributions on the Trust
Securities shall be payable at a rate of __% per annum of the Liquidation Amount
of the Trust Securities. The amount of Distributions payable for any full
period shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
The amount of Distributions for any partial period shall be computed on the
basis of the number of days elapsed in a 360-day year of twelve 30 day months.
During any Extended Interest Payment Period with respect to the Debentures,
Distributions on the Preferred Securities shall be deferred for a period equal
to the Extended Interest Payment Period. The amount of Distributions payable
for any period shall include the Additional Amounts, if any.
(c) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be made by the Property
Trustee solely from the Payment Account and shall be payable on each
Distribution Date only to the extent that the Trust has funds then on hand and
immediately available in the Payment Account for the payment of such
Distributions.
(d) Distributions on the Trust Securities with respect to a Distribution
Date shall be payable to the record holders thereof as they appear on the
Securities Register for the Trust Securities on the relevant record date, which
shall be the 15th day of the month in which the Distribution is payable.
SECTION 4.2 REDEMPTION.
(a) On each Debenture Redemption Date and on the stated maturity of the
Debentures, the Trust shall 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 Securities Register. The Property
Trustee shall have no responsibility for the accuracy of any CUSIP number
contained in such notice. All notices of redemption shall state:
17
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the Redemption Price;
(iii) the CUSIP number;
(iv) if less than all the Outstanding Trust Securities are to be
redeemed, the identification and the aggregate Liquidation
Amount of the particular Trust Securities to be redeemed; and
(v) that, on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price shall become
due and payable upon each such Trust Security to be redeemed and
that Distributions thereon shall cease to accumulate on and
after said date.
(c) The Trust Securities redeemed on each Redemption Date shall be
redeemed at the Redemption Price with the proceeds from the contemporaneous
redemption of 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 Trust has immediately available funds then on hand and available in the
Payment Account for the payment of such Redemption Price.
(d) If the Property Trustee gives a notice of redemption in respect of
any Preferred Securities, then, by 12:00 noon, Atlanta, Georgia time, on the
Redemption Date, subject to Section 4.2(c), the Property Trustee, subject to
Section 4.2(c), shall deposit with the Paying Agent funds sufficient to pay the
applicable Redemption Price and shall give the Paying Agent irrevocable
instructions and authority to pay the Redemption Price to the record holders
thereof 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 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 Securityholders
holding Trust Securities so called for redemption shall cease, except the right
of such Securityholders to receive the Redemption Price and any Distribution
payable on or prior to the Redemption Date, but without interest, and such
Securities shall cease to be Outstanding. In the event that any date on which
any Redemption Price is payable is not a Business Day, then payment of the
Redemption Price payable on such date shall 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 falls in the next 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
Trust or by the Depositor pursuant to the Guarantee, Distributions on such Trust
Securities shall continue to accumulate, at the then applicable rate, from the
Redemption Date originally established by the Trust for such Trust
18
Securities to the date such Redemption Price is actually paid, in which case the
actual payment date shall be the date fixed for redemption for purposes of
calculating the Redemption Price.
(e) Payment of the Redemption Price on the Trust Securities shall be made
to the record holders thereof as they appear on the Securities Register for the
Trust Securities on the relevant record date, which shall be the date 15 days
prior to the relevant Redemption Date.
(f) Subject to Section 4.3(a), if less than all the Outstanding Trust
Securities are to be redeemed on a Redemption Date, then the aggregate
Liquidation Amount of Trust Securities to be redeemed shall be allocated on a
pro rata basis (based on Liquidation Amounts) among the Common Securities and
the Preferred Securities. 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, by such method (including, without limitation, by lot) as the
Property Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the
selection for redemption of portions (equal to $25.00 or an integral multiple of
$25.00 in excess thereof) of the Liquidation Amount of Preferred Securities of a
denomination larger than $25.00. The Property Trustee shall promptly notify the
Securities Registrar in writing of the Preferred Securities selected for
redemption and, in the case of any Preferred Securities selected for partial
redemption, the Liquidation Amount thereof to be redeemed. For all purposes of
this Trust Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions
relating to the redemption of Preferred Securities shall relate, in the case of
any Preferred Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion
of the Liquidation Amount of Preferred Securities which has been or is to be
redeemed.
SECTION 4.3 SUBORDINATION OF COMMON SECURITIES.
(a) Payment of Distributions (including Additional Amounts, if
applicable) on, and the Redemption Price of, the Trust Securities, as
applicable, shall be made, subject to Section 4.2(f), pro rata among the Common
Securities and the Preferred Securities based on the Liquidation Amount of the
Trust Securities; provided, however, that if on any Distribution Date or
Redemption Date any Event of Default resulting from a Debenture Event of Default
shall have occurred and be continuing, no payment of any Distribution (including
Additional Amounts, if applicable) on, or Redemption Price 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, 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, Preferred
Securities then due and payable.
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(b) In the case of the occurrence of any Event of Default resulting from
a Debenture Event of Default, the record holder of Common Securities shall be
deemed to have waived any right to act with respect to any such Event of Default
under this Trust Agreement until the effect of all such Events of Default with
respect to the Preferred Securities shall have been cured, waived or otherwise
eliminated. Until any such Event of Default under this Trust Agreement with
respect to the Preferred Securities shall have been so cured, waived or
otherwise eliminated, the Property Trustee shall act solely on behalf of the
record holders of the Preferred Securities and not the record holder of the
Common Securities, and only the Holders of the Preferred Securities shall 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. Payments in respect of the Common Securities shall be made
in such manner as shall be mutually agreed between the Property Trustee and the
Common Securityholder.
SECTION 4.5 TAX RETURNS AND REPORTS.
The Administrative Trustees shall prepare (or cause to be prepared), at
the Depositor's expense, and file all United States federal, state and local tax
and information returns and reports required to be filed by or in respect of the
Trust. In this regard, the Administrative Trustees shall (a) prepare and file
(or cause to be prepared and filed) the appropriate Internal Revenue Service
Form required to be filed in respect of the Trust in each taxable year of the
Trust; and (b) prepare and furnish (or cause to be prepared and furnished) to
each Securityholder the appropriate Internal Revenue Service form required to be
furnished to such Securityholder or the information required to be provided on
such form. The Administrative Trustees shall provide the Depositor with a copy
of all such returns and reports promptly after such filing or furnishing. The
Property Trustee shall comply with United States federal withholding and backup
withholding tax laws and information reporting requirements with respect to any
payments to Securityholders under the Trust Securities.
SECTION 4.6 PAYMENT OF TAXES, DUTIES, ETC. OF THE TRUST.
Upon receipt under the Debentures of Additional Interest (as defined in
Section 1.1 of the Indenture), the Property Trustee, at the direction of an
Administrative Trustee or the Depositor, shall promptly pay any taxes, duties or
governmental charges of whatsoever nature (other than withholding taxes) imposed
on the Trust by the United States or any other taxing authority.
SECTION 4.7 PAYMENTS UNDER INDENTURE.
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Any amount payable hereunder to any record holder of Preferred Securities
shall be reduced by the amount of any corresponding payment such Holder has
directly received under the Indenture pursuant to Section ___ hereof.
ARTICLE V
TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES
SECTION 5.1 INITIAL OWNERSHIP.
Upon the creation of the Trust and the contribution by the Depositor
pursuant to Section 2.3 and 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 Trust.
