1
EXHIBIT 4.8
FORM OF INDENTURE
================================================================================
NORAM ENERGY CORP.
AND
___________________,
Trustee
______________________________________
INDENTURE
Dated as of ________, 1995
_______________________________________
Subordinated Debt Securities
================================================================================
2
CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE*
Section of
Trust Indenture Act Section of
of 1939, as amended Indenture
------------------- ---------
310(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.9
310(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.8
7.10
310(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inapplicable
311(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.13(a)
311(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.13(b)
311(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inapplicable
312(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1
5.2(a)
312(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2(b)
312(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2(c)
313(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4(a)
313(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4(b)
313(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4(a)
5.4(b)
313(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4(c)
314(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3
314(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inapplicable
314(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6
314(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inapplicable
314(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6
314(f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inapplicable
315(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1(a)
7.2
315(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7
315(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1
315(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1(b)
315(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1(c)
6.7
316(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6
8.4
316(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4
316(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1
317(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2
317(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3
318(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.8
____________________
* This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of the
Indenture and shall not have any bearing on the interpretation
of any of its terms or provisions.
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS*
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.1. Definitions of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Affiliate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Authenticating Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Bankruptcy Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Board Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Business Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Common Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Common Securities Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Corporate Trust Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Custodian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Debt Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Depositary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Event of Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Global Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Governmental Obligations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
herein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Indenture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Institutional Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Interest Payment Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
NorAm Common Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Officers' Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Opinion of Counsel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Outstanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Preferred Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Preferred Securities Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Responsible Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Securityholder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Senior Indebtedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Subsidiary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
___________________
* This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture
and shall not have any bearing upon the interpretation of any
of its terms or provisions.
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Page
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Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Trust Indenture Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Trust Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Voting Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ARTICLE II.
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION,
REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES
SECTION 2.1. Designation and Terms of Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SECTION 2.2. Form of Securities and Trustee's Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
SECTION 2.3. Denominations: Provisions for Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
SECTION 2.4. Execution and Authentications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SECTION 2.5. Registration of Transfer and Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SECTION 2.6. Temporary Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
SECTION 2.7. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
SECTION 2.8. Cancellation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
SECTION 2.9. Benefit of Indenture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SECTION 2.10. Authenticating Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SECTION 2.11. Global Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ARTICLE III.
REDEMPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS
SECTION 3.1. Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
SECTION 3.2. Notice of Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SECTION 3.3. Payment Upon Redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SECTION 3.4. Sinking Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SECTION 3.5. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Debt Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SECTION 3.6. Redemption of Debt Securities for Sinking Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
ARTICLE IV
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
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SECTION 4.1. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
SECTION 4.2. Maintenance or Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
SECTION 4.3. Paying Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
SECTION 4.4. Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
SECTION 4.5. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
SECTION 4.6. Limitation on Dividends; Transactions with Affiliates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
SECTION 4.7. Covenants as to NorAm Trusts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
ARTICLE V.
SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS
BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 5.1. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
SECTION 5.2. Preservation Of Informat Communications With Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
SECTION 5.3. Reports by the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
SECTION 5.4. Reports by the Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
ARTICLE VI.
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
ON EVENT OF DEFAULT
SECTION 6.1. Events of Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
SECTION 6.2. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
SECTION 6.3. Application of Moneys Collected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
SECTION 6.4. Limitation on Suits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
SECTION 6.5. Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or Omission Not Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
SECTION 6.6. Control by Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
SECTION 6.7. Undertaking to Pay Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ARTICLE VII.
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
iii
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Page
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SECTION 7.1. Certain Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
SECTION 7.2. Certain Rights of Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
SECTION 7.3. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance or Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SECTION 7.4. May Hold Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SECTION 7.5. Moneys Held in Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SECTION 7.6. Compensation and Reimbursement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SECTION 7.7. Reliance on Officers' Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
SECTION 7.8. Disqualification: Conflicting Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
SECTION 7.9. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
SECTION 7.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
SECTION 7.11. Acceptance of Appointment By Successor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
SECTION 7.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
SECTION 7.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
ARTICLE VIII.
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 8.1. Evidence of Action by Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
SECTION 8.2. Proof of Execution by Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
SECTION 8.3. Who May be Deemed Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
SECTION 8.4. Certain Securities Owned by Company Disregarded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
SECTION 8.5. Actions Binding on Future Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
ARTICLE IX.
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.1. Supplemental Indentures Without the Consent of Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
SECTION 9.2. Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Securityholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
SECTION 9.3. Effect of Supplemental Indentures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
SECTION 9.4. Securities Affected by Supplemental Indentures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
SECTION 9.5. Execution of Supplemental Indentures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
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ARTICLE X.
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 10.1. Company May Consolidate, Etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
SECTION 10.2. Successor Corporation Substituted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
SECTION 10.3. Evidence of Consolidation, Etc. to Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
ARTICLE XI.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 11.1. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
SECTION 11.2. Discharge of Obligations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
SECTION 11.3. Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
SECTION 11.4. Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
SECTION 11.5. Repayment to Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
ARTICLE XII.
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS
AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 12.1. No Recourse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
ARTICLE XIII.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 13.1. Effect on Successors and Assigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
SECTION 13.2. Actions by Successor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
SECTION 13.3. Surrender of Company Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
SECTION 13.4. Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
SECTION 13.5. Governing Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
SECTION 13.6. Treatment of Debt Securities as Debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
SECTION 13.7. Compliance Certificates and Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
SECTION 13.8. Payments on Business Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
SECTION 13.9. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
SECTION 13.10. Counterparts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
SECTION 13.11. Separability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
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SECTION 13.12. Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgement of Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
ARTICLE XIV.
