EXHIBIT 4.2
EXECUTION COPY
ECONOPHONE, INC.,
Issuer
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
Trustee
Indenture
Dated as of February 18, 1998
11% Senior Discount Notes Due 2008
CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
TIA Sections Indenture Sections
------------ ------------------
Section 310(a)(1).................................. 7.10
(a)(2).................................. 7.10
(b)..................................... 7.08
Section 312(a)..................................... 2.03
Section 313(c)..................................... 7.06; 11.02
Section 314(a)..................................... 4.17; 11.02
(a)(4).................................. 4.17; 11.02
(b)..................................... 10.01
(c)(1).................................. 11.03
(c)(2).................................. 11.03
(d)..................................... 10.01
(e)..................................... 11.04
Section 315(b)..................................... 7.05; 11.02
(e)..................................... 6.11
Section 316(a)(1)(A)............................... 6.05
(a)(1)(B)............................... 6.04
(b)..................................... 6.07
(c)..................................... 9.03
Section 317(a)(1).................................. 6.08
(a)(2).................................. 6.09
(b)..................................... 2.05
Section 318(a)..................................... 11.01
(c)..................................... 11.01
Note: The Cross-Reference Table shall not for any purpose be deemed to
be a part of the Indenture.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS(2)
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(2)Note: The Table of Contents shall not for any purposes be deemed to be a
part of the Indenture
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
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SECTION 1.01. Definitions.......................................... 1
SECTION 1.02. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.... 24
SECTION 1.03. Rules of Construction................................ 24
ARTICLE TWO
THE NOTES
SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating....................................... 25
SECTION 2.02. Restrictive Legends................................... 26
SECTION 2.03. Execution, Authentication and Denominations........... 28
SECTION 2.04. Registrar and Paying Agent............................ 29
SECTION 2.05. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust................... 30
SECTION 2.06. Transfer and Exchange................................. 30
SECTION 2.07. Book-Entry Provisions for Global Notes................ 31
SECTION 2.08. Special Transfer Provisions........................... 33
SECTION 2.09. Replacement Notes..................................... 36
SECTION 2.10. Outstanding Notes..................................... 37
SECTION 2.11. Temporary Notes....................................... 37
SECTION 2.12. Cancellation.......................................... 38
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP Numbers......................................... 38
SECTION 2.14. Defaulted Interest.................................... 38
SECTION 2.15. Issuance of Additional Notes.......................... 39
ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01. Right of Redemption................................... 39
SECTION 3.02. Notices to Trustee.................................... 39
SECTION 3.03. Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed..................... 40
SECTION 3.04. Notice of Redemption.................................. 40
SECTION 3.05. Effect of Notice of Redemption........................ 41
SECTION 3.06. Deposit of Redemption Price........................... 41
SECTION 3.07. Payment of Notes Called for Redemption................ 42
SECTION 3.08. Notes Redeemed in Part................................ 42
ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
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SECTION 4.01. Payment of Notes..................................... 42
SECTION 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency...................... 43
SECTION 4.03. Limitation on Indebtedness........................... 43
SECTION 4.04. Limitation on Restricted Payments.................... 46
SECTION 4.05. Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions
Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries.................... 50
SECTION 4.06. Limitation on the Issuance and Sale of Capital Stock
of Restricted Subsidiaries........................... 52
SECTION 4.07. Limitation on Issuances of Guarantees by Restricted
Subsidiaries......................................... 53
SECTION 4.08. Limitation on Transactions with Shareholders and
Affiliates........................................... 53
SECTION 4.09. Limitation on Liens.................................. 54
SECTION 4.10. Limitation on Sale-Leaseback Transactions............ 55
SECTION 4.11. Limitation on Asset Sales............................ 56
SECTION 4.12. Repurchase of Notes upon a Change of Control......... 57
SECTION 4.13. Existence............................................ 57
SECTION 4.14. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims.................... 58
SECTION 4.15. Maintenance of Properties and Insurance.............. 58
SECTION 4.16. Compliance Certificates.............................. 58
SECTION 4.17. Commission Reports and Reports to Holders............ 59
SECTION 4.18. Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws.............. 59
SECTION 4.19. Calculation of Original Issue Discount............... 59
ARTICLE FIVE
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 5.01. When Company May Merge, Etc. ........................ 60
SECTION 5.02. Successor Substituted................................ 61
ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. Events of Default.................................... 61
SECTION 6.02. Acceleration......................................... 63
SECTION 6.03. Other Remedies....................................... 63
SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Past Defaults.............................. 64
SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority.................................. 64
SECTION 6.06. Limitation on Suits.................................. 64
SECTION 6.07. Rights of Holders to Receive Payment................. 65
SECTION 6.08. Collection Suit by Trustee........................... 65
SECTION 6.09. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim..................... 65
SECTION 6.10. Priorities........................................... 66
SECTION 6.11. Undertaking for Costs................................ 66
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SECTION 6.12. Restoration of Rights and Remedies................... 66
SECTION 6.13. Rights and Remedies Cumulative....................... 67
SECTION 6.14. Delay or Omission Not Waiver......................... 67
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. General.............................................. 67
SECTION 7.02. Certain Rights of Trustee............................ 67
SECTION 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee......................... 69
SECTION 7.04. Trustee's Disclaimer................................. 69
SECTION 7.05. Notice of Default.................................... 69
SECTION 7.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders........................ 69
SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity........................... 69
SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee............................... 70
SECTION 7.09. Successor Trustee by ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Etc. ................... 71
SECTION 7.10. Eligibility.......................................... 71
SECTION 7.11. Money Held in Trust.................................. 72
SECTION 7.12. Withholding Taxes.................................... 72
ARTICLE EIGHT
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 8.01. Termination of Company's Obligations................. 72
SECTION 8.02. Defeasance and Discharge of Indenture................ 73
SECTION 8.03. Defeasance of Certain Obligations.................... 75
SECTION 8.04. Application of Trust Money........................... 77
SECTION 8.05. Repayment to Company................................. 77
SECTION 8.06. Reinstatement........................................ 77
ARTICLE NINE
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Holders........................... 78
SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Holders.............................. 78
SECTION 9.03. Revocation and Effect of Consent..................... 80
SECTION 9.04. Notation on or Exchange of Notes..................... 80
SECTION 9.05. Trustee to Sign Amendments, Etc. .................... 80
SECTION 9.06. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act.................. 81
ARTICLE TEN
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]
ARTICLE ELEVEN
MISCELLANEOUS
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SECTION 11.01. Trust Indenture Act of 1939......................... 81
SECTION 11.02. Notices............................................. 81
SECTION 11.03. Certificate and Opinion As to Conditions Precedent.. 83
SECTION 11.04. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion....... 83
SECTION 11.05. Acts of Holders..................................... 83
SECTION 11.06. Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent or Registrar......... 84
SECTION 11.07. Payment Date Other Than a Business Day.............. 84
SECTION 11.08. Governing Law....................................... 85
SECTION 11.09. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements....... 85
SECTION 11.10. No Recourse Against Others.......................... 85
SECTION 11.11. Successors.......................................... 85
SECTION 11.12. Duplicate Originals................................. 85
SECTION 11.13. Separability........................................ 85
SECTION 11.14. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. .................. 85
EXHIBIT A Form of Note
EXHIBIT B Form of Certificate
EXHIBIT C Form of Certificate to Be Delivered in Connection with Transfers to
Non-QIB Accredited Investors
EXHIBIT D Form of Certificate to Be Delivered in Connection with Transfers
Pursuant to Regulation S
INDENTURE, dated as of February 18, 1998, between ECONOPHONE, INC.,
a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and The Bank of New York, a New York
banking corporation, as trustee (the "Trustee").
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this
Indenture to provide for the issuance initially of up to $300,000,000
aggregate principal amount at maturity of the Company's 11% Senior Discount
Notes Due 2008 (the "Notes") issuable as provided in this Indenture.
Pursuant to the terms of a Placement Agreement, dated February 12, 1998,
between the Company and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated, as placement agent
(the "Placement Agreement"), the Company has agreed to issue and sell the
Notes. All things necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the
Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done, and the Company has
done all things necessary to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and
authenticated and delivered by the Trustee hereunder and duly issued by the
Company, the valid obligations of the Company as hereinafter provided.
This Indenture is subject to, and shall be governed by, the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, that are required
to be a part of and to govern indentures qualified under the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939, as amended.
AND THIS INDENTURE FURTHER WITNESSETH
For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the
Notes by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the
equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders, as follows:
ARTICLE ONE
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. Definitions.
"Accreted Value" means, for any Specified Date, the amount provided
below for each $1,000 principal amount at maturity of Notes:
(i) if the Specified Date occurs on one of the following dates
(each a "Semi-Annual Accrual Date"), the Accreted Value will equal the
amount set forth below for such Semi-Annual Accrual Date:
Semi-Annual Accrual Date Accreted Value
------------------------ ----------------
August 15, 1998 $ 617.62
February 15, 1999 $ 651.59
August 15, 1999 $ 687.43
February 15, 2000 $ 725.24
August 15, 2000 $ 765.13
February 15, 2001 $ 807.21
August 15, 2001 $ 851.61
February 15, 2002 $ 898.45
August 15, 2002 $ 947.86
February 15, 2003 $1,000.00
(ii) if the Specified Date occurs before the first Semi-Annual
Accrual Date, the Accreted Value will equal the sum of (a) $585.95 and
(b) an amount equal to the product of (1) the Accreted Value for the
First Semi-Annual Accrual Date less $585.95 multiplied by (2) a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days from the Closing
Date to the Specified Date, using a 360-day year of twelve 30-day
months, and the denominator of which is the number of days from the
Closing Date to the first Semi-Annual Accrual Date, using a 360-day year
of twelve 30-day months;
(iii) if the Specified Date occurs between two Semi-Annual Accrual
Dates, the Accreted Value will equal the sum of (a) the Accreted Value
for the Semi-Annual Accrual Date immediately preceding such Specified
Date and (b) an amount equal to the product of (1) the Accreted Value
for the immediately following Semi-Annual Accrual Date less the Accreted
Value for the immediately preceding Semi-Annual Accrual Date multiplied
by (2) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days from the
immediately preceding Semi-Annual Accrual Date to the Specified Date,
using a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months, and the denominator of
which is 180; or
(iv) if the Specified Date occurs after the last Semi-Annual
Accrual Date, the Accreted Value will equal $1,000.
"Acquired Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of a Person existing at
the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is merged into or
consolidated with a Restricted Subsidiary or assumed in connection with an
Asset Acquisition by a Restricted Subsidiary, whether or not Incurred in
connection with, or in anticipation of, such Person becoming a Restricted
Subsidiary or such Asset Acquisition; provided that Indebtedness of such
Person which is redeemed, defeased, retired or otherwise repaid at the time
of or immediately upon consummation of the transactions by which such Person
becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or such Asset Acquisition shall not be
Acquired Indebtedness.
"Adjusted Consolidated Net Income" means, for any period, the
aggregate net income (or loss) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries
for such period determined in conformity with GAAP; provided that the
following items shall be excluded in computing Adjusted Consolidated Net
Income (without duplication): (i) the net income (or loss) of any Person
that is not a Restricted Subsidiary, except (x) with respect to net income,
to the extent of the amount of dividends or other distributions actually paid
to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries by such Person during
such period and (y) with respect to net losses, to the extent of the amount
of Investments made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in such
Person during such period; (ii) solely for the purposes of calculating the
amount of Restricted Payments that may be made pursuant to clause (C) of the
first paragraph of Section 4.04 (and in such case, except to the extent
includable pursuant to clause (i) above), the net income (or loss) of any
Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or is
merged into or consolidated with the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries or all or substantially all of the property and assets of such
Person are acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(iii) the net income of any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent that the
declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such
Restricted Subsidiary of such net income is not at the time permitted by the
operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment,
decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to such
Restricted Subsidiary; (iv) any gains or losses (on an after tax basis)
attributable to Asset Sales; (v) except for purposes of calculating the
amount of Restricted Payments that may be made pursuant to clause (C) of the
first paragraph of Section 4.04, any amount paid or accrued as dividends on
Preferred Stock of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary owned by Persons
other than the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; (vi) all
extraordinary gains and extraordinary losses; and (vii) any compensation
expense paid or payable solely with Capital Stock (other than Disqualified
Stock) of the Company or any options, warrants or other rights to acquire
Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company.
"Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means the total amount
of assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (less applicable
depreciation, amortization and other valuation reserves), except to the
extent resulting from write-ups of capital assets (excluding write-ups in
connection with accounting for acquisitions in conformity with GAAP), after
deducting therefrom (i) all current liabilities of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding intercompany items) and (ii) all goodwill,
trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and expense and
other like intangibles, all as set forth on the most recent quarterly or
annual consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries, prepared in conformity with GAAP and filed with the Commission
or provided to the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.17.
"Affiliate" means, as applied to any Person, any other Person
directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under direct or
indirect common control with, such Person. For purposes of this definition,
"control" (including, with correlative meanings, the terms "controlling,"
"controlled by" and "under common control with"), as applied to any Person,
means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause
the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through
the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
"Agent" means any Registrar, Paying Agent, authenticating agent or
co-Registrar.
"Agent Members" has the meaning provided in Section 2.07(a).
"Asset Acquisition" means (i) an investment by the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries in any other Person pursuant to which such
Person shall become a Restricted Subsidiary or shall be merged into or
consolidated with the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; provided
that such Person's primary business is related, ancillary or complementary to
the businesses of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of
such investment or (ii) an acquisition by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries of the property and assets of any Person other than
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that constitutes
substantially all of a division or line of business of such Person; provided
that the property and assets acquired are related, ancillary or complementary
to the businesses of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date
of such acquisition.
"Asset Disposition" means the sale or other disposition by the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than to the Company or
another Restricted Subsidiary) of (i) all or substantially all of the Capital
Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company or (ii) all or
substantially all of the assets that constitute a division or line of
business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
"Asset Sale" means any sale, transfer or other disposition
(including by way of merger, consolidation or sale-leaseback transaction but
excluding any Lien granted in compliance with Section 4.09) in one
transaction or a series of related transactions by the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to any Person other than the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries of (i) all or any of the Capital Stock of any
Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) all or substantially all of the property and
assets of an operating unit or business of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries or (iii) any other property and assets (other than
the Capital Stock of, or other Investment in, an Unrestricted Subsidiary) of
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries outside the ordinary course
of business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary and, in each case,
that is not (A) a Restricted Payment permitted under Section 4.04 or (B)
governed by the provisions of this Indenture applicable to mergers,
consolidations and sales of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company; provided that "Asset Sale" shall not include (a) sales or other
dispositions of inventory, receivables and other
current assets, (b) sales or other dispositions of assets or the issuance of
any Capital Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary or Permitted Joint Venture for
consideration at least equal to the fair market value of the assets sold or
disposed of; provided that the consideration received would constitute
property or assets of the kind described in clause (B) of Section 4.11,
including consideration that consists of technology, licenses or expertise
useful in the business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, (c)
sales or other dispositions of obsolete or outdated equipment; provided that
each such sale or other disposition or series of such sales or such other
dispositions shall not involve assets that are material to the business of
the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and (d) sales
or other dispositions during any 12-month period of assets with an aggregate
fair market value not in excess of $1.0 million.
"Attributable Indebtedness" means, when used in connection with a
sale-leaseback transaction referred to in Section 4.10, at any date of
determination, the product of (i) the net proceeds from such sale-leaseback
transaction and (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full
years of the term of the lease relating to the property involved in such
sale-leaseback transaction (without regard to any options to renew or extend
such term) remaining at the date of the making of such computation and the
denominator of which is the number of full years of the term of such lease
(without regard to any options to renew or extend such term) measured from
the first day of such term.
"Average Life" means, at any date of determination with respect to
any debt security, the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of the
products of (a) the number of years from such date of determination to the
dates of each successive scheduled principal payment of such debt security
and (b) the amount of such principal payment by (ii) the sum of all such
principal payments.
"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the Company or
any committee of such Board of Directors duly authorized to act under this
Indenture.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution, certified by the
Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors
and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and
delivered to the Trustee.
"Business Day" means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day
on which commercial banks in The City of New York, or in the city of the
Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, are authorized by law to close.
"Capital Stock" means, with respect to any Person, any and all
shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated,
whether voting or non-voting) in equity of such Person, whether outstanding
on the Closing Date or issued thereafter, including, without limitation, all
Common Stock and Preferred Stock.
"Capitalized Lease" means, as applied to any Person, any lease of
any property (whether real, personal or mixed) of which the discounted
present value of the rental obligations
of such Person as lessee, in conformity with GAAP, is required to be
capitalized on the balance sheet of such Person.
"Capitalized Lease Obligations" means the discounted present value
of the rental obligations under a Capitalized Lease.
"Change of Control" means such time as (i) (a) prior to the
occurrence of a Public Market, a "person" or "group" (within the meaning of
Section 13(d) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) becomes the ultimate
"beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of
Voting Stock representing a greater percentage of the total voting power of
the Voting Stock of the Company, on a fully diluted basis, than is held by
the Existing Stockholders and their Affiliates on such date and (b) after the
occurrence of a Public Market, a "person" or "group" (within the meaning of
Section 13(d) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) becomes the ultimate
"beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of more
than 35% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company on a
fully diluted basis and such ownership represents a greater percentage of the
total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company, on a fully diluted
basis, than is held by the Existing Stockholders and their Affiliates on such
date; or (ii) individuals who on the Closing Date constitute the Board of
Directors (together with any new directors whose election to the Board of
Directors, or whose nomination for election by the Company's stockholders,
was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the Board of
Directors then in office who either were members of the Board of Directors on
the Closing Date or whose election or nomination for election was previously
so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the members of
the Board of Directors then in office.
"Closing Date" means the date on which the Notes are originally
issued under this Indenture.
"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 TIA, then the body
performing such duties at such time.
"Common Stock" means, with respect to any Person, any and all
shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated,
whether voting or non-voting) of such Person's equity, other than Preferred
Stock of such Person, whether outstanding on the Closing Date or issued
thereafter, including, without limitation, all series and classes of such
common stock.
"Company" means the party named as such in this Indenture until a
successor replaces it pursuant to Article Five of this Indenture and,
thereafter, means the successor.
"Company Order" means a written request or order signed in the name
of the Company (i) by its Chairman, a Vice Chairman, its President or a Vice
President and (ii) by its Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, its Secretary or
an Assistant Secretary and delivered to the
Trustee; provided, however, that such written request or order may be signed
by any two of the Persons listed in clause (i) above in lieu of being signed
by one of such Persons listed in such clause (i) and one of the officers
listed in clause (ii) above.
"Consolidated EBITDA" means, for any period, the sum of the amounts
for such period of (i) Adjusted Consolidated Net Income, (ii) Consolidated
Interest Expense, to the extent such amount was deducted in calculating
Adjusted Consolidated Net Income, (iii) income taxes, to the extent such
amount was deducted in calculating Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (other
than income taxes (either positive or negative) attributable to extraordinary
and non-recurring gains or losses or sales of assets), (iv) depreciation
expense, to the extent such amount was deducted in calculating Adjusted
Consolidated Net Income, (v) amortization expense, to the extent such amount
was deducted in calculating Adjusted Consolidated Net Income, and (vi) all
other non-cash items reducing Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (other than
items that will require cash payments and for which an accrual or reserve is,
or is required by GAAP to be, made), less all non-cash items increasing
Adjusted Consolidated Net Income, all as determined on a consolidated basis
for the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in conformity with GAAP;
provided that, if any Restricted Subsidiary is not a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary, Consolidated EBITDA shall be reduced (to the extent not otherwise
reduced in accordance with GAAP) by an amount equal to (A) the amount of the
Adjusted Consolidated Net Income attributable to such Restricted Subsidiary
multiplied by (B) the quotient of (1) the number of shares of outstanding
Common Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary not owned on the last day of such
period by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries divided by (2)
the total number of shares of outstanding Common Stock of such Restricted
Subsidiary on the last day of such period.
"Consolidated Interest Expense" means, for any period, the
aggregate amount of interest in respect of Indebtedness (including, without
limitation, amortization of original issue discount on any Indebtedness and
the interest portion of any deferred payment obligation, calculated in
accordance with the effective interest method of accounting; all commissions,
discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit
and bankers' acceptance financing; the net costs associated with Interest
Rate Agreements; and Indebtedness that is Guaranteed or secured by the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries) and the interest component of
Capitalized Lease Obligations paid, accrued or scheduled to be paid or to be
accrued by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries during such period;
excluding, however, (i) any amount of such interest of any Restricted
Subsidiary, if the net income of such Restricted Subsidiary is excluded in
the calculation of Adjusted Consolidated Net Income pursuant to clause (iii)
of the definition thereof (but only in the same proportion as the net income
of such Restricted Subsidiary is excluded from the calculation of Adjusted
Consolidated Net Income pursuant to clause (iii) of the definition thereof)
and (ii) any premiums, fees and expenses (and any amortization thereof)
payable in connection with the offering of the Notes, all as determined on a
consolidated basis (without taking into account Unrestricted Subsidiaries) in
conformity with GAAP.