SECTION 5.2 THE TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Trust Securities Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Trust by manual or facsimile signature of at least one Administrator except as
provided in Section 5.3. 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 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 Certificates 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 the
Depositary and registered in the name of 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 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, the Administrative
Trustee shall cause Trust Securities Certificates, in an aggregate Liquidation
Amount as provided in Sections 2.4 and 2.5, to be executed on behalf of the
Trust by at least one of the Administrative Trustees and delivered to the
Property Trustee and upon such delivery the Property Trustee shall authenticate
such Trust
21
Securities Certificates and deliver such Trust Securities Certificates upon the
written order of 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, or its nominee thereof unless (i)
such Clearing Agency advises the Property Trustee 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 ninety days of
receipt of such notice from the Depositary, (ii) the Trust 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 or cancellation 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 canceled, 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 Register, 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 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 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 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.
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(e) The Clearing Agency or its nominee, as the registered owner of the
Global Preferred Security, shall be considered the Holder of the Preferred
Security 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.
(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 Preferred
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 Register"), 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 Registrar."
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, the
Depositor shall execute and 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
principal 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 securities are so surrendered for exchange,
the Property Trustee shall execute and authenticate and deliver the Preferred
Securities that the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
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All Preferred Securities issued upon any transfer or exchange of
Preferred Securities shall be the valid obligations of the Trust, evidencing the
same debt, 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 other governmental charge that may be imposed in
connection with any transfer or exchange of Preferred Securities.
Neither the 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) 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) 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 Security as provided in
Section 5.5(a).
(ii) Subject to this Section 5.5, Preferred Securities shall be freely
transferable.
(iii) 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 Administrative Trustees 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,
the Administrative Trustees, or any one of them,
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on behalf of the Trust shall execute and make available for delivery, 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 Administrative Trustees 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
Trust, corresponding to that evidenced by the lost, stolen or destroyed Trust
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 SECURITYHOLDERS.
The Trustees, the Securities Registrar or the Depositor shall treat the
Person in whose name any Trust Securities are issued as the owner of such Trust
Securities for the purpose of receiving Distributions and for all other purposes
whatsoever, and none of the Trustees, the Administrative Trustees, the
Securities Registrar nor the Depositor shall be bound by any notice to the
contrary.
SECTION 5.8 ACCESS TO LIST OF SECURITYHOLDERS' NAMES AND ADDRESSES.
Each Holder and each Owner shall be deemed to have agreed not to hold the
Depositor, the Property Trustee, or the Administrative Trustees 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
Administrative Trustees, 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 Trustees in respect of the Trust Securities
Certificates may be served. The Property Trustee initially designates
__________________ ______________ Attention:__________________________________,
as its corporate trust office for such purposes. The Property Trustee shall give
prompt written notice to the Depositor, the Administrative Trustees and to 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 Securityholders from the
Payment Account and shall report the amounts of such Distributions to the
Property Trustee and the Administrative Trustees. 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
25
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
Administrative Trustees, the Property Trustee and the Depositor. 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 Administrative Trustees to act as Paying Agent.
Such successor Paying Agent or any additional Paying Agent appointed by the
Administrative Trustees shall execute and deliver to the Trustees an instrument
in which such successor Paying Agent or additional Paying Agent shall agree with
the 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 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 shall apply to the Property Trustee also in its
role as Paying Agent, for so long as the Property Trustee shall act as Paying
Agent and, to the extent applicable, to any other paying agent appointed
hereunder. Any reference in this Agreement to the Paying Agent shall include
any co-paying agent unless the context requires otherwise.
SECTION 5.11 OWNERSHIP OF COMMON SECURITIES BY DEPOSITOR.
At each time of delivery, the Depositor shall acquire and retain
beneficial and record ownership of the Common Securities except (i) 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 (ii) 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 attempted transfer of the Common Securities shall be void. The
Administrative Trustees 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 Trustees shall
give all such notices and communications specified herein to be given to the
Clearing Agency, and shall have no obligations to the Owners.
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SECTION 5.13 RIGHTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS.
(a) The legal title to the Trust Property is vested exclusively in the
Property Trustee (in its capacity as such) in accordance with Section 2.9, and
the Securityholders shall not have any right or title therein other than the
undivided beneficial interest in the assets of the 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 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 of the Preferred Securities against payment of the purchase
price therefor, the Preferred Securities shall be fully paid and nonassessable
interests in the Trust. The Holders of the Preferred 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.
(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 Debentures fail to declare
the principal of all of the 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 by a notice in writing to the Depositor and
the Debenture Trustee; and upon any such declaration such principal amount of
and the accrued interest on all of the Debentures shall become immediately due
and payable, provided that the payment of principal and interest on such
Debentures shall remain subordinated to the extent provided in the Indenture.
(c) For so long as any Preferred Securities remain outstanding, if, upon
a Debenture Event of Default arising from the failure to pay interest or
principal on the Debentures, the Holders of any Preferred Securities then
Outstanding shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have the right to
directly institute proceedings for enforcement of payment to such Holders of
principal of or interest on the Debentures having a principal amount equal to
the Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities of such Holders.
ARTICLE VI
ACTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS; MEETINGS; VOTING
SECTION 6.1 LIMITATIONS ON VOTING RIGHTS.
(a) Except as provided in this Section 6.1, in Sections 5.13, 8.10 and
10.2 and in the Indenture and as otherwise required by law, no record holder of
Preferred Securities shall have any right to vote or in any manner otherwise
control the administration, operation and management of the 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 Securityholders from time to time as partners or members of an
association.
(b) So long as any Debentures are held by the Property Trustee, the
Trustees shall not (i) direct the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the
27
Debenture Trustee, or executing any trust or power conferred on the Debenture
Trustee with respect to such Debentures; (ii) waive any past default which is
waivable under Article VII of the Indenture; (iii) exercise any right to rescind
or annul a declaration that the principal of all the Debentures shall be due and
payable; or (iv) consent to any amendment, modification or termination of the
Indenture or the 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 all Outstanding Preferred Securities; provided, however,
that where a consent under the Indenture would require the consent of each
Holder of Outstanding 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 Trustees shall not revoke any action previously
authorized or approved by a vote of the Holders of the Outstanding Preferred
Securities, except by a subsequent vote of the Holders of the Outstanding
Preferred Securities. The Property Trustee shall notify each Holder of the
Outstanding Preferred Securities of any notice of default received from the
Debenture Trustee with respect to the Debentures. In addition to obtaining the
foregoing approvals of the Holders of the Preferred Securities, prior to taking
any of the foregoing actions, the Trustees shall, at the expense of the
Depositor, obtain an Opinion of Counsel experienced in such matters to the
effect that the Trust shall continue to be classified as a grantor trust and not
as an association taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax
purposes on account of such action.
(c) If any proposed amendment to the Trust Agreement provides for, or the
Trustees otherwise propose to effect, (i) any action that would adversely affect
in any material respect the powers, preferences, privileges or special rights of
the Preferred Securities, whether by way of amendment to the Trust Agreement or
otherwise; or (ii) the dissolution, winding-up or termination of the Trust,
other than pursuant to the terms of this Trust Agreement, then the Holders of
Outstanding Preferred Securities as a class shall 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 66 2/3 in Liquidation Amount
of the Outstanding Preferred Securities. No amendment to this Trust Agreement
may be made if, as a result of such amendment, the Trust would cease to be
classified as a grantor trust or would be classified as an association taxable
as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.
(d) If any Distributions payable on the Preferred Securities are in
arrears for six quarterly periods, the Holders of the Preferred Securities,
voting separately, as a class with any other Holders having similar voting
rights, will be entitled to elect two directors to the Board of Directors of the
Depositor at the next special or annual meeting of the shareholders of
Depositor.