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 14.1. Agreement to Subordinate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
SECTION 14.2. Default on Senior Indebtedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
SECTION 14.3. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
SECTION 14.4. Subrogation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
SECTION 14.5. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
SECTION 14.6. Notice by the Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
SECTION 14.7. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
SECTION 14.8. Subordination May Not Be Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
vi
9
INDENTURE, dated as of , 1995, among NorAm
Energy Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Company") and ________________, a
national banking association, as trustee (the "Trustee"):
WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has
duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the
issuance of unsecured subordinated debt securities (hereinafter referred to as
the "Debt Securities"), in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued
from time to time in one or more series as in this Indenture provided, as
registered Debt Securities without coupons, to be authenticated by the
certificate of the Trustee;
WHEREAS, to provide the terms and conditions upon which the
Debt Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has
duly authorized the execution of this Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Indenture a valid
agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
purchase of the Securities by the holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted
and agreed as follows for the equal and ratable benefit of the holders of
Securities:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.1. Definitions of Terms.
The terms defined in this Section (except as in this Indenture
otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all
purposes of this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have
the respective meanings specified in this Section and shall include the plural
as well as the singular. All other terms used in this Indenture that are
defined in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or that are by
reference in such Act defined in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (except
as herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise
requires), shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust
Indenture Act and in
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said Securities Act as in force at the date of the execution of this
instrument.
"Affiliate" means, with respect to a specified Person, (a) any
Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote
10% or more of the outstanding voting securities or other ownership interests
of the specified Person, (b) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting
securities or other ownership interests are directly or indirectly owned,
controlled or held with power to vote by the specified Person, (c) any Person
directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with
the specified Person, (d) a partnership in which the specified Person is a
general partner, (e) any officer or director of the specified Person, and (f)
if the specified Person is an individual, any entity of which the specified
Person is an officer, director or general partner.
"Authenticating Agent" means an authenticating agent with
respect to all or any of the series of Securities appointed with respect to all
or any series of the Securities by the Trustee pursuant to Section 2.10.
"Bankruptcy Law" means Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar
federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the
Company or any duly authorized committee of such Board.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly
adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the
date of such certification.
"Business Day" means, with respect to any series of
Securities, any day other than a day on which Federal or State banking
institutions in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, are authorized
or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close.
"Certificate" means a certificate signed by the principal
executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting
officer of the Company. The Certificate need not comply with the provisions of
Section 13.6.
"Common Securities" means undivided beneficial interests in
the assets of a NorAm Trust which rank pari passu with Preferred Securities
issued by such NorAm Trust; provided,
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however, that upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, the rights of holders
of Common Securities to payment in respect of distributions and payments upon
liquidation, redemption and otherwise are subordinated to the rights of holders
of Preferred Securities.
"Common Securities Guarantee" means any guarantee that the
Company may enter into with The Bank of New York or other Persons that operate
directly or indirectly for the benefit of holders of Common Securities of such
NorAm Trust.
"Company" means NorAm Energy Corp., a corporation duly
organized and existing under the laws of the State of _________, and, subject
to the provisions of Article Ten, shall also include its successors and
assigns.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Trustee at
which, at any particular time, its corporate trust business shall be
principally administered, which office at the date hereof is located at
______________________________________, Attention: _____________________,
except that whenever a provision herein refers to an office or agency of the
Trustee in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, such office is
located, at the date hereof, at ________________________________.
"Custodian" means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator,
or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
"Declaration", with respect to a NorAm Trust, means the
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated _______________, of such NorAm
Trust.
"Debt Securities" means the Debt Securities authenticated and
delivered under this Indenture.
"Default" means any event, act or condition that with notice
or lapse of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.
"Depositary" means, with respect to Securities of any series,
for which the Company shall determine that such Securities will be issued as a
Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, another
clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or other
applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case,
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shall be designated by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.1 or 2.11.
"Event of Default" means, with respect to Securities of a
particular series, any event specified in Section 6.1, continued for the period
of time, if any, therein designated.
"Global Security" means, with respect to any series of
Securities, a Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee to
the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary's instruction, all in accordance
with the Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or
its nominee.
"Governmental Obligations" means securities that are (i)
direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its
full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or
supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States
of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith
and credit obligation by the United States of America that, in either case, are
not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also
include a depositary receipt issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) as custodian with respect to any such
Governmental Obligation or a specific payment of principal of or interest on
any such Governmental Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the
holder of such depositary receipt; provided, however, that (except as required
by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount
payable to the holder of such depositary receipt from any amount received by
the custodian in respect of the Governmental Obligation or the specific payment
of principal of or interest on the Governmental Obligation evidenced by such
depositary receipt.
"herein", "hereof" and "hereunder", and other words of similar
import, refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article,
Section or other subdivision.
"Indenture" means this instrument as originally executed or as
it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures
supplemental hereto entered into in accordance with the terms hereof.
"Institutional Trustee" has the meaning set forth in the
Declaration of the applicable NorAm Trust.
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"Interest Payment Date", when used with respect to any
installment of interest on a Debt Security of a particular series, means the
date specified in such Debt Security or in a Board Resolution or in an
indenture supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on
which an installment of interest with respect to Debt Securities of that series
is due and payable.
"NorAm Common Stock" means the Common Stock, par value $.____
per share, of the Company or any other class of stock resulting from changes or
reclassifications of such Common Stock consisting solely of changes in par
value, or from par value to no par value, or from no par value to par value.
Subject to the anti-dilution provisions of any convertible Debt Security,
however, shares of NorAm Common Stock issuable on conversion of a Security
shall include only shares of the class designated as Common Stock of the
Company at the date of the supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or other
instrument authorizing such Debt Security or shares of any class or classes
resulting from any reclassification or reclassifications thereof and which have
no preference in respect of the payment of dividends or the distribution of
assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up
of the Company and which are not subject to redemption by the Company, provided
that if at any time there shall be more than one such resulting class, the
shares of each such class then so issuable shall be substantially in the
proportion which the total number of shares of such class resulting from all
such reclassifications bears to the total number of shares of such classes
resulting from all such reclassifications.
"NorAm Trust" means each of NorAm Financing I and NorAm
Financing II, each, a Delaware business trust or any other similar trust
created for the purpose of issuing preferred securities in connection with the
issuance of Securities under this Indenture.