"Consolidated Leverage Ratio" means, on any Transaction Date, the
ratio of (i) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries on a
consolidated basis outstanding on such Transaction Date to (ii) the aggregate
amount of Consolidated EBITDA for the then most recent four fiscal quarters
for which financial statements of the Company have been filed with the
Commission pursuant to Section 4.17, or, with respect to quarters for which
no reports are required to be filed, for which such financial statements are
then available, as determined by the Company (such four fiscal quarter period
being the "Four Quarter Period"); provided that (A) (x) pro forma effect
shall be given to any Indebtedness (including, if applicable, the Notes)
Incurred during such Four Quarter Period or subsequent to the end of such
Four Quarter Period and on or prior to the Transaction Date, in each case as
if such Indebtedness had been Incurred, and the proceeds thereof had been
applied, on the first day of such Four Quarter Period and (y) pro forma
effect shall be given to any Indebtedness that was outstanding during such
Four Quarter Period or thereafter but that is not outstanding or is to be
repaid, defeased or satisfied on the Transaction Date, as if such
Indebtedness had been repaid, defeased or satisfied on the first day of the
Four Quarter Period; (B) pro forma effect shall be given to Asset
Dispositions and Asset Acquisitions (including giving pro forma effect to the
application of proceeds of any Asset Disposition) that occur during the
period beginning on the first day of such Four Quarter Period and ending on
the Transaction Date (the "Reference Period"), as if they had occurred and
such proceeds had been applied on the first day of such Reference Period; and
(C) pro forma effect shall be given to asset dispositions and asset
acquisitions (including giving pro forma effect to the application of
proceeds of any asset disposition) that have been made by any Person that has
become a Restricted Subsidiary or has been merged with or into, or
consolidated with, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary during such
Reference Period and that would have constituted Asset Dispositions or Asset
Acquisitions had such transactions occurred when such Person was a Restricted
Subsidiary as if such asset dispositions or asset acquisitions were Asset
Dispositions or Asset Acquisitions that occurred on the first day of such
Reference Period; provided that to the extent that clause (B) or (C) of this
sentence requires that pro forma effect be given to an Asset Acquisition or
Asset Disposition, such pro forma calculation shall be based upon the four
full fiscal quarters immediately preceding the Transaction Date of the
Person, or division or line of business of the Person, that is acquired or
disposed of, for which financial information is available.
"Consolidated Net Tangible Assets" means the total book value of
the assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries (less applicable
depreciation, amortization and other valuation reserves) after deducting
therefrom (i) all current liabilities of the Company and its consolidated
Restricted Subsidiaries (excluding intercompany items) and (ii) all goodwill,
trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and expense and
other like intangibles, all as set forth on the most recently available
consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated Restricted
Subsidiaries, prepared in conformity with GAAP.
"Consolidated Net Worth" means, at any date of determination,
stockholders' equity as set forth on the most recently available quarterly or
annual consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries (which shall be as of a date not more than 90 days prior to the
date of such computation, and which shall not take into account Unrestricted
Subsidiaries), less any amounts attributable to Disqualified Stock or any
equity security convertible into or exchangeable for Indebtedness, the cost
of treasury stock and the principal amount of any promissory notes receivable
from the sale of the Capital Stock of the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, each item to be determined in conformity
with GAAP (excluding the effects of foreign currency exchange adjustments
under Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 52).
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Trustee at which
the corporate trust business of the Trustee shall, at any particular time, be
principally administered, which office is, at the date of this Indenture,
located at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration.
"Currency Agreement" means any foreign exchange contract, currency
swap agreement or other similar agreement or arrangement.
"Default" means any event that is, or after notice or passage of
time or both would be, an Event of Default.
"Depositary" means The Depository Trust Company, its nominees, and
their respective successors, until a successor Depositary shall have become
such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Depositary" shall mean or include each Person who is then a Depositary
hereunder.
"Disqualified Stock" means any class or series of Capital Stock of
any Person that by its terms or otherwise is (i) required to be redeemed
prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes, (ii) redeemable at the option of
the holder of such class or series of Capital Stock at any time prior to the
Stated Maturity of the Notes or (iii) convertible into or exchangeable for
Capital Stock referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above or Indebtedness having
a scheduled maturity prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes; provided that
any Capital Stock that would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for
provisions thereof giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to
repurchase or redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of an "asset
sale" or "change of control" occurring prior to the Stated Maturity of the
Notes shall not constitute Disqualified Stock if the "asset sale" or "change
of control" provisions applicable to such Capital Stock are no more favorable
to the holders of such Capital Stock than the provisions contained in
Sections 4.11 and 4.12 and such Capital Stock specifically provides that such
Person will not repurchase or redeem any such stock pursuant to such
provision prior to the Company's repurchase of such Notes as are required to
be repurchased pursuant to Sections 4.11 and 4.12.
"Event of Default" has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.
"Excess Proceeds" has the meaning provided in Section 4.11.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
"Exchange Notes" means any securities of the Company containing
terms identical to the Notes (except that such Exchange Notes shall be
registered under the Securities Act) that are issued and exchanged for the
Notes pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement and this Indenture.
"Existing Stockholders" means ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ and any
spouse or lineal descendant thereof or any estate thereof or any trust of
which any of the foregoing are the exclusive beneficiaries, and Princes Gate
Investors II, L.P.
"fair market value" means the price that would be paid in an
arm's-length transaction between an informed and willing seller under no
compulsion to sell and an informed and willing buyer under no compulsion to
buy, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose
determination shall be conclusive if evidenced by a Board Resolution;
provided that for purposes of clause (viii) of the second paragraph of
Section 4.03(a), (x) the fair market value of any security registered under
the Exchange Act shall be the average of the closing prices, regular way, of
such security for the 20 consecutive trading days immediately preceding the
applicable capital contribution or sale of Capital Stock and (y) in the event
the aggregate fair market value of any other property (other than cash or
cash equivalents) received by the Company exceeds $10 million, the fair
market value of such property shall be determined by a nationally recognized
investment banking firm and set forth in their written opinion which shall be
delivered to the Trustee.
"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United
States of America as in effect as of the Closing Date, including, without
limitation, those set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the
Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting
Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as approved
by a significant segment of the accounting profession; provided, however,
that all reports and other financial information provided by the Company to
the Holders of the Notes or the Trustee shall be prepared in accordance with
GAAP as in effect on the date of such report or other financial information.
All ratios and computations contained or referred to in this Indenture shall
be computed in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, except
that calculations made for purposes of determining compliance with the terms
of the covenants and with other provisions of this Indenture shall be made
without giving effect to (i) the amortization or write off of any expenses
incurred in connection with the offering of the Notes, the Bridge Notes and
the Series A Preferred Stock and (ii) except as otherwise provided, the
amortization of any amounts required or permitted by Accounting Principles
Board Opinion Nos. 16 and 17.
"Global Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Guarantee" means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of any
Person directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other
obligation of any other Person and, without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of
such Person (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the
purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness of such other Person (whether
arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well,
to purchase assets, goods, securities or services (unless such purchase
arrangements are on arm's-length terms and are entered into in the ordinary
course of business), to take-or-pay, or to maintain financial statement
conditions or otherwise) or (ii) entered into for purposes of assuring in any
other manner the obligee of such Indebtedness of
the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect
thereof (in whole or in part); provided that the term "Guarantee" shall not
include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of
business. The term "Guarantee" used as a verb has a corresponding meaning.
"Holder" or "Noteholder" means the registered holder of any Note.
"Incur" means, with respect to any Indebtedness, to incur, create,
issue, assume, Guarantee or otherwise become liable for or with respect to,
or become responsible for, the payment of, contingently or otherwise, such
Indebtedness, including an "Incurrence" of Acquired Indebtedness; provided
that neither the accrual of interest nor the accretion of original issue
discount shall be considered an Incurrence of Indebtedness.
"Indebtedness" means, with respect to any Person at any date of
determination (without duplication), (i) all indebtedness of such Person for
borrowed money, (ii) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds,
debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (iii) all obligations of such
Person in respect of letters of credit or other similar instruments
(including reimbursement obligations with respect thereto, but excluding
obligations with respect to letters of credit (including trade letters of
credit) securing obligations (other than obligations described in (i) or (ii)
above or (v), (vi) or (vii) below) entered into in the ordinary course of
business of such Person to the extent such letters of credit are not drawn
upon or, if drawn upon, to the extent such drawing is reimbursed no later
than the third Business Day following receipt by such Person of a demand for
reimbursement), (iv) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred and
unpaid purchase price of property or services, which purchase price is due
more than six months after the date of placing such property in service or
taking delivery and title thereto or the completion of such services, except
Trade Payables, (v) all Capitalized Lease Obligations of such Person, (vi)
all Indebtedness of other Persons secured by a Lien on any asset of such
Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by such Person; provided
that the amount of such Indebtedness shall be the lesser of (A) the fair
market value of such asset at such date of determination and (B) the amount
of such Indebtedness, (vii) all Indebtedness of other Persons Guaranteed by
such Person to the extent such Indebtedness is Guaranteed by such Person and
(viii) to the extent not otherwise included in this definition, obligations
under Currency Agreements and Interest Rate Agreements. The amount of
Indebtedness of any Person at any date shall be the outstanding balance at
such date of all unconditional obligations as described above and, with
respect to contingent obligations, the maximum liability upon the occurrence
of the contingency giving rise to the obligation, provided (A) that the
amount outstanding at any time of any Indebtedness issued with original issue
discount is the original issue price of such Indebtedness, (B) that
"Indebtedness" shall not include any money borrowed and set aside, at the
time of the incurrence of related Indebtedness, to fund cash interest
payments on such related Indebtedness, and shall also not include reasonable
deferred compensation for directors, officers or employees of the Company or
its Restricted Subsidiaries and (C) that "Indebtedness" shall not include any
liability for federal, state, local or other taxes.
"Indenture" means this Indenture as originally executed or as it
may be amended or supplemented from time to time by one or more indentures
supplemental to this Indenture entered into pursuant to the applicable
provisions of this Indenture.
"Institutional Accredited Investor" means an institution that is an
"accredited investor" as that term is defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or
(7) under the Securities Act.
"Interest Payment Date" means each semiannual interest payment date
on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing August 15, 2003.
"Interest Rate Agreement" means any interest rate protection
agreement, interest rate future agreement, interest rate option agreement,
interest rate swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate
collar agreement, interest rate hedge agreement, option or future contract or
other similar agreement or arrangement.
"Investment" in any Person means any direct or indirect advance,
loan or other extension of credit (including, without limitation, by way of
Guarantee or similar arrangement; but excluding advances to customers in the
ordinary course of business that are, in conformity with GAAP, recorded as
accounts receivable on the balance sheet of the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries and Trade Payables for which the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries receive fair market value) or capital contribution to (by means
of any transfer of cash or other property), or any payment for property or
services for the account or use of, or any purchase or acquisition of Capital
Stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other similar instruments issued by, such
Person and shall include (i) the designation of a Restricted Subsidiary as an
Unrestricted Subsidiary and (ii) the fair market value of the Capital Stock
(or any other Investment), held by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries, of (or in) any Person that has ceased to be a Restricted
Subsidiary, including, without limitation, by reason of any transaction
permitted by clause (iii) of Section 4.06; provided that the fair market
value of the Investment remaining in any Person that has ceased to be a
Restricted Subsidiary shall not exceed the aggregate amount of Investments
previously made in such Person valued at the time such Investments were made
less the net reduction in such Investments. For purposes of the definition
of "Unrestricted Subsidiary" and Section 4.04, (i) "Investment" shall include
the fair market value of the assets (net of liabilities (other than
liabilities to the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries)) of any
Restricted Subsidiary at the time that such Restricted Subsidiary is
designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary, (ii) the fair market value of the
assets (net of liabilities (other than liabilities to the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries)) of any Unrestricted Subsidiary at the time that
such Unrestricted Subsidiary is designated a Restricted Subsidiary shall be
considered a reduction in outstanding Investments and (iii) any property
transferred to or from an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be valued at its fair
market value at the time of such transfer.
"Lien" means any mortgage, pledge, security interest, encumbrance,
lien or charge of any kind (including, without limitation, any conditional
sale or other title retention agreement or lease in the nature thereof or any
agreement to give any security interest).
"Moody's" means ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc. and its successors.
"Net Cash Proceeds" means, (a) with respect to any Asset Sale, the
proceeds of such Asset Sale in the form of cash or cash equivalents,
including payments in respect of deferred payment obligations (to the extent
corresponding to the principal, but not interest, component thereof) when
received in the form of cash or cash equivalents (except to the extent such
obligations are financed or sold with recourse to the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary) and proceeds from the conversion of other property
received when converted to cash or cash equivalents, net of (i) brokerage
commissions and other fees and expenses (including fees and expenses of
counsel and investment bankers) related to such Asset Sale, (ii) provisions
for all taxes (whether or not such taxes will actually be paid or are
payable) as a result of such Asset Sale without regard to the consolidated
results of operations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken
as a whole, (iii) any relocation expenses and severance or shut-down costs
incurred as a result of such Asset Sale, (iv) payments made to repay
Indebtedness or any other obligation outstanding at the time of such Asset
Sale that either (A) is secured by a Lien on the property or assets sold or
(B) is required to be paid as a result of such sale and (v) reserves against
adjustments in the sale price of the asset or assets subject to such Asset
Sale and reserves against any liabilities associated with such Asset Sale,
including, without limitation, pension and other post-employment benefit
liabilities, liabilities related to environmental matters and liabilities
under any indemnification obligations associated with such Asset Sale, all as
determined in conformity with GAAP and (b) with respect to any issuance or
sale of Capital Stock, the proceeds of such issuance or sale in the form of
cash or cash equivalents, including payments in respect of deferred payment
obligations (to the extent corresponding to the principal, but not interest,
component thereof) when received in the form of cash or cash equivalents
(except to the extent such obligations are financed or sold with recourse to
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary) and proceeds from the conversion of
other property received when converted to cash or cash equivalents, net of
attorney's fees, accountants' fees, underwriters' or placement agents' fees,
discounts or commissions and brokerage, consultant and other fees incurred in
connection with such issuance or sale and net of taxes paid or payable as a
result thereof.
"Non-U.S. Person" means a person who is not a "U.S. person" (as
defined in Regulation S).
"Note Register" has the meaning provided in Section 2.04.
"Notes" means any of the securities, as defined in the first
paragraph of the recitals hereof, that are authenticated and delivered under
this Indenture. For all purposes of this Indenture, the term "Notes" shall
include the Notes initially issued on the Closing Date, any Exchange Notes to
be issued and exchanged for any Notes pursuant to the Registration Rights
Agreement and this Indenture and any other Notes issued after the Closing
Date under this Indenture. For purposes of this Indenture, all Notes shall
vote together as one series of Notes under this Indenture.
"Offer to Purchase" means an offer to purchase Notes by the Company
from the Holders commenced by mailing a notice to the Trustee and each Holder
stating: (i) the
covenant pursuant to which the offer is being made and that all Notes validly
tendered will be accepted for payment on a pro rata basis; (ii) the purchase
price and the date of purchase (which shall be a Business Day no earlier than
30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed) (the
"Payment Date"); (iii) that any Note not tendered will continue to accrue
interest (or original issue discount) pursuant to its terms; (iv) that,
unless the Company defaults in the payment of the purchase price, any Note
accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer to Purchase shall cease to accrue
interest (or original issue discount) on and after the Payment Date; (v) that
Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to the Offer to Purchase
will be required to surrender the Note, together with the form entitled
"Option of the Holder to Elect Purchase" on the reverse side of the Note
completed, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior
to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the
Payment Date; (vi) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election
if the Paying Agent receives, not later than the close of business on the
third Business Day immediately preceding the Payment Date, a telegram,
facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of such Holder, the
principal amount at maturity of Notes delivered for purchase and a statement
that such ▇▇▇▇▇▇ is withdrawing his election to have such Notes purchased;
and (vii) that Holders whose Notes are being purchased only in part will be
issued new Notes equal in principal amount at maturity to the unpurchased
portion of the Notes surrendered; provided that each Note purchased and each
new Note issued shall be in a principal amount at maturity of $1,000 or an
integral multiple thereof. On the Payment Date, the Company shall (i) accept
for payment on a pro rata basis Notes or portions thereof tendered pursuant
to an Offer to Purchase; (ii) deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient
to pay the purchase price of all Notes or portions thereof so accepted; and
(iii) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee all Notes or portions
thereof so accepted together with an Officers' Certificate specifying the
Notes or portions thereof accepted for payment by the Company. The Paying
Agent shall promptly mail to the Holders of Notes so accepted payment in an
amount equal to the purchase price, and the Trustee shall promptly
authenticate and mail to such Holders a new Note equal in principal amount at
maturity to any unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered; provided that
each Note purchased and each new Note issued shall be in a principal amount
at maturity of $1,000 or an integral multiple thereof. The Company will
publicly announce the results of an Offer to Purchase as soon as practicable
after the Payment Date. The Trustee shall act as the Paying Agent for an
Offer to Purchase. The Company will comply with Rule 14e-1 under the
Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the
extent such laws and regulations are applicable, in the event that the
Company is required to repurchase Notes pursuant to an Offer to Purchase.
"Officer" means with respect to the Company, (i) the Chairman of
the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer,
and (ii) the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or any
Assistant Secretary.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by one Officer
listed in clause (i) of the definition thereof and one Officer listed in
clause (ii) of the definition thereof. Each Officers' Certificate (other
than certificates provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall include
the statements provided for in TIA Section 314(e).
"Offshore Global Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Offshore Physical Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion signed by legal
counsel. Such counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or the
Trustee. Each such Opinion of Counsel shall include the statements provided
for in TIA Section 314(e). Opinions of Counsel required to be delivered may
have qualifications customary for opinions of the type required.
"Paying Agent" has the meaning provided in Section 2.04, except
that, for the purposes of Article Eight, the Paying Agent shall not be the
Company or a Subsidiary of the Company or an Affiliate of any of them. The
term "Paying Agent" includes any additional Paying Agent.
"Payment Date" has the meaning specified in the definition of
"Offer to Purchase."
"Permitted Investment" means (i) an Investment in the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary or a Person which will, upon the making of such
Investment, become a Restricted Subsidiary or be merged or consolidated with
or into, or transfer or convey all or substantially all its assets to, the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such Person's primary
business is related, ancillary or complementary to the businesses of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of such Investment; (ii)
Temporary Cash Investments; (iii) payroll, travel and similar advances to
cover matters that are expected at the time of such advances ultimately to be
treated as expenses in accordance with GAAP and reasonable advances to sales
representatives; (iv) Investments received in satisfaction of judgments,
bankruptcy, insolvency, workouts or similar arrangements; (v) loans to
employees of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (A) evidenced by
unsubordinated promissory notes, to the extent the proceeds thereof are used
to purchase Capital Stock of the Company, that do not in the aggregate exceed
at any one time outstanding $3.0 million and (B) to pay relocation or similar
expenses that do not in the aggregate exceed at any one time outstanding
$500,000; (vi) Investments in debt securities or other evidences of
Indebtedness (A) that are issued by companies engaged in the
telecommunications business and (B) for which no public market exists;
provided that when each Investment pursuant to this clause (vi) is made, the
aggregate amount of Investments outstanding under this clause (vi) does not
exceed the greater of (I) $2.0 million and (II) 1% of Consolidated EBITDA for
the Four Quarter Period; (vii) Investments existing on the Closing Date;
(viii) Strategic Investments not to exceed $10 million at any one time
outstanding; (ix) Investments in Permitted Joint Ventures not to exceed $10
million at any one time outstanding; (x) Investments in prepaid expenses,
negotiable instruments held for collection and lease, utility and worker's
compensation, performance and other similar deposits; and (xi) Interest Rate
Agreements and Currency Agreements designed solely to protect the Company or
its Restricted Subsidiaries against fluctuations in interest rates or foreign
currency exchange rates.
"Permitted Joint Venture" means any Unrestricted Subsidiary or any
other Person in which the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary owns, directly
or indirectly, an ownership
interest (other than a Restricted Subsidiary) and whose primary business is
related, ancillary or complementary to the businesses of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries at the time of determination.