SECTION 6.2 NOTICE OF MEETINGS.
Notice of all meetings of the Preferred Securityholders, stating the
time, place and purpose of the meeting, shall be given by the Property Trustee
pursuant to Section 10.8 to each Preferred Securityholder 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
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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 PREFERRED SECURITYHOLDERS.
(a) No annual meeting of Securityholders is required to be held. The
Administrative Trustees, however, shall call a meeting of Securityholders to
vote on any matter in respect of which Preferred Securityholders are entitled to
vote upon the written request of the Preferred Securityholders of 25% of the
Outstanding Preferred Securities (based upon their aggregate Liquidation Amount)
and the Administrative Trustees or the Property Trustee may, at any time in
their discretion, call a meeting of Preferred Securityholders to vote on any
matters as to which the Preferred Securityholders are entitled to vote.
(b) Preferred Securityholders of record of 50% of the Outstanding
Preferred Securities (based upon their aggregate Liquidation Amount), present in
person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of Securityholders.
(c) If a quorum is present at a meeting, an affirmative vote by the
Preferred Securityholders of record present, in person or by proxy, holding more
than a majority of the Preferred Securities (based upon their aggregate
Liquidation Amount) held by the Preferred Securityholders of record present,
either in person or by proxy, at such meeting shall constitute the action of the
Securityholders, unless this Trust Agreement requires a greater number of
affirmative votes.
SECTION 6.4 VOTING RIGHTS.
Securityholders shall be entitled to one vote for each $25.00 of
Liquidation Amount represented by their Trust Securities in respect of any
matter as to which such Securityholders are entitled to vote.
SECTION 6.5 PROXIES, ETC.
At any meeting of Securityholders, any Securityholder 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 Administrative Trustees, or
with such other officer or agent of the Trust as the Administrative Trustees may
direct, for verification prior to the time at which such vote shall be taken.
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 Securityholder 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.
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SECTION 6.6 SECURITYHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT.
Any action which may be taken by Securityholders at a meeting may be
taken without a meeting if Securityholders holding more than a majority of all
Outstanding Trust Securities (based upon their aggregate Liquidation Amount)
entitled to vote in respect of such action (or such larger proportion thereof as
shall be required by any express provision of this Trust Agreement) shall
consent to the action in writing (based upon their aggregate Liquidation
Amount).
SECTION 6.7 RECORD DATE FOR VOTING AND OTHER PURPOSES.
For the purposes of determining the Securityholders 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 Administrative Trustees may from time to time fix a date, not
more than 90 days prior to the date of any meeting of Securityholders or the
payment of Distribution or other action, as the case may be, as a record date
for the determination of the identity of the Securityholders of record for such
purposes.
SECTION 6.8 ACTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS.
(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 Securityholders may be embodied in and evidenced by one
or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such
Securityholders or owners 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 an Administrative
Trustee. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and
evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the "Act" of the
Securityholders 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 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 Trustee receiving the same deems sufficient.
(c) The ownership of Preferred Securities shall be proved by the
Securities Register.
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(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent,
waiver or other Act of the Securityholder of any Trust Security shall bind every
future Securityholder of the same Trust Security and the Securityholder 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 Trustees or the Trust in reliance thereon, whether or not
notation of such action is made upon such Trust Security.
(e) Without limiting the foregoing, a Securityholder 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 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) A Securityholder may institute a legal proceeding directly against
the Depositor under the Guarantee to enforce its rights under the Guarantee
without first instituting a legal proceeding against the Guarantee Trustee (as
defined in the Guarantee), the Trust or any Person.
SECTION 6.9 INSPECTION OF RECORDS.
Upon reasonable notice to the Administrative Trustees and the Property
Trustee, the records of the Trust shall be open to inspection by Securityholders
during normal business hours for any purpose reasonably related to such
Securityholder's interest as a Securityholder.
ARTICLE VII
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
SECTION 7.1 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BANK AND THE PROPERTY
TRUSTEE.
The Bank and the Property Trustee, each severally on behalf of and as to
itself, as of the date hereof, and each Successor Property Trustee at the time
of the Successor Property Trustee's acceptance of its appointment as Property
Trustee hereunder (the term "Bank" being used to refer to such Successor
Property Trustee in its separate corporate capacity) hereby represents and
warrants (as applicable) for the benefit of the Depositor and the
Securityholders that:
(a) the Bank is a banking corporation duly organized, validly existing
and in good standing under the laws of the State of Massachusetts;
(b) the Bank has full corporate power, authority and legal right to
execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Trust Agreement and has
taken all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance
by it of this Trust Agreement;
(c) this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Property Trustee and constitutes the valid and legally binding agreement
of the Property Trustee
31
enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy,
insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of
general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general
equity principles;
(d) the execution, delivery and performance by the Property Trustee of
this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or
other action on the part of the Property Trustee and does not require any
approval of stockholders of the Bank and such execution, delivery and
performance shall not (i) violate the Bank's charter or by-laws; (ii) violate
any provision of, or constitute, with or without notice or lapse of time, a
default under, or result in the creation or imposition of, any Lien on any
properties included in the Trust Property pursuant to the provisions of, any
indenture, mortgage, credit agreement, license or other agreement or instrument
to which the Property Trustee or the Bank is a party or by which it is bound; or
(iii) violate any law, governmental rule or regulation of the United States or
the State of Massachusetts, as the case may be, governing the banking or trust
powers of the Bank or the Property Trustee (as appropriate in context) or any
order, judgment or decree applicable to the Property Trustee or the Bank;
(e) neither the authorization, execution or delivery by the Property
Trustee of this Trust Agreement nor the consummation of any of the transactions
by the Property Trustee contemplated herein or therein requires the consent or
approval of, the giving of notice to, the registration with or the taking of any
other action with respect to any governmental authority or agency under any
existing federal law governing the banking or trust powers of the Bank or the
Property Trustee, as the case may be, under the laws of the United States or the
State of Massachusetts; and
(f) there are no proceedings pending or, to the best of the Property
Trustee's knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Bank or the Property
Trustee in any court or before any governmental authority, agency or arbitration
board or tribunal which, individually or in the aggregate, would materially and
adversely affect the Trust or would question the right, power and authority of
the Property Trustee to enter into or perform its obligations as one of the
Trustees under this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 7.2 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE DELAWARE BANK AND THE
DELAWARE TRUSTEE.