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the
President or a Vice President and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer or
the Controller or an Assistant Controller or the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary of the Company that is delivered to the Trustee in accordance with
the terms hereof. Each such certificate shall include the statements provided
for in Section 13.6, if and to the extent required by the provisions thereof.
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"Opinion of Counsel" means an opinion in writing of legal
counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel for the Company that is delivered
to the Trustee in accordance with the terms hereof. Each such opinion shall
include the statements provided for in Section 13.6, if and to the extent
required by the provisions thereof.
"Outstanding", when used with reference to Debt Securities of
any series, means, subject to the provisions of Section 8.4, as of any
particular time, all Debt Securities of that series theretofore authenticated
and delivered by the Trustee under this Indenture, except (a) Debt Securities
theretofore cancelled by the Trustee or any paying agent, or delivered to the
Trustee or any paying agent for cancellation or that have previously been
cancelled; (b) Debt Securities or portions thereof for the payment or
redemption of which moneys or Governmental Obligations in the necessary amount
shall have been deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent
(other than the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust
by the Company (if the Company shall act as its own paying agent); provided,
however, that if such Debt Securities or portions of such Debt Securities are
to be redeemed prior to the maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall
have been given as in Article Three provided, or provision satisfactory to the
Trustee shall have been made for giving such notice; and (c) Debt Securities in
lieu of or in substitution for which other Debt Securities shall have been
authenticated and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.7.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership,
joint-venture, joint-stock company, unincorporated organization or government
or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every
previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt and as that
evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this
definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.7 in lieu
of a lost, destroyed or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same
debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Security.
"Preferred Securities" means undivided beneficial interests in
the assets of a NorAm Trust which rank pari passu with Common Securities issued
by such NorAm Trust; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an Event of
Default, the rights of holders of Common Securities to payment in respect of
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distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise are
subordinated to the rights of holders of Preferred Securities.
"Preferred Securities Guarantee" means any guarantee that the
Company may enter into with The Bank of New York or other Persons that operate
directly or indirectly for the benefit of holders of Preferred Securities of
such NorAm Trust.
"Responsible Officer" when used with respect to the Trustee
means the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the President, any Vice
President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, any trust officer, any corporate trust
officer or any other officer or assistant officer of the Trustee customarily
performing 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 his or her knowledge of and familiarity with the particular
subject.
"Securities" means any Debt Securities.
"Securityholder", "holder of Securities", "registered holder",
or other similar term, means the Person or Persons in whose name or names a
particular Security shall be registered on the books of the Company kept for
that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Indenture.
"Senior Indebtedness" means, with respect to the Company, (i)
the principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of (A) indebtedness of
such obligor for money borrowed and (B) indebtedness evidenced by securities,
debentures, bonds or other similar instruments issued by such obligor; (ii) all
capital lease obligations of such obligor; (iii) all obligations of such
obligor issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property, all
conditional sale obligations of such obligor and all obligations of such
obligor under any title retention agreement (but excluding trade accounts
payable arising in the ordinary course of business); (iv) all obligations of
such obligor for the reimbursement on any letter of credit, banker's
acceptance, security purchase facility or similar credit transaction; (v) all
obligations of the type referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) of other
Persons for the payment of which such obligor is responsible or liable as
obligor, guarantor or otherwise; and (vi) all obligations of the type referred
to in clauses (i) through (v) of other Persons secured by any lien on any
property or asset of such obligor (whether or not such obligation is assumed by
such obligor), except for (1) any such indebtedness
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that is by its terms subordinated to or pari passu with the Securities, and (2)
any indebtedness between or among such obligor and its Affiliates, including
all other debt securities and guarantees in respect of those debt securities,
issued to (x) any NorAm Trust or (y) any other trust, or a trustee of such
trust, partnership or other entity affiliated with the Company which is a
financing vehicle of the Company (a "Financing Entity") in connection with the
issuance by such Financing Entity of preferred securities.
"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, (i) any
corporation at least a majority of whose outstanding Voting Stock shall at the
time be owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its
Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any
general partnership, joint venture or similar entity, at least a majority of
whose outstanding partnership or similar interests shall at the time be owned
by such Person, or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and
one or more of its Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such
Person or any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner.
"Trustee" means _________________________________, and,
subject to the provisions of Article Seven, shall also include its successors
and assigns, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting in such
capacity hereunder, "Trustee" shall mean each such Person. The term "Trustee"
as used with respect to a particular series of the Securities shall mean the
trustee with respect to that series.
"Trust Indenture Act", means the Trust Indenture, subject to
the provisions of Sections 9.1, 9.2, and 10.1, as in effect at the date of
execution of this instrument.
"Trust Securities" means Common Securities and Preferred
Securities of a NorAm Trust.
"Voting Stock", as applied to stock of any Person, means
shares, interests, participations or other equivalents in the equity interest
(however designated) in such Person having ordinary voting power for the
election of a majority of the directors (or the equivalent) of such Person,
other than shares, interests, participations or other equivalents having such
power only by reason of the occurrence of a contingency.
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ARTICLE II.
ISSUE, DESCRIPTION, TERMS, EXECUTION,
REGISTRATION AND EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES
SECTION 2.1. Designation and Terms of Securities.
