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PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
Sovereign Bancorp, Inc.
Dated as of ____________ ____, 200_
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1. Definitions and Interpretation...............................................................1
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1. Trust Indenture Act; Application.............................................................5
SECTION 2.2. Lists of Holders of Securities...............................................................5
SECTION 2.3. Reports by the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee........................................5
SECTION 2.4. Periodic Reports to Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee...................................5
SECTION 2.5. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent.............................................6
SECTION 2.6. Events of Default; Waiver....................................................................6
SECTION 2.7. Event of Default; Notice.....................................................................6
SECTION 2.8. Conflicting Interests........................................................................6
ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1. Powers and Duties of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee..............................7
SECTION 3.2. Certain Rights of Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.....................................8
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Preferred Securities Guarantee..................10
ARTICLE IV
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1. Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility.........................................10
SECTION 4.2. Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee..............11
ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1. Guarantee...................................................................................12
SECTION 5.2. Waiver of Notice and Demand.................................................................12
SECTION 5.3. Obligations Not Affected....................................................................12
SECTION 5.4. Rights of Holders...........................................................................13
SECTION 5.5. Guarantee of Payment........................................................................13
SECTION 5.6. Subrogation.................................................................................13
SECTION 5.7. Independent Obligations.....................................................................14
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1. Limitation of Transactions..................................................................14
SECTION 6.2. Ranking.....................................................................................14
(i)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1. Termination.................................................................................15
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1. Exculpation.................................................................................15
SECTION 8.2. Indemnification.............................................................................16
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1. Successors and Assigns......................................................................16
SECTION 9.2. Amendments..................................................................................16
SECTION 9.3. Notices.....................................................................................16
SECTION 9.4. Benefit.....................................................................................17
SECTION 9.5. Governing Law...............................................................................17
(ii)
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
This GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (the "Preferred Securities
Guarantee"), dated as of _____________ ____, 200__, is executed and delivered by
Sovereign Bancorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation (the "Guarantor"), and The
Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation, as trustee (the "Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee"), for the benefit of the Holders (as defined
herein) from time to time of the Preferred Securities (as defined herein) of
Sovereign Capital Trust VI, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Issuer").
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of
Trust (the "Trust Agreement"), dated as of _______________, 200_, among the
trustees of the Issuer, the Guarantor, as sponsor, and the holders from time to
time of undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer, the Issuer
is issuing on the date hereof __________ preferred securities, having an
aggregate liquidation amount of $____________, such preferred securities being
designated the _________% Preferred Securities (collectively the "Preferred
Securities").
WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the
Preferred Securities, the Guarantor desires irrevocably and unconditionally to
agree, to the extent set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, to pay to
the Holders the Guarantee Payments (as defined below). The Guarantor agrees to
make certain other payments on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
WHEREAS, the Guarantor is executing and delivering a guarantee
agreement (the "Common Securities Guarantee"), with substantially identical
terms to this Preferred Securities Guarantee, for the benefit of the holders of
the Common Securities (as defined herein), except that if an Event of Default
(as defined in the Trust Agreement) has occurred and is continuing, the rights
of holders of the Common Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under the
Common Securities Guarantee are subordinated, to the extent and in the manner
set forth in the Common Securities Guarantee, to the rights of holders of
Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each
Holder, which purchase the Guarantor hereby acknowledges shall benefit the
Guarantor, the Guarantor executes and delivers this Preferred Securities
Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1. Definitions and Interpretation
In this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless the context
otherwise requires:
(a) Capitalized terms used in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee but not defined in the preamble above have the respective meanings
assigned to them in this Section 1.1;
(b) Terms defined in the Trust Agreement as at the date of
execution of this Preferred Securities Guarantee have the same meaning when used
in this Preferred Securities Guarantee unless otherwise defined in this
Preferred Securities Guarantee;
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(c) a term defined anywhere in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee has the same meaning throughout;
(d) all references to "the Preferred Securities Guarantee" or
"this Preferred Securities Guarantee" are to this Preferred Securities Guarantee
as modified, supplemented or amended from time to time;
(e) all references in this Preferred Securities Guarantee to
Articles and Sections are to Articles and Sections of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, unless otherwise specified;
(f) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the same
meaning when used in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless otherwise
defined in this Preferred Securities Guarantee or unless the context otherwise
requires; and
(g) a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice
versa.