The Delaware Bank and the Delaware Trustee, each severally on behalf of
and as to itself, as of the date hereof, and each Successor Delaware Trustee at
the time of the Successor Delaware Trustee's acceptance of appointment as
Delaware Trustee hereunder (the term "Delaware Bank" being used to refer to such
Successor Delaware Trustee in its separate corporate capacity), hereby
represents and warrants (as applicable) for the benefit of the Depositor and the
Securityholders that:
(a) the Delaware Bank is a Delaware banking corporation duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware;
32
(b) the Delaware Bank has full corporate power, authority and legal right
to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Trust Agreement and
has taken all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and
performance by it of this Trust Agreement;
(c) this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Delaware Trustee and constitutes the valid and legally binding agreement
of the Delaware Trustee enforceable against it in accordance with its terms,
subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization,
moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting
creditors' rights and to general equity principles;
(d) the execution, delivery and performance by the Delaware Trustee of
this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or
other action on the part of the Delaware Trustee and does not require any
approval of stockholders of the Delaware Bank and such execution, delivery and
performance shall not (i) violate the Delaware Bank's charter or by-laws; (ii)
violate any provision of, or constitute, with or without notice or lapse of
time, a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of, any Lien on
any properties included in the Trust Property pursuant to the provisions of, any
indenture, mortgage, credit agreement, license or other agreement or instrument
to which the Delaware Bank or the Delaware Trustee is a party or by which it is
bound; or (iii) violate any law, governmental rule or regulation of the United
States or the State of Massachusetts, as the case may be, governing the banking
or trust powers of the Delaware Bank or the Delaware Trustee (as appropriate in
context) or any order, judgment or decree applicable to the Delaware Bank or the
Delaware Trustee;
(e) neither the authorization, execution or delivery by the Delaware
Trustee of this Trust Agreement nor the consummation of any of the transactions
by the Delaware Trustee contemplated herein or therein requires the consent or
approval of, the giving of notice to, the registration with or the taking of any
other action with respect to any governmental authority or agency governing the
banking or trust powers of the Delaware Bank or the Delaware Trustee, as the
case may be, under the federal laws of the United States or the laws of the
State of Delaware; and
(f) there are no proceedings pending or, to the best of the Delaware
Trustee's knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Delaware Bank or the
Delaware Trustee in any court or before any governmental authority, agency or
arbitration board or tribunal which, individually or in the aggregate, would
materially and adversely affect the Trust or would question the right, power and
authority of the Delaware Trustee to enter into or perform its obligations as
one of the Trustees under this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 7.3 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF DEPOSITOR.
The Depositor hereby represents and warrants for the benefit of the
Securityholders that:
(a) the Trust Securities Certificates issued on the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, if applicable, on behalf of the Trust have been duly
authorized and, shall have been, duly and
33
validly executed, issued and delivered by the Administrative Trustees pursuant
to the terms and provisions of, and in accordance with the requirements of, this
Trust Agreement and the Securityholders shall be, as of such date, entitled to
the benefits of this Trust Agreement; and
(b) there are no taxes, fees or other governmental charges payable by the
Trust (or the Trustees on behalf of the Trust) under the laws of the State of
Delaware or any political subdivision thereof in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance by the Bank, the Property Trustee or the Delaware
Trustee, as the case may be, of this Trust Agreement.
ARTICLE VIII
TRUSTEES
SECTION 8.1 CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
(a) The duties and responsibilities of the Trustees 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 Trustees 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. No Administrative Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall be liable for its
act or omissions hereunder except as a result of its own gross negligence or
willful misconduct. The Property Trustee's liability shall be determined under
the Trust Indenture Act. 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 Trustees shall be subject to the
provisions of this Section 8.1. To the extent that, at law or in equity, the
Delaware Trustee or an Administrative Trustee has duties (including fiduciary
duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust or to the Securityholders,
the Delaware Trustee or such Administrative Trustee shall not be liable to the
Trust or to any Securityholder for such Trustee'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 Delaware Trustee
or the Administrative Trustees otherwise existing at law or in equity, are
agreed by the Depositor and the Securityholders to replace such other duties and
liabilities of the Delaware Trustee and the Administrative Trustees, as the case
may be.
(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
Securityholder, by its acceptance of a Trust Security, agrees that it shall look
solely to the revenue and proceeds from the Trust Property to the extent legally
available for distribution to it as herein provided and that the Trustees are
not personally liable to it 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)
34
does not limit the liability of the Trustees expressly set forth elsewhere in
this Trust Agreement or, in the case of the Property Trustee, in the Trust
Indenture Act.
(c) 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) 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;
(ii) 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 not less than a majority in Liquidation Amount of
the Trust 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;
(iii) the Property Trustee's sole duty with respect to the
custody, safe keeping and physical preservation of the 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;
(iv) 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 to the Payment Account maintained by the Property
Trustee pursuant to Section 3.1 and except to the extent otherwise required by
law; and
(d) the Property Trustee shall not be responsible for monitoring the
compliance by the Administrative Trustees or the Depositor with their respective
duties under this Trust Agreement, nor shall the Property Trustee be liable for
the negligence, default or misconduct of the Administrative 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 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 Securityholders, the Administrative Trustees and
the Depositor, unless such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived.
For purposes of this Section 8.2 the term "Event of Default" means any event
that is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of
Default.
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(b) The Administrative Trustees shall transmit, to the Securityholders in
the manner and to the extent provided in Section 10.8, notice of the Depositor's
election to begin or further extend an Extended Interest Payment Period on the
Debentures (unless such election shall have been revoked) within the time
specified for transmitting such notice to the holders of the Debentures pursuant
to the Indenture as originally executed.
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 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, 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) if (i) in performing its duties under this Trust Agreement the
Property Trustee is required to decide between alternative courses of action; or
(ii) in construing any of the provisions of this Trust Agreement the Property
Trustee finds the same ambiguous or inconsistent with other provisions contained
herein; or (iii) the Property Trustee is unsure of the application of any
provision of this Trust Agreement, then, except as to any matter as to which the
Preferred Securityholders are entitled to vote under the terms of this Trust
Agreement, the Property Trustee shall deliver a notice to the Depositor
requesting written instructions of the Depositor as to the course of action to
be taken and the Property Trustee shall take such action, or refrain from taking
such action, as the Property Trustee shall be instructed in writing to take, or
to refrain from taking, by the Depositor; provided, however, that if the
Property Trustee does not receive such instructions of the Depositor within 10
Business Days after it has delivered such notice, or such reasonably shorter
period of time set forth in such notice (which to the extent practicable shall
not be less than 2 Business Days), it may, but shall be under no duty to, take
or refrain from taking such action not inconsistent with this Trust Agreement as
it shall deem advisable and in the best interests of the Securityholders, in
which event the Property Trustee shall have no liability except for its own bad
faith, negligence or willful misconduct;
(c) any direction or act of the Depositor or the Administrative Trustees
contemplated by this Trust Agreement shall be sufficiently evidenced by an
Officers' Certificate;
(d) whenever in the administration of this Trust Agreement, the Property
Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be established before undertaking,
suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Property Trustee (unless other
evidence is herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on
its part, request and conclusively rely upon an Officer's Certificate which,
upon receipt of such request, shall be promptly delivered by the Depositor or
the Administrative Trustees;
36
(e) the Property Trustee shall have no duty to see to any recording,
filing or registration of any instrument (including any financing or
continuation statement, any filing under tax or securities laws or any filing
under tax or securities laws) or any rerecording, refiling or reregistration
thereof;
(f) the Property Trustee may consult with counsel of its choice (which
counsel may be counsel to the Depositor or any of its Affiliates) 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, such counsel may be
counsel to the Depositor or any of its Affiliates, and may include any of its
employees; 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;
(g) 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 Securityholders pursuant to this Trust Agreement, unless
such Securityholders shall have offered to the Property Trustee reasonable
security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be
incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;
(h) 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 Securityholders, but the
Property Trustee may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts
or matters as it may see fit;
(i) the Property Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers
hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through its
agents or attorneys, provided that the Property Trustee shall be responsible for
its own negligence or recklessness with respect to selection of any agent or
attorney appointed by it hereunder;
(j) 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 of the Trust Securities
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 enforcing such remedy or right or
taking such other action until such instructions are received; and (iii) shall
be protected in acting in accordance with such instructions; and
(k) 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 the
Property Trustee to perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty
or
37
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 the Property Trustee 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 Trust, and the Trustees do not assume
any responsibility for their correctness. The Trustees shall not be accountable
for the use or application by the Depositor of the proceeds of the Debentures.