(a) The aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities that
may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Debt
Securities may be issued in one or more series up to the aggregate principal
amount of Debt Securities of that series from time to time authorized by or
pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company or pursuant to one or more
indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the initial issuance of Debt
Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant to a Board
Resolution of the Company, and set forth in an Officers' Certificate of the
Company, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto:
(1) the title of the Debt Security of the series (which shall
distinguish the Debt Securities of the series from all other Debt
Securities);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Debt
Securities of that series that may be authenticated and delivered
under this Indenture (except for Debt Securities authenticated and
delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in
lieu of, other Debt Securities of that series);
(3) the date or dates on which the principal of the Debt
Securities of the series is payable;
(4) the rate or rates at which the Debt Securities of the
series shall bear interest or the manner of calculation of such rate
or rates, if any;
(5) the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue,
the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest will be payable or
the manner of determination of such Interest Payment Dates and the
record date for the determination of holders to whom interest is
payable on any such Interest Payment Dates;
(6) the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods
and the duration of such extension;
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(7) the period or periods within which, the price or prices
at which and the terms and conditions upon which, Debt Securities of
the series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the
Company;
(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem or
purchase Debt Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or
analogous provisions (including payments made in cash in participation
of future sinking fund obligations) or at the option of a holder
thereof and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at
which, and the terms and conditions upon which, Debt Securities of the
series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant
to such obligation;
(9) the form of the Debt Securities of the series including
the form of the Certificate of Authentication for such series;
(10) if other than denominations of twenty-five U.S. dollars
($25) or any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the
Debt Securities of the series shall be issuable;
(11) any and all other terms with respect to such series
(which terms shall not be inconsistent with the terms of this
Indenture) including any terms which may be required by or advisable
under United States laws or regulations or advisable in connection
with the marketing of Debt Securities of that series;
(12) whether the Debt Securities are issuable as a Global
Security and, in such case, the identity for the Depositary for such
series; and
(13) the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such Debt
Securities may be convertible into or exchangeable into NorAm Common
Stock or other securities of any kind, including the initial
conversion or exchange price or rate, the conversion or exchange
period, the circumstances under which any such conversion or exchange
right may expire, and any other provision in addition to or in lieu of
those set forth in this Indenture.
All Debt Securities of any one series shall be substantially
identical except as to denomination and except as may
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otherwise be provided in or pursuant to any such Board Resolution or in any
indentures supplemental hereto.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action
taken pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company, a copy of an appropriate
record of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant
Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the
delivery of the Officers' Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of
the series.
SECTION 2.2. Form of Securities and Trustee's Certificate.
The Securities of any series and the Trustee's certificate of
authentication to be borne by such Securities shall be substantially of the
tenor and purpose as set forth in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or
as provided in a Board Resolution of the Company and as set forth in an
Officers' Certificate of the Company, and may have such letters, numbers or
other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements
printed, lithographed or engraved thereon as the Company may deem appropriate
and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be
required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant
thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which
Securities of that series may be listed, or to conform to usage.
SECTION 2.3. Denominations: Provisions for Payment.
The Securities shall be issuable as registered Securities and
in the denominations of twenty-five U.S. dollars ($25) or any integral
multiple thereof, subject to Section 2.1(10). The Securities of a particular
series shall bear interest payable on the dates and at the rate specified with
respect to that series. The principal of and the interest on the Securities of
any series, as well as any premium thereon in case of redemption thereof prior
to maturity, shall be payable in the coin or currency of the United States of
America that at the time is legal tender for public and private debt, at the
office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in the Borough of
Manhattan, the City and State of New York. Each Security shall be dated the
date of its authentication. Interest on the Securities shall be computed on
the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30-day months.
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The interest installment on any Security that is payable, and
is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for
Securities of that series shall be paid to the Person in whose name said
Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of
business on the regular record date for such interest installment. In the
event that any Security of a particular series or portion thereof is called for
redemption and the redemption date is subsequent to a regular record date with
respect to any Interest Payment Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date,
interest on such Security will be paid upon presentation and surrender of such
Security as provided in Section 3.3.
Any interest on any Security that is payable, but is not
punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Security
of the same series (herein called "Defaulted Interest") shall forthwith cease
to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date by
virtue of having been such holder; and such Defaulted Interest shall be paid by
the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (1) or clause (2) below:
(1) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on
Securities to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their
respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of
business on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted
Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company
shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted
Interest proposed to be paid on each such Security and the date of the
proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with
the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed
to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make
arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the
date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in
trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted
Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix
a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which
shall not be more than 15 nor less than 10 days prior to the date of
the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by
the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall
promptly notify the Company of such special record date and, in the
name and at the expense of the Company, shall cause notice of the
proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record
date therefor to be mailed, first
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class postage prepaid, to each Securityholder at his or her address as
it appears in the Security Register (as hereinafter defined), not less
than 10 days prior to such special record date. Notice of the
proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the special record
date therefor having been mailed as aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest
shall be paid to the Persons in whose names such Securities (or their
respective Predecessor Securities) are registered on such special
record date and shall be no longer payable pursuant to the following
clause (2).
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on
any Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the
requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may
be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange,
if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustees of the proposed
payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be
deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution of the
Company or one or more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of
any series of Securities pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof, the term "regular
record date" as used in this Section with respect to a series of Securities
with respect to any Interest Payment Date for such series shall mean either the
fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an Interest
Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof shall
occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the first day of a month, or the last
day of the month immediately preceding the month in which an Interest Payment
Date established for such series pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof shall occur, if
such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a month, whether or not such
date is a Business Day.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each
Security of a series delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in
exchange for or in lieu of any other Security of such series shall carry the
rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, that were carried by such
other Security.
SECTION 2.4. Execution and Authentications.
The Debt Securities shall be signed on behalf of the Company
by its President or one of its Vice Presidents, under its corporate seal
attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant Secretaries. Signatures may
be in the form of a manual or
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facsimile signature. The Company may use the facsimile signature of any Person
who shall have been a President or Vice President thereof, or of any Person who
shall have been a Secretary or Assistant Secretary thereof, notwithstanding the
fact that at the time the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered or
disposed of such Person shall have ceased to be the President or a Vice
President, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Company. The
seal of the Company may be in the form of a facsimile of such seal and may be
impressed, affixed, imprinted or otherwise reproduced on the Securities. The
Securities may contain such notations, legends or endorsements required by law,
stock exchange rule or usage. Each Security shall be dated the date of its
authentication by the Trustee.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated manually by
an authorized signatory of the Trustee, or by an Authenticating Agent. Such
signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security so authenticated has
been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and that the holder is entitled
to the benefits of this Indenture.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and
delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver Securities of any series
executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, together with a
written order of the Company for the authentication and delivery of such
Securities, signed by its President or any Vice President and its Treasurer or
any Assistant Treasurer, and the Trustee in accordance with such written order
shall authenticate and deliver such Securities.