"Permitted Liens" means (i) Liens for taxes, assessments,
governmental charges or claims that are being contested in good faith by
appropriate legal proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted
and for which a reserve or other appropriate provision, if any, as shall be
required in conformity with GAAP shall have been made; (ii) statutory and
common law Liens of landlords and carriers, warehousemen, mechanics,
suppliers, materialmen, repairmen or other similar Liens arising in the
ordinary course of business and with respect to amounts not yet delinquent or
being contested in good faith by appropriate legal proceedings promptly
instituted and diligently conducted and for which a reserve or other
appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP
shall have been made; (iii) Liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary
course of business in connection with workers' compensation, unemployment
insurance and other types of social security; (iv) Liens incurred or deposits
made to secure the performance of tenders, bids, leases, statutory or
regulatory obligations, bankers' acceptances, surety and appeal bonds,
government contracts, performance and return-of-money bonds and other
obligations of a similar nature incurred in the ordinary course of business
(exclusive of obligations for the payment of borrowed money); (v) easements,
rights-of-way, municipal and zoning ordinances and similar charges,
encumbrances, title defects or other irregularities that do not materially
interfere with the ordinary course of business of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries; (vi) Liens (including extensions and renewals
thereof) upon real or personal property acquired after the Closing Date;
provided that (a) such Lien is created solely for the purpose of securing
Indebtedness Incurred, in accordance with Section 4.03, (1) to finance the
cost (including the cost of design, development, improvement, acquisition,
construction, installation, transportation or integration) of the item of
property or assets subject thereto and such Lien is created prior to, at the
time of or within six months after the later of the acquisition, the
completion of construction or the commencement of full operation of such
property or (2) to refinance any Indebtedness previously so secured, (b) the
principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien does not exceed
100% of such cost and (c) any such Lien shall not extend to or cover any
property or assets other than such item of property or assets and any
improvements on such item; (vii) leases or subleases granted to others that
do not materially interfere with the ordinary course of business of the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (viii) Liens
encumbering property or assets under construction arising from progress or
partial payments by a customer of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries
relating to such property or assets; (ix) any interest or title of a lessor
in the property subject to any Capitalized Lease or operating lease; (x)
Liens arising from filing Uniform Commercial Code financing statements
regarding leases; (xi) Liens on property of, or on shares of Capital Stock or
Indebtedness of, any Person existing at the time such Person becomes, or
becomes a part of, any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such Liens do not
extend to or cover any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary other than the property, assets, Capital Stock or Indebtedness of
the Person so acquired; (xii) Liens in favor of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary; (xiii) Liens arising from the rendering of a final judgment or
order against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that
does not give rise to an Event of Default; (xiv) Liens securing
reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit that encumber
documents and other property relating to such letters of credit and the
products and proceeds thereof; (xv) Liens in favor of customs and revenue
authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in
connection with the importation of goods; (xvi) Liens encumbering customary
initial deposits and margin deposits, and other Liens that are within the
general parameters customary in the industry and incurred in the ordinary
course of business, in each case, securing Indebtedness under Interest Rate
Agreements and Currency Agreements and forward contracts, options, future
contracts, futures options or similar agreements or arrangements designed
solely to protect the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from
fluctuations in interest rates, currencies or the price of commodities;
(xvii) Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or
similar arrangements for the sale of goods entered into by the Company or any
of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business in
accordance with the past practices of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries prior to the Closing Date; (xviii) Liens on or sales of
receivables; (xix) Liens existing on the Closing Date; and (xx) Liens that
secure Indebtedness in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $5 million
at any time outstanding.
"Person" means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a
limited liability company, an association, a trust or any other entity or
organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or
instrumentality thereof.
"Physical Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Preferred Stock" means, with respect to any Person, any and all
shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated,
whether voting or non-voting) of such Person's preferred or preference
equity, whether now outstanding or issued after the Closing Date, including,
without limitation, all series and classes of such preferred stock or
preference stock.
"principal" of a debt security, including the Notes, means the
principal amount due on the Stated Maturity as shown on such debt security.
"Private Placement Legend" means the legend initially set forth on
the Notes in the form set forth in Section 2.02.
"Public Equity Offering" means an underwritten primary public
offering of Common Stock of the Company pursuant to an effective registration
statement under the Securities Act.
A "Public Market" shall be deemed to exist if (i) a Public Equity
Offering has been consummated and (ii) at least 15% of the total issued and
outstanding Common Stock of the Company has been distributed by means of an
effective registration statement under the Securities Act or sales pursuant
to Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
"QIB" means a "qualified institutional buyer" as defined in Rule
144A.
"Redeemable Stock" means any class or series of Capital Stock of
any Person that by its terms or otherwise is (i) required to be redeemed
prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes, (ii) redeemable at the option of
the holder of such class or series of Capital Stock at any time prior to the
Stated Maturity of the Notes or (iii) convertible into or exchangeable for
Capital Stock referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above or Indebtedness having
a scheduled maturity prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes; provided that
any Capital Stock that would not constitute Redeemable Stock but for
provisions thereof giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to
repurchase or redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of an "asset
sale" or "change of control" occurring prior to the Stated Maturity of the
Notes shall not constitute Redeemable Stock if the "asset sale" or "change of
control" provisions applicable to such Capital Stock are no more favorable to
the holders of such Capital Stock than the provisions contained in Section
4.11 and Section 4.12 and such Capital Stock specifically provides that such
Person will not repurchase or redeem any such stock pursuant to such
provision prior to the Company's repurchase of such Notes as are required to
be repurchased pursuant to Section 4.11 and Section 4.12.
"Redemption Date," when used with respect to any Note to be
redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this
Indenture.
"Redemption Price," when used with respect to any Note to be
redeemed, means the price at which such Note is to be redeemed pursuant to
this Indenture.
"Registrar" has the meaning provided in Section 2.04.
"Registration Rights Agreement" means the Registration Rights
Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, between the Company and ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated, and certain permitted assigns specified therein.
"Registration Statement" means the Registration Statement as
defined and described in the Registration Rights Agreement.
"Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest
Payment Date means February 1 or August 1 (whether or not a Business Day), as
the case may be, next preceding such Interest Payment Date.
"Regulation S" means Regulation S under the Securities Act.
"Released Indebtedness" means, with respect to any Asset Sale,
Indebtedness (i) which is owed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary
(the "Obligors") prior to such Asset Sale, (ii) which is assumed by the
purchaser or any affiliate thereof in connection with such Asset Sale and
(iii) with respect to which the Obligors receive written, unconditional,
valid and enforceable releases from each creditor, no later than the closing
date of such Asset Sale.
"Repurchase Offer" has the meaning provided in the Warrant
Agreement.
"Responsible Officer," when used with respect to the Trustee, means
the chairman or any vice chairman of the board of directors, the chairman or any
vice chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the chairman
of the trust committee, the president, any vice president, any assistant vice
president, the secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant
treasurer, the cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant
trust officer, the controller or any assistant controller or any other officer
of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by
any of the above designated officers (including any officer within the Corporate
Trust Administration (or any successor group) of the Trustee) and also means,
with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom
such matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with
the particular subject.
"Restricted Payments" has the meaning provided in Section 4.04.
"Restricted Subsidiary" means any Subsidiary of the Company other than
an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
"Rule 144A" means Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
"S&P" means Standard & Poor's Ratings Group, a division of McGraw
Hill, Inc., and its successors.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"Semi-Annual Accrual Date" has the meaning specified in the definition
of "Accreted Value."
"Shelf Registration Statement" has the meaning provided in the
Registration Rights Agreement.
"Significant Subsidiary" means, at any date of determination, any
Restricted Subsidiary that, together with its Subsidiaries, (i) for the most
recent fiscal year of the Company, accounted for more than 10% of the
consolidated revenues of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (ii) as
of the end of such fiscal year, was the owner of more than 10% of the
consolidated assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, all as set
forth on the most recently available consolidated financial statements of the
Company for such fiscal year.
"Specified Date" means any Redemption Date, any Payment Date for an
Offer to Purchase pursuant to Section 4.11 or Section 4.12 or any date on which
the Notes first become due and payable after an Event of Default.
"Stated Maturity" means, (i) with respect to any debt security, the
date specified in such debt security as the fixed date on which the final
installment of principal of such debt security is due and payable and (ii) with
respect to any scheduled installment of principal of or
interest on any debt security, the date specified in such debt security as the
fixed date on which such installment is due and payable.
"Strategic Investments" means (A) Investments that the Board of
Directors has determined in good faith will enable the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to obtain additional business that it might not be able
to obtain without making such Investment and (B) Investments in entities the
principal function of which is to perform research and development with respect
to products and services that may be used or useful in the telecommunications
business; provided that the Company or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries is
entitled or otherwise reasonably expected to obtain rights to such products or
services as a result of such Investment.
"Strategic Subordinated Indebtedness" means Indebtedness of the
Company Incurred to finance the acquisition of a Person engaged in a business
that is related, ancillary or complementary to the business conducted by the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, which Indebtedness by its terms,
or by the terms of any agreement or instrument pursuant to which such
Indebtedness is Incurred, (i) is expressly made subordinate in right of payment
to the Notes and (ii) provides that no payment of principal, premium or interest
on, or any other payment with respect to, such Indebtedness may be made prior to
the payment in full of all of the Company's obligations under the Notes;
provided that such Indebtedness may provide for and be repaid at any time from
the proceeds of a capital contribution or the sale of Capital Stock (other than
Disqualified Stock) of the Company after the Incurrence of such Indebtedness.
"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, any corporation,
association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the voting power
of the outstanding Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person
and one or more other Subsidiaries of such Person.
"Temporary Cash Investment" means any of the following: (i) direct
obligations of the United States of America or any agency thereof or obligations
fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America or any
agency thereof, (ii) bankers' acceptances, time deposit accounts, certificates
of deposit and money market deposits maturing within one year of the date of
acquisition thereof issued by a bank or trust company which is organized under
the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or any foreign
country recognized by the United States, and which bank or trust company has
capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating in excess of $50 million (or
the foreign currency equivalent thereof) and has outstanding debt which is rated
"A" (or such similar equivalent rating) or higher by at least one nationally
recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the
Securities Act) or any money-market fund sponsored by a registered broker dealer
or mutual fund distributor, (iii) repurchase obligations with a term of not more
than 30 days for underlying securities of the types described in clause
(i) above entered into with a bank meeting the qualifications described in
clause (ii) above, (iv) commercial paper, maturing not more than one year after
the date of acquisition, issued by a corporation (other than an Affiliate of the
Company) organized and in existence under the laws of the United States of
America, any state thereof or any foreign country recognized by the United
States of America with a rating at the time as of which any investment therein
is made of "P-1" (or higher) according to ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ or
"A-1" (or higher) according to S&P, (v) securities with maturities of nine
months or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully and unconditionally
guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States of
America, or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof, and rated
at least "A" by S&P or ▇▇▇▇▇'▇, (vi) direct obligations of the British, Belgian,
Dutch, French, German or Swiss governments or obligations fully and
unconditionally guaranteed by any of such governments and (vii) certificates of
deposit, bank promissory notes and bankers' acceptances denominated in the
currency of any country of the European Union maturing not more than 365 days
after the acquisition thereof and issued or guaranteed by any one of the 20
largest banks (based on assets as of the immediately preceding December 31)
organized under the laws of any country in the European Union; provided such
bank is not under intervention, receivership or any similar arrangement at the
time of acquisition of such certificates of deposit, bank promissory notes or
bankers' acceptances; provided that the aggregate principal amount of all
obligations and Indebtedness included in clauses (vi) and (vii) above shall not
exceed at any one time outstanding $10 million.
"TIA" or "Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939,
as amended (15 U.S. Code Sections 77aaa-77bbb), as in effect on the date this
Indenture was executed, except as provided in Section 9.06.
"Trade Payables" means, with respect to any Person, any accounts
payable or any other indebtedness or monetary obligation to trade creditors
created, assumed or Guaranteed by such Person or any of its Subsidiaries arising
in the ordinary course of business in connection with the acquisition of goods
or services.
"Transaction Date" means, with respect to the Incurrence of any
Indebtedness by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, the date such
Indebtedness is to be Incurred and, with respect to any Restricted Payment, the
date such Restricted Payment is to be made.
"Trustee" means the party named as such in the first paragraph of this
Indenture until a successor replaces it in accordance with the provisions of
Article Seven of this Indenture and thereafter means such successor.
"United States Bankruptcy Code" means the Bankruptcy Reform Act of
1978, as amended and as codified in Title 11 of the United States Code, as
amended from time to time hereafter, or any successor federal bankruptcy law.
"Unrestricted Subsidiary" means (i) any Subsidiary of the Company that
at the time of determination shall be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by
the Board of Directors in the manner provided below and (ii) any Subsidiary of
an Unrestricted Subsidiary. The Board of Directors may designate any Restricted
Subsidiary (including any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary of the
Company) to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary owns any
Capital Stock of, or owns or holds any Lien on any property of, the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that (A) any Guarantee by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of any Indebtedness of the Subsidiary being so designated
shall be deemed an "Incurrence" of such Indebtedness and an "Investment" by the
Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary (or both, if applicable) at the time of such designation; (B) either
(I) the Subsidiary to be so designated has total assets of $1,000 or less or
(II) if such Subsidiary has assets greater than $1,000, such designation would
be permitted under Section 4.04 and (C) if applicable, the Incurrence of
Indebtedness and the Investment referred to in clause (A) of this proviso would
be permitted under Sections 4.03 and 4.04. The Board of Directors may designate
any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that
immediately after giving effect to such designation (x) all Liens and
Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary outstanding immediately after such
designation would, if Incurred at such time, have been permitted to be Incurred
(and shall be deemed to have been Incurred) for all purposes of the Indenture
and (y) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
Any such designation by the Board of Directors shall be evidenced to the Trustee
by promptly filing with the Trustee a copy of the Board Resolution giving effect
to such designation and an Officers' Certificate certifying that such
designation complied with the foregoing provisions.
"U.S. Global Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"U.S. Government Obligations" means securities that are (i) direct
obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full
faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or
supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of
America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and
credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case, are
not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof at any time prior
to the Stated Maturity of the Notes, and shall also include a depository receipt
issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S.
Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any
such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the
holder of a depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such
custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the
holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in
respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on
or principal of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository
receipt.
"U.S. Physical Notes" has the meaning provided in Section 2.01.
"Voting Stock" means with respect to any Person, Capital Stock of any
class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the election of directors,
managers or other voting members of the governing body of such Person.
"Warrant Agreement" means the Warrant Agreement dated as of July 1,
1997 between the Company and The Bank of New York, as warrant agent.
"Warrants" means the warrants issued under the Warrant Agreement, each
of which initially entitles the holder thereof to purchase 8.167 shares of the
Company's Voting Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, at $.01 per share,
subject to adjustment.
"Wholly Owned" means, with respect to any Subsidiary of any Person,
the ownership of all of the outstanding Capital Stock of such Subsidiary (other
than any director's qualifying shares or Investments by foreign nationals
mandated by applicable law) by such Person or one or more Wholly Owned
Subsidiaries of such Person.
SECTION 1.02. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act.
Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is
incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following
TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
"indenture securities" means the Notes;
"indenture security holder" means a Holder or a Noteholder;
"indenture to be qualified" means this Indenture;
"indenture trustee" or "institutional trustee" means the Trustee; and
"obligor" on the indenture securities means the Company or any other
obligor on the Notes.
All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the
TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by a rule of the
Commission and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them
therein.
SECTION 1.03. Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise
requires:
(i) a term has the meaning assigned to it;
(ii) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned
to it in accordance with GAAP;
(iii) "or" is not exclusive;
(iv) words in the singular include the plural, and words in the plural
include the singular;
(v) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;
(vi) "herein," "hereof" and other words of similar import refer to
this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or
other subdivision;
(vii) all ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in this
Indenture shall be computed in accordance with the definition of GAAP set
forth in Section 1.01; and
(viii) all references to Sections or Articles refer to Sections or
Articles of this Indenture unless otherwise indicated.
ARTICLE TWO
THE NOTES
SECTION 2.01. Form and Dating. The Notes and the Trustee's
certificate of authentication shall be substantially in the form annexed hereto
as Exhibit A with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and
other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture. The Notes may
have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange
agreements to which the Company is subject or usage. The Company shall approve
the form of the Notes and any notation, legend or endorsement on the Notes.
Each Note shall be dated the date of its authentication.
The terms and provisions contained in the form of the Notes annexed
hereto as Exhibit A shall constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of
this Indenture. To the extent applicable, the Company and the Trustee, by their
execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to such terms and
provisions and to be bound thereby.
Notes offered and sold in reliance on Rule 144A shall be issued
initially in the form of one or more permanent global Notes in registered form,
substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A (the "U.S. Global Notes"),
deposited with the Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary, duly executed by
the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided. The
aggregate principal amount at maturity of the U.S. Global Notes may from time to
time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the
Trustee, as custodian for the Depositary or its nominee, as hereinafter
provided.
Notes offered and sold in offshore transactions in reliance on
Regulation S shall be issued initially in the form of one or more permanent
global Notes in registered form, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit
A (the "Offshore Global Notes"), duly executed by the Company and authenticated
by the Trustee as hereinafter provided, and shall be deposited with the Trustee,
as custodian for the Depositary, and the Registrar shall reflect on its books
and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount at maturity of the
Offshore Global Notes in an amount equal to the principal amount at maturity of
the beneficial interest in the Offshore Global Notes transferred.
Notes offered and sold in reliance on Regulation D under the
Securities Act or issued pursuant to Section 2.07 shall be issued in the form of
permanent certificated Notes in registered form in substantially the form set
forth in Exhibit A (the "U.S. Physical Notes"). Notes issued pursuant to
Section 2.07 in exchange for interests in the Offshore Global Notes shall be in
the form of permanent certificated Notes in registered form substantially in the
form set forth in Exhibit A (the "Offshore Physical Notes").
The Offshore Physical Notes and U.S. Physical Notes are sometimes
collectively herein referred to as the "Physical Notes." The U.S. Global Notes
and the Offshore Global Notes are sometimes referred to herein as the "Global
Notes."
The definitive Notes shall be typed, printed, lithographed or engraved
or produced by any combination of these methods or may be produced in any other
manner permitted by the rules of any securities exchange on which the Notes may
be listed, all as determined by the Officers executing such Notes, as evidenced
by their execution of such Notes.
SECTION 2.02. Restrictive Legends. Unless and until a Note is
exchanged for an Exchange Note in connection with an effective Registration
Statement pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (i) each U.S. Global
Note and each U.S. Physical Note shall bear the legend, set forth below on the
face thereof and (ii) each Offshore Global Note and each Offshore Physical Note
shall bear the legend set forth below, on the face thereof, until at least the
41st day after the Closing Date and receipt by the Company and the Trustee of a
certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit B:
THIS NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD,
PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE
ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, U.S. PERSONS EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING
SENTENCE. BY ITS ACQUISITION HEREOF, THE HOLDER (1) REPRESENTS THAT (A) IT
IS A "QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER" (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT) OR (B) IT IS AN INSTITUTIONAL "ACCREDITED INVESTOR" (AS
DEFINED IN RULE 501(a)(1), (2), (3) OR (7) OF REGULATION D UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT) (AN "INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR") OR (C) IT IS NOT A
U.S. PERSON AND IS ACQUIRING THIS NOTE IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN
COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (2) AGREES THAT IT
WILL NOT, WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO IN RULE 144(k) (TAKING INTO
ACCOUNT THE PROVISIONS OF RULE 144(d), IF APPLICABLE) UNDER THE SECURITIES
ACT AS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF TRANSFER WITH RESPECT TO SUCH TRANSFER,
RESELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THIS NOTE EXCEPT (A) TO ECONOPHONE, INC. (THE
"COMPANY") OR ANY SUBSIDIARY THEREOF, (B) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO A
QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 144A UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT, (C) INSIDE THE UNITED STATES TO AN INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED
INVESTOR THAT, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER, FURNISHES TO THE TRUSTEE A SIGNED
LETTER CONTAINING CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS AND AGREEMENTS RELATING TO THE
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE (THE FORM OF WHICH LETTER CAN BE
OBTAINED FROM THE TRUSTEE) AND IF SUCH TRANSFER IS IN RESPECT OF AN
AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT AT MATURITY OF NOTES OF LESS THAN $250,000, AN
OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY
THAT SUCH TRANSFER IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT, (D) OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN COMPLIANCE WITH RULE 904
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (E) PURSUANT TO THE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION
PROVIDED BY RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (IF AVAILABLE) OR
(F) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES
ACT AND (3) AGREES THAT IT WILL DELIVER TO EACH PERSON TO WHOM THIS NOTE IS
TRANSFERRED A NOTICE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE EFFECT OF THIS LEGEND. IN
CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED
TO ABOVE, THE HOLDER MUST CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX SET FORTH ON THE
REVERSE HEREOF RELATING TO THE MANNER OF SUCH TRANSFER AND SUBMIT THIS
CERTIFICATE TO THE TRUSTEE. IF THE PROPOSED TRANSFEREE IS AN INSTITUTIONAL
ACCREDITED INVESTOR, THE HOLDER MUST, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER, FURNISH TO
THE TRUSTEE AND THE COMPANY SUCH CERTIFICATIONS, LEGAL OPINIONS OR OTHER
INFORMATION AS EITHER OF THEM MAY REASONABLY REQUIRE TO CONFIRM THAT SUCH
TRANSFER IS BEING MADE PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION
NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT. AS
USED HEREIN, THE TERMS "OFFSHORE TRANSACTION," "UNITED STATES" AND "U.S.
PERSON" HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM BY REGULATION S UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT. THE INDENTURE CONTAINS A PROVISION REQUIRING THE TRUSTEE
TO REFUSE TO REGISTER ANY TRANSFER OF THIS NOTE IN VIOLATION OF THE
FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS.
Each Global Note, whether or not an Exchange Note, shall also bear the
following legend on the face thereof:
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF
TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN
THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY OR SUCH OTHER
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY
(AND ANY PAYMENT HEREON IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY),
ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO
ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL SINCE THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS
AN INTEREST HEREIN.
TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT
NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF CEDE & CO. OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH
SUCCESSOR'S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE SHALL BE
LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN
SECTION 2.08 OF THE INDENTURE.
SECTION 2.03. Execution, Authentication and Denominations. Subject
to Article Four, the aggregate principal amount at maturity of Notes which may
be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Notes
shall be executed by two Officers of the Company, by facsimile or manual
signature, in the name and on behalf of the Company.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office
at the time the Trustee or authenticating agent authenticates the Note, the Note
shall be valid nevertheless.