"Affiliate" has the same meaning as given to that term in Rule
405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor rule
thereunder.
"Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday or a
Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are
authorized or required by law or executive order to close.
"Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee" means The Bank of New
York, a New York banking corporation, until a Successor Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment pursuant
to the terms of this Preferred Securities Guarantee and thereafter means each
such Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
"Common Securities" means the securities representing common
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall, at any particular time, be
principally administered, which office at the date of execution of this
Agreement is located at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
"Covered Person" means any Holder or beneficial owner of
Preferred Securities.
"Debentures" means the series of subordinated debt securities
of the Guarantor designated the ______% Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest
Debentures due __________ ____, 20__ held by the Property Trustee (as defined in
the Trust Agreement) of the Issuer.
"Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on any of
its payment or other obligations under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
"Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or
distributions, without duplication, with respect to the Preferred Securities, to
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the extent not paid or made by the Issuer: (i) any accumulated and unpaid
Distributions (as defined in the Trust Agreement) that are required to be paid
on such Preferred Securities to the extent the Issuer has funds on hand legally
available therefor at such time, (ii) the redemption price, including all
accumulated and unpaid Distributions to the date of redemption (the "Redemption
Price") to the extent the Issuer has funds on hand legally available therefor at
such time, with respect to any Preferred Securities called for redemption by the
Issuer, and (iii) upon a voluntary or involuntary termination and liquidation of
the Issuer (other than in connection with the distribution of Debentures to the
Holders in exchange for Preferred Securities as provided in the Trust
Agreement), the lesser of (a) the aggregate of the liquidation amount and all
accumulated and unpaid Distributions on the Preferred Securities to the date of
payment, to the extent the Issuer has funds on hand legally available therefor,
and (b) the amount of assets of the Issuer remaining available for distribution
to Holders in liquidation of the Issuer. If an Event of Default has occurred and
is continuing, no Guarantee Payments under the Common Securities Guarantee with
respect to the Common Securities or any guarantee payment under any Other Common
Securities Guarantees shall be made until the Holders shall be paid in full the
Guarantee Payments to which they are entitled under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee.
"Holder" shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and
records of the Issuer, of any Preferred Securities; provided, however, that, in
determining whether the holders of the requisite percentage of Preferred
Securities have given any request, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, "Holder"
shall not include the Guarantor or any Affiliate of the Guarantor.
"Indemnified Person" means the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee, any Affiliate of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, or any
officers, directors, shareholders, members, partners, employees,
representatives, nominees, custodians or agents of the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Indenture dated as of September 1, 1999,
among the Guarantor (the "Debenture Issuer") and The Bank of New York, as
trustee, as amended by the _______ Supplemental Indenture dated as of
____________, 200_, pursuant to which the Debentures are to be issued to the
Property Trustee of the Issuer.
"Indenture Event of Default" shall mean any event specified in
Section 5.01 of the Indenture.
"Majority in liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities "
means, except as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, a vote by Holder(s) of
more than 50% of the aggregate liquidation amount (including the stated amount
that would be paid on redemption, liquidation or otherwise, plus accumulated and
unpaid Distributions to the date upon which the voting percentages are
determined) of all Preferred Securities.
"Officers' Certificate" means, with respect to any person, a
certificate signed by the Chairman, a Vice Chairman, the Chief Executive
Officer, the President, a Vice President, the Comptroller, the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Guarantor. Any Officers' Certificate delivered with
respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this
Preferred Securities Guarantee (other than pursuant to Section 314(a)(4) of the
Trust Indenture Act) shall include:
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(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers'
Certificate has read the covenant or condition and the definitions relating
thereto;
(b) a statement that each such officer has made such
examination or investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is necessary to
enable such officer to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such
covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(c) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such
officer, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Other Common Securities Guarantees" shall have the same
meaning as "Other Guarantees" as defined in the Common Securities Guarantee.
"Other Debentures" means all junior subordinated debentures
issued by the Guarantor from time to time and sold to any other trust,
partnership or other entity affiliated with the Guarantor that is a financing
vehicle of the Guarantor (if any), in each case similar to the Issuer.
