Exhibit 4.8
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PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
LACLEDE CAPITAL TRUST I
Dated as of , 2002
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CONTENTS
Page
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ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION................................................1
SECTION 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation................................................1
ARTICLE II. TRUST INDENTURE ACT...........................................................5
SECTION 2.1 Trust Indenture Act; Application..............................................5
SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities................................................5
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee....................................5
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Preferred 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
GUARANTEE TRUSTEE.............................................................7
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee.......................................................................7
SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Preferred Guarantee Trustee.................................9
SECTION 3.3 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of
Guarantee.....................................................................11
ARTICLE IV. PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE...................................................11
SECTION 4.1 Preferred Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility......................................11
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of
Preferred Guarantee Trustees..................................................12
ARTICLE V. GUARANTEE.....................................................................13
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SECTION 5.1 Guarantee.....................................................................13
SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand...................................................13
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected......................................................13
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders.............................................................14
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment..........................................................14
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation...................................................................14
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations.......................................................15
ARTICLE VI. LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION.....................................15
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions....................................................15
SECTION 6.2 Ranking.......................................................................15
ARTICLE VII. TERMINATION...................................................................16
SECTION 7.1 Termination...................................................................16
ARTICLE VIII. INDEMNIFICATION.......................................................................16
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation...................................................................16
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification...............................................................17
ARTICLE IX. MISCELLANEOUS.................................................................17
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns........................................................17
SECTION 9.2 Amendments....................................................................17
SECTION 9.3 Notices.......................................................................17
SECTION 9.4 Benefit.......................................................................18
SECTION 9.5 Governing Law.................................................................18
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PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
This GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (the "Preferred Securities Guarantee"),
dated as of _______________, 2002, is executed and delivered by The Laclede
Group, Inc., a Missouri corporation (the "Guarantor"), and The Bank of New
York, a New York banking corporation, as trustee (the "Preferred Guarantee
Trustee"), for the benefit of each Indemnified Person and the Holders (as
defined herein) from time to time of the Preferred Securities (as defined
herein) of Laclede Capital Trust I, a Delaware statutory business trust (the
"Issuer").
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust
(the "Declaration"), dated as of ___________, 2002, among the trustees of
the Issuer named therein, 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 $_______________ designated the
____% Trust Originated Preferred Securities (the "Preferred Securities");
and
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 of the Preferred Securities the Guarantee Payments (as defined
herein) and to make certain other payments on the terms and conditions set
forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the Guarantor is also executing and delivering a guarantee
agreement (the "Common Securities Guarantee") in 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 Indenture), 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 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 of
Preferred Securities, which purchase the Guarantor hereby agrees 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:
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(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) a term defined anywhere in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee has the same meaning throughout;
(c) 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;
(d) all references in this Preferred Securities Guarantee to
Articles and Sections are to Articles and Sections of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless otherwise
specified;
(e) 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
(f) 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.
"Authorized Officer" of a Person means any Person that is
authorized to bind such Person.
"Business Day" means any day other than a day on which banking
institutions in the City of New York, New York or St. Louis, Missouri are
authorized or required by any applicable law to close.
"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
Guarantee Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall, at any particular time, be principally
administered, which office at the date of execution of this Agreement is
located at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, Attn: Corporate
Trust Administration.
"Covered Person" means any Holder or beneficial owner of Preferred
Securities.
"Debentures" means the series of junior subordinated debt
securities of the Guarantor designated the ____% Subordinated Deferrable
Interest Debentures due
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___________, 20__ held by the Property Trustee (as defined in the
Declaration) 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 the extent
not paid or made by the Issuer: (i) any accrued and unpaid Distributions (as
defined in the Declaration) that are required to be paid on such Preferred
Securities to the extent the Issuer shall have funds available therefor,
(ii) the redemption price, including all accrued and unpaid Distributions to
the date of redemption (the "Redemption Price") to the extent the Issuer has
funds available therefor, with respect to any Preferred Securities called
for redemption by the Issuer, (iii) upon a voluntary or involuntary
dissolution, winding-up or termination of the Issuer (other than in
connection with the distribution of Debentures to the Holders in exchange
for Preferred Securities as provided in the Declaration), the lesser of (a)
the aggregate of the liquidation amount and all accrued and unpaid
Distributions on the Preferred Securities to the date of payment, to the
extent the Issuer shall have funds available therefor, and (b) the amount of
assets of the Issuer remaining available for distribution to Holders in
liquidation of the Issuer (in either case, the "Liquidation Distribution")
and (iv) all obligations of the Issuer under the Indenture. If an event of
default under the Indenture has occurred and is continuing, the rights of
holders of the Common Securities to receive payments under the Common
Securities Guarantee Agreement are subordinated to the rights of Holders of
Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments.