A Note shall not be valid until the Trustee or authenticating agent
manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Note. The signature
shall be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this
Indenture.
At any time and from time to time after the execution of this
Indenture, the Trustee or an authenticating agent shall upon receipt of a
Company Order authenticate for original issue Notes in the aggregate principal
amount at maturity specified in such Company Order; provided that the Trustee
shall be entitled to receive an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel
of the Company in connection with such authentication of Notes. Such Company
Order shall specify the amount of Notes to be authenticated, the date on which
the original issue of Notes is to be authenticated and the aggregate principal
amount at maturity of Notes then authorized and in case of an issuance of Notes
pursuant to Section 2.15, shall certify that such issuance is in compliance with
Article Four.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably acceptable
to the Company to authenticate Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate
Notes whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to
authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such authenticating
agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the
Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
The Notes shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons
and only in denominations of $1,000 in principal amount at maturity and any
integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 2.04. Registrar and Paying Agent. The Company shall maintain
an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or
for exchange (the "Registrar"), an office or agency where Notes may be presented
for payment (the "Paying Agent") and an office or agency where notices and
demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be
served, which shall be in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York. The
Company shall cause the Registrar to keep a register of the Notes and of their
transfer and exchange (the "Note Register"). The Note Register shall be in
written form or
any other form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable
time. The Company may have one or more co-Registrars and one or more additional
Paying Agents. The term "Registrar" includes any co-Registrar.
The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any
Agent not a party to this Indenture. The agreement shall implement the
provisions of this Indenture that relate to such Agent. The Company shall give
prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address of any such Agent
and any change in the address of such Agent. If the Company fails to maintain a
Registrar, Paying Agent and/or agent for service of notices and demands, the
Trustee shall act as such Registrar, Paying Agent and/or agent for service of
notices and demands. The Company may remove any Agent upon written notice to
such Agent and the Trustee; provided that no such removal shall become effective
until (i) the acceptance of an appointment by a successor Agent to such Agent as
evidenced by an appropriate agency agreement entered into by the Company and
such successor Agent and delivered to the Trustee or (ii) notification to the
Trustee that the Trustee shall serve as such Agent until the appointment of a
successor Agent in accordance with clause (i) of this proviso. The Company, any
Subsidiary of the Company, or any Affiliate of any of them may act as Paying
Agent, Registrar or co-Registrar, and/or agent for service of notice and
demands.
The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar, Paying Agent,
authenticating agent and agent for service of notice and demands. The Trustee
shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent
list available to it of the names and addresses of all Holders and shall
otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If, at any time, the Trustee is not
the Registrar, the Company shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the
Trustee at least seven Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at
such other times as the Trustee may reasonably request, the names and addresses
of the Holders as they appear in the Note Register.
SECTION 2.05. Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. Not later than
10:00 a.m., New York City time, each due date of the principal, premium, if any,
and interest on any Notes, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money
in immediately available funds sufficient to pay such principal, premium, if
any, and interest so becoming due. However, the Company, at its option, may pay
principal, premium, if any, and interest by its check payable in such money. It
may mail an interest check to a Holder's registered address (as reflected in the
Note Register). The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the
Trustee to agree in writing that such Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the
benefit of the Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the
payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes (whether
such money has been paid to it by the Company or any other obligor on the
Notes), and such Paying Agent shall promptly notify the Trustee of any default
by the Company (or any other obligor on the Notes) in making any such payment.
The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it
to the Trustee and account for any funds disbursed, and the Trustee may at any
time during the continuance of any payment default, upon written request to a
Paying Agent, require such Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the
Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed. Upon doing so, the Paying Agent
shall have no further liability for the money so paid over to the Trustee. If
the Company or any Subsidiary of
the Company or any Affiliate of any of them acts as Paying Agent, it will, on or
before each due date of any principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the
Notes, segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the
Holders a sum of money sufficient to pay such principal, premium, if any, or
interest so becoming due until such sum of money shall be paid to such Holders
or otherwise disposed of as provided in this Indenture, and will promptly notify
the Trustee of its action or failure to act.
SECTION 2.06. Transfer and Exchange. The Notes are issuable only in
registered form. A Holder may transfer a Note by written application to the
Registrar stating the name of the proposed transferee and otherwise complying
with the terms of this Indenture. No such transfer shall be effected until, and
such transferee shall succeed to the rights of a Holder only upon, final
acceptance and registration of the transfer by the Registrar in the Note
Register. Prior to the registration of any transfer by a Holder as provided
herein, the Company, the Trustee, and any agent of the Company shall treat the
person in whose name the Note is registered as the owner thereof for all
purposes whether or not the Note shall be overdue, and neither the Company, the
Trustee, nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
Furthermore, any Holder of a Global Note shall, by acceptance of such Global
Note, agree that transfers of beneficial interests in such Global Note may be
effected only through a book entry system maintained by the Holder of such
Global Note (or its agent) and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the
Note shall be required to be reflected in a book entry. When Notes are
presented to the Registrar or a co-Registrar with a request to register the
transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount at maturity of Notes
of other authorized denominations (including an exchange of Notes for Exchange
Notes), the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange as
requested if its requirements for such transactions are met; provided that no
exchanges of Notes for Exchange Notes shall occur until a Registration Statement
shall have been declared effective by the Commission (confirmed in an Officers'
Certificate delivered to the Trustee) and that any Notes that are exchanged for
Exchange Notes shall be cancelled by the Trustee. To permit registrations of
transfers and exchanges, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate Notes at the Registrar's request. No service charge shall be made
for any registration of transfer or exchange or redemption of the Notes, but the
Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or
similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than any such
transfer taxes or other similar governmental charge payable upon exchanges
pursuant to Section 2.11, 3.08 or 9.04).
The Registrar shall not be required (i) to issue, register the
transfer of or exchange any Note during a period beginning at the opening of
business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption of
Notes selected for redemption under Section 3.03 and ending at the close of
business on the day of such mailing, or (ii) to register the transfer of or
exchange any Note so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the
unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part.
SECTION 2.07. Book-Entry Provisions for Global Notes. (a) The U.S.
Global Notes and Offshore Global Notes initially shall (i) be registered in the
name of the Depositary for such Global Notes or the nominee of such Depositary,
(ii) be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for such Depositary and (iii) bear
legends as set forth in Section 2.02.
Members of, or participants in, the Depositary ("Agent Members") shall
have no rights under this Indenture with respect to any Global Note held on
their behalf by the Depositary, or the Trustee as its custodian, or under the
Global Note, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and
any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner of such Global
Note for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein
shall prevent the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the
Trustee, from giving effect to any written certification, proxy or other
authorization furnished by the Depositary or impair, as between the Depositary
and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the
exercise of the rights of a holder of any Note.
(b) Transfers of a Global Note shall be limited to transfers of such
Global Note in whole, but not in part, to the Depositary, its successors or
their respective nominees. Interests of beneficial owners in a Global Note may
be transferred in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Depositary and
the provisions of Section 2.08. In addition, U.S. Physical Notes and Offshore
Physical Notes shall be transferred to all beneficial owners in exchange for
their beneficial interests in the U.S. Global Notes or the Offshore Global
Notes, respectively, if (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is
unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for the U.S. Global Notes or the
Offshore Global Notes, as the case may be, and a successor depositary is not
appointed by the Company within 90 days of such notice, (ii) an Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing and the Registrar has received a request to the
foregoing effect from the Depositary or (iii) in accordance with the rules and
procedures of the Depositary and the provisions of Section 2.08.
(c) Any beneficial interest in one of the Global Notes that is
transferred to a person who takes delivery in the form of an interest in the
other Global Note will, upon transfer, cease to be an interest in the first
Global Note and become an interest in the other Global Note and, accordingly,
will thereafter be subject to all transfer restrictions, if any, and other
procedures applicable to beneficial interests in such other Global Note for as
long as it remains such an interest.
(d) In connection with any transfer of a portion of the beneficial
interests in the U.S. Global Notes or Offshore Global Notes to beneficial owners
pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section, the Registrar shall reflect on its
books and records the date and a decrease in the principal amount at maturity of
the U.S. Global Notes or Offshore Global Notes in an amount equal to the
principal amount at maturity of the beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Notes
or Offshore Global Notes to be transferred, and the Company shall execute, and
the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, one or more U.S. Physical Notes or
Offshore Physical Notes, as the case may be, of like tenor and amount.
(e) In connection with the transfer of the entire U.S. Global Note or
Offshore Global Note to beneficial owners pursuant to paragraph (b) of this
Section, the U.S. Global Note or Offshore Global Note, as the case may be, shall
be deemed to be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the Company
shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, to each
beneficial owner identified by the Depositary in exchange for its beneficial
interest in the U.S. Global Note or Offshore Global Note, as the case may be, an
equal aggregate principal
amount at maturity of U.S. Physical Notes or Offshore Physical Notes, as the
case may be, of authorized denominations.
(f) Any U.S. Physical Note delivered in exchange for an interest in a
U.S. Global Note pursuant to paragraph (b), (d) or (e) of this Section shall,
except as otherwise provided by paragraph (e) of Section 2.08, bear the legend
regarding transfer restrictions applicable to the U.S. Physical Note set forth
in Section 2.02.
(g) Any Offshore Physical Note delivered in exchange for an interest
in an Offshore Global Note pursuant to paragraph (b), (d) or (e) of this Section
shall, except as otherwise provided by paragraph (e) of Section 2.08, bear the
legend regarding transfer restrictions applicable to the Offshore Physical Note
set forth in Section 2.02.
(h) The registered holder of a Global Note may grant proxies and
otherwise authorize any person, including Agent Members and persons that may
hold interests through Agent Members, to take any action which a Holder is
entitled to take under this Indenture or the Notes.
(i) Beneficial owners of interests in a U.S. Global Note may receive
U.S. Physical Notes (which shall bear the Private Placement Legend if required
by Section 2.02) in accordance with the procedures of the Depositary. In
connection with the execution, authentication and delivery of such U.S. Physical
Notes, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and records a decrease in the
principal amount at maturity of the relevant U.S. Global Note equal to the
principal amount at maturity of such U.S. Physical Notes and the Company shall
execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver one or more U.S. Physical
Notes having an equal aggregate principal amount at maturity.
SECTION 2.08. Special Transfer Provisions. Unless and until a Note
is exchanged for an Exchange Note in connection with an effective Registration
Statement pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the following
provisions shall apply:
(a) Transfers to Non-QIB Institutional Accredited Investors. The
following provisions shall apply with respect to the registration of any
proposed transfer of a Note to any Institutional Accredited Investor which
is not a QIB (excluding Non-U.S. Persons):
(i) The Registrar shall register the transfer of any Note,
whether or not such Note bears the Private Placement Legend, if (x)
the requested transfer is after the time period referred to in Rule
144(k) under the Securities Act as in effect with respect to such
transfer or (y) the proposed transferee has delivered to the Registrar
(A) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto and
(B) if the aggregate principal amount at maturity of the Notes being
transferred is less than $250,000 at the time of such transfer, an
opinion of counsel acceptable to the Company that such transfer is in
compliance with the Securities Act.
(ii) If the proposed transferor is an Agent Member holding a
beneficial interest in a U.S. Global Note, upon receipt by the
Registrar of (x) the documents, if any, required by paragraph (i) and
(y) instructions given in accordance with the Depositary's and the
Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and
records the date and a decrease in the principal amount at maturity of
the U.S. Global Note in an amount at maturity equal to the principal
amount at maturity of the beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Note
to be transferred, and the Company shall execute, and the Trustee
shall authenticate and deliver, one or more U.S. Physical Notes of
like tenor and amount.
(b) Transfers to QIBs. The following provisions shall apply with
respect to the registration of any proposed transfer of a U.S. Physical
Note, an interest in a U.S. Global Note or an interest in an Offshore
Global Note prior to the removal of the Private Placement Legend to a QIB
(excluding Non-U.S. Persons):
(i) If the Note to be transferred consists of (x) either (A) an
interest in an Offshore Global Note prior to the removal of the
Private Placement Legend or (B) U.S. Physical Notes, the Registrar
shall register the transfer if such transfer is being made by a
proposed transferor who has checked the box provided for on the form
of Note stating, or has otherwise advised the Company and the
Registrar in writing, that the sale has been made in compliance with
the provisions of Rule 144A to a transferee who has signed the
certification provided for on the form of Note stating, or has
otherwise advised the Company and the Registrar in writing, that it is
purchasing the Note for its own account or an account with respect to
which it exercises sole investment discretion and that it and any such
account is a QIB within the meaning of Rule 144A, and is aware that
the sale to it is being made in reliance on Rule 144A and acknowledges
that it has received such information regarding the Company as it has
requested pursuant to Rule 144A or has determined not to request such
information and that it is aware that the transferor is relying upon
its foregoing representations in order to claim the exemption from
registration provided by Rule 144A or (y) an interest in a U.S. Global
Note, the transfer of such interest may be effected only through the
book entry system maintained by the Depositary.
(ii) If the proposed transferee is an Agent Member, and the Note
to be transferred consists of U.S. Physical Notes or an interest in an
Offshore Global Note prior to the removal of the Private Placement
Legend, upon receipt by the Registrar of the documents referred to in
clause (i) and instructions given in accordance with the Depositary's
and the Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its
books and records the date and an increase in the principal amount at
maturity of the U.S. Global Note in an amount equal to the principal
amount at maturity of the U.S. Physical Notes or the Offshore Global
Notes to be transferred, and the Trustee shall cancel the U.S.
Physical Notes so transferred or decrease the amount of the Offshore
Global Note so transferred in such an amount, as the case may be.
(c) Transfers of Interests in the Offshore Global Notes or Offshore
Physical Notes. The following provisions shall apply with respect to any
transfer of interests in the Offshore Global Notes or Offshore Physical
Notes:
(i) prior to the removal of the Private Placement Legend from an
Offshore Global Note or Offshore Physical Notes pursuant to Section
2.02, the Registrar shall refuse to register such transfer unless such
transfer complies with Section 2.08(b) or Section 2.08(d), as the case
may be; and
(ii) after such removal, the Registrar shall register the
transfer of any such Note without requiring any additional
certification.
(d) Transfers to Non-U.S. Persons at Any Time. The following
provisions shall apply with respect to any transfer of a Note to a Non-U.S.
Person:
(i) The Registrar shall register any proposed transfer to any
Non-U.S. Person if the Note to be transferred is a U.S. Physical Note
or an interest in a U.S. Global Note only upon receipt of a
certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D from the proposed
transferor.
(ii) (a) If the proposed transferor is an Agent Member holding a
beneficial interest in a U.S. Global Note, upon receipt by the
Registrar of (x) the documents required by paragraph (i) and
(y) instructions in accordance with the Depositary's and the
Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its books and
records the date and a decrease in the principal amount of such U.S.
Global Note in an amount equal to the principal amount at maturity of
the beneficial interest in the U.S. Global Note to be transferred, and
(b) if the proposed transferee is an Agent Member, upon receipt by the
Registrar of instructions given in accordance with the Depositary's
and the Registrar's procedures, the Registrar shall reflect on its
books and records the date and an increase in the principal amount at
maturity of the Offshore Global Note in an amount equal to the
principal amount at maturity of the U.S. Physical Notes or the U.S.
Global Note, as the case may be, to be transferred, and the Trustee
shall cancel the Physical Note, if any, so transferred or decrease the
amount at maturity of the U.S. Global Note.
(e) Private Placement Legend. Upon the transfer, exchange or
replacement of Notes not bearing the Private Placement Legend, the
Registrar shall deliver Notes that do not bear the Private Placement
Legend. Upon the transfer, exchange or replacement of Notes bearing the
Private Placement Legend, the Registrar shall deliver only Notes that bear
the Private Placement Legend unless either (i) the circumstances
contemplated by paragraphs (a)(i)(x) or (c)(ii) of this Section 2.08 exist
or (ii) there is delivered to the Registrar an Opinion of Counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee
to the effect that neither such legend nor the related restrictions on
transfer are required in order to maintain compliance with the provisions
of the Securities Act.
(f) General. By its acceptance of any Note bearing the Private
Placement Legend, each Holder of such a Note acknowledges the restrictions
on transfer of such Note set forth in this Indenture and in the Private
Placement Legend and agrees that it will transfer such Note only as
provided in this Indenture. The Registrar shall not register a transfer of
any Note unless such transfer complies with the restrictions on transfer of
such Note set forth in this Indenture. In connection with any transfer of
Notes, each Holder agrees by its acceptance of the Notes to furnish the
Registrar or the Company such certifications, legal opinions or other
information as either of them may reasonably require to confirm that such
transfer is being made pursuant to an exemption from, or a transaction not
subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act; provided
that the Registrar shall not be required to determine (but may rely on a
determination made by the Company with respect to) the sufficiency of any
such certifications, legal opinions or other information.
The Registrar shall retain copies of all letters, notices and other
written communications received pursuant to Section 2.07 or this Section 2.08.
The Company shall have the right to inspect and make copies of all such letters,
notices or other written communications at any reasonable time upon the giving
of reasonable written notice to the Registrar.
SECTION 2.09. Replacement Notes. If a mutilated Note is surrendered
to the Trustee or if the Holder claims that the Note has been lost, destroyed or
wrongfully taken, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee
that such Note has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall
issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Note of like tenor and
principal amount at maturity; provided that the requirements of this Section
2.09 are met. If required by the Trustee or the Company, an indemnity bond must
be furnished by the relevant Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of both
the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee or any Agent
from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Company
may charge such Holder for the expenses of the Company and the Trustee in
replacing a Note. In case any such mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully
taken Note has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its
discretion may pay such Note instead of issuing a new Note in replacement
thereof.
Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Company and
shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
SECTION 2.10. Outstanding Notes. Notes outstanding at any time are
all Notes that have been authenticated by the Trustee except for those cancelled
by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this
Section 2.10 as not outstanding.
If a Note is replaced pursuant to Section 2.09 (other than a mutilated
Note surrendered for replacement), it ceases to be outstanding unless and until
the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to each of them that the
replaced Note is held by a bona fide
purchaser. A mutilated Note ceases to be outstanding upon surrender of such
security and replacement thereof pursuant to Section 2.09.
If the Paying Agent (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the
Company) holds on a Redemption Date or the Stated Maturity of the Notes money
sufficient to pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such
Notes cease to be outstanding and interest on them shall cease to accrue.
Notes, or portions thereof, for the payment or redemption of which
moneys or U.S. Government Obligations (as provided for in Article Eight) in the
necessary amount shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any
Paying Agent (other than the Company) or shall have been set aside, segregated
and held in trust by the Company for the Holders of such Notes (if the Company
shall act as its own Paying Agent), on and after that time shall cease to be
outstanding and, in the case of redemption, interest on such Notes shall cease
to accrue; provided that if such Notes, or portions thereof, are to be redeemed
prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given
as herein provided, or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall have been
made for giving such notice.
A Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or one of
its Affiliates holds such Note; provided, however, that, in determining whether
the Holders of the requisite principal amount at maturity of the outstanding
Notes have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent
or waiver hereunder, Notes owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the
Notes or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor shall be
disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, except that, in determining
whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Notes which the
Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded. Notes so owned which have
been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding if the pledgee
establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's right so to act
with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other
obligor upon the Notes or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor.
SECTION 2.11. Temporary Notes. Until definitive Notes are ready for
delivery, the Company may prepare and execute and the Trustee shall authenticate
temporary Notes. Temporary Notes shall be substantially in the form of
definitive Notes but may have insertions, substitutions, omissions and other
variations determined to be appropriate by the Officers executing the temporary
Notes, as evidenced by their execution of such temporary Notes. If temporary
Notes are issued, the Company will cause definitive Notes to be prepared without
unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Notes, the temporary
Notes shall be exchangeable for definitive Notes upon surrender of the temporary
Notes at the office or agency of the Company designated for such purpose
pursuant to Section 4.02, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for
cancellation of any one or more temporary Notes the Company shall execute and
the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal
amount at maturity of definitive Notes of authorized denominations. Until so
exchanged, the temporary Notes shall be entitled to the same benefits under this
Indenture as definitive Notes.
SECTION 2.12. Cancellation. The Company at any time may deliver, to
the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated and delivered
hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may
deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated
hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold. The Registrar and the
Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to them for
transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee shall cancel all Notes surrendered
for transfer, exchange, payment, replacement or cancellation and shall return
such cancelled Notes to the Company.
SECTION 2.13. CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Notes may
use "CUSIP," "CINS" and "ISIN" numbers (if then generally in use), and the
Trustee shall use CUSIP, CINS or ISIN numbers, as the case may be, in notices of
redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such
notice shall state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such
CUSIP, CINS or ISIN numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in
any notice of redemption or exchange and that reliance may be placed only on the
other identification numbers printed on the Notes; and provided further that
failure to use CUSIP, CINS or ISIN numbers in any notice of redemption or
exchange shall not affect the validity or sufficiency of such notice. The
Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any change in CUSIP numbers.
SECTION 2.14. Defaulted Interest. If the Company defaults in a
payment of interest on the Notes, it shall pay, or shall deposit with the Paying
Agent money in immediately available funds sufficient to pay the defaulted
interest, plus (to the extent lawful) any interest payable on the defaulted
interest, to the Persons who are Holders on a subsequent special record date. A
special record date, as used in this Section 2.14 with respect to the payment of
any defaulted interest, shall mean the 15th day next preceding the date fixed by
the Company for the payment of defaulted interest, whether or not such day is a
Business Day. At least 15 days before the subsequent special record date, the
Company (or the Trustee, in the name of and at the expense of the Company) shall
mail to each Holder a notice that states the subsequent special record date, the
payment date and the amount of defaulted interest to be paid.