"Other Guarantees" means all guarantees to be issued by the
Guarantor with respect to preferred securities (if any) similar to the Preferred
Securities issued by any other trust, partnership or other entity affiliated
with the Guarantor that is a financing vehicle of the Guarantor (if any), in
each case similar to the Issuer.
"Person" means a legal person, including any individual,
corporation, estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock
company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity
of whatever nature.
"Responsible Officer" means any officer within the Corporate
Trust Office of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, including any vice
president, any assistant vice president, any assistant secretary, the treasurer,
any assistant treasurer or other officer of the Corporate Trust Office of the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee customarily performing functions similar
to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also means, with
respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such
matter is referred because of that officer's knowledge of and familiarity with
the particular subject.
"Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee" means a
successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee possessing the qualifications
to act as Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee under Section 4.1.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939,
as amended.
"Trust Securities" means the Common Securities and the
Preferred Securities, collectively.
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ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1. Trust Indenture Act; Application
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee is subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed
by such provisions; and
(b) if and to the extent that any provision of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by
Section 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties
shall control.
SECTION 2.2. Lists of Holders of Securities
(a) The Guarantor shall provide the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee (unless the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee is
otherwise the registrar of the Preferred Securities) with a list, in such form
as the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may reasonably require, of the
names and addresses of the Holders ("List of Holders") as of such date, (i)
within one Business Day after ____________, ____________, ____________ and
____________ of each year, and (ii) at any other time within 30 days of receipt
by the Guarantor of a written request for a List of Holders as of a date no more
than 14 days before such List of Holders is given to the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee, provided, that the Guarantor shall not be obligated to
provide such List of Holders at any time the List of Holders does not differ
from the most recent List of Holders given to the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee by the Guarantor. The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may destroy
any List of Holders previously given to it on receipt of a new List of Holders.
(b) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall comply
with its obligations under Sections 311(a), 311(b) and Section 312(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.3. Reports by the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
Within 60 days after May 15 of each year, commencing May 15,
200_, the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall provide to the Holders
such reports as are required by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act, if any,
in the form and in the manner provided by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture
Act. The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall also comply with the other
requirements of Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.4. Periodic Reports to Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee such documents, reports and information as required by Section
314 (if any) and the compliance certificate required by Section 314 of the Trust
Indenture Act in the form, in the manner and at the times required by Section
314 of the Trust Indenture Act provided that such compliance certificate shall
be delivered on or before 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the
Guarantor. Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee is for informational purposes only and the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's receipt of such shall not constitute
constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from
information contained therein, including the Guarantor's compliance with any of
its covenants hereunder (as to which the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers' Certificates).
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SECTION 2.5. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee such evidence of compliance with any conditions precedent, if
any, provided for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee that relate to any of
the matters set forth in Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act. Any
certificate or opinion required to be given by an officer pursuant to Section
314(c)(1) may be given in the form of an Officers' Certificate.
SECTION 2.6. Events of Default; Waiver
The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of Preferred
Securities may, by vote, on behalf of all Holders, waive any past Event of
Default and its consequences. Upon such waiver, any such Event of Default shall
cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to
have been cured, for every purpose of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, but
no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of
Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 2.7. Event of Default; Notice
(a) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall, within
90 days after the occurrence of a default with respect to this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, mail by first class postage prepaid, to all Holders,
notices of all defaults actually known to a Responsible Officer, unless such
defaults have been cured before the giving of such notice, provided, that,
except in the case of default in the payment of any Guarantee Payment, the
Preferred Securities Guarantee 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 of the Preferred Securities Guaranty Trustee and/or
a Responsible Officer in good faith determines that the withholding of such
notice is in the interests of the Holders.
(b) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
deemed to have knowledge of any Event of Default unless the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee shall have received written notice from the Guarantor, or a
Responsible Officer charged with the administration of the Trust Agreement shall
have obtained actual knowledge, of such Event of Default.
SECTION 2.8. Conflicting Interests
The Trust Agreement shall be deemed to be specifically
described in this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the purposes of clause (i)
of the first proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1. Powers and Duties of the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be held by the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee for the benefit of the Holders, and the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this Preferred
Securities Guarantee to any Person except a Holder exercising his or her rights
pursuant to Section 5.4(b) or to a Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee on acceptance by such Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
of its appointment to act as Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
The right, title and interest of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
shall automatically vest in any Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee, and such vesting and succession of title shall be effective whether or
not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered pursuant to the
appointment of such Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
(b) If an Event of Default actually known to a Responsible
Officer has occurred and is continuing, the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee shall enforce this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the
Holders.