"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 Guarantee Trustee, any
Affiliate of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, or any officers, directors,
shareholders, members, partners, employees, representatives, nominees,
custodians or agents of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Indenture dated as of __________, 2002,
between the Guarantor (the "Debenture Issuer") and The Bank of New York, as
trustee, and any indenture supplemental thereto pursuant to which certain
subordinated debt securities of the Debenture Issuer are to be issued to the
Property Trustee of the Issuer.
"Majority in liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities" means,
except as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, a vote by Holder(s) of
Preferred Securities, voting separately as a class, of more than 50% of the
liquidation amount (including the stated amount that would be paid on
redemption, liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and
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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 two Authorized Officers of such Person. Any Officers'
Certificate delivered with respect to compliance with a condition or
covenant provided for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers'
Certificate has read the covenant or condition and the
definition relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the
examination or investigation undertaken by each officer in
rendering the Officers' Certificate;
(c) a statement that each such officer has made such
examination or investigation as, in such officer's
opinion, is necessary to enable such officer to express an
informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or
condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such
officer, such condition or covenant has been complied
with.
"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 agent or political subdivision thereof, or any other
entity of whatever nature.
"Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means The Bank of New York, until a
Successor Preferred 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 Guarantee
Trustee.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the
Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant
secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the
Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the
Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any
corporate trust matter is referred because of such person's knowledge of and
familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct
responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
"Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means a successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee possessing the qualifications to act as Preferred
Guarantee Trustee under Section 4.1.
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"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
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 Sections 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 Guarantee Trustee
with a list, in such form as the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may reasonably
require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities ("List of Holders") as of such date, (i) within 14 days after
January 1 and June 30 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
given to the Preferred 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 Guarantee Trustee by the Guarantor. The Preferred Guarantee
Trustee may destroy any List of Holders previously given to it upon receipt
of a new List of Holders.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall comply with its
obligations under Sections 311(a), 311(b) and 312(b) of the Trust Indenture
Act.
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
Within 60 days after May 15 of each year, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee shall provide to the Holders of the Preferred Securities 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.
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Preferred Guarantee Trustee
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred 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. Delivery of such reports, information and documents
to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee's receipt
of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information
contained therein or determinable from information contained therein,
including the
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Guarantor's compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the
Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers' Certificates).
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred 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 the Holders of all of the Preferred
Securities, 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 Guarantee Trustee shall, within 90 days after the
occurrence of an Event of Default actually known to a Responsible Officer of
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, transmit by mail, first class postage
prepaid, to the Holders of the Preferred Securities, notices of all such
Events of Default, unless such defaults have been cured before the giving of
such notice, provided, that, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be
protected in withholding such notice, to the extent permitted by the Trust
Indenture Act, if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such
notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be deemed to have
knowledge of any Event of Default unless the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall have received written notice, or a Responsible Officer of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee charged with the administration of the
Declaration shall have obtained actual knowledge thereof.