SECTION 2.15. Issuance of Additional Notes. The Company may, subject
to Article Four of this Indenture, issue additional Notes under this Indenture.
The Notes issued on the Closing Date and any additional Notes subsequently
issued shall be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture.
ARTICLE THREE
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01. Right of Redemption. (a) The Notes will be
redeemable, at the Company's option, in whole or in part, at any time or from
time to time, on or after February 15, 2003 and prior to maturity, upon not less
than 30 nor more than 60 days' prior notice mailed by first class mail to each
Holder's last address as it appears in the Note Register, at the following
Redemption Prices (expressed in percentages of principal amount at maturity),
plus accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date (subject to the right of
Holders of record on the relevant
Regular Record Date that is prior to the Redemption Date to receive interest due
on an Interest Payment Date), if redeemed during the 12-month period commencing
February 15 of the years set forth below:
Redemption
Year Price
2003.................... 105.500%
2004.................... 103.667%
2005.................... 101.833%
2006 and thereafter..... 100.000%
(b) In addition, at any time prior to February 15, 2001, the Company
may redeem up to 35% of the principal amount of the Notes originally issued with
the proceeds of one or more Public Equity Offerings, following which a Public
Market occurs, at any time as a whole or from time to time in part, at a
Redemption Price (expressed as a percentage of Accreted Value on the Redemption
Date) of 111.00%; provided that (1) at least 65% of the initially issued Notes
remains outstanding and (2) each such redemption occurs within 180 days of the
related Public Equity Offering.
SECTION 3.02. Notices to Trustee. If the Company elects to redeem
Notes pursuant to Section 3.01(a) or (b), it shall notify the Trustee in writing
of the Redemption Date, the principal amount at Stated Maturity of Notes to be
redeemed and the clause of this Indenture pursuant to which the redemption shall
occur.
The Company shall give each notice provided for in this Section 3.02
in an Officers' Certificate at least 45 days before the Redemption Date (unless
a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee).
SECTION 3.03. Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed. If less than all of
the Notes are to be redeemed at any time, the Trustee shall select the Notes, or
portions thereof, for redemption in compliance with the requirements as
certified to it by the Company, of the principal national securities exchange,
if any, on which the Notes are listed or, if the Notes are not listed on a
national securities exchange, on a pro rata basis, by lot or by such other
method as the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem to be fair and
appropriate; provided that no Note of $1,000 in principal amount at maturity or
less shall be redeemed in part. If any Note is to be redeemed in part only, the
notice of redemption relating to such Note shall state the portion of the
principal amount at maturity thereof to be redeemed. A new Note in principal
amount at maturity equal to the unredeemed portion thereof will be issued in the
name of the Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Note.
The Trustee shall make the selection from the Notes outstanding and
not previously called for redemption. Notes in denominations of $1,000 in
principal amount at maturity may only be redeemed in whole. The Trustee may
select for redemption portions (equal to $1,000 in principal amount at maturity
or any integral multiple thereof) of Notes that have
denominations larger than $1,000 in principal amount at maturity. Provisions of
this Indenture that apply to Notes called for redemption also apply to portions
of Notes called for redemption. The Trustee shall notify the Company and the
Registrar promptly in writing of the Notes or portions of Notes to be called for
redemption.
SECTION 3.04. Notice of Redemption. With respect to any redemption
of Notes pursuant to Section 3.01(a) or (b), at least 30 days but not more than
60 days before a Redemption Date, the Company shall mail or cause to be mailed,
a notice of redemption by first class mail (pursuant to the requirements of
Section 11.02) to each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed.
The notice shall identify the Notes to be redeemed and shall state:
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the Redemption Price;
(iii)the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(iv) that Notes called for redemption must be surrendered to the
Paying Agent in order to collect the Redemption Price;
(v) that, unless the Company defaults in making the redemption
payment, interest on Notes called for redemption ceases to accrue on and
after the Redemption Date and the only remaining right of the Holders is to
receive payment of the Redemption Price plus accrued and unpaid interest to
the Redemption Date upon surrender of the Notes to the Paying Agent;
(vi) that, if any Note is being redeemed in part, the portion of the
principal amount at maturity (equal to $1,000 in principal amount at
maturity or any integral multiple thereof) of such Note to be redeemed and
that, on and after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Note, a new
Note or Notes in principal amount at maturity equal to the unredeemed
portion thereof will be reissued;
(vii) that, if any Note contains a CUSIP, CINS or ISIN number as
provided in Section 2.13, no representation is being made as to the
correctness of the CUSIP, CINS or ISIN number either as printed on the
Notes or as contained in the notice of redemption and that reliance may be
placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes; and
(viii)the aggregate principal amount at maturity of Notes being
redeemed.
At the Company's request (which request may be revoked by the Company
at any time prior to the time at which the Trustee shall have given such notice
to the Holders), made in writing to the Trustee, at least 45 days (or such
shorter period as shall be satisfactory to the
Trustee) before a Redemption Date, the Trustee shall give the notice of
redemption in the name and at the expense of the Company. If, however, the
Company gives such notice to the Holders, the Company shall concurrently
deliver to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that such notice has
been given.
SECTION 3.05. Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of
redemption is mailed, Notes called for redemption become due and payable on
the Redemption Date and at the Redemption Price. Upon surrender of any Notes
to the Paying Agent, such Notes shall be paid at the Redemption Price, plus
accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption shall be deemed to be given when mailed,
whether or not the Holder receives the notice. In any event, failure to give
such notice, or any defect therein, shall not affect the validity of the
proceedings for the redemption of Notes held by Holders to whom such notice
was properly given.
SECTION 3.06. Deposit of Redemption Price. On or prior to 10:00
a.m. New York City time on any Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit
with the Paying Agent (or, if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent,
shall segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 2.05) money in
immediately available funds sufficient to pay the Redemption Price of and
accrued and unpaid interest on all Notes to be redeemed on that date other
than Notes or portions thereof called for redemption on that date that have
been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation.
SECTION 3.07. Payment of Notes Called for Redemption. If notice
of redemption has been given in the manner provided above, the Notes or
portion of Notes specified in such notice to be redeemed shall become due and
payable on the Redemption Date at the Redemption Price stated therein,
together with accrued and unpaid interest to such Redemption Date, and on and
after such date (unless the Company shall default in the payment of such
Notes at the Redemption Price and accrued and unpaid interest to the
Redemption Date, in which case the principal, until paid, shall bear interest
from the Redemption Date at the rate prescribed in the Notes), such Notes
shall cease to accrue interest. Upon surrender of any Note for redemption in
accordance with a notice of redemption, such Note shall be paid and redeemed
by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued and unpaid
interest to the Redemption Date; provided that installments of interest whose
record date is prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holders
registered as such at the close of business such record date, if any.
SECTION 3.08. Notes Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of any Note
that is redeemed in part, the Company shall at its expense issue and execute
and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver for the Holder a new Note
equal in principal amount at maturity to the unredeemed portion of such
surrendered Note.
ARTICLE FOUR
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. Payment of Notes. The Company shall pay the
principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes on the dates and in
the manner provided in the Notes and this Indenture. An installment of
principal, premium, if any, or interest shall be considered paid on the date
due if the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of
the Company, or any Affiliate of any of them) holds as of 10:00 A.M. New York
City time on the due date money deposited by the Company in immediately
available funds and designated for and sufficient to pay the installment. If
the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or any Affiliate of any of them,
acts as Paying Agent, an installment of principal, premium, if any, or
interest shall be considered paid on the due date if the entity acting as
Paying Agent complies with the last sentence of Section 2.05. As provided in
Section 6.09, upon any bankruptcy or reorganization procedure relative to the
Company, the Trustee shall serve as the Paying Agent and conversion agent, if
any, for the Notes.
The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal, premium, if
any, and interest on overdue installments of interest, to the extent lawful,
at the rate per annum specified in the Notes.
SECTION 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company will
maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York an office or
agency where Notes may be surrendered for registration of transfer or
exchange or for presentation for payment and where notices and demands to or
upon the Company in respect of the Notes and this Indenture may be served.
The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location,
and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the
Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall
fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations,
surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the address of the
Trustee set forth in Section 11.02.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other
offices or agencies where the Notes may be presented or surrendered for any
or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations;
provided that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve
the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough
of Manhattan, The City of New York for such purposes. The Company will give
prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission
and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office
of the Trustee as such office of the Company in accordance with Section 2.04.
SECTION 4.03. Limitation on Indebtedness. (a) The Company will
not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, Incur any
Indebtedness (other than the Notes and Indebtedness existing on the Closing
Date); provided that the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary may Incur
Indebtedness if, after giving effect to the Incurrence of such Indebtedness
and the receipt and application of the proceeds thereof, the Consolidated
Leverage Ratio would be greater than zero and (i) less than 5 to 1, for
Indebtedness Incurred by the Company, or (ii) less than 2 to 1, for
Indebtedness Incurred by any Restricted Subsidiary.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and any Restricted
Subsidiary (except as specified below) may Incur each and all of the
following:
(i) Indebtedness outstanding at any time in an aggregate principal
amount not to exceed $100 million, less any amount of such Indebtedness
permanently repaid as provided under Section 4.11;
(ii) Indebtedness owed (A) to the Company evidenced by a promissory
note or (B) to any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that any event which
results in any such Restricted Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted
Subsidiary or any subsequent transfer of such Indebtedness (other than
to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary) shall be deemed, in
each case, to constitute an Incurrence of such Indebtedness not
permitted by this clause (ii);
(iii) Indebtedness issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of
which are used to renew, extend, defease, refinance or refund, then
outstanding Indebtedness, other than Indebtedness Incurred under clause
(i), (ii), (iv), (vi), (viii) or (xii) of this paragraph, and any
refinancings thereof in an amount not to exceed the amount so renewed,
extended, defeased, refinanced or refunded (plus premiums, accrued
interest, fees and expenses); provided that Indebtedness the proceeds of
which are used to renew, extend, defease, refinance or refund the Notes
in part or Indebtedness that is pari passu with, or subordinated in
right of payment to, the Notes shall only be permitted under this clause
(iii) if (A) in case the Notes are refinanced in part or the
Indebtedness to be refinanced is pari passu with the Notes, such new
Indebtedness, by its terms or by the terms of any agreement or
instrument pursuant to which such new Indebtedness is outstanding, is
expressly made pari passu with, or subordinate in right of payment to,
the remaining Notes, (B) in case the Indebtedness to be refinanced is
subordinated in right of payment to the Notes, such new Indebtedness, by
its terms or by the terms of any agreement or instrument pursuant to
which such new Indebtedness is issued or remains outstanding, is
expressly made subordinate in right of payment to the Notes at least to
the extent that the Indebtedness to be refinanced is subordinated to the
Notes and (C) such new Indebtedness, determined as of the date of
Incurrence of such new Indebtedness, does not mature prior to the Stated
Maturity of the Indebtedness to be renewed, extended, defeased,
refinanced or refunded, and the Average Life of such new Indebtedness is
at least equal to the remaining Average Life of the Indebtedness to be
renewed, extended, defeased, refinanced or refunded; and provided
further that in no event may Indebtedness of the Company be refinanced
by means of any Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to
this clause (iii);
(iv) Indebtedness (A) in respect of performance, surety or appeal
bonds provided in the ordinary course of business, (B) under Currency
Agreements and Interest Rate Agreements; provided that such agreements
(a) are designed solely to protect the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries against fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or
interest rates and (b) do not increase the Indebtedness of the obligor
outstanding
at any time other than as a result of fluctuations in foreign currency
exchange rates or interest rates or by reason of fees, indemnities and
compensation payable thereunder and (C) arising from agreements
providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price or similar
obligations, or from Guarantees or letters of credit, surety bonds or
performance bonds securing any obligations of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to such agreements, in any case
Incurred in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or
Restricted Subsidiary (other than Guarantees of Indebtedness Incurred by
any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or
Restricted Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition), in
a principal amount not to exceed the gross proceeds actually received by
the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such
disposition;
(v) Indebtedness of the Company, to the extent the net proceeds
thereof are promptly (A) used to purchase Notes tendered in an Offer to
Purchase made as a result of a Change in Control or (B) deposited to
defease the Notes as described in Sections 8.02 and 8.03;
(vi) Guarantees of the Notes and Guarantees of Indebtedness of the
Company by any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that the Guarantee of
such Indebtedness is permitted by and made in accordance with Section
4.07;
(vii) Indebtedness (including Guarantees) Incurred to finance the cost
(including the cost of design, development, improvement, acquisition,
construction, installation, transportation or integration) to acquire
equipment, inventory or other tangible assets used or useful in the
telecommunications business of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries acquired (including acquisitions by way of Capitalized
Lease and acquisitions of the Capital Stock of a Person that becomes a
Restricted Subsidiary to the extent of the fair market value of the
equipment, inventory or other assets so acquired) by the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary after the Closing Date;
(viii) Indebtedness of the Company not to exceed, at any one time
outstanding, two times the sum of (A) the Net Cash Proceeds received by
the Company after the Closing Date as a capital contribution or from the
issuance and sale of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock)
to a Person that is not a Subsidiary of the Company, to the extent (I)
such capital contribution or Net Cash Proceeds have not been used
pursuant to clause (C)(2) of the first paragraph of, or clause (iii),
(iv) or (viii) of the second paragraph of, Section 4.04 to make a
Restricted Payment and (II) if such capital contribution or Net Cash
Proceeds are used to consummate a transaction pursuant to which the
Company Incurs Acquired Indebtedness, the amount of such Net Cash
Proceeds exceeds one-half of the amount of Acquired Indebtedness so
Incurred and (B) 80% of the fair market value of property (other than
cash and cash equivalents) received by the Company after the Closing
Date as a capital contribution or from the issuance and sale of its
Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) to a Person that is not a
Subsidiary of the Company, to the extent (I) such capital contribution
or sale of Capital Stock has not been used pursuant to clause (iii),
(iv) or (viii) of the second
paragraph of Section 4.04 to make a Restricted Payment and (II) if such
capital contribution or Capital Stock is used to consummate a
transaction pursuant to which the Company Incurs Acquired Indebtedness,
80% of the fair market value of property received exceeds one-half of
the amount of Acquired Indebtedness so Incurred; provided that such
Indebtedness does not mature prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes
and has an Average Life longer than the Notes;
(ix) Acquired Indebtedness;
(x) Strategic Subordinated Indebtedness;
(xi) Subordinated Indebtedness of the Company (in addition to
Indebtedness permitted under clauses (i) through (x) above and clause
(xii) below) in an aggregate principal amount outstanding at any time
not to exceed $100 million, less any amount of such Indebtedness
permanently repaid as provided under Section 4.11; and
(xii) Indebtedness of the Company and any Restricted
Subsidiary; provided that at the time of the Incurrence of any
Indebtedness under this clause (xii) the amount of Indebtedness under
this clause (xii) does not exceed in aggregate 70% of the accounts
receivable (net of accounts more than 60 days past due and reserves and
allowances for doubtful accounts, determined in accordance with GAAP) of
the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as
set forth on the balance sheet of the Company most recently filed with
the Commission pursuant to Section 4.17.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 4.03, the
maximum amount of Indebtedness that the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary
may Incur pursuant to this Section 4.03 shall not be deemed to be exceeded,
with respect to any outstanding Indebtedness, due solely to the result of
fluctuations in the exchange rates of currencies.
(c) For purposes of determining any particular amount of
Indebtedness under this Section 4.03, (1) Guarantees, Liens, letters of
credit or other obligations supporting Indebtedness otherwise included in the
determination of such particular amount shall not be included and (2) any
Liens granted pursuant to the equal and ratable provisions referred to in
Section 4.09 shall not be treated as Indebtedness. For purposes of
determining compliance with this Section 4.03, in the event that an item of
Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness
described in the above clauses, the Company, in its sole discretion, shall
classify, and from time to time may reclassify, such item of Indebtedness and
only be required to include the amount and type of such Indebtedness in one
of such clauses.
SECTION 4.04. Limitation on Restricted Payments. The Company will
not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, directly or
indirectly, (i) declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution on or
with respect to its Capital Stock (other than (x) dividends or distributions
payable solely in shares of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock)
or in options, warrants or other rights to acquire shares of such Capital
Stock and (y) pro rata dividends or distributions on Common Stock of
Restricted Subsidiaries held by
minority stockholders) held by Persons other than the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries, (ii) purchase, redeem, retire or otherwise acquire
for value any shares of Capital Stock of (x) the Company or an Unrestricted
Subsidiary (including options, warrants or other rights to acquire such
shares of Capital Stock) held by any Person other than the Company or any
Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or (y) a Restricted Subsidiary (including
options, warrants or other rights to acquire such shares of Capital Stock)
held by any Affiliate of the Company (other than a Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiary) or any holder (or any Affiliate of such holder) of 5% or more of
the Capital Stock of the Company, (iii) make any voluntary or optional
principal payment, or voluntary or optional redemption, repurchase,
defeasance, or other acquisition or retirement for value, of Indebtedness of
the Company that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes (other than
the purchase, repurchase or the acquisition of Indebtedness in anticipation
of satisfying a sinking fund obligation, principal installment or final
maturity, in any case due within one year of the date of acquisition) or (iv)
make any Investment, other than a Permitted Investment, in any Person (such
payments or any other actions described in clauses (i) through (iv) above
being collectively "Restricted Payments") if, at the time of, and after
giving effect to, the proposed Restricted Payment: (A) a Default or Event of
Default shall have occurred and be continuing, (B) except with respect to
Investments, the Company could not Incur at least $1.00 of Indebtedness under
the first paragraph of Section 4.03 or (C) the aggregate amount of all
Restricted Payments (the amount, if other than in cash, to be determined in
good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive
and evidenced by a Board Resolution) made after the Closing Date shall exceed
the sum of (1) 50% of the aggregate amount of the Adjusted Consolidated Net
Income (or, if the Adjusted Consolidated Net Income is a loss, minus 100% of
the amount of such loss (determined by excluding amounts referred to in
clause (3) below)) accrued on a cumulative basis during the period (taken as
one accounting period) beginning on the first day of the fiscal quarter
immediately following the Closing Date and ending on the last day of the last
fiscal quarter preceding the Transaction Date for which reports have been
filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 4.17 plus (2) (A) the aggregate
Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company after the Closing Date as a capital
contribution or from the issuance and sale permitted by this Indenture of its
Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) to a Person who is not a
Subsidiary of the Company, or from the issuance to a Person who is not a
Subsidiary of the Company of any options, warrants or other rights to acquire
Capital Stock of the Company (in each case, exclusive of any convertible
Indebtedness, Disqualified Stock or any options, warrants or other rights
that are redeemable at the option of the holder, or are required to be
redeemed, prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes), (B) the aggregate Net
Cash Proceeds received after the Closing Date by the Company from the
issuance or sale (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company) of debt
securities or shares of Disqualified Stock that have been converted into or
exchanged for Common Stock of the Company, together with the aggregate cash
received by the Company at the time of such conversion or exchange, in each
case except to the extent such Net Cash Proceeds are used to Incur
Indebtedness pursuant to clause (viii) of the second paragraph of part (a) of
Section 4.03 and (C) the amount by which Indebtedness of the Company and its
Restricted Subsidiaries is reduced upon the conversion or exchange subsequent
to the Closing Date of any Indebtedness which is convertible into or
exchangeable for Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company
plus (3) an amount equal to the net reduction in Investments (other than
reductions in Permitted Investments) in any Person resulting from payments of
interest on Indebtedness,
dividends, repayments of loans or advances, or other transfers of assets, in
each case to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or from the Net Cash
Proceeds from the sale of any such Investment (except, in each case, to the
extent any such payment or proceeds are included in the calculation of
Adjusted Consolidated Net Income), or from redesignations of Unrestricted
Subsidiaries as Restricted Subsidiaries (valued in each case as provided in
the definition of "Investments"), not to exceed, in each case, the amount of
Investments previously made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in
such Person or Unrestricted Subsidiary.