(c) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, before the
occurrence of any Event of Default and after the curing of all Events of Default
that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform only such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no implied
covenants shall be read into this Preferred Securities Guarantee against the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee. In case an Event of Default has occurred
(that has not been cured or waived pursuant to Section 2.6) and is actually
known to a Responsible Officer, the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall
exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise thereof, as
a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of
his or her own affairs.
(d) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be construed to relieve the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee from
liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its
own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and
after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default that may have
occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be determined solely by the
express provisions of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and
the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable
except for the performance of such duties and obligations as
are specifically set forth in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be
read into this Preferred Securities Guarantee against the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred
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Securities Guarantee Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the
truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions
expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished
to the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee and conforming
to the requirements of this Preferred Securities Guarantee;
but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by
any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished
to the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be under a duty to examine
the same to determine whether or not they conform to the
requirements of this Preferred Securities Guarantee;
(ii) the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not
be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible
Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts
upon which such judgment was made;
(iii) the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not
be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it
in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a
Majority in liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities relating to
the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, or exercising
any trust or power conferred upon the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee under this Preferred Securities Guarantee; and
(iv) no provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall require the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee to expend or
risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in
the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its
rights or powers, if the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall
have reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds
or liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee or indemnity, reasonably satisfactory to
the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, against such risk or
liability is not reasonably assured to it.
SECTION 3.2. Certain Rights of Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1:
(i) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may
conclusively rely, and shall be fully 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, sent or
presented by the proper party or parties.
(ii) Any direction or act of the Guarantor contemplated by
this Preferred Securities Guarantee may be sufficiently evidenced by an
Officers' Certificate.
(iii) Whenever, in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall
deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established before taking,
suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee (unless other evidence is herein specifically
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prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, request and
conclusively rely upon an Officers' Certificate which, upon receipt of
such request, shall be promptly delivered by the Guarantor.
(iv) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall have
no duty to see to any recording, filing or registration of any
instrument (or any rerecording, refiling or reregistration thereof).
(v) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may consult
with counsel of its selection, and the advice or opinion of such
counsel with respect to legal matters shall be full and complete
authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered
or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such
advice or opinion. Such counsel may be counsel to the Guarantor or any
of its Affiliates and may include any of its employees. The Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall have the right at any time to seek
instructions concerning the administration of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee from any court of competent jurisdiction.
(vi) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be
under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in
it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee at the request or direction
of any Holder, unless such Holder shall have provided to the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee such security and indemnity, reasonably
satisfactory to the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, against the
costs, expenses (including attorneys' fees and expenses and the
expenses of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's agents,
nominees or custodians) and liabilities that might be incurred by it in
complying with such request or direction, including such reasonable
advances as may be requested by the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee; provided that, nothing contained in this Section 3.2(a)(vi)
shall be taken to relieve the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee,
upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, of its obligation to
exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Preferred
Securities Guarantee.
(vii) The Preferred Securities Guarantee 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
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, in its discretion, may make
such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it
may see fit.
(viii) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may
execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties
hereunder either directly or by or through agents, nominees, custodians
or attorneys, and the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not
be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any
agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.
(ix) Any action taken by the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee or its agents hereunder shall bind the Holders, and
the signature of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee or its
agents alone shall be sufficient and effective to perform any such
action. No third party shall be required to inquire as to the authority
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of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee to so act or as to its
compliance with any of the terms and provisions of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, both of which shall be conclusively evidenced by
the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's or its agent's taking such
action.
(x) Whenever in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall
deem it desirable to receive instructions with respect to enforcing any
remedy or right or taking any other action hereunder, the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee (i) may request instructions from the
Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of the Preferred
Securities, (ii) may refrain from enforcing such remedy or right or
taking such other action until such instructions are received, and
(iii) shall be protected in conclusively relying on or acting in
accordance with such instructions.