In authenticating such Securities and accepting the additional
responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Securities, the
Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.1) shall be
fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the form
and terms thereof have been established in conformity with the provisions of
this Indenture.
The Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such
Securities if the issue of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will
affect the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and
this Indenture or otherwise in a manner that is not reasonably acceptable to
the Trustee.
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SECTION 2.5. Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
(a) Securities of any series may be exchanged upon
presentation thereof at the office or agency of the Company designated for such
purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, for other
Securities of such series of authorized denominations, and for a like aggregate
principal amount, upon payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge in relation thereto, all as provided in this Section. In
respect of any Securities so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall
execute, the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver
in exchange therefor the Security or Securities of the same series that the
Securityholder making the exchange shall be entitled to receive, bearing
numbers not contemporaneously outstanding.
(b) The Company shall keep, or cause to be kept, at its
office or agency designated for such purpose in the Borough of Manhattan, the
City and State of New York, or such other location designated by the Company a
register or registers (herein referred to as the "Security Register") in which,
subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall
register the Securities and the transfers of Securities as in this Article
provided and which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the
Trustee. The registrar for the purpose of registering Securities and transfer
of Securities as herein provided shall be appointed as authorized by Board
Resolution (the "Security Registrar").
Upon surrender for transfer of any Security at the office or
agency of the Company designated for such purpose, the Company shall execute,
the Trustee shall authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in the
name of the transferee or transferees a new Security or Securities of the same
series as the Security presented for a like aggregate principal amount.
All Securities presented or surrendered for exchange or
registration of transfer, as provided in this Section, shall be accompanied (if
so required by the Company or the Security Registrar) by a written instrument
or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company or the Security
Registrar, duly executed by the registered holder or by such holder's duly
authorized attorney in writing.
(c) No service charge shall be made for any exchange or
registration of transfer of Securities, or issue of new Securities in case of
partial redemption of any series, but the
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Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other
governmental charge in relation thereto, other than exchanges pursuant to
Section 2.6, the second paragraph of Section 3.3 and Section 9.4 not involving
any transfer.
(d) The Company shall not be required (i) to issue, exchange
or register the transfer of any Securities during a period beginning at the
opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of
redemption of less than all the Outstanding Securities of the same series and
ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing, nor (ii) to
register the transfer of or exchange any Securities of any series or portions
thereof called for redemption. The provisions of this Section 2.5 are, with
respect to any Global Security, subject to Section 2.11 hereof.
SECTION 2.6. Temporary Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any
series, the Company may execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver, temporary Securities (printed, lithographed or typewritten) of any
authorized denomination. Such temporary Securities shall be substantially in
the form of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, but
with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for
temporary Securities, all as may be determined by the Company. Every temporary
Security of any series shall be executed by the Company and be authenticated by
the Trustee upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and
with like effect, as the definitive Securities of such series. Without
unnecessary delay the Company will execute and will furnish definitive
Securities of such series and thereupon any or all temporary Securities of such
series may be surrendered in exchange therefor (without charge to the holders),
at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose in the
Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, and the Trustee shall
authenticate and such office or agency shall deliver in exchange for such
temporary Securities an equal aggregate principal amount of definitive
Securities of such series, unless the Company advises the Trustee to the effect
that definitive Securities need not be executed and furnished until further
notice from the Company. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities of such
series shall be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as
definitive Securities of such series authenticated and delivered hereunder.
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SECTION 2.7. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen
Securities.
In case any temporary or definitive Security shall become
mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company (subject to the next
succeeding sentence) shall execute, and upon the Company's request the Trustee
(subject as aforesaid) shall authenticate and deliver, a new Security of the
same series, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding, in exchange
and substitution for the mutilated Security, or in lieu of and in substitution
for the Security so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every case the applicant for
a substituted Security shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such
security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them harmless,
and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the applicant shall also
furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their satisfaction of the
destruction, loss or theft of the applicant's Security and of the ownership
thereof. The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Security and
deliver the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of
the Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Security, the Company may
require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental
charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses
(including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith. In case
any Security that has matured or is about to mature shall become mutilated or
be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute
Security, pay or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof
except in the case of a mutilated Security) if the applicant for such payment
shall furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as they
may require to save them harmless, and, in case of destruction, loss or theft,
evidence to the satisfaction of the Company and the Trustee of the destruction,
loss or theft of such Security and of the ownership thereof.
Every replacement Security issued pursuant to the provisions
of this Section shall constitute an additional contractual obligation of the
Company whether or not the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall
be found at any time, or be enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all
the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all
other Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Securities
shall be held and owned upon the express condition that the foregoing
provisions are exclusive with respect to the replacement or payment of
mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities, and shall preclude (to the
extent
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lawful) any and all other rights or remedies, notwithstanding any law or
statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the
replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without
their surrender.
SECTION 2.8. Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment,
redemption, exchange or registration of transfer shall, if surrendered to the
Company or any paying agent, be delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, or,
if surrendered to the Trustee, shall be cancelled by it, and no Securities
shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly required or permitted by
any of the provisions of this Indenture. On request of the Company at the time
of such surrender, the Trustee shall deliver to the Company cancelled
Securities held by the Trustee. In the absence of such request the Trustee may
dispose of cancelled Securities in accordance with its standard procedures and
deliver a certificate of disposition to the Company. If the Company shall
otherwise acquire any of the Securities, however, such acquisition shall not
operate as a redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such
Securities unless and until the same are delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation.
SECTION 2.9. Benefit of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or
implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the
parties hereto and the holders of the Securities (and, with respect to the
provisions of Article Fourteen, the holders of Senior Indebtedness) any legal
or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Indenture, or
under any covenant, condition or provision herein contained; all such
covenants, conditions and provisions being for the sole benefit of the parties
hereto and of the holders of the Securities (and, with respect to the
provisions of Article Fourteen, the holders of Senior Indebtedness).