The foregoing provision shall not be violated by reason of:
(i) the payment of any dividend within 60 days after the date of
declaration thereof if, at said date of declaration, such payment would
comply with the foregoing paragraph;
(ii) the redemption, repurchase, defeasance or other acquisition or
retirement for value of Indebtedness that is subordinated in right of
payment to the Notes including premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid
interest, with the proceeds of, or in exchange for, Indebtedness
Incurred under clause (iii) of the second paragraph of part (a) of
Section 4.03;
(iii) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition of Capital
Stock of the Company or an Unrestricted Subsidiary (or options, warrants
or other rights to acquire such Capital Stock) in exchange for, or out
of the proceeds of a capital contribution to the Company or a
substantially concurrent offering of, shares of Capital Stock (other
than Disqualified Stock) of the Company (or options, warrants or other
rights to acquire such Capital Stock) ;
(iv) the making of any principal payment or the repurchase,
redemption, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition for value of
Indebtedness of the Company which is subordinated in right of payment to
the Notes in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of a capital
contribution to the Company or a substantially concurrent offering of,
shares of the Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the
Company (or options, warrants or other rights to acquire such Capital
Stock);
(v) payments or distributions, to dissenting stockholders pursuant
to applicable law, pursuant to or in connection with a consolidation,
merger or transfer of assets that complies with the provisions of this
Indenture applicable to mergers, consolidations and transfers of all or
substantially all of the property and assets of the Company;
(vi) the purchase, redemption, acquisition, cancellation or other
retirement for value of shares of Capital Stock of the Company to the
extent necessary, in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors
of the Company, to prevent the loss or secure the renewal or
reinstatement of any license or franchise held by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary from any governmental agency;
(vii) the declaration or payment of dividends on the Common Stock
of the Company following a Public Equity Offering of such Common Stock,
of up to 6% per annum of the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company
in all Public Equity Offerings;
(viii) Investments in any Person the primary business of which is
related, ancillary or complementary to the business of the Company and
its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of such Investments; provided
that the aggregate amount of Investments made pursuant to this clause
(viii) does not exceed the sum of (a) $20 million and (b) the amount of
Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company after the Closing Date as a
capital contribution or from the sale of its Capital Stock (other than
Disqualified Stock) to a Person who is not a Subsidiary of the Company,
except to the extent such Net Cash Proceeds are used to Incur
Indebtedness pursuant to clause (viii) of the second paragraph of
Section 4.03(a) or to make Restricted Payments pursuant to clause (C)(2)
of the first paragraph, or clause (iii) or (iv) of this paragraph, of
this Section 4.04, and (c) the net reduction in Investments made
pursuant to this clause (viii) resulting from distributions on or
repayments of such Investments or from the Net Cash Proceeds from the
sale of any such Investment (except in each case to the extent any such
payment or proceeds is included in the calculation of Adjusted
Consolidated Net Income) or from such Person becoming a Restricted
Subsidiary (valued in each case as provided in the definition of
"Investments"), provided that the net reduction in any Investment shall
not exceed the amount of such Investment;
(ix) the purchase, redemption, retirement or other acquisition for
value of shares of Capital Stock of the Company, or options to purchase
such shares, held by directors, officers or employees or former
directors, officers or employees of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary (or their estates or beneficiaries under their estates) upon
death, disability, retirement, termination of employment or pursuant to
the terms of any agreement under which such shares of Capital Stock or
options were issued; provided that the aggregate consideration paid for
such purchase, redemption, acquisition, cancellation or other retirement
of such shares of Capital Stock or options after the Closing Date does
not exceed $500,000 in any calendar year, or $5.0 million in the
aggregate after the Closing Date;
(x) any Investment, to the extent the consideration therefor paid
by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries consists solely of
Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company;
(xi) repurchases of Warrants pursuant to a Repurchase Offer; and
(xii) other Restricted Payments in an aggregate amount not to
exceed $2.0 million;
provided that, except in the case of clauses (i) and (iii), no Default or
Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or occur as a
consequence of the actions or payments set forth therein.
Each Restricted Payment permitted pursuant to the preceding
paragraph (other than the Restricted Payment referred to in clause (ii)
thereof, an exchange of Capital Stock for Capital Stock or Indebtedness
referred to in clause (iii) or (iv) thereof and the Restricted Payment
referred to in clause (x) thereof) and the Net Cash Proceeds from any
issuance of Capital Stock referred to in clauses (iii), (iv) and (viii)
thereof shall be included in calculating whether the conditions of clause (C)
of the first paragraph of this Section 4.04 have been met with respect to any
subsequent Restricted Payments. In the event the proceeds of an issuance of
Capital Stock of the Company are used for the redemption, repurchase or other
acquisition of the Notes, or Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes,
then the Net Cash Proceeds of such issuance shall be included in clause (C)
of the first paragraph of this Section 4.04 only to the extent such proceeds
are not used for such redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of
Indebtedness.
The amount of any Investment "outstanding" at any time shall be
deemed to be equal to the amount of such Investment on the date made, less
the return of capital to the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries with
respect to such Investment (up to the amount of such Investment on the date
made).
SECTION 4.05. Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment
Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries. The Company will not, and
will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or
suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction
of any kind on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary to (i) pay dividends
or make any other distributions permitted by applicable law on any Capital
Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary owned by the Company or any other
Restricted Subsidiary, (ii) pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any
other Restricted Subsidiary, (iii) make loans or advances to the Company or
any other Restricted Subsidiary or (iv) transfer any of its property or
assets to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary.
The foregoing provisions shall not restrict any encumbrances or
restrictions:
(i) existing on the Closing Date in this Indenture or any other
agreements in effect on the Closing Date, and any extensions,
refinancings, renewals or replacements of such agreements; provided that
the encumbrances and restrictions in any such extensions, refinancings,
renewals or replacements are no less favorable in any material respect
to the Holders than those encumbrances or restrictions that are then in
effect and that are being extended, refinanced, renewed or replaced;
(ii) existing under or by reason of applicable law;
(iii) existing with respect to any Person or the property or assets
of such Person acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary,
existing at the time of such acquisition and not incurred in
contemplation thereof, which encumbrances or restrictions
are not applicable to any Person or the property or assets of any Person
other than such Person or the property or assets of such Person so
acquired, and any extensions, refinancings, renewals or replacements of
the agreement containing such encumbrance or restriction; provided that
the encumbrances and restrictions in any such extensions, refinancings,
renewals or replacements are no less favorable in any material respect
to the Holders than those encumbrances or restrictions that are then in
effect and that are being extended, refinanced, renewed or replaced;
(iv) in the case of clause (iv) of the first paragraph of this
Section 4.05, (A) that restrict in a customary manner the subletting,
assignment or transfer of any property or asset that is a lease,
license, conveyance or contract or similar property or asset, (B)
existing by virtue of any transfer of, agreement to transfer, option or
right with respect to, or Lien on, any property or assets of the
Company, or any Restricted Subsidiary not otherwise prohibited by this
Indenture or (C) arising or agreed to in the ordinary course of
business, not relating to any Indebtedness, and that do not,
individually or in the aggregate, detract from the value of property or
assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in any manner
material to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;
(v) with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary and imposed pursuant
to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or disposition
of all or substantially all of the Capital Stock of, or property and
assets of, such Restricted Subsidiary;
(vi) contained in the terms of Indebtedness having an aggregate
principal amount not in excess of the greater of (1) $10 million or (2)
10% of Consolidated EBITDA for the Four Quarter Period or any agreement
pursuant to which such Indebtedness is outstanding (in each case
Incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary in compliance with Section 4.03) if
(A) the encumbrance or restriction applies only in the event of a
payment default or a default with respect to a financial covenant
contained in such Indebtedness or agreement, (B) the encumbrance or
restriction is not materially more disadvantageous to the Holders than
is customary in comparable financings (as determined by the Company),
(C) the Company determines that any such encumbrance or restriction will
not materially affect its ability to make principal or interest payments
on the Notes, (D) if the aggregate principal amount of such Indebtedness
exceeds the greater of (1) $5 million and (2) 5% of Consolidated EBITDA
for the Four Quarter Period, the documents pursuant to which all such
indebtedness in excess of such amount is outstanding expressly state
that such Restricted Subsidiary shall be entitled to take the actions
referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) of the first paragraph of this
Section 4.05 in an amount not to exceed 50% of the consolidated net
income of such Restricted Subsidiary (after making adjustments thereto
in the nature of the adjustments referred to in the definition of
"Adjusted Consolidated Net Income") and (E) the Investments made by the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in such Restricted Subsidiary
are reasonably related to the business of such Restricted Subsidiary; and
(vii) provisions contained in agreements or instruments which
prohibit the payment of dividends or the making of other distributions
with respect to any particular class of Capital Stock of a Person other
than on a pro rata basis. Nothing contained in this Section 4.05 shall
prevent the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary from (1) creating,
incurring, assuming or suffering to exist any Liens otherwise permitted
in Section 4.09 or (2) restricting the sale or other disposition of
property or assets of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
that secure Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries.
SECTION 4.06. Limitation on the Issuance and Sale of Capital Stock
of Restricted Subsidiaries. The Company will not sell, and will not permit
any Restricted Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to issue or sell, any
shares of Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary (including options,
warrants or other rights to purchase shares of such Capital Stock) except (i)
to the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary; (ii) issuances of
director's qualifying shares or sales to foreign nationals of shares of
Capital Stock of foreign Restricted Subsidiaries, to the extent required by
applicable law; (iii) if, immediately after giving effect to such issuance or
sale, such Restricted Subsidiary would no longer constitute a Restricted
Subsidiary; provided that any Investment in such Person remaining after
giving effect to such issuance or sale would have been permitted to be made
under Section 4.04, if made on the date of such issuance or sale; (iv)
issuances or sales of Common Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary, provided that
the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary applies the Net Cash Proceeds, if
any, of any such sale in accordance with clause (A) or (B) of Section 4.11;
and (v) issuances and sales of up to 6% of the Common Stock of each
Restricted Subsidiary in connection with employee benefit plans or
arrangements.
SECTION 4.07. Limitation on Issuances of Guarantees by Restricted
Subsidiaries. The Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary,
directly or indirectly, to Guarantee any Indebtedness of the Company which is
pari passu with or subordinate in right of payment to the Notes ("Guaranteed
Indebtedness"), unless (i) such Restricted Subsidiary simultaneously executes
and delivers a supplemental indenture to this Indenture providing for a
Guarantee (a "Subsidiary Guarantee") of payment of the Notes by such
Restricted Subsidiary and (ii) such Restricted Subsidiary waives and will not
in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any
rights of reimbursement, indemnity or subrogation or any other rights against
the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary as a result of any payment by
such Restricted Subsidiary under its Subsidiary Guarantee; provided that this
paragraph shall not be applicable to any Guarantee of any Restricted
Subsidiary that existed at the time such Person became a Restricted
Subsidiary and was not Incurred in connection with, or in contemplation of,
such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary. If the Guaranteed Indebtedness
is (A) pari passu with the Notes, then the Guarantee of such Guaranteed
Indebtedness shall be pari passu with, or subordinated to, the Subsidiary
Guarantee or (B) subordinated to the Notes, then the Guarantee of such
Guaranteed Indebtedness shall be subordinated to the Subsidiary Guarantee at
least to the extent that the Guaranteed Indebtedness is subordinated to the
Notes.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Subsidiary Guarantee by a
Restricted Subsidiary may provide by its terms that it shall be automatically
and unconditionally released
and discharged upon (i) any sale, exchange or transfer, to any Person not an
Affiliate of the Company, of all of the Company's and each Restricted
Subsidiary's Capital Stock in, or all or substantially all the assets of,
such Restricted Subsidiary (which sale, exchange or transfer is not
prohibited by this Indenture) or (ii) the release or discharge of the
Guarantee which resulted in the creation of such Subsidiary Guarantee, except
a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such Guarantee.
SECTION 4.08. Limitation on Transactions with Shareholders and
Affiliates. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted
Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into, renew or extend any
transaction (including, without limitation, the purchase, sale, lease or
exchange of property or assets, or the rendering of any service) with any
holder (or any Affiliate of such holder) of 5% or more of any class of
Capital Stock of the Company or with any Affiliate of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, except upon fair and reasonable terms no less
favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than could be
obtained, at the time of such transaction or, if such transaction is pursuant
to a written agreement, at the time of the execution of the agreement
providing therefor, in a comparable arm's-length transaction with a Person
that is not such a holder or an Affiliate.
The foregoing limitation does not limit, and shall not apply to:
(i) transactions (A) approved by a majority of the disinterested
members of the Board of Directors or (B) for which the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary delivers to the Trustee a written opinion of a
nationally recognized investment banking firm stating that the
transaction is fair to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary from a
financial point of view;
(ii) any transaction solely between the Company and any of its Wholly
Owned Restricted Subsidiaries or solely between Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiaries;
(iii) the payment of reasonable and customary regular fees to
directors of the Company who are not employees of the Company;
(iv) any payments or other transactions pursuant to any tax-sharing
agreement between the Company and any other Person with which the
Company files a consolidated tax return or with which the Company is
part of a consolidated group for tax purposes;
(v) any Restricted Payments not prohibited by Section 4.04;
(vi) employment agreements with, and loans and advances to,
officers and employees of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries,
in each case in the ordinary course of business;
(vii) customary indemnification arrangements in favor of directors
and officers of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries; or
(viii) transactions in accordance with the provisions of the Series
A Preferred Stock of the Company as set forth in the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Company on the Closing Date.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any transaction covered by the first
paragraph of this Section 4.08 and not covered by clauses (ii) through (vi)
of this paragraph, the aggregate amount of which exceeds $3 million in value,
must be approved or determined to be fair in the manner provided for in
clause (i)(A) or (B) above.
SECTION 4.09. Limitation on Liens. The Company will not, and will
not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to
exist any Lien on any of its assets or properties of any character
(including, without limitation, licenses), or any shares of Capital Stock or
Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary, without making effective provision
for all of the Notes and all other amounts due under this Indenture to be
directly secured equally and ratably with (or, if the obligation or liability
to be secured by such Lien is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes,
prior to) the obligation or liability secured by such Lien unless, after
giving effect thereto, the aggregate amount of any Indebtedness so secured,
plus the Attributable Indebtedness for all sale-leaseback transactions
permitted under Section 4.10, does not exceed 10% of Consolidated Net
Tangible Assets.
The foregoing limitation does not apply to:
(i) Liens existing on the Closing Date;
(ii) Liens granted after the Closing Date on any assets or Capital
Stock of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries created in favor of
the Holders;
(iii) Liens with respect to the assets of a Restricted Subsidiary
granted by such Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or a Wholly Owned
Restricted Subsidiary to secure Indebtedness owing to the Company or
such other Restricted Subsidiary;
(iv) Liens securing Indebtedness which is Incurred to refinance
secured Indebtedness which is permitted to be Incurred under clause
(iii) of the second paragraph of Section 4.03; provided that such Liens
do not extend to or cover any property or assets of the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary other than the property or assets securing the
Indebtedness being refinanced;
(v) Liens on assets acquired by the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries after the Closing Date, that are not incurred in
contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition;
(vi) Liens on the Capital Stock of, or any property or assets of, a
Restricted Subsidiary securing Indebtedness of such Restricted
Subsidiary permitted under Section 4.03; or
(vii) Permitted Liens.
In the event that the Lien the existence of which gives rise to a Lien
securing the Notes pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4.09 ceases to
exist, the Lien securing the Notes required by the first paragraph of this
Section 4.09 shall automatically be released and the Trustee shall execute
appropriate documentation.
SECTION 4.10. Limitation on Sale-Leaseback Transactions. The
Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, enter
into any sale-leaseback transaction involving any of its assets or properties
whether now owned or hereafter acquired, whereby the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary sells or transfers such assets or properties and then or
thereafter leases such assets or properties or any part thereof or any other
assets or properties which the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the
case may be, intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes as
the assets or properties sold or transferred.
The foregoing restriction does not apply to any sale-leaseback
transaction if:
(i) the lease is for a period, including renewal rights, of not in
excess of three years;
(ii) the lease secures or relates to industrial revenue or
pollution control bonds;
(iii) the transaction is solely between the Company and any Wholly
Owned Restricted Subsidiary or solely between Wholly Owned Restricted
Subsidiaries; or
(iv) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, within twelve months
after the sale or transfer of any assets or properties is completed,
applies an amount not less than the net proceeds received from such sale
in accordance with clause (A) or (B) of the first paragraph of Section
4.11.
SECTION 4.11. Limitation on Asset Sales. The Company will not,
and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, consummate any Asset Sale
unless (i) the consideration received by the Company or such Restricted
Subsidiary (including any Released Indebtedness) is at least equal to the
fair market value of the assets sold or disposed of and (ii) at least 75% of
the consideration received (including any Released Indebtedness) consists of
(1) cash, Temporary Cash Investments or Released Indebtedness and (2)
Indebtedness of any Person which is either repaid in cash or sold for cash
within 90 days of such Asset Sale (for purposes of calculating the amount of
such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness shall be valued at its principal amount,
if it matures within 180 days of the consummation of such Asset Sale, or its
fair market value, in all other cases), provided, however, that this clause
(ii) shall not apply to any long-term assignments in capacity in a
telecommunications network. In the event and to the extent that the Net Cash
Proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from
one or more Asset Sales occurring on or after the Closing Date in any period
of 12 consecutive months exceed 10% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible
Assets (determined as of the date closest to the commencement of such
12-month period for which a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its
Subsidiaries has been filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 4.17),
then the Company shall or shall cause the relevant Restricted Subsidiary to
(i) within twelve months after the date Net Cash Proceeds so received exceed
10% of Adjusted Consolidated Net Tangible Assets (A) apply an amount equal to
such excess Net Cash Proceeds to permanently repay unsubordinated
Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary providing a
Subsidiary Guarantee pursuant to Section 4.07 or Indebtedness of any other
Restricted Subsidiary, in each case owing to a Person other than the Company
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or (B) invest an equal amount, or the
amount not so applied pursuant to clause (A) (or enter into a definitive
agreement committing to so invest within twelve months after the date of such
agreement), in property or assets (other than current assets) of a nature or
type or that are used in a business (or in a company having property and
assets of a nature or type, or engaged in a business) similar or related to
the nature or type of the property and assets of, or the business of, the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries existing on the date of such
investment (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose
determination shall be conclusive and evidenced by a Board Resolution) and
(ii) apply (no later than the end of the twelve-month period referred to in
clause (i)) such excess Net Cash Proceeds (to the extent not applied pursuant
to clause (i)) as provided in the following paragraph of this Section 4.11.
The amount of such excess Net Cash Proceeds required to be applied (or to be
committed to be applied) during such twelve-month period as set forth in
clause (i) of the preceding sentence and not applied as so required by the
end of such period shall constitute "Excess Proceeds."
If, as of the first day of any calendar month, the aggregate amount
of Excess Proceeds not theretofore subject to an Offer to Purchase pursuant
to this Section 4.11 totals at least $5 million, the Company must commence,
not later than the fifteenth Business Day of such month, and consummate an
Offer to Purchase from the Holders on a pro rata basis an aggregate Accreted
Value of Notes on the relevant Payment Date equal to the Excess Proceeds on
such date, at a purchase price equal to 101% of the Accreted Value of the
Notes on the relevant Payment Date, in each case, plus accrued interest (if
any) to the Payment Date. Upon the consummation of an Offer to Purchase
pursuant to this Section 4.11 the amount of Excess Proceeds shall be deemed
to be equal to zero, plus the amount of any Excess Proceeds not theretofore
subject to an Offer to Purchase.
SECTION 4.12. Repurchase of Notes upon a Change of Control. The
Company shall commence, within 30 days of the occurrence of a Change of
Control, and consummate an Offer to Purchase for all Notes then outstanding,
at a purchase price equal to 101% of the Accreted Value thereof, plus accrued
interest (if any) to the Payment Date.
SECTION 4.13. Existence. Subject to Articles Four and Five of
this Indenture, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary
to preserve and keep in full force and effect its existence and the existence
of each of its Restricted Subsidiaries in accordance with the respective
organizational documents of the Company and each such Subsidiary and the
rights (whether pursuant to charter, partnership certificate, agreement,
statute or otherwise), licenses and franchises of the Company and each such
Subsidiary; provided that the Company shall not be required to preserve any
such right, license or franchise, or the existence of any Restricted
Subsidiary, if the maintenance or preservation thereof is no longer desirable
in the conduct of the business, as determined in good faith by the Company's
Board of Directors, of the Company and
its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and provided further that any
Restricted Subsidiary may consolidate with, merge into, or sell, convey,
transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or part of its property and
assets to the Company or any Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary.
SECTION 4.14. Payment of Taxes and Other Claims. The Company will
pay or discharge and shall cause each of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay
or discharge, or cause to be paid or discharged, before the same shall become
delinquent (i) all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges
levied or imposed upon (a) the Company or any such Subsidiary, (b) the income
or profits of any such Subsidiary which is a corporation or (c) the property
of the Company or any such Subsidiary and (ii) all material lawful claims for
labor, materials and supplies that, if unpaid, might by law become a lien
upon the property of the Company or any such Subsidiary; provided that the
Company shall not be required to pay or discharge, or cause to be paid or
discharged, any such tax, assessment, charge or claim the amount,
applicability or validity of which is being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been established.
SECTION 4.15. Maintenance of Properties and Insurance. The
Company will cause all properties used or useful in the conduct of its
business or the business of any Restricted Subsidiary and material to the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole, to be maintained
and kept in good condition, repair and working order and supplied with all
necessary equipment and will cause to be made all necessary repairs,
renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, all as in the
judgment of the Company may be necessary so that the business carried on in
connection therewith may be properly and advantageously conducted at all
times; provided that nothing in this Section 4.15 shall prevent the Company
or any such Restricted Subsidiary from discontinuing the use, operation or
maintenance of any of such properties or disposing of any of them, if such
discontinuance or disposal is, in the judgment of the Board of Directors or
the board of directors of such Restricted Subsidiary having managerial
responsibility for any such property, desirable in the conduct of the
business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary.
The Company will provide or cause to be provided, for itself and
its Restricted Subsidiaries, insurance (including appropriate self-insurance)
against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by
corporations similarly situated and owning like properties, with reputable
insurers or with the government of the United States of America, or an agency
or instrumentality thereof, in such amounts, with such deductibles and by
such methods as the Company in good faith shall determine to be reasonable
and appropriate in the circumstances.