(xi) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not
be liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it
in good faith, without negligence, and reasonably believed by it to be
authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon
it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be deemed to impose any duty or obligation on the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee to perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty or
obligation conferred or imposed on it in any jurisdiction in which it shall be
illegal, or in which the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be
unqualified or incompetent in accordance with applicable law, to perform any
such act or acts or to exercise any such right, power, duty or obligation. No
permissive power or authority available to the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee shall be construed to be a duty.
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Preferred
Securities Guarantee
The recitals contained in this Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall be taken as the statements of the Guarantor, and the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee does not assume any responsibility for their correctness. The
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee makes no representation as to the
validity or sufficiency of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IV
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1. Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility
(a) There shall at all times be a Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee which shall:
(i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and
(ii) be a corporation organized and doing business under
the laws of the United States of America or any State or Territory
thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or Person
permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission to act as an
institutional trustee under the Trust Indenture Act, authorized under
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such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital
and surplus of at least 50 million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and
subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State, Territorial or
District of Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports
of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements
of the supervising or examining authority referred to above, then, for
the purposes of this Section 4.1(a)(ii), the combined capital and
surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital
and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so
published.
(b) If at any time the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
shall cease to be eligible to so act under Section 4.1(a), the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall immediately resign in the manner and with the
effect set out in Section 4.2(c).
(c) If the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee has or shall
acquire any "conflicting interest" within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act, the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee and Guarantor
shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act.
SECTION 4.2. Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee
(a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee may be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the
Guarantor except during an Event of Default.
(b) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
removed in accordance with Section 4.2(a) until a Successor Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by
written instrument executed by such Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor.
(c) The Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall hold
office until a Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall have been
appointed or until its removal or resignation. The Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee may resign from office (without need for prior or subsequent
accounting) by an instrument in writing executed by the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor, which resignation shall not
take effect until a Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee has been
appointed and has accepted such appointment by instrument in writing executed by
such Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the
Guarantor and the resigning Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
shall have been appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section
4.2 within 60 days after delivery of an instrument of removal or resignation,
the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee resigning or being removed may
petition any court of competent jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee. Such court may thereupon, after
prescribing such notice, if any, as it may deem proper, appoint a Successor
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
(e) No Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be liable
for the acts or omissions to act of any Successor Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee.
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(f) Upon termination of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
removal or resignation of the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee pursuant to
this Section 4.2, the Guarantor shall pay to the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee all amounts due to the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee accrued to
the date of such termination, removal or resignation.
ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1. Guarantee
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in
full to the Holders the Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts
theretofore paid by the Issuer), as and when due, regardless of any defense,
right of set-off or counterclaim that the Issuer may have or assert. The
Guarantor's obligation to make a Guarantee Payment may be satisfied by direct
payment of the required amounts by the Guarantor to the Holders or by causing
the Issuer to pay such amounts to the Holders.
SECTION 5.2. Waiver of Notice and Demand
The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee and of any liability to which it applies or may
apply, presentment, demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first
against the Issuer or any other Person before proceeding against the Guarantor,
protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all
other notices and demands.
SECTION 5.3. Obligations Not Affected
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the
Guarantor under this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected
or impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the
following:
(a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or otherwise,
of the performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or implied
agreement, covenant, term or condition relating to the Preferred Securities to
be performed or observed by the Issuer;
(b) the extension of time for the payment by the Issuer of all
or any portion of the Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation Distribution
or any other sums payable under the terms of the Preferred Securities or the
extension of time for the performance of any other obligation under, arising out
of, or in connection with, the Preferred Securities (other than an extension of
time for payment of Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation Distribution or
other sum payable that results from the extension of any interest payment period
on the Debentures permitted by the Indenture);
(c) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the
part of the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power
or remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Preferred
Securities, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or
extension of any kind;
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(d) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution,
sale of any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the
benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or readjustment
of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the Issuer or any of the
assets of the Issuer;
(e) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in, the
Preferred Securities;
(f) the settlement or compromise of any obligation guaranteed
hereby or hereby incurred; or
(g) any other circumstance whatsoever that might otherwise
constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor, it being
the intent of this Section 5.3 that the obligations of the Guarantor with
respect to the Guarantee Payments shall be absolute and unconditional under any
and all circumstances.