SECTION 8.5 MAY HOLD SECURITIES.
Any Trustee or any other agent of any Trustee or the 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 and except as provided in the
definition of the term "Outstanding" in Article I, may otherwise deal with the
Trust with the same rights it would have if it were not a Trustee or such other
agent.
SECTION 8.6 COMPENSATION; INDEMNITY; FEES.
The Depositor agrees:
(a) to pay to the 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) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the
Trustees upon request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances
incurred or made by the Trustees in accordance with any provision of this Trust
Agreement (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and
disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement
or advance as may be attributable to such Trustee's negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct (or, in the case of the Administrative Trustees or the
Delaware Trustee, any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be
attributable to its, his or her gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct); and
(c) to indemnify each of the Trustees or any predecessor Trustee for, and
to hold the Trustees harmless against, any loss, damage, claims, liability,
penalty or expense, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or
administration of this Trust Agreement, including the costs and expenses of
defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise
or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder, except any such loss,
damage, claims, liability or penalty or expense, as may be attributable to such
Trustee's negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct for (or, in the case of
the Administrative Trustees or the Delaware Trustee, any such
38
expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its, his or her gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct).
No Trustee may claim any Lien or charge on any Trust Property as a result
of any amount due pursuant to this Section 8.6.
SECTION 8.7 CORPORATE PROPERTY TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY OF TRUSTEES.
(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
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
8.7, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be 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 8.7, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect
hereinafter specified in this Article VIII.
(b) There shall at all times be one or more Administrative Trustees
hereunder with respect to the Trust Securities. Each Administrative Trustee
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.
(c) There shall at all times be a Delaware Trustee with respect to the
Trust Securities. 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.
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.
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 Depositor shall have power to appoint,
and upon the written request of the Property Trustee, the Depositor shall for
such purpose join with the Property Trustee in the execution, delivery and
performance of all
39
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. If the Depositor does not join in such appointment within 15
days after the receipt by it of a request so to do, or in case a Debenture Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Property Trustee alone shall have
power to make such appointment. 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.
(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 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 Trustees specified hereunder, shall be exercised,
solely by such Trustees 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 or 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 8.9, and, in case a Debenture Event of Default has occurred
and is continuing, the Property Trustee shall have the 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
40
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.
SECTION 8.10 RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.
(a) No resignation or removal of any Trustee (the "Relevant Trustee") and
no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article VIII shall become
effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in
accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 8.11.
(b) Subject to the immediately preceding paragraph, the Relevant Trustee
may resign at any time with respect to the Trust Securities by giving written
notice thereof to the Securityholders. If the instrument of acceptance by the
successor Trustee required by Section 8.11 shall not have been delivered to the
Relevant Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation,
the Relevant Trustee may petition, at the expense of the Depositor, any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Relevant Trustee with
respect to the Trust Securities.
(c) Unless a Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, any Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the Common
Securityholder. If a Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, or both of them, may
be removed at such time by Act of the Holders of a majority in Liquidation
Amount of the Preferred Securities, delivered to the Relevant Trustee (in its
individual capacity and on behalf of the Trust). An Administrative Trustee may
be removed by the Common Securityholder at any time.
(d) If any Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting
as Trustee, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of any Trustee for any
cause, at a time when no Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, the Common Securityholder, by Act of the Common Securityholder
delivered to the retiring Trustee, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or
Trustees with respect to the Trust Securities and the Trust, and the successor
Trustee shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 8.11. If the
Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee shall resign, be removed or become
incapable of continuing to act as the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee,
as the case may be, at a time when a Debenture Event of Default shall have
occurred and is continuing, the Preferred Securityholders, by Act of the
Securityholders of a majority
41
in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities then Outstanding delivered to
the retiring Relevant Trustee, shall promptly appoint a successor Relevant
Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Trust Securities and the Trust, and such
successor Trustee shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 8.11.
If an Administrative Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of
acting as Administrative Trustee, at a time when a Debenture Event of Default
shall have occurred and be continuing, the Common Securityholder, by Act of the
Common Securityholder delivered to an Administrative Trustee, shall promptly
appoint a successor Administrative Trustee or Administrative Trustees with
respect to the Trust Securities and the Trust, and such successor Administrative
Trustee or Administrative Trustees shall comply with the applicable requirements
of Section 8.11. If no successor Relevant Trustee with respect to the Trust
Securities shall have been so appointed by the Common Securityholder or the
Preferred Securityholders and accepted appointment in the manner required by
Section 8.11, any Securityholder who has been a Securityholder of Trust
Securities on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated may petition a
court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a Relevant Trustee with
respect to the Trust Securities.
(e) The Property Trustee shall give notice of each resignation and each
removal of a Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all
Securityholders in the manner provided in Section 10.8 and shall give notice to
the Depositor. Each notice shall include the name of the successor 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 Administrative Trustee or a Delaware Trustee who is
a natural person dies or becomes, in the opinion of the Depositor, incompetent
or incapacitated, the vacancy created by such death, incompetence or incapacity
may be filled by (a) the unanimous act of remaining Administrative Trustees if
there are at least two of them; or (b) otherwise by the Depositor (with the
successor in each case being a Person who satisfies the eligibility requirement
for Administrative Trustees set forth in Section 8.7).
SECTION 8.11 ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Relevant Trustee
with respect to the Trust Securities and the Trust, the retiring Relevant
Trustee and each successor Relevant Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities
shall execute and deliver an instrument hereto wherein each successor Relevant
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 Relevant Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the
retiring Relevant Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities and the 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 Relevant Trustee, without any further act, deed
or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and
duties of the retiring Relevant Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities and
the Trust; but, on request of the Trust or any successor Relevant Trustee such
retiring Relevant Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such
successor
42
Relevant Trustee all Trust Property, all proceeds thereof and money held by such
retiring Relevant Trustee hereunder with respect to the Trust Securities and the
Trust.
(b) Upon request of any such successor Relevant Trustee, the Trust shall
execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and
confirming to such successor Relevant Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts
referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph, as the case may be.
(c) No successor Relevant Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at
the time of such acceptance such successor Relevant Trustee shall be qualified
and eligible under this Article VIII.
SECTION 8.12 MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO BUSINESS.
Any Person into which any relevant 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 corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust
business of such Relevant Trustee, shall be the successor of such Relevant
Trustee hereunder, provided 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 TRUST.
If and when the Property Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the
Depositor or the Trust (or any other obligor upon the Debentures or the Trust
Securities), the Property Trustee shall be subject to and shall take all actions
necessary in order to comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act
regarding the collection of claims against the Depositor or Trust (or any such
other obligor).
SECTION 8.14 REPORTS BY PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
(a) Not later than July 15 of each year commencing with July 15, 1998,
the Property Trustee shall transmit to all Securityholders in accordance with
Section 10.8, and to the Depositor, a brief report dated as of such December 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.
43
(b) In addition the Property Trustee shall transmit to Securityholders
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.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to
Holders, be filed by the Property Trustee with the American Stock Exchange, Inc.
and each national securities exchange or other organization upon which the Trust
Securities are listed, and also with the Commission and the Depositor.
SECTION 8.15 REPORTS TO THE PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
The Depositor and the Administrative Trustees on behalf of the Trust
shall provide to the Property Trustee such documents, reports and information as
required by Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act (if any) 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.
SECTION 8.16 EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.
Each of the Depositor and the Administrative Trustees on behalf of the
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.
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 8.17 NUMBER OF TRUSTEES.