SECTION 4.16. Compliance Certificates. (a) The Company shall
deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, an
Officers' Certificate stating whether or not the signers know of any Default
or Event of Default that occurred during such fiscal year. Such certificate
shall comply with the applicable provisions of the TIA. If any of the
signers of the Officers' Certificate have knowledge of such a Default or
Event of Default, the certificate shall describe any such Default or Event of
Default and its status.
(b) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after
the end of the Company's fiscal year, a certificate signed by the Company's
independent certified public accountants stating (i) that their audit
examination has included a review of the terms of this Indenture and the
Notes as they relate to accounting matters, (ii) that they have read the most
recent Officers' Certificate delivered to the Trustee pursuant to paragraph
(a) of this Section 4.16 and (iii) whether, in connection with their audit
examination, anything came to their attention that caused them to believe
that the Company was not in compliance with any of the terms, covenants,
provisions or conditions of Article Four and Section 5.01 of this Indenture
as they pertain to accounting matters and, if any Default or Event of Default
has come to their attention, specifying the nature and period of existence
thereof; provided that such independent certified public accountants shall
not be liable in respect of such statement by reason of any failure to obtain
knowledge of any such Default or Event of Default that would not be disclosed
in the course of an audit examination conducted in accordance with generally
accepted auditing standards in effect at the date of such examination.
(c) The Company shall, so long as any of the Notes are
outstanding, deliver to the Trustee, forthwith upon any Officer becoming
aware of any Default or Event of Default, an Officers' Certificate specifying
such Default or Event of Default and what action the Company is taking or
proposes to take with respect thereto.
SECTION 4.17. Commission Reports and Reports to Holders. The
Company shall file with the Commission the annual, quarterly and other
reports and other information required by Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act, regardless of whether such sections of the Exchange Act are
applicable to the Company, and shall mail or cause to be mailed copies of
such reports to Holders and the Trustee within 15 days after the date it
would have been required to file such reports with the Commission had it been
subject to such sections; provided, however, that the copies of such reports
mailed to Holders may omit exhibits, which the Company will supply to any
Holder at such ▇▇▇▇▇▇'s request.
SECTION 4.18. Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws. The
Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not
at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take
the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury law or
other law that would prohibit or forgive the Company from paying all or any
portion of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes as
contemplated herein, wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force,
or that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and
(to the extent that it may lawfully do so) the Company hereby expressly
waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will
not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the
Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as
though no such law had been enacted.
SECTION 4.19. Calculation of Original Issue Discount. The Company
shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each calendar year (i) a
written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount (including
daily rates and accrual periods) accrued on outstanding Notes as of the end
of such year and (ii) such other specific information relating to
such original issue discount as may then be relevant under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time and requested by the
Trustee.
ARTICLE FIVE
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 5.01. When Company May Merge, Etc. The Company shall not
consolidate with, merge with or into, or sell, convey, transfer, lease or
otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its property and assets (as
an entirety or substantially an entirety in one transaction or a series of
related transactions) to, any Person or permit any Person to merge with or
into the Company unless:
(i) the Company shall be the continuing Person, or the Person (if
other than the Company) formed by such consolidation or into which the
Company is merged or that acquired or leased such property and assets of
the Company shall be a corporation organized and validly existing under
the laws of the United States of America or any jurisdiction thereof and
shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture, executed and
delivered to the Trustee, all of the obligations of the Company on all
of the Notes and under this Indenture;
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no
Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(iii) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro
forma basis, the Company or any Person becoming the successor obligor of
the Notes shall have a Consolidated Net Worth equal to or greater than
the Consolidated Net Worth of the Company immediately prior to such
transaction;
(iv) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro
forma basis, the Company, or any Person becoming the successor obligor
of the Notes, as the case may be, could Incur at least $1.00 of
Indebtedness under the first paragraph of Section 4.03; provided,
however, that this clause (iv) shall not apply to (x) a consolidation,
merger or sale of all (but not less than all) of the assets of the
Company if all Liens and Indebtedness of the Company or any Person
becoming the successor obligor on the Notes, as the case may be, and its
Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding immediately after such transaction
would, if Incurred at such time, have been permitted to be Incurred (and
all such Liens and Indebtedness, other than Liens and Indebtedness of
the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries outstanding immediately
prior to the transaction, shall be deemed to have been Incurred) for all
purposes of the Indenture or (y) a consolidation, merger or sale of all
or substantially all of the assets of the Company if immediately after
giving effect to such transaction on a pro forma basis, the Company or
any Person becoming the successor obligor of the Notes shall have a
Consolidated Leverage Ratio equal to or less than the Consolidated
Leverage Ratio of the Company immediately prior to such transaction; and
(v) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate
(attaching the arithmetic computations to demonstrate compliance with
clauses (iii) and (iv)) and Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating
that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental
indenture complies with this provision and that all conditions precedent
provided for herein relating to such transaction have been complied
with;
provided, however, that clauses (iii) and (iv) above do not apply if, in the
good faith determination of the Board of Directors of the Company, whose
determination shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution, the principal purpose
of such transaction is to change the state of incorporation of the Company,
and that such transaction shall not have as one of its purposes the evasion
of the foregoing limitations.
SECTION 5.02. Successor Substituted. Upon any consolidation or
merger, or any sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of all
or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company in accordance
with Section 5.01 of this Indenture, the successor Person formed by such
consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such sale,
conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is made shall succeed to,
and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the
Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person
had been named as the Company herein; and, except in the case of a lease, the
Company shall be relieved from all obligations and covenants under this
Indenture and the Notes.
ARTICLE SIX
DEFAULT AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. Events of Default. An "Event of Default" shall occur
with respect to the Notes if:
(a) the Company defaults in the payment of principal or Accreted
Value of (or premium, if any, on) any Note when the same becomes due and
payable at maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;
(b) the Company defaults in the payment of interest on any Note
when the same becomes due and payable, and such default continues for a
period of 30 days;
(c) the Company defaults in the performance or breaches the
provisions of Article Five or fails to make or consummate an Offer to
Purchase in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.11 or Section
4.12;
(d) the Company defaults in the performance of or breaches any
other covenant or agreement of the Company in this Indenture or under
the Notes (other than a default specified in clause (a), (b) or (c)
above) and such default or breach continues for a period of 30
consecutive days after written notice by the Trustee or the Holders of
25% or more in aggregate principal amount at maturity of the Notes;
(e) there occurs with respect to any issue or issues of
Indebtedness of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary having an
outstanding principal amount of $5.0 million or more in the aggregate
for all such issues of all such Persons, whether such Indebtedness now
exists or shall hereafter be created, (A) an event of default that has
caused the holder thereof to declare such Indebtedness to be due and
payable prior to its Stated Maturity and such Indebtedness has not been
discharged in full or such acceleration has not been rescinded or
annulled within 30 days of such acceleration and/or (B) the failure to
make a principal payment at the final (but not any interim) fixed
maturity and such defaulted payment shall not have been made, waived or
extended within 30 days of such payment default;
(f) any final judgment or order (not covered by insurance) for the
payment of money in excess of $5.0 million in the aggregate for all such
final judgments or orders against all such Persons (treating any
deductibles, self-insurance or retention as not so covered) shall be
rendered against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary and shall not
be paid or discharged, and there shall be any period of 30 consecutive
days following entry of the final judgment or order that causes the
aggregate amount for all such final judgments or orders outstanding and
not paid or discharged against all such Persons to exceed $5.0 million
during which a stay of enforcement of such final judgment or order, by
reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect;
(g) a court having jurisdiction in the premises enters a decree or
order for (A) relief in respect of the Company or any Significant
Subsidiary in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, (B)
appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee,
sequestrator or similar official of the Company or any Significant
Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of the property and assets of
the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or (C) the winding up or
liquidation of the affairs of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary
and, in each case, such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in
effect for a period of 30 consecutive days; or
(h) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary (A) commences a
voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other
similar law now or hereafter in effect, or consents to the entry of an
order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, (B) consents
to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator,
assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the
Company or any Significant Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of
the property and assets of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or
(C) effects any general assignment for the benefit of creditors.
SECTION 6.02. Acceleration. If an Event of Default (other than an
Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 that occurs
with respect to the Company) occurs and is continuing under this Indenture,
the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount at
maturity of the Notes then outstanding, by written notice to the
Company (and to the Trustee if such notice is given by the Holders), may, and
the Trustee at the request of such Holders shall, declare the Accreted Value of,
premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, on the Notes to be immediately
due and payable. Upon a declaration of acceleration, such Accreted Value,
premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, shall be immediately due and
payable. In the event of a declaration of acceleration because an Event of
Default set forth in clause (e) of Section 6.01 has occurred and is continuing,
such declaration of acceleration shall be automatically rescinded and annulled
if the event of default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to clause (e)
shall be remedied or cured by the Company or the relevant Significant Subsidiary
or waived by the holders of the relevant Indebtedness within 60 days after the
declaration of acceleration with respect thereto. If an Event of Default
specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 occurs with respect to the
Company, the Accreted Value of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any,
on the Notes then outstanding shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and
payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any
Holder.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration, but before a
judgment or decree for the payment of the money due has been obtained by the
Trustee, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount at
maturity of the outstanding Notes by written notice to the Company and to the
Trustee may on behalf of all the Holders waive all past Defaults and rescind and
annul such declaration of acceleration and its consequences if (i) all existing
Events of Default, other than the non-payment of the Accreted Value of, premium,
if any, and accrued interest, if any, on the Notes that have become due solely
by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived and (ii) the
rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of
competent jurisdiction.
SECTION 6.03. Other Remedies. If an Event of Default occurs and is
continuing, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or
in equity to collect the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest
on the Notes or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Notes or this
Indenture.
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any
of the Notes or does not produce any of them in the proceeding.
SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Past Defaults. Subject to Sections 6.02,
6.07 and 9.02, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount
at maturity of the outstanding Notes, by notice to the Company and the Trustee,
may waive an existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences, except a
Default in the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note
as specified in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.01 (including in connection with
an Offer to Purchase) or in respect of a covenant or provision of this Indenture
which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each
outstanding Note affected. Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to
exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been
cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to
any subsequent or other Default or Event of Default or impair any right
consequent thereto.
SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority. The Holders of at least a
majority in aggregate principal amount at maturity of the outstanding Notes may
direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the
Trustee. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts
with law or this Indenture, that may involve the Trustee in personal liability,
or that the Trustee determines in good faith may be unduly prejudicial to the
rights of Holders of Notes not joining in the giving of such direction and may
take any other action it deems proper that is not inconsistent with any such
direction received from Holders of Notes.
SECTION 6.06. Limitation on Suits. A Holder may not institute any
proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture or the Notes,
or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy
hereunder, unless:
(i) such Holder gives the Trustee written notice of a continuing
Event of Default;
(ii) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount at
maturity of outstanding Notes make a written request to the Trustee to
pursue the remedy;
(iii) such Holder or Holders offer the Trustee indemnity
reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against any costs, liability or
expense with respect to complying with the request;
(iv) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after
its receipt of the request and offer of indemnity; and
(v) during such 60-day period, the Holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount at maturity of the outstanding Notes do not give the
Trustee a direction that is inconsistent with the request.
For purposes of Section 6.05 of this Indenture and this Section 6.06,
the Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 316(a) in making any determination of
whether the Holders of the required aggregate principal amount at maturity of
outstanding Notes have concurred in any request or direction of the Trustee to
pursue any remedy available to the Trustee or the Holders with respect to this
Indenture or the Notes or otherwise under the law.
A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another
Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over such other Holder.
SECTION 6.07. Rights of Holders to Receive Payment. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to
receive payment of the Accreted Value of, premium, if any, or interest on such
Holder's Note on or after the respective due dates expressed on such Note
(including in a notice with respect to an Offer to Purchase), or to bring suit
for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall
not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
SECTION 6.08. Collection Suit by Trustee. If an Event of Default in
payment of Accreted Value, premium or interest specified in clause (a) or (b) of
Section 6.01 occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its
own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company or any other
obligor of the Notes for the whole amount of Accreted Value, premium, if any,
and accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue
principal, premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is
lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate
specified in the Notes, and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover
the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
SECTION 6.09. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee may file
such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or
advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for
the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under
Section 7.07) and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to
the Company (or any other obligor of the Notes), its creditors or its property
and shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies,
securities or other property payable or deliverable upon conversion or exchange
of the Notes or upon any such claims and to distribute the same, and any
custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other
similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each
Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee
shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to
the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agent and counsel, and any other
amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07. Nothing herein contained shall be
deemed to empower the Trustee to authorize or consent to, or accept or adopt on
behalf of any Holder, any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or
composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to
authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such
proceeding.
SECTION 6.10. Priorities. If the Trustee collects any money pursuant
to this Article Six, it shall pay out the money in the following order:
First: to the Trustee for amounts due under Section 7.07, including
payment of all compensation, expense and liabilities incurred, and all
advances made, by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;
Second: to Holders for amounts then due and unpaid for principal or
Accreted Value, of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes in respect
of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected,
ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the
amounts due and payable on such Notes for principal, Accreted Value,
premium, if any, and interest, respectively; and
Third: to the Company or any other obligors of the Notes, as their
interests may appear, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
The Trustee, upon prior written notice to the Company, may fix a
record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section
6.10.
SECTION 6.11. Undertaking for Costs. In any suit for the enforcement
of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee
for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court in its discretion may
require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay
the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable
costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, against any party litigant in the
suit having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses
made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the
Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07 of this Indenture, or a
suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount at maturity of the
outstanding Notes.
SECTION 6.12. Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or
any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under
this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any
reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then,
and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the
Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and
respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and
remedies of the Company, Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no
such proceeding had been instituted.
SECTION 6.13. Rights and Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise
provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed,
lost or wrongfully taken Notes in Section 2.09, no right or remedy herein
conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be
exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the
extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and
remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or
otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or
otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other
appropriate right or remedy.
SECTION 6.14. Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of
the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any
Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of
any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy
given by this Article Six or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be
exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the
Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
ARTICLE SEVEN
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. General. Except during the continuance of a Default,
the Trustee will not be liable, except for the performance of such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Indenture. The duties and responsibilities of
the Trustee shall be as provided by the TIA and as set forth herein.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provision of this Indenture shall require the
Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise
of any of its rights or powers, if it 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. Whether or not therein expressly
so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or
affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be
subject to the provisions of this Article Seven.
SECTION 7.02. Certain Rights of Trustee. Subject to TIA Sections
315(a) through (d):
(i) the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or
refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement,
instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order,
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 person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter
stated in the document;
(ii) before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require
an Officers' Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel, which shall conform to
Section 11.04. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or
omits to take in good faith in reliance on such certificate or opinion;
(iii) the Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and
shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent
appointed with due care;
(iv) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the
rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction
of any of the Holders, unless such Holders shall have offered reasonable
security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee against the
costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance
with such request or direction;
(v) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits
to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within its
rights or powers or for any action it takes or omits to take in accordance
with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount at
maturity of the outstanding Notes relating to the time, method and place of
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this
Indenture; provided that the Trustee's conduct does not constitute
negligence or bad faith;
(vi) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee
shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to
taking, suffering or omitting any
action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically
prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an
Officer's Certificate;
(vii) the 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, direction, consent, order,
bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or
document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry
or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the
Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it
shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises of the Company
personally or by agent or attorney; and
(viii) any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein
shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order and
any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a
Board Resolution.
SECTION 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee, in its
individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and
may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it
would have if it were not the Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like
rights. However, the Trustee is subject to TIA Sections 310(b) and 311.
SECTION 7.04. Trustee's Disclaimer. The Trustee (i) makes no
representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Notes,
(ii) shall not be accountable for the Company's use or application of the
proceeds from the Notes and (iii) shall not be responsible for any statement in
the Notes other than its certificate of authentication.
SECTION 7.05. Notice of Default. If any Default or any Event of
Default occurs and is continuing and if such Default or Event of Default is
known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to each
Holder in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section 313(c) notice of
the Default or Event of Default within 45 days after it occurs, unless such
Default or Event of Default has been cured; provided, however, that, except in
the case of a default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or
interest on any Note, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice
if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust
committee of directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith
determine that the withholding of such notice is in the interest of the Holders.
SECTION 7.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders. Within 60 days after
each May 15, beginning with May 15, 1998, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder
as provided in TIA Section 313(c) a brief report dated as of such May 15, if
required by TIA Section 313(a).
SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity. The Company shall pay to
the Trustee such compensation as shall be agreed upon in writing for its
services. The compensation of the Trustee shall not be limited by any law on
compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the
Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
and advances incurred or made by the Trustee. Such expenses shall include the
reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee's agents and counsel.
The Company shall indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless
against, any loss or liability or expense incurred by it without negligence or
bad faith on its part in connection with the acceptance or administration of
this Indenture and its duties under this Indenture and the Notes, including the
costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability and of
complying with any process served upon it or any of its officers in connection
with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties under this
Indenture and the Notes.
The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly of any claim for which
it may seek indemnity. However, failure by the Trustee to so promptly notify
the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations under this
paragraph except to the extent such failure shall have materially prejudiced the
Company. The Company shall, unless the Trustee requests separate counsel,
defend any such claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense of such
claim. If the Trustee is advised by counsel that it may have available to it
defenses that are in conflict with any defenses available to the Company, the
Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees
and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made
without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
To secure the Company's payment obligations in this Section 7.07, the
Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or
collected by the Trustee, in its capacity as Trustee, except money or property
held in trust to pay Accreted Value of, premium, if any, and interest on
particular Notes.
If the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after the
occurrence of an Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section
6.01, the expenses and the compensation for the services will be intended to
constitute expenses of administration under Title 11 of the United States
Bankruptcy Code or any applicable federal or state law for the relief of
debtors.
The provisions of this Section 7.07 shall survive the termination of
this Indenture.
SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee. A resignation or removal of
the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only
upon the successor Trustee's acceptance of appointment as provided in this
Section 7.08.
The Trustee may resign at any time by so notifying the Company in
writing at least 30 days prior to the date of the proposed resignation. The
Holders of a majority in principal amount at maturity of the outstanding Notes
may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Trustee and the Company in writing
and may appoint a successor Trustee with the consent of the Company. The
Company may remove the Trustee, by Company Order if:
(i) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;
(ii) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent;
(iii) a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the
Trustee or its property; or
(iv) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed, or if a vacancy exists in the
office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor
Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders
of a majority in principal amount at maturity of the outstanding Notes may
appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the
Company. If the successor Trustee does not deliver its written acceptance
required by the next succeeding paragraph of this Section 7.08 within 30 days
after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the
Company or the Holders of a majority in principal amount at maturity of the
outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a successor Trustee.
A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its
appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after the
delivery of such written acceptance, subject to the lien provided in Section
7.07, (i) the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee
to the successor Trustee, (ii) the resignation or removal of the retiring
Trustee shall become effective and (iii) the successor Trustee shall have all
the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. A successor
Trustee shall mail notice of its succession to each Holder.
If the Trustee is no longer eligible under Section 7.10, any Holder
who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(b) may petition any court of
competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a
successor Trustee.
The Company shall give notice of any resignation and any removal of
the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all Holders. Each
notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its
Corporate Trust Office.
Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section
7.08, the Company's obligation under Section 7.07 shall continue for the benefit
of the retiring Trustee.
SECTION 7.09. Successor Trustee by ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Etc. If the Trustee
consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially
all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation or national banking
association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation or national
banking association without any further act shall be the successor Trustee with
the same effect as if the successor Trustee had been named as the Trustee
herein.
SECTION 7.10. Eligibility. This Indenture shall always have a
Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1). The Trustee
shall have a combined capital
and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published
annual report of condition.
SECTION 7.11. Money Held in Trust. The Trustee shall not be liable
for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in
writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be
segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law and except for
money held in trust under Article Eight of this Indenture.
SECTION 7.12. Withholding Taxes. The Trustee, as agent for the
Company, shall exclude and withhold from each payment of principal and interest
and other amounts due hereunder or under the Notes any and all withholding taxes
applicable thereto as required by law. The Trustee agrees to act as such
withholding agent and, in connection therewith, whenever any present or future
taxes or similar charges are required to be withheld with respect to any amounts
payable in respect of the Notes, to withhold such amounts and timely pay the
same to the appropriate authority in the name of and on behalf of the holders of
the Notes, that it will file any necessary withholding tax returns or statements
when due. The Company or the Trustee shall, as promptly as possible after the
payment of the taxes described above, deliver to each holder of a Note
appropriate documentation showing the payment thereof, together with such
additional documentary evidence as such holders may reasonably request from time
to time.
ARTICLE EIGHT
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 8.01. Termination of Company's Obligations. Except as
otherwise provided in this Section 8.01, the Company may terminate its
obligations under the Notes and this Indenture if:
(i) all Notes previously authenticated and delivered (other than
destroyed, lost or stolen Notes that have been replaced or Notes that are
paid pursuant to Section 4.01 or Notes for whose payment money or
securities have theretofore been held in trust and thereafter repaid to the
Company, as provided in Section 8.05) have been delivered to the Trustee
for cancellation and the Company has paid all sums payable by it hereunder;
or
(ii) (A) the Notes have become due and payable, mature within one year
or all of them are to be called for redemption within one year under
arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for giving the notice of
redemption, (B) the Company irrevocably deposits in trust with the Trustee
during such one-year period, under the terms of an irrevocable trust
agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee, as trust funds
solely for the benefit of the Holders for that purpose, money or U.S.