SECTION 2.10. Authenticating Agent.
So long as any of the Securities of any series remain
Outstanding there may be an Authenticating Agent for any or all such series of
Securities which the Trustee shall have the right to appoint. Said
Authenticating Agent shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to
authenticate Securities of such series issued upon exchange, transfer or
partial redemption thereof, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled
to the
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benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes
as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. All references in this Indenture
to the authentication of Securities by the Trustee shall be deemed to include
authentication by an Authenticating Agent for such series. Each Authenticating
Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall be a corporation that has a
combined capital and surplus, as most recently reported or determined by it,
sufficient under the laws of any jurisdiction under which it is organized or in
which it is doing business to conduct a trust business, and that is otherwise
authorized under such laws to conduct such business and is subject to
supervision or examination by Federal or State authorities. If at any time any
Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with these
provisions, it shall resign immediately.
Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign by giving
written notice of resignation to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee
may at any time (and upon request by the Company shall) terminate the agency of
any Authenticating Agent by giving written notice of termination to such
Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon resignation, termination or
cessation of eligibility of any Authenticating Agent, the Trustee may appoint
an eligible successor Authenticating Agent acceptable to the Company. Any
successor Authenticating Agent, upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder,
shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor
hereunder as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent pursuant hereto.
SECTION 2.11. Global Securities.
(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.1
that the Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global
Security, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance
with Section 2.4, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that (i) shall
represent, and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate
principal amount of, all of the Outstanding Securities of such series, (ii)
shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee, (iii) shall
be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary's
instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect:
"Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the Indenture, this Security
may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only to another nominee of the
Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a nominee of such successor
Depositary."
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(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.5, the Global
Security of a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and in the
manner provided in Section 2.5, only to another nominee of the Depositary for
such series, or to a successor Depositary for such series selected or approved
by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.
(c) If at any time the Depositary for a series of the
Securities notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as
Depositary for such series or if at any time the Depositary for such series
shall no longer be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or
other applicable statute or regulation, and a successor Depositary for such
series is not appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company
receives such notice or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be,
this Section 2.11 shall no longer be applicable to the Securities of such
series and the Company will execute, and subject to Section 2.5, the Trustee
will authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive
registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an
aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security
of such series in exchange for such Global Security. In addition, the Company
may at any time determine that the Securities of any series shall no longer be
represented by a Global Security and that the provisions of this Section 2.11
shall no longer apply to the Securities of such series. In such event the
Company will execute and subject to Section 2.5, the Trustee, upon receipt of
an Officers' Certificate evidencing such determination by the Company, will
authenticate and deliver the Securities of such series in definitive registered
form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an aggregate
principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security of such
series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the Global
Security for such Securities in definitive registered form without coupons, in
authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be cancelled by the
Trustee. Such Securities in definitive registered form issued in exchange for
the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be registered in
such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary, pursuant to
instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise, shall
instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Securities to the
Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Securities are so
registered.
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ARTICLE III.
REDEMPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES AND SINKING FUND PROVISIONS
SECTION 3.1. Redemption.
The Company may redeem the Debt Securities of any series
issued hereunder on and after the dates and in accordance with the terms
established for such series pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof.
SECTION 3.2. Notice of Redemption.
(a) In case the Company shall desire to exercise such right
to redeem all or, as the case may be, a portion of the Debt Securities of any
series in accordance with the right reserved so to do, the Company shall, or
shall cause the Trustee to, give notice of such redemption to holders of the
Debt Securities of such series to be redeemed by mailing, first class postage
prepaid, a notice of such redemption not less than 30 days and not more than 90
days before the date fixed for redemption of that series to such holders at
their last addresses as they shall appear upon the Security Register unless a
shorter period is specified in the Debt Securities to be redeemed. Any notice
that is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to
have been duly given, whether or not the registered holder receives the notice.
In any case, failure duly to give such notice to the holder of any Security of
any series designated for redemption in whole or in part, or any defect in the
notice, shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of
any other Debt Securities of such series or any other series. In the case of
any redemption of Debt Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on
such redemption provided in the terms of such Debt Securities or elsewhere in
this Indenture, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers'
Certificate evidencing compliance with any such restriction.
Each such notice of redemption shall specify the date fixed
for redemption and the redemption price at which Debt Securities of that series
are to be redeemed, and shall state that payment of the redemption price of
such Debt Securities to be redeemed will be made at the office or agency of the
Company in the Borough of Manhattan, the City and State of New York, upon
presentation and surrender of such Debt Securities, that interest accrued to
the date fixed for redemption will be paid as specified in said notice, that
from and after said date interest will
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cease to accrue and that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the
case. If less than all the Debt Securities of a series are to be redeemed, the
notice to the holders of Debt Securities of that series to be redeemed in whole
or in part shall specify the particular Debt Securities to be so redeemed. In
case any Security is to be redeemed in part only, the notice that relates to
such Security shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be
redeemed, and shall state that on and after the redemption date, upon surrender
of such Security, a new Security or Debt Securities of such series in principal
amount equal to the unredeemed portion thereof.
(b) If less than all the Debt Securities of a series are to
be redeemed, the Company shall give the Trustee at least 45 days' notice in
advance of the date fixed for redemption as to the aggregate principal amount
of Debt Securities of the series to be redeemed, and thereupon the Trustee
shall select, by lot or in such other manner as it shall deem appropriate and
fair in its discretion and that may provide for the selection of a portion or
portions (equal to twenty-five U.S. dollars ($25) or any integral multiple
thereof) of the principal amount of such Debt Securities of a denomination
larger than $25, the Debt Securities to be redeemed and shall thereafter
promptly notify the Company in writing of the numbers of the Debt Securities to
be redeemed, in whole or in part.