(a) The number of Trustees shall be four, provided that the Holder of all
of the Common Securities by written instrument may increase or decrease the
number of Administrative Trustees. The Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee
may be the same Person.
(b) If a Trustee ceases to hold office for any reason and the number of
Administrative Trustees is not reduced pursuant to Section 8.17(a), or if the
number of Trustees is increased pursuant to Section 8.17(a), a vacancy shall
occur. The vacancy shall be filled with a Trustee appointed in accordance with
Section 8.10.
(c) The death, resignation, retirement, removal, bankruptcy, incompetence
or incapacity to perform the duties of a Trustee shall not operate to annul the
Trust. Whenever a vacancy in the number of Administrative Trustees shall occur,
until such vacancy is filled by the appointment of an Administrative Trustee in
accordance with Section 8.10, the Administrative Trustees in office, regardless
of their number (and notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement),
shall have all the powers granted to the Administrative Trustees and shall
discharge all the duties imposed upon the Administrative Trustees by this Trust
Agreement.
44
SECTION 8.18 DELEGATION OF POWER.
(a) Any Administrative Trustee 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); and
(b) The Administrative Trustees shall have power to delegate from time to
time to such of their number or to the Depositor the doing of such things and
the execution of such instruments either in the name of the Trust or the names
of the Administrative Trustees or otherwise as the Administrative Trustees may
deem expedient, to the extent such delegation is not prohibited by applicable
law or contrary to the provisions of the Trust, as set forth herein.
SECTION 8.19 VOTING.
Except as otherwise provided in this Trust Agreement, the consent or
approval of the Administrative Trustees shall require consent or approval by not
less than a majority of the Administrative Trustees, unless there are only two,
in which case both must consent.
ARTICLE IX
TERMINATION, LIQUIDATION AND MERGER
SECTION 9.1 TERMINATION UPON EXPIRATION DATE.
Unless earlier dissolved, the Trust shall automatically dissolve on,
December 31, 2028 (the "Expiration Date") subject to distribution of the Trust
Property in accordance with Section 9.4.
SECTION 9.2 EARLY TERMINATION.
The first to occur of any of the following events is an "Early
Termination Event":
(a) the occurrence of a Bankruptcy Event in respect of, or the
dissolution or liquidation of, the Depositor;
(b) delivery of written direction to the Property Trustee by the
Depositor at any time (which direction is wholly optional and within the
discretion of the Depositor) to dissolve the Trust and distribute the Debentures
to Securityholders in exchange for the Preferred Securities in accordance with
Section 9.4;
(c) the redemption of all of the Preferred Securities in connection with
the redemption of all of the Debentures; and
(d) an order for dissolution of the Trust shall have been entered by a
court of competent jurisdiction.
45
SECTION 9.3 TERMINATION.
The respective obligations and responsibilities of the Trustees and the
Trust created and continued hereby shall terminate upon the latest to occur of
the following: (a) the distribution by the Property Trustee to Securityholders
upon the liquidation of the Trust pursuant to Section 9.4, or upon the
redemption of all of the Trust Securities pursuant to Section 4.2, of all
amounts required to be distributed hereunder upon the final payment of the Trust
Securities; (b) the payment of any expenses owed by the Trust; (c) the discharge
of all administrative duties of the Administrative Trustees, including the
performance of any tax reporting obligations with respect to the Trust or the
Securityholders; and (d) the filing of a Certificate of Cancellation by the
Administrative Trustee under the 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 Trust shall be liquidated by
the Trustees as expeditiously as the Trustees determine to be possible by
distributing, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors of the Trust as
provided by applicable law, to each Securityholder a Like Amount of 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 30 nor more
than 60 days prior to the Liquidation Date to each Holder of Trust 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 shall no longer be deemed to be Outstanding and any Trust Securities
Certificates not surrendered for exchange shall be deemed to represent a Like
Amount of Debentures; and
(iii) provide such information with respect to the mechanics by
which Holders may exchange Trust Securities Certificates for Debentures, or, if
Section 9.4(d) applies, receive a Liquidation Distribution, as the
Administrative Trustees 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 Trust and distribution of the Debentures to Securityholders,
the Property Trustee shall establish a record date for such distribution (which
shall be not more than 45 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 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 shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding; (ii)
certificates representing a Like Amount
46
of Debentures shall be issued to holders of Trust Securities Certificates upon
surrender of such certificates to the Administrative Trustees or their agent for
exchange; (iii) the Depositor shall use its reasonable efforts to have the
Debentures listed on the American Stock Exchange or on such other securities
exchange or other organization as the Preferred Securities are then listed or
traded; (iv) any Trust Securities Certificates not so surrendered for exchange
shall be deemed to represent a Like Amount of Debentures, accruing interest at
the rate provided for in the Debentures from the last Distribution Date on which
a Distribution was made on such Trust Securities Certificates until such
certificates are so surrendered (and until such certificates are so surrendered,
no payments of interest or principal shall be made to holders of Trust
Securities Certificates with respect to such Debentures); and (v) all rights of
Securityholders holding Trust Securities shall cease, except the right of such
Securityholders to receive Debentures upon surrender of Trust Securities
Certificates.
(d) In the event that, 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 Debentures in the
manner provided herein is determined by the Property Trustee not to be
practical, the Trust Property shall be liquidated, and the Trust shall be
dissolved, wound-up or terminated, by the Property Trustee in such manner as the
Property Trustee determines. In such event, on the date of the dissolution,
winding-up or other termination of the Trust, Securityholders shall be entitled
to receive out of the assets of the Trust available for distribution to
Securityholders, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors of the Trust as
provided by applicable law, an amount equal to the Liquidation Amount per Trust
Security plus accumulated and unpaid Distributions thereon to the date of
payment (such amount being the "Liquidation Distribution"). If, upon any such
dissolution, winding- up or termination, the Liquidation Distribution can be
paid only in part because the 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 Trust on the Trust Securities
shall be paid on a pro rata basis (based upon Liquidation Amounts). The holder
of the Common Securities shall be entitled to receive Liquidation Distributions
upon any such dissolution, winding-up or termination 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.
SECTION 9.5 MERGERS, CONSOLIDATIONS, AMALGAMATIONS OR REPLACEMENTS OF THE
TRUST.
The 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 corporation or other Person, except pursuant
to this Section 9.5. At the request of the Depositor, with the consent of the
Administrative Trustees and without the consent of the holders of the Preferred
Securities, the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, the Trust may merge
with or into, consolidate, amalgamate, 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, that (i) such successor
entity either (a) expressly assumes all of the obligations of the Trust with
respect to the Preferred Securities; or (b) substitutes for the Preferred
Securities other securities having substantially the
47
same terms as the Preferred Securities (the "Successor Securities) so long as
the Successor Securities rank the same as the Preferred Securities rank in
priority with respect to distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption
and otherwise; (ii) the Depositor expressly appoints a trustee of such successor
entity possessing substantially the same powers and duties as the Property
Trustee as the holder of the Debentures; (iii) the Successor Securities are
listed or traded, or any Successor Securities shall be listed or traded upon
notification of issuance, on any national securities exchange or other
organization on which the Preferred Securities are then listed, if any; (iv)
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 Securities) in any
material respect; (v) prior to such merger, consolidation, amalgamation,
replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease, the Depositor has received an
Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (a) 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 Securities) in any material respect; and (b)
following such merger, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement, conveyance,
transfer or lease, neither the Trust nor such successor entity shall be required
to register as an "investment company" under the Investment Company Act; and
(vi) the Depositor owns all of the Common Securities of such successor entity
and guarantees the obligations of such successor entity under the Successor
Securities at least to the extent provided by the Guarantee. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the 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 Person or permit
any other Person to consolidate, amalgamate, merge with or into, or replace it
if such consolidation, amalgamation, merger or replacement would cause the Trust
or the successor entity to be classified as other than a grantor trust for
United States federal income tax purposes.
ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 10.1 LIMITATION OF RIGHTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS.
The death or incapacity of any Person having an interest, beneficial or
otherwise, in Trust Securities shall not operate to terminate this Trust
Agreement, nor entitle the legal representatives or heirs of such Person or any
Securityholder 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 Trustees
and the Depositor, without the consent of any Securityholders, (i) as provided
in Section 8.11 with respect to acceptance of appointment by a successor
Trustee; (ii) to cure any ambiguity, correct or
48
supplement any provision herein or therein which may be inconsistent with any
other provision herein or therein, or to make any other provisions with respect
to matters or questions arising under this Trust Agreement, that shall not be
inconsistent with the other provisions of this Trust Agreement; or (iii) to
modify, eliminate or add to any provisions of this Trust Agreement to such
extent as shall be necessary to ensure that the Trust shall be classified for
United States federal income tax purposes as a grantor trust at all times that
any Trust Securities are outstanding or to ensure that the Trust shall not be
required to register as an "investment company" under the Investment Company
Act; provided, however, that in the case of clause (ii), such action shall not
adversely affect in any material respect the interests of any Securityholder,
and any amendments of this Trust Agreement shall become effective when notice
thereof is given to the Securityholders.
(b) Except as provided in Section 6.1(c) or Section 10.2(c) hereof, any
provision of this Trust Agreement may be amended by the Trustees and the
Depositor (i) with the consent of Trust Securityholders representing not less
than a majority (based upon Liquidation Amounts) of the Trust Securities then
Outstanding; and (ii) upon receipt by the Trustees of an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that such amendment or the exercise of any power granted to the
Trustees in accordance with such amendment shall not affect the Trust's status
as a grantor trust for United States federal income tax purposes or the 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 Securityholder (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 Securityholder 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 Securityholders
(such consent being obtained in accordance with Section 6.3 or 6.6 hereof), this
paragraph (c) of this Section 10.2 may not be amended.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Trust Agreement, no
Trustee shall enter into or consent to any amendment to this Trust Agreement
which would cause the Trust to fail or cease to qualify for the exemption from
status of an "investment company" under the Investment Company Act or to fail or
cease to be classified as a grantor trust for United States federal income tax
purposes.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Trust Agreement to the contrary,
without the consent of the Depositor, this Trust Agreement may not be amended in
a manner which imposes any additional obligation on the Depositor.
(f) In the event that any amendment to this Trust Agreement is made, the
Administrative Trustees shall promptly provide to the Depositor a copy of such
amendment.
49
(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.
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.
SECTION 10.4 GOVERNING LAW.
THIS TRUST AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF EACH OF THE
SECURITYHOLDERS, THE TRUST AND THE TRUSTEES 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 CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES
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 which is a Business Day (except as
otherwise provided in Sections 4.1(a) and 4.2(d)), with the same force and
effect as though made on the date fixed for such payment, and no distribution
shall accumulate thereon 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 Trust or the Relevant Trustee(s),
including any successor by operation of law. Except in connection with a
consolidation, merger or sale involving the Depositor that is permitted under
Article XII 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.
50
SECTION 10.8 REPORTS, NOTICES AND DEMANDS.
Any report, 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 any Securityholder 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, (a) in the case of
a Preferred Securityholder, to such Preferred Securityholder as such
Securityholder's name and address may appear on the Securities Register; and (b)
in the case of the Common Securityholder or the Depositor, to Premier
Bancshares, Inc., ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer. Any notice to Preferred Securityholders shall also be given to such
owners as have, within two years preceding the giving of such notice, filed
their names and addresses with the Property Trustee for that purpose. Such
notice, demand or other communication to or upon a Securityholder shall be
deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all purposes, upon hand
delivery, mailing or transmission.
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
Trust, the Property Trustee or the Administrative Trustees shall be given in
writing addressed (until another address is published by the Trust) as follows:
(a) with respect to the Property Trustee to State Street Bank and Trust Company,
Corporate Services Division, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Vice President; (b) with respect
to the Delaware Trustee, to Wilmington Trust Company, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Square North, ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: Corporate Trust
Administration; and (c) with respect to the Administrative Trustees, to them at
the address above for notices to the Depositor, marked "Attention:
Administrative Trustees of Capital Trust." Such notice, demand or other
communication to or upon the Trust or the Property Trustee shall be deemed to
have been sufficiently given or made only upon actual receipt of the writing by
the Trust or the Property Trustee.
SECTION 10.9 AGREEMENT NOT TO PETITION.
Each of the Trustees and the Depositor agree for the benefit of the
Securityholders that, until at least one year and 1 day after the Trust has been
terminated in accordance with Article IX, they shall not file, or join in the
filing of, a petition against the Trust under any bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other similar law (including, without limitation, the United
States Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as amended) (collectively, "Bankruptcy Laws") or
otherwise join in the commencement of any proceeding against the 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 Securityholders,
that at the expense of the Depositor (which expense shall be paid prior to the
filing), it shall file an answer with the bankruptcy court or otherwise properly
contest the filing of such petition by the Depositor against the 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 stopped and precluded
therefrom. The provisions of this Section 10.9 shall survive the termination of
this Trust Agreement.
51
SECTION 10.10 TRUST INDENTURE ACT; CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
(a) This Trust Agreement is subject to the provisions of the Trust
Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Trust Agreement and shall, to
the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.
(b) The Property Trustee shall be the only Trustee which is a trustee for
the purposes of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with another
provision hereof which is required to be included in this Trust Agreement by any
of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, such required provision shall
control. If any provision of this Trust Agreement modifies or excludes any
provision of the Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the
latter provision shall be deemed to apply to this Trust Agreement as so modified
or to be excluded, as the case may be.
(d) The application of the Trust Indenture Act to this Trust Agreement
shall not affect the nature of the Securities as equity securities representing
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust.
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 SECURITYHOLDER OR ANY BENEFICIAL OWNER, WITHOUT ANY SIGNATURE
OR FURTHER MANIFESTATION OF ASSENT, SHALL CONSTITUTE THE UNCONDITIONAL
ACCEPTANCE BY THE SECURITYHOLDER AND ALL OTHERS HAVING A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN
SUCH TRUST SECURITY OF ALL THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST AGREEMENT AND
AGREEMENT TO THE SUBORDINATION PROVISIONS AND OTHER TERMS OF THE GUARANTEE AND
THE INDENTURE, AND SHALL CONSTITUTE THE AGREEMENT OF THE TRUST, SUCH
SECURITYHOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS THAT THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST
AGREEMENT SHALL BE BINDING, OPERATIVE AND EFFECTIVE AS BETWEEN THE TRUST AND
SUCH SECURITYHOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS.
52
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amended and
Restated Trust Agreement to be duly executed, and their respective corporate
seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, as applicable, all as of the day and
year first above written.
PREMIER BANCSHARES, INC.