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests
The Declaration 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 GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be held by the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities, and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this
Preferred Securities Guarantee to any Person except a Holder of Preferred
Securities exercising his or her rights pursuant to Section 5.4(b) or to a
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee on acceptance by such Successor
Preferred Guarantee Trustee of its appointment to act as Successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee. The right, title and interest of the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee shall automatically vest in any Successor Preferred Guarantee
Trustee, and such vesting and cessation of title shall be effective whether
or not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered pursuant to
the appointment of such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(b) If an Event of Default actually known to a Responsible Officer
of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee has occurred and is continuing, the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall enforce this Preferred Securities
Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
(c) The Preferred 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
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 of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred
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 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 Guarantee
Trustee shall be determined solely by the express
provisions of this Preferred Securities Guarantee,
and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be
liable except for
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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 Guarantee Trustee;
and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred 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 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 Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to
determine whether or not they substantially conform
to the requirements of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee (but need not confirm or investigate the
accuracy of any mathematical calculation or other
facts stated therein);
(ii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable for
any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible
Officer of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, unless it shall
be proved that the Preferred Guarantee Trustee was
negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts upon which
such judgment was made;
(iii) the Preferred 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 Guarantee Trustee, or exercising any trust or
power conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee under
this Preferred Securities Guarantee; and
(iv) no provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
require the Preferred 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 Guarantee Trustee shall have reasonable grounds
for believing that 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 it, against such risk or liability is not
reasonably assured to it.
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SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Preferred Guarantee Trustee
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1:
(i) The Preferred 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 (whether in its
original or facsimile form) believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed, set or presented by the proper
party or parties.
(ii) Any direction or act of the Guarantor contemplated by
this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be sufficiently
evidenced by an Officers' Certificate.
(iii) Whenever, in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or
established before taking, suffering or omitting any
action hereunder, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee (unless
other evidence is herein specifically 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 Guarantee Trustee shall have no duty to see
to any recording, filing or registration of any
instrument (or any rerecording, refiling or registration
thereof).
(v) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may consult with counsel
of its choice, 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 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 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 Guarantee
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Trustee such security and indemnity, reasonably
satisfactory to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, against
the costs, expenses (including attorneys' fees and
expenses and the expenses of the Preferred 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 Guarantee Trustee;
provided that, nothing contained in this Section
3.2(a)(vi) shall be taken to relieve the Preferred
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 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 Guarantee Trustee, in its discretion, may make
such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or
matters as it may see fit at the expense of the Guarantor
and shall incur no liability of any kind by reason of
such inquiry or investigation.
(viii) The Preferred 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
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 Guarantee Trustee or
its agents hereunder shall bind the Holders of the
Preferred Securities, and the signature of the Preferred
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 of the
Preferred 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 Guarantee
Trustee's or its agent's taking such action.
(x) Whenever in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee the Preferred 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 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
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until such instructions are received, and (iii) shall be
protected in conclusively relying on or acting in
accordance with such instructions.
(b) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be
deemed to impose any duty or obligation on the Preferred 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 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 Guarantee
Trustee shall be construed to be a duty.
SECTION 3.3 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Guarantee
The recitals contained in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be taken as the statements of the Guarantor, and the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee does not assume any responsibility for their correctness. The
Preferred Guarantee Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or
sufficiency of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IV. PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 Preferred Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility
(a) There shall at all times be a Preferred Guarantee Trustee which
shall:
(i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and
(ii) be a bank 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 bank or
Person permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission
to act as an institutional trustee under the Trust
Indenture Act, authorized under 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.
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(b) If at any time the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall cease to
be eligible to so act under Section 4.1(a), the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall immediately resign in the manner and with the effect set out in
Section 4.2(c).
(c) If the Preferred Guarantee Trustee has or shall acquire any
"conflicting interest" within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act, the Preferred 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 Guarantee
Trustees
(a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may
be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the Guarantor.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be removed in
accordance with Section 4.2(a) until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee
has been appointed by the Guarantor and has accepted such appointment by
written instrument executed by such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee
and delivered to the Guarantor.
(c) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee appointed to office shall hold
office until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have been
appointed or until its removal or resignation. The Preferred Guarantee
Trustee may resign from office (without need for prior or subsequent
accounting) by an instrument in writing executed by the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor, which resignation shall not take
effect until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and
has accepted such appointment by instrument in writing executed by such
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor and the
resigning Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have been
appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section 4.2 within 60
days after delivery to the Guarantor of an instrument of resignation, the
resigning Preferred Guarantee Trustee may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
Such court may thereupon, after prescribing such notice, if any, as it may
deem proper, appoint a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(e) No Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be liable for the acts or
omissions to act of any Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(f) Upon termination of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
removal or resignation of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee pursuant to this
Section 4.2, the Guarantor shall pay to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee all
amounts accrued to the date of such termination, removal or resignation.