The Company may, if and whenever it shall so elect, by
delivery of instructions signed on its behalf by its President or any Vice
President, instruct the Trustee or any paying agent to call all or any part of
the Debt Securities of a particular series for redemption and to give notice of
redemption in the manner set forth in this Section, such notice to be in the
name of the Company or its own name as the Trustee or such paying agent may
deem advisable. In any case in which notice of redemption is to be given by
the Trustee or any such paying agent, the Company shall deliver or cause to be
delivered to, or permit to remain with, the Trustee or such paying agent, as
the case may be, such Security Register, transfer books or other records, or
suitable copies or extracts therefrom, sufficient to enable the Trustee or such
paying agent to give any notice by mail that may be required under the
provisions of this Section.
SECTION 3.3. Payment Upon Redemption.
(a) If the giving of notice of redemption shall have been
completed as above provided, the Debt Securities or portions of Debt Securities
of the series to be redeemed specified in such
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notice shall become due and payable on the date and at the place stated in such
notice at the applicable redemption price, together with interest accrued to
the date fixed for redemption and interest on such Debt Securities or portions
of Debt Securities shall cease to accrue on and after the date fixed for
redemption, unless the Company shall default in the payment of such redemption
price and accrued interest with respect to any such Security or portion
thereof. On presentation and surrender of such Debt Securities on or after the
date fixed for redemption at the place of payment specified in the notice, said
Debt Securities shall be paid and redeemed at the applicable redemption price
for such series, together with interest accrued thereon to the date fixed for
redemption (but if the date fixed for redemption is an interest payment date,
the interest installment payable on such date shall be payable to the
registered holder at the close of business on the applicable record date
pursuant to Section 2.3).
(b) Upon presentation of any Security of such series that is
to be redeemed in part only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and the office or agency where the Security is presented shall
deliver to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security or
Debt Securities of the same series of authorized denominations in principal
amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Security so presented.
SECTION 3.4. Sinking Fund.
The provisions of Sections 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6 shall be
applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of Debt Securities of a
series, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.1 for Debt
Securities of such series.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by
the terms of Debt Securities of any series is herein referred to as a
"mandatory sinking fund payment," and any payment in excess of such minimum
amount provided for by the terms of Debt Securities of any series is herein
referred to as an "optional sinking fund payment". If provided for by the
terms of Debt Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking fund
payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 3.5. Each sinking
fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Debt Securities of any
series as provided for by the terms of Debt Securities of such series.
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SECTION 3.5. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with
Debt Securities.
The Company (i) may deliver outstanding Debt Securities of a
series (other than any Debt Securities previously called for redemption) and
(ii) may apply as a credit Debt Securities of a series that have been redeemed
either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Debt
Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund
payments pursuant to the terms of such Debt Securities, in each case in
satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the
Debt Securities of such series required to be made pursuant to the terms of
such Debt Securities as provided for by the terms of such series, provided that
such Debt Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Debt
Securities shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at
the redemption price specified in such Debt Securities for redemption through
operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall
be reduced accordingly.
SECTION 3.6. Redemption of Debt Securities for Sinking
Fund.
Not less than 45 days prior to each sinking fund payment date
for any series of Debt Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an
Officers' Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund
payment for that series pursuant to the terms of the series, the portion
thereof, if any, that is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Debt
Securities of that series pursuant to Section 3.5 and the basis for such credit
and will, together with such Officers' Certificate, deliver to the Trustee any
Debt Securities to be so delivered. Not less than 30 days before each such
sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Debt Securities to be
redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section
3.2 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and
at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.2. Such
notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Debt Securities shall be
made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Section 3.3.
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ARTICLE IV.
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
SECTION 4.1. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company will duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid
the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Debt Securities of
that series at the time and place and in the manner provided herein and
established with respect to such Debt Securities.
SECTION 4.2. Maintenance or Agency.
So long as any series of the Securities remain Outstanding,
the Company agrees to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan,
the City and State of New York, with respect to each such series and at such
other location or locations as may be designated as provided in this Section
4.2, where (i) Securities of that series may be presented for payment, (ii)
Securities of that series may be presented as hereinabove authorized for
registration of transfer and exchange, and (iii) notices and demands to or upon
the Company in respect of the Securities of that series and this Indenture may
be given or served, such designation to continue with respect to such office or
agency until the Company shall, by written notice signed by its President or a
Vice President and delivered to the trustee, designate some other office or
agency for such purposes or any of them. If at any time the Company shall fail
to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the
Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, notices and demands may
be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company
hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations,
notices and demands.
SECTION 4.3. Paying Agents.
(a) If the Company shall appoint one or more paying agents
for all or any series of the Securities, other than the Trustee, the Company
will cause each such paying agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an
instrument in which such agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the
provisions of this Section:
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for
the payment of the principal of (and premium, if
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any) or interest on the Securities of that series (whether such sums
have been paid to it by the Company or by any other obligor of such
Securities) in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto;
(2) that it will give the Trustee notice of any failure by
the Company (or by any other obligor of such Securities) to make any
payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the
Securities of that series when the same shall be due and payable;
(3) that it will, at any time during the continuance of any
failure referred to in the preceding paragraph (a)(2) above, upon the
written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums
so held in trust by such paying agent; and
(4) that it will perform all other duties of paying agent as
set forth in this Indenture.
(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent with
respect to any series of the Securities, it will on or before each due date of
the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on Securities of that
series, set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons
entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay such principal (and premium, if any)
or interest so becoming due on Securities of that series until such sums shall
be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and will
promptly notify the Trustee of such action, or any failure (by it or any other
obligor on such Securities) to take such action. Whenever the Company shall
have one or more paying agents for any series of Securities, it will, prior to
each due date of the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any
Securities of that series, deposit with the paying agent a sum sufficient to
pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest so becoming due, such sum
to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal,
premium or interest, and (unless such paying agent is the Trustee) the Company
will promptly notify the Trustee of this action or failure so to act.