By:
---------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer
Attest:
---------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Secretary
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY, as Property Trustee
By:
-------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Vice President
Attest:
[BANK SEAL]
---------------------------------
Name:
----------------------------
Its:
----------------------------
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, as Delaware
Trustee
By:
-------------------------------------
Name:
--------------------------------
Title:
-------------------------------
Attest:
[CORPORATE SEAL]
---------------------------------
Name:
----------------------------
Its:
----------------------------
53
---------------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, As Administrative Trustee
---------------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, As Administrative Trustee
54
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF TRUST
OF
PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST I
THIS CERTIFICATE OF TRUST OF PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST I (the "Trust") is
being duly executed and filed by Wilmington Trust Company, a Delaware banking
corporation, and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, each an individual, as
trustees, to form a business trust under the Delaware Business Trust Act (12
Del. C. Section 3801 et seq.).
1. NAME. The name of the business trust formed hereby is Premier Capital
Trust I.
2. DELAWARE TRUSTEE. The name and business address of the trustee of the
Trust in the State of Delaware is Wilmington Trust Company, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Square
North, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇,
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration.
3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Certificate of Trust shall be effective on October
21, 1997.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being the sole trustees of the
Trust, have executed this Certificate of Trust as of the effective date above
written.
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee
By:
----------------------------------------
Name:
-----------------------------------
Title:
----------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, as Trustee
------------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, as Trustee
EXHIBIT B
THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT TO THE DEPOSITOR OR AN AFILIATE OF
THE DEPOSITOR IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW AND SECTION 5.11 OF THE TRUST
AGREEMENT
CERTIFICATE NUMBER C-1 NUMBER OF COMMON SECURITIES ________
($_______ Aggregate Liquidation Amount)
CERTIFICATE EVIDENCING COMMON SECURITIES
OF
PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST I
_____% COMMON SECURITIES
(LIQUIDATION AMOUNT $25 PER COMMON SECURITY)
PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST, a statutory business trust created under the laws
of the State of Delaware (the "Trust"), hereby certifies that PREMIER
BANCSHARES, INC. (the "Holder") is the registered owner of
_________________________ (_______) common securities of the Trust representing
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust and designated the
Common Securities (liquidation amount $25 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 thereof 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 Trust dated as of November 13, 1997, as the same may be amended from time
to time (the "Trust Agreement") among Premier Bancshares, Inc., as Depositor,
State Street Bank and Trust company, as Property Trustee, Wilmington Trust
Company, as Delaware Trustee and the Holders of the Trust Securities, including
the designation of the terms of the Common Securities as set forth therein. The
Trust will furnish a copy of the Trust Agreement to the Holder without charge
upon written request to the Trust at its principal place of business or
registered office.
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 meaning set forth in the Trust Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, one of the Administrative Trustees of the Trust has
executed this certificate this 13th day of November, 1997.
PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST I
By:
---------------------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Administrative Trustee
COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED:
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY, as Securities Registrar
By:
-----------------------------
Authorized Signatory
2
EXHIBIT C
AGREEMENT AS TO EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES
AGREEMENT AS TO EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES (this "Agreement") dated as of
November ___, 1997, between PREMIER BANCSHARES, INC., a Georgia corporation (the
"Company"), and PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST I, a Delaware business trust (the
"Trust").
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Trust intends to issue its common securities (the "Common
Securities") to, and receive Debentures from, the Company and to issue and sell
Premier Capital Trust I __% Cumulative Trust Preferred Securities (the
"Preferred Securities") with such powers, preferences and special rights and
restrictions as are set forth in the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of the
Trust dated as of November __, 1997, as the same may be amended from time to
time (the "Trust Agreement");
WHEREAS, the Company shall directly or indirectly own all of the Common
Securities of the Trust and shall issue the Debentures;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each holder of the
Preferred Securities, which purchase the Company hereby agrees shall benefit the
Company and which purchase the Company acknowledges shall be made in reliance
upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company, including in its
capacity as holder of the Common Securities, and the Trust hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
SECTION 1.1 GUARANTEE BY THE COMPANY.
Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Company, including in its
capacity as holder of the Common Securities, hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally guarantees to each person or entity to whom the Trust is now or
hereafter becomes indebted or liable (the "Beneficiaries") the full payment when
and as due, of any and all Obligations (as hereinafter defined) to such
Beneficiaries. As used herein, "Obligations" means any costs, expenses or
liabilities of the Trust other than obligations of the Trust to pay to holders
of any Preferred Securities or other similar interests in the Trust the amounts
due such holders pursuant to the terms of the Preferred Securities or such other
similar interests, as the case may be. This Agreement is intended to be for the
benefit of, and to be enforceable by, all such Beneficiaries, whether or not
such Beneficiaries have received notice hereof.
SECTION 1.2 TERM OF AGREEMENT.
This Agreement shall terminate and be of no further force and effect upon
the later of (a) the date on which full payment has been made of all amounts
payable to all holders of all the Preferred Securities (whether upon redemption,
liquidation, exchange or otherwise); and (b) the date on which there are no
Beneficiaries remaining; provided, however, that this Agreement shall continue
to be effective or shall be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any
holder of Preferred Securities or any Beneficiary must restore payment of any
sums paid under the Preferred Securities, under any obligation, under the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Agreement dated the date hereof by Company and
State Street Bank and Trust Company, as guarantee trustee, or under this
Agreement for any reason whatsoever. This Agreement is continuing, irrevocable,
unconditional and absolute.
SECTION 1.3 WAIVER OF NOTICE.
The Company hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Agreement and of
any obligation to which it applies or may apply, and Company hereby waives
presentment, demand for payment, protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of
dishonor, notice of redemption and all other notices and demands.
SECTION 1.4 NO IMPAIRMENT.
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Company under
this Agreement shall in no way be affected or impaired by reason of the
happening from time to time of any of the following:
(a) the extension of time for the payment by the Trust of all or any
portion of the obligations or for the performance of any other obligation under,
arising out of, or in connection with, the obligations;
(b) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of the
Beneficiaries to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or
remedy conferred on the Beneficiaries with respect to the obligations or any
action on the part of the Trust granting indulgence or extension of any kind; or
(c) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of any
collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of
creditors, reorganization, arrangement composition or readjustment of debt of,
or other similar proceedings affecting, the Trust or any of the assets of the
Trust.
There shall be no obligation of the Beneficiaries to give notice to, or
obtain the consent of, the Company with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.
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SECTION 1.5 ENFORCEMENT.
A Beneficiary may enforce this Agreement directly against the Company,
and the Company waives any right or remedy to require that any action be brought
against the Trust or any other person or entity before proceeding against the
Company.
ARTICLE II
SECTION 2.1 BINDING EFFECT.
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Agreement shall bind the
successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and representatives of the Company and
shall inure to the benefit of the Beneficiaries.
SECTION 2.2 AMENDMENT.
So long as there remains any Beneficiary or any Preferred Securities of
any series are outstanding, this Agreement shall not be modified or amended in
any manner adverse to such Beneficiary or to the holders of the Preferred
Securities.
SECTION 2.3 NOTICES.
Any notice, request or other communication required or permitted to be
given hereunder shall be given in writing by delivering the same by facsimile
transmission (confirmed by mail), telex, or by registered or certified mail,
addressed as follows (and if so given, shall be deemed given when mailed or upon
receipt of an answerback, if sent by telex):
Premier Bancshares, Inc.
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Facsimile No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Premier Capital Trust I
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Facsimile No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
SECTION 2.4 This agreement shall be governed by and construed and
interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia (without regard
to conflict of laws principles).
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THIS AGREEMENT is executed as of the day and year first above written.
PREMIER BANCSHARES, INC.
By:
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
PREMIER CAPITAL TRUST
By:
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Administrative Trustee
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