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ARTICLE V. GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in full
to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee and 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. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Guarantor
retains all of its rights under the Indenture to extend the interest payment
period on the Debentures and the Guarantor shall not be obligated hereunder
to pay during an Extension Period (as defined in the Indenture) any monthly
distributions on the Preferred Securities.
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
Except as otherwise provided herein, 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 or any extension
of the maturity date of the Debentures permitted by the Indenture);
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(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;
(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
hereunder 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 of any proceeding for any remedy available to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee in respect of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) Any Holder of Preferred Securities may institute a legal
proceeding directly against the Guarantor to enforce its rights under this
Preferred Securities Guarantee, without first instituting a legal proceeding
against the Issuer, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or any other Person.
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 of Preferred Securities against the Issuer in respect of any amounts
paid to such Holders by the Guarantor under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee; provided, however, that the
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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.
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 (g), 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, if there
shall have occurred an Event of Default or an event of default under the
Declaration, then (a) the Guarantor shall not declare or pay any dividend
on, make any distributions with respect to, or redeem, purchase, acquire or
make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of its capital stock, (b)
the Guarantor shall not make any payment of interest, principal or premium,
if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities (including
guarantees) issued by the Guarantor that rank pari passu with or junior to
the Debentures or (c) the Guarantor shall not make any guarantee payments
with respect to the foregoing (other than, with respect to clauses (a), (b)
and (c), (i) dividends or distributions in shares of, or options, warrants
or rights to subscribe for or purchase shares of, common stock of the
Guarantor; (ii) any declaration of a dividend in connection with the
implementation of a shareholder 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; (iii) payments under the Preferred Securities
Guarantee Agreement; (iv) as a direct result of, and only to the extent
required in order to avoid the issuance of fractional shares of capital
stock, following a reclassification of the Guarantor's capital stock or the
exchange or conversion of one class or series of the Guarantor's capital
stock for another class or series of the Guarantor's capital stock; and (v)
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).
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 all other liabilities of the Guarantor including the
Debentures, except those liabilities of the
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Guarantor made pari passu or subordinate by their terms, (ii) pari passu
with the most senior preferred or preference stock now or hereafter issued
by the Guarantor and with any guarantee now or hereafter entered into by the
Guarantor in respect of any preferred or preference stock of any Affiliate
of the Guarantor, and (iii) senior to the Guarantor's common stock.
ARTICLE VII. TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 Termination
This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall terminate (i) upon full
payment of the Redemption Price of all Preferred Securities, (ii) upon the
distribution of the Debentures to the Holders of all of the Preferred
Securities or (iii) upon full payment of the amounts payable in accordance
with the Declaration upon liquidation of the Issuer. 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 of
Preferred Securities 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 gross 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 of Preferred
Securities 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, claim, damage or expense incurred without gross 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 or the resignation or
removal of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
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 of the Preferred Securities then outstanding.
SECTION 9.2 Amendments
Except with respect to any changes that do not 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 (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) of all the outstanding Preferred Securities. The
provisions of Section 12.2 of the Declaration with respect to meetings of
Holders of the Securities 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 registered or certified mail, as
follows:
(a) If given to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, at the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee's mailing address set forth below (or such other address
as the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may give notice of to the Holders of the
Preferred Securities):
The Bank of New York
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
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Facsimile ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
(b) 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 of the Preferred Securities):
The Laclede Group, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Treasurer
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
(c) If given to any Holder of Preferred Securities, 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
each Indemnified Person and the Holders of the Preferred Securities 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 the conflict of law principles thereof.
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THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day and
year first above written.
THE LACLEDE GROUP, INC., as
Guarantor
By:____________________________
Name: _________________________
Title: ________________________
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Preferred
Guarantee Trustee
By:____________________________
Name: _________________________
Title: ________________________
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