Government Obligations sufficient (in the opinion of a nationally
recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written
certification thereof delivered to the Trustee), without consideration of
any reinvestment of any interest thereon, to pay, through the payment of
principal and interest in accordance with their terms not later than one
day prior to the relevant due date, principal, premium, if, any, and
interest on the Notes to maturity or
redemption, as the case may be, and to pay all other sums payable by it
hereunder, (C) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes
shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit, (D) such
deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a
default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which
the Company is a party or by which it is bound and (E) the Company has
delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of
Counsel, in each case stating that all conditions precedent provided for
herein relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have
been complied with.
With respect to the foregoing clause (i), the Company's obligations
under Section 7.07 shall survive. With respect to the foregoing clause (ii),
the Company's obligations in Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.09, 2.14, 4.01,
4.02, 7.07, 7.08, 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive until the Notes are no
longer outstanding. Thereafter, only the Company's obligations in Sections
7.07, 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive. After any such irrevocable deposit,
the Trustee upon request shall acknowledge in writing the discharge of the
Company's obligations under the Notes and this Indenture except for those
surviving obligations specified above.
SECTION 8.02. Defeasance and Discharge of Indenture. The Company
will be deemed to have paid and will be discharged from any and all obligations
in respect of the Notes on the 123rd day after the date of the deposit referred
to in clause (A) of this Section 8.02, and the provisions of this Indenture will
no longer be in effect with respect to the Notes, and the Trustee, at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging the same,
except as to (i) rights of registration of transfer and exchange, (ii)
substitution of apparently mutilated, defaced, destroyed, lost or stolen Notes,
(iii) rights of Holders to receive payments of principal thereof and interest
thereon, (iv) the Company's obligations under Section 4.02, (v) the rights,
obligations and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and (vi) the rights of the
Holders as beneficiaries of this Indenture with respect to the property so
deposited with the Trustee payable to all or any of them; provided that the
following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(A) the Company has deposited with the Trustee in trust, money and/or
U.S. Government Obligations that, through the payment of interest and
principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms will provide,
not later than one day before the due date of any payment referred to in
this clause (A), money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a
nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a
written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee to pay the principal
of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes on the Stated
Maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of this Indenture
and the Notes and has irrevocably instructed the Trustee to apply such
money to the payment of such principal, premium and interest;
(B) the Company has delivered to the Trustee (i) either (x) an
Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders will not recognize income,
gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the Company's
exercise of its option under this Section 8.02 and will be subject to
federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the
same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and
discharge had not occurred, which Opinion of Counsel must be based upon
(and accompanied by a copy of) a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service to
the same effect unless there has been a change in applicable federal income
tax law after the date of this Indenture such that a ruling is no longer
required or (y) a ruling directed to the Trustee received from the Internal
Revenue Service to the same effect as the aforementioned Opinion of Counsel
and (ii) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the creation of the
defeasance trust does not violate the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
after the passage of 123 days following the deposit (except, with respect
to any trust funds for the account of a Holder who may be deemed to be an
"insider" for purposes of the United States Bankruptcy Code, after one year
following the deposit), the trust fund will not be subject to the effect of
Section 547 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or Section 15 of the New
York Debtor and Creditor Law in a case commenced by or against the Company
under either such statute, and either (I) the trust funds will no longer
remain the property of the Company (and therefore will not be subject to
the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or
similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally) or (II) if a court were
to rule under any such law in any case or proceeding that the trust funds
remained property of the Company, (a) assuming such trust funds remained in
the possession of the Trustee prior to such court ruling to the extent not
paid to the Holders, the Trustee will hold, for the benefit of the Holders,
a valid and perfected security interest in such trust funds that is not
avoidable in bankruptcy or otherwise except for the effect of Section
552(b) of the United States Bankruptcy Code on interest on the trust funds
accruing after the commencement of a case under such statute, (b) the
Holders will be entitled to receive adequate protection of their interests
in such trust funds if such trust funds are used in such case or proceeding
and (c) no property, rights in property or other interests granted to the
Trustee or the Holders in exchange for, or with respect to, such trust
funds will be subject to any prior rights of holders of other Indebtedness
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(C) immediately after giving effect to such deposit on a pro forma
basis, no Event of Default, or event that after the giving of notice or
lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred
and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending
on the 123rd day after the date of such deposit, and such deposit shall not
result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any
other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is bound;
(D) if at such time the Notes are listed on a national securities
exchange, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that the Notes will not be delisted as a result of such deposit,
defeasance and discharge; and
(E) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate
and an Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that all conditions
precedent provided for herein relating to the defeasance contemplated by
this Section 8.02 have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to the end of the 123-day (or one
year) period referred to in clause (B)(ii) of this Section 8.02, none of the
Company's obligations under this Indenture shall be discharged. Subsequent to
the end of such 123-day (or one year) period with respect to this Section 8.02,
the Company's obligations in Sections 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.09, 2.14, 4.01,
4.02, 7.07, 7.08, 8.04, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive until the Notes are no
longer outstanding. Thereafter, only the Company's obligations in Sections
7.07, 8.05 and 8.06 shall survive. If and when a ruling from the Internal
Revenue Service or an Opinion of Counsel referred to in clause (B)(i) of this
Section 8.02 is able to be provided specifically without regard to, and not in
reliance upon, the continuance of the Company's obligations under Section 4.01,
then the Company's obligations under such Section 4.01 shall cease upon delivery
to the Trustee of such ruling or Opinion of Counsel and compliance with the
other conditions precedent provided for herein relating to the defeasance
contemplated by this Section 8.02.
After any such irrevocable deposit, the Trustee upon request shall
acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Company's obligations under the
Notes and this Indenture except for those surviving obligations in the
immediately preceding paragraph.
SECTION 8.03. Defeasance of Certain Obligations. The Company may
omit to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in clauses (iii)
and (iv) under Section 5.01 and Sections 4.03 through 4.12, 4.13 (except with
respect to the corporate existence of the Company) and 4.14 through 4.17 and
Section 4.19, and that clause (c) under Section 6.01 with respect to such
clauses (iii) and (iv) under Section 5.01, clause (d) under Section 6.01 with
respect to Sections 4.03 through 4.12, 4.13 (except with respect to the
corporate existence of the Company) and 4.14 through 4.17 and Section 4.19, and
clauses (e) and (f) under Section 6.01 shall be deemed not to be Events of
Default, in each case with respect to the outstanding Notes if:
(i) the Company has deposited with the Trustee in trust, money and/or
U.S. Government Obligations that, through the payment of interest and
principal in respect thereof in accordance with their terms, will provide,
not later than one day before the due date of any payment referred to in
this clause (i), money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a
nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a
written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee to pay the principal
of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes on the Stated
Maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of this Indenture
and the Notes and shall have irrevocably instructed the Trustee to apply
such money to the payment of such principal, premium and interest;
(ii) immediately after giving effect to such deposit on a pro forma
basis, no Event of Default, or event that after the giving of notice or
lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred
and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending
on the 123rd day after the date of such deposit, and such deposit shall not
result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any
other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is bound;
(iii) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel
to the effect that (A) the creation of the defeasance trust does not
violate the Investment Company Act of 1940, (B) the Holders will not
recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result
of such deposit and defeasance of certain obligations and will be subject
to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the
same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had
not occurred and (C) after the passage of 123 days following the deposit
(except, with respect to any trust funds for the account of any Holder who
may be deemed to be an "insider" for purposes of the United States
Bankruptcy Code, after one year following the deposit), the trust funds
will not be subject to the effect of Section 547 of the United States
Bankruptcy Code or Section 15 of the New York Debtor and Creditor Law in a
case commenced by or against the Company under either such statute, and
either (I) the trust funds will no longer remain the property of the
Company (and therefore will not be subject to the effect of any applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors'
rights generally) or (II) if a court were to rule under any such law in any
case or proceeding that the trust funds remained property of the Company,
(a) assuming such trust funds remained in the possession of the Trustee
prior to such court ruling to the extent not paid to the Holders, the
Trustee will hold, for the benefit of the Holders, a valid and perfected
security interest in such trust funds that is not avoidable in bankruptcy
or otherwise except for the effect of Section 552(b) of the United States
Bankruptcy Code on interest on the trust funds accruing after the
commencement of a case under such statute, (b) the Holders will be entitled
to receive adequate protection of their interests in such trust funds if
such trust funds are used in such case or proceeding and (c) no property,
rights in property or other interests granted to the Trustee or the Holders
in exchange for, or with respect to, such trust funds will be subject to
any prior rights of holders of other Indebtedness of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries;
(iv) at such time the Notes are listed on a national securities
exchange, the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that the Notes will not be delisted as a result of such deposit,
defeasance and discharge; and
(v) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate
and an Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that all conditions
precedent provided for herein relating to the defeasance contemplated by
this Section 8.03 have been complied with.
SECTION 8.04. Application of Trust Money. Subject to Sections 8.05
and 8.06, the Trustee or Paying Agent shall hold in trust money or U.S.
Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03,
as the case may be, and shall apply the deposited money and the money from U.S.
Government Obligations, together with earnings thereon, in accordance with the
Notes and this Indenture to the payment of principal of, premium, if any, and
interest on the Notes; but such money need not be segregated from other funds
except to the extent required by law.
SECTION 8.05. Repayment to Company. Subject to Sections 7.07, 8.01,
8.02 and 8.03, the Trustee and the Paying Agent shall promptly pay to the
Company upon request set forth in an Officers' Certificate any excess money or
U.S. Government Obligations held by them at any time and thereupon shall be
relieved from all liability with respect to such money. The Trustee and the
Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon written request any money or U.S.
Government Obligations held by them for the payment of principal, premium, if
any, or interest that remains unclaimed for two years; provided that the Trustee
or such Paying Agent before being required to make any payment may cause to be
published at the expense of the Company once in a newspaper of general
circulation in the City of New York, or mail to each Holder entitled to such
money at such ▇▇▇▇▇▇'s address (as set forth in the Note Register) notice that
such money remains unclaimed and that after a date specified therein (which
shall be at least 30 days from the date of such publication or mailing) any
unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Company.
After payment to the Company, Holders entitled to such money must look to the
Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable law designates
another Person, and all liability of the Trustee and such Paying Agent with
respect to such money shall cease.
SECTION 8.06. Reinstatement. If the Trustee or Paying Agent is
unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance with
Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03, as the case may be, by reason of any legal
proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental
authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the
Company's obligations under this Indenture and the Notes shall be revived and
reinstated as though no deposit had occurred pursuant to Section 8.01, 8.02 or
8.03, as the case may be, until such time as the Trustee or Paying Agent is
permitted to apply all such money or U.S. Government Obligations in accordance
with Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03, as the case may be; provided that, if the
Company has made any payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on
any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, the Company shall be
subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment
from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held by the Trustee or Paying
Agent.
ARTICLE NINE
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Holders. The Company, when
authorized by a resolution of its Board of Directors, and the Trustee may amend
or supplement this Indenture or the Notes without notice to or the consent of
any Holder:
(1) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in this Indenture;
provided that such amendments or supplements shall not adversely affect the
interests of the Holders in any material respect;
(2) to comply with Article Five;
(3) to comply with any requirements of the Commission in connection
with the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA;
(4) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment
hereunder by a successor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇;
(5) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of
certificated Notes;
(6) to add one or more subsidiary guarantees on the terms required by
this Indenture; or
(7) to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of
any Holder.
SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Holders. Subject to Sections 6.02,
6.04 and 6.07 and without prior notice to the Holders, the Company, when
authorized by its Board of Directors (as evidenced by a Board Resolution), and
the Trustee may amend this Indenture, the Notes with the written consent of the
Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount at maturity of
the Notes then outstanding, and the Holders of not less than a majority in
aggregate principal amount at maturity of the Notes then outstanding by written
notice to the Trustee may waive future compliance by the Company with any
provision of this Indenture or the Notes.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9.02, without the
consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver, including a waiver
pursuant to Section 6.04, may not:
(i) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any
installment of interest on, any Note;
(ii) reduce the Accreted Value of, or premium, if any, or interest on,
any Note;
(iii) change the place or currency of payment of Accreted Value
of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Note or adversely affect any
right of repayment at the option of any Holder of any Note;
(iv) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any
payment on or after the Stated Maturity (or, in the case of a redemption,
on or after the Redemption Date) of any Note;
(v) reduce the above-stated percentage of outstanding Notes the
consent of whose Holders is necessary to modify or amend this Indenture;
(vi) waive a default in the payment of Accreted Value of, premium, if
any, or interest on the Notes;
(vii) reduce the percentage or aggregate principal amount at maturity
of outstanding Notes the consent of whose Holders is necessary for waiver
of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or for waiver
of certain defaults; or
(viii) modify any of the provisions of this Section 9.02, except to
increase any such percentage or to provide that certain other provisions of
this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without the consent of the
Holder of each outstanding Note affected thereby.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this
Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment,
supplement or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves
the substance thereof.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section 9.02
becomes effective, the Company shall mail to the Holders affected thereby a
notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. The Company will
mail or cause to be mailed supplemental indentures to Holders upon request. Any
failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not,
however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental
indenture or waiver.
SECTION 9.03. Revocation and Effect of Consent. Until an amendment,
supplement or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder is a
continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Note or
portion of a Note that evidences the same debt as the Note of the consenting
Holder, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Note. However, any
such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to its Note or
portion of its Note. Such revocation shall be effective only if the Trustee
receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment, supplement or
waiver becomes effective. An amendment, supplement or waiver shall become
effective on receipt by the Trustee of written consents from the Holders of the
requisite percentage in principal amount at maturity of the outstanding Notes.
The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a record date for
the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to consent to any amendment,
supplement or waiver. If a record date is fixed, then, notwithstanding the last
two sentences of the immediately preceding paragraph, those persons who were
Holders at such record date (or their duly designated proxies) and only those
persons shall be entitled to consent to such amendment, supplement or waiver or
to revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such persons continue to
be Holders after such record date. No such consent shall be valid or effective
for more than 90 days after such record date.
After an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, it shall
bind every Holder unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (i)
through (viii) of Section 9.02. In case of an amendment or waiver of the type
described in clauses (i) through (viii) of Section 9.02, the amendment or waiver
shall bind each Holder who has consented to it and every
subsequent Holder of a Note that evidences the same indebtedness as the Note of
the consenting Holder.
SECTION 9.04. Notation on or Exchange of Notes. If an amendment,
supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Note, the Trustee may require the
Holder to deliver it to the Trustee. The Trustee may place an appropriate
notation on the Note about the changed terms and return it to the Holder and the
Trustee may place an appropriate notation on any Note thereafter authenticated.
Alternatively, if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company in
exchange for the Note shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Note
that reflects the changed terms. Failure to make the appropriate notation or
issue a new Note shall not affect the validity and effect of such amendment,
supplement or waiver.
SECTION 9.05. Trustee to Sign Amendments, Etc. The Trustee shall be
entitled to receive, and shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of
Counsel stating that the execution of any amendment, supplement or waiver
authorized pursuant to this Article Nine is authorized or permitted by this
Indenture. Subject to the preceding sentence, the Trustee shall sign such
amendment, supplement or waiver if the same does not adversely affect the rights
of the Trustee. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, execute any
such amendment, supplement or waiver that affects the Trustee's own rights,
duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
SECTION 9.06. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act. Every
supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article Nine shall conform to
the requirements of the TIA as then in effect.
ARTICLE TEN
[INTENTIONALLY OMITTED]
ARTICLE ELEVEN
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 11.01. Trust Indenture Act of 1939. This Indenture is
subject to the provisions of the TIA that are required to be a part of this
Indenture and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.
SECTION 11.02. Notices. Any notice or communication shall be
sufficiently given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first
class mail (registered or certified, return receipt requested), telex,
telecopier or overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery addressed as
follows:
if to the Company:
Econophone, Inc.
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Telecopier No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
with a copy to: (which shall not constitute notice)
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Telecopier No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
if to the Trustee:
The Bank of New York
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Telecopier No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
with a copy to: (which shall not constitute notice)
▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Telecopier No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate
additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
All notices and communications (other than those sent to Holders)
shall be deemed to have been duly given: at the time delivered by hand, if
personally delivered; five Business Days after being deposited in the mail,
postage prepaid, if mailed; when answered back, if telexed; when receipt
acknowledged, if telecopied; and the next Business Day after timely delivery to
the courier, if sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery.
Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by first class
mail to its address shown on the register kept by the Registrar and shall be
sufficiently given to such Holder if so mailed or delivered within the time
presented. Any notice or communication shall also be so mailed to any Person
described in TIA Section 313(c), to the extent required by the TIA.
Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in
it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders. Except for a
notice to the Trustee, which is deemed given only when received, and except as
otherwise provided in this Indenture, if a notice or communication is mailed in
the manner provided in this Section 11.02, it is duly given, whether or not the
addressee receives it.
Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other
Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The
Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of
TIA Section 312(c).
SECTION 11.03. Certificate and Opinion As to Conditions Precedent.
Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action
under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:
(i) an Officers' Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the
signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture
relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and
(ii) an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such
Counsel, all such conditions precedent have been complied with.
SECTION 11.04. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each
certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant
provided for in this Indenture shall include:
(i) a statement that each person signing such certificate or opinion
has read such covenant or condition;
(ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination
or investigation upon which the statement or opinion contained in such
certificate or opinion is based;
(iii) a statement that, in the opinion of each such person, he has
made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to
express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition
has been complied with; and
(iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such
person, such condition or covenant has been complied with, and such
other opinions as the Trustee may reasonably request; provided, however,
that, with respect to matters of fact, an Opinion of Counsel may rely on
an Officers' Certificate or certificates of public officials.
SECTION 11.05. Acts of Holders. (a) Any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by
this Indenture to be given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced
by one or more instruments of substantially
similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in
writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall
become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the
Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Proof of
execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall
be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and conclusive in favor of the
Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
(b) The ownership of Notes shall be proved by the Note Register.
(c) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent,
waiver or other action by the Holder of any Note shall bind every future Holder
of the same Note or the Holder of every Note issued upon the transfer thereof or
in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of anything done, suffered
or omitted to be done by the Trustee, any Paying Agent or the Company in
reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Note.
(d) If the Company shall solicit from the Holders any request,
demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver of other act, the
Company may, at its option, by or pursuant to a Board Resolution, fix in advance
a record date for the determination of such Holders entitled to give such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act,
but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. Notwithstanding Trust
Indenture Act Section 316(c), any such record date shall be the record date
specified in or pursuant to such Board Resolution, which shall be a date not
more than 30 days prior to the first solicitation of Holders generally in
connection therewith and no later than the date such solicitation is completed.
If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act may be given before or after
such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on
such record date shall be deemed to be Holders for purposes of determining
whether Holders of the requisite proportion of Notes then outstanding have
authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act, and for this purpose the Notes
then outstanding shall be computed as of such record date; provided that no such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act
by the Holders on such record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall
become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six
months after the record date.
SECTION 11.06. Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent or Registrar. The
Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders. The
Paying Agent or Registrar may make reasonable rules for its functions.
SECTION 11.07. Payment Date Other Than a Business Day. If an
Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, Payment Date for an Offer to Purchase,
Stated Maturity or date of maturity of any Note shall not be a Business Day at
any place of payment, then payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest
on such Note, as the case may be, need not be made on such date, but may be made
on the next succeeding Business Day at such place of payment with the same force
and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Payment Date for an Offer to
Purchase, or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity or date of maturity of
such Note; provided that no interest shall accrue for the period from and after
such Interest Payment Date, Payment Date for an Offer to Purchase, Redemption
Date, Stated Maturity or date of maturity, as the case may be.
SECTION 11.08. Governing Law. This Indenture and the Notes shall be
governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflicts of
law provisions. The Trustee, the Company and the Holders agree to submit to the
jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York in any action or proceeding
arising out of or relating to this Indenture or the Notes.
SECTION 11.09. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. This
Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement
of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company. Any such indenture, loan or
debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
SECTION 11.10. No Recourse Against Others. No recourse for the
payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Notes,
or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, and no recourse
under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement of the Company contained in
this Indenture or in any of the Notes, or because of the creation of any
Indebtedness represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator or
against any past, present or future partner, shareholder, other equityholder,
officer, director, employee or controlling person, as such, of the Company or of
any successor Person, either directly or through the Company or any successor
Person, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or by the
enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly
understood that all such liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a
condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and
the issue of the Notes.
SECTION 11.11. Successors. All agreements of the Company in this
Indenture and the Notes shall bind its successors. All agreements of the
Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
SECTION 11.12. Duplicate Originals. The parties may sign any number
of copies of this Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of
them together represent the same agreement.
SECTION 11.13. Separability. In case any provision in this Indenture
or in the Notes shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity,
legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be
affected or impaired thereby.
SECTION 11.14. Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. The Table of
Contents, Cross-Reference Table and headings of the Articles and Sections of
this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to
be considered a part hereof and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the
terms and provisions hereof.
SIGNATURES
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to
be duly executed, all as of the date first written above.
ECONOPHONE, INC.,
as Issuer
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
-------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
Title: President and Chief
Operating Officer
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
-------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Assistant Vice President