There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to,
or obtain consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.
SECTION 5.4. Rights of Holders
(a) The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of the
Preferred Securities have the right to direct the time, method and place of
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee in respect of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) If the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee fails to
enforce such Preferred Securities Guarantee, any Holder may institute a legal
proceeding directly against the Guarantor to enforce the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee's rights under this Preferred Securities Guarantee, without
first instituting a legal proceeding against the Issuer, the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee or any other person or entity. The Guarantor waives
any right or remedy to require that any action be brought first against the
Issuer or any other person or entity before proceeding directly against the
Guarantor.
SECTION 5.5. Guarantee of Payment
This Preferred Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of
payment and not of collection.
SECTION 5.6. Subrogation
The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all (if any) rights of
the Holders against the Issuer in respect of any amounts paid to such Holders by
the Guarantor under this Preferred Securities Guarantee; provided, however, that
the Guarantor shall not (except to the extent required by mandatory provisions
of law) be entitled to enforce or exercise any right that it may acquire by way
of subrogation or any indemnity, reimbursement or other agreement, in all cases
as a result of payment under this Preferred Securities Guarantee, if, at the
time of any such payment, any amounts are due and unpaid under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee. If any amount shall be paid to the Guarantor in violation
of the preceding sentence, the Guarantor agrees to hold such amount in trust for
the Holders and to pay over such amount to the Holders.
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SECTION 5.7. Independent Obligations
The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are
independent of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Preferred
Securities, and that the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor
hereunder to make Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to in
subsections (a) through (h), inclusive, of Section 5.3 hereof.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1. Limitation of Transactions
So long as any Preferred Securities remain outstanding, the
Guarantor shall not (i) declare or pay any dividends or distributions on, or
redeem, purchase, acquire, or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of
the Guarantor's capital stock (which includes common and preferred stock) or
(ii) make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest on or
repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities of the Guarantor (including any
Other Debentures) that rank pari passu with or junior in right of payment to the
Debentures or (iii) make any guarantee payments with respect to any guarantee by
the Guarantor of the debt securities of any subsidiary of the Guarantor
(including Other Guarantees) if such guarantee ranks pari passu with or junior
in right of payment to the Debentures (other than (a) dividends or distributions
in shares of, or options, warrants, rights to subscribe for or purchase shares
of, common stock of the Guarantor, (b) any declaration of a dividend in
connection with the implementation of a stockholders' rights plan, or the
issuance of stock under any such plan in the future, or the redemption or
repurchase of any such rights pursuant thereto, (c) payments under this
Preferred Securities Guarantee, (d) as a result of a reclassification of the
Guarantor's capital stock or the exchange or the conversion of one class or
series of the Guarantor's capital stock for another class or series of the
Guarantor's capital stock, (e) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of
the Guarantor's capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions
of such capital stock or the security being converted or exchanged, and (f)
purchases of common stock related to the issuance of common stock or rights
under any of the Guarantor's benefit plans for its directors, officers or
employees or any of the Guarantor's dividend reinvestment plans) if at such time
(i) there shall have occurred any event of which the Guarantor has actual
knowledge that (a) is, or with the giving of notice or the lapse of time, or
both, would be an Indenture Event of Default and (b) in respect of which the
Guarantor shall not have taken reasonable steps to cure, (ii) if such Debentures
are held by the Property Trustee, the Guarantor shall be in default with respect
to its payment of any obligations under this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
(iii) the Guarantor shall have given notice of its election of the exercise of
its right to extend the interest payment period pursuant to Section 16.01 of the
Indenture and any such extension shall be continuing.
SECTION 6.2. Ranking
This Preferred Securities Guarantee will constitute an
unsecured obligation of the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior
in right of payment to Senior Indebtedness (as defined in the Indenture), to the
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same extent and in the same manner that the Debentures are subordinated to
Senior Indebtedness pursuant to the Indenture (except as indicated below), it
being understood that the terms of Article XV of the Indenture shall apply to
the obligations of the Guarantor under this Preferred Securities Guarantee as if
(x) such Article XV were set forth herein in full and (y) such obligations were
substituted for the term "Securities" appearing in such Article XV, except that
with respect to Section 15.03 of the Indenture only, the term "Senior
Indebtedness" shall mean all liabilities of the Guarantor, whether or not for
money borrowed (other than obligations in respect of Other Guarantees), (ii)
pari passu with the most senior preferred or preference stock now or hereafter
issued by the Guarantor, any guarantee now or hereafter entered into by the
Guarantor in respect of any preferred or preference stock of any Affiliate of
the Guarantor, any Other Guarantee and any Other Common Securities Guarantee,
and (iii) senior to the Guarantor's capital stock.
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1. Termination
This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall terminate (i) upon
full payment of the Redemption Price (as defined in the Trust Agreement) of all
Preferred Securities, or (ii) upon liquidation of the Issuer, the full payment
of the amounts payable in accordance with the Trust Agreement or the
distribution of the Debentures to the Holders. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
this Preferred Securities Guarantee will continue to be effective or will be
reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any Holder must restore payment
of any sums paid under the Preferred Securities or under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1. Exculpation
(a) No Indemnified Person shall be liable, responsible or
accountable in damages or otherwise to the Guarantor or any Covered Person for
any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or
omitted by such Indemnified Person in good faith in accordance with this
Preferred Securities Guarantee and in a manner that such Indemnified Person
reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such
Indemnified Person by this Preferred Securities Guarantee or by law, except that
an Indemnified Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim
incurred by reason of such Indemnified Person's negligence or willful misconduct
with respect to such acts or omissions.
(b) An Indemnified Person shall be fully protected in relying
in good faith upon the records of the Guarantor and upon such information,
opinions, reports or statements presented to the Guarantor by any Person as to
matters the Indemnified Person reasonably believes are within such other
Person's professional or expert competence and who has been selected with
reasonable care by or on behalf of the Guarantor, including information,
opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets,
liabilities, profits, losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and
amount of assets from which Distributions to Holders might properly be paid.
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SECTION 8.2. Indemnification
The Guarantor agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person for,
and to hold each Indemnified Person harmless against, any and all loss,
liability, damage, claim or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on
its part, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration
of the trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and expenses (including
reasonable legal fees and expenses) of defending itself against, or
investigating, any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or
performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The obligation to
indemnify as set forth in this Section 8.2 shall survive the termination of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1. Successors and Assigns
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Preferred
Securities Guarantee shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and
representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Holders
then outstanding.
SECTION 9.2. Amendments
Except with respect to any changes that do not materially
adversely affect the rights of Holders (in which case no consent of Holders will
be required), this Preferred Securities Guarantee may only be amended with the
prior approval of the Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of the
Securities (including the stated amount that would be paid on redemption,
liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to the date upon
which the voting percentages are determined). The provisions of the Trust
Agreement with respect to consents to amendments thereof (whether at a meeting
or otherwise) shall apply to the giving of such approval.
SECTION 9.3. Notices
All notices provided for in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee shall be in writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and
shall be delivered, telecopied or mailed by first class mail, as follows:
(a) If given to the Issuer, in care of the Administrative
Trustee at the Issuer's mailing address set forth below (or such other address
as the Issuer may give notice of to the Holders and the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee):
Sovereign Capital Trust VI
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Attention: Administrative Trustee
Telecopy: _________________
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(b) If given to the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, at
the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's mailing address set forth below (or
such other address as the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may give notice
of to the Holders and the Issuer):
The Bank of New York
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Corporate Trust Trustee
Administration
Telecopy: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
(c) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor's mailing
address set forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice
of to the Holders and the Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee):
Sovereign Bancorp, Inc.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Telecopy: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
(d) If given to any Holder, at the address set forth on the
books and records of the Issuer.
All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when
received in person, telecopied with receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class
mail, postage prepaid except that if a notice or other document is refused
delivery or cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice
was given, such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered
on the date of such refusal or inability to deliver.
SECTION 9.4. Benefit
This Preferred Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit
of the Holders and, subject to Section 3.1(a), is not separately transferable
from the Preferred Securities.
SECTION 9.5. Governing Law
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND
CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
[SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE]
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[SIGNATURES FROM PRECEDING PAGE]
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day
and year first above written.
SOVEREIGN BANCORP, INC., as Guarantor
By:____________________________________
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee
By:____________________________________
Name:
Title: Authorized Signatory
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