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary,
(i) the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section is subject
to the provisions of Section 11.5, and (ii) the Company may at any time, for
the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture or
for any other purpose, pay, or direct any paying agent to pay, to the Trustee
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all sums held in trust by the Company or such paying agent, such sums to be
held by the Trustee upon the same terms and conditions as those upon which such
sums were held by the Company or such paying agent; and, upon such payment by
any paying agent to the Trustee, such paying agent shall be released from all
further liability with respect to such money.
SECTION 4.4. Appointment to Fill Vacancy in Office of
Trustee.
The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in
the office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 7.10, a
Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.
SECTION 4.5. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.
The Company will not, while any of the Securities remain
Outstanding, consolidate with, or merge into, or merge into itself, or sell or
convey all or substantially all of its property to any other company unless the
provisions of Article Ten hereof are complied with.
SECTION 4.6. Limitation on Dividends; Transactions with
Affiliates.
If Securities are issued to a NorAm Trust or a trustee of
such trust in connection with the issuance of Trust Securities by such NorAm
Trust and (i) there shall have occurred any event that would constitute an
Event of Default, (ii) NorAm shall be in default with respect to its payment of
any obligations under the Preferred Securities Guarantee or Common Securities
Guarantee relating to such NorAm Trust or (iii) the Company shall have given
notice of its election to defer payments of interest on such Securities by
extending the interest payment period as provided in the Indenture and such
period, or any extension thereof, shall be continuing, then (a) the Company
shall not declare or pay any dividend on, make any distributions with respect
to, or redeem, purchase or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of
its capital stock, and (b) the Company shall not make any payment of interest,
principal or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt
securities issued by the Company which rank pari passu with or Junior to such
Securities; provided, however, that the restriction in clause (a) above does
not apply to any stock dividends
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paid by the Company where the dividend stock is the same as that on which the
dividend is being paid.
SECTION 4.7. Covenants as to NorAm Trusts.
In the event Securities are issued to a NorAm Trust or a
trustee of such trust in connection with the issuance of Trust Securities by
such NorAm Trust, for so long as such Trust Securities remain outstanding, the
Company will (i) maintain 100% direct or indirect ownership of the Common
Securities of such NorAm Trust; provided, however, that any permitted successor
of the Company under the Indenture may succeed to the Company's ownership of
the Common Securities, (ii) use its reasonable efforts to cause such NorAm
Trust (a) to remain a business trust, except in connection with a distribution
of Securities, the redemption of all of the Trust Securities of such NorAm
Trust or certain mergers, consolidations or amalgamations, each as permitted by
the Declaration of such NorAm Trust, and (b) to otherwise continue not to be
treated as an association taxable as a corporation or partnership for United
States federal income tax purposes and (iii) to use its reasonable efforts to
cause each holder of Trust Securities to be treated as owning an individual
beneficial interest in the Securities.
ARTICLE V.
SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS
BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 5.1. Company to Furnish Trustee Names and
Addresses of Securityholders.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the
Trustee (a) on a monthly basis on each regular record date (as defined in
Section 2.3) a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the
names and addresses of the holders of each series of Securities as of such
regular record date, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to
furnish or cause to furnish such list at any time that the list shall not
differ in any respect from the most recent list furnished to the Trustee by the
Company and (b) at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing
within 30 days after the receipt by the Company of any such request, a list of
similar form and content as of a date not more than 15 days prior to the time
such list is furnished; provided, however, that, in either case, no such list
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need be furnished for any series for which the Trustee shall be the Security
Registrar.
SECTION 5.2. Preservation Of Informat Communications With
Securityholders.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is
reasonably practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the
holders of Securities contained in the most recent list furnished to it as
provided in Section 5.1 and as to the names and addresses of holders of
Securities received by the Trustee in its capacity as Security Registrar (if
acting in such capacity).
(b) The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as
provided in Section 5.1 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(c) Securityholders may communicate as provided in Section
312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act with other Securityholders with respect to
their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities.
SECTION 5.3. Reports by the Company.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the
Trustee, within 15 days after the Company is required to file the same with the
Commission, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and
other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the
Commission may from time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) that the
Company may be required to file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act; or, if the Company is not required to file
information, documents or reports pursuant to either of such sections, then to
file with the Trustee and the Commission, in accordance with the rules and
regulations prescribed from time to time by the Commission, such of the
supplementary and periodic information, documents and reports that may be
required pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act, in respect of a security
listed and registered on a national securities exchange as may be prescribed
from time to time in such rules and regulations.
(b) The Company covenants and agrees to file with the Trustee
and the Commission, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed
from to time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and
reports with respect to
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compliance by the Company with the conditions and covenants provided for in
this Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and
regulations.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees to transmit by mail,
first class postage prepaid, or reputable over-night delivery service that
provides for evidence of receipt, to the Securityholders, as their names and
addresses appear upon the Security Register, within 30 days after the filing
thereof with the Trustee, such summaries of any information, documents and
reports required to be filed by the Company pursuant to subsections (a) and (b)
of this Section as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed from
time to time by the Commission.
SECTION 5.4. Reports by the Trustee.
(a) On or before July 15 in each year in which any of the
Securities are Outstanding, the Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class
postage prepaid, to the Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear
upon the Security Register, a brief report dated as of the preceding May 15, if
and to the extent required under Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act.
(b) The Trustee shall comply with Section 313(b) and 313(c)
of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such
transmission to Securityholders, be filed by the Trustee with the Company, with
each stock exchange upon which any Securities are listed (if so listed) and
also with the Commission. The Company agrees to notify the Trustee when any
Securities become listed on any stock exchange.
ARTICLE VI.
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
ON EVENT OF DEFAULT
SECTION 6.1. Events of Default.
(a) Whenever used herein with respect to Securities of a
particular series, "Event of Default" means any one or more of the following
events that has occurred and is continuing:
(1) the Company defaults in the payment of any installment of
interest upon any of the Securities of that
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series, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and
continuance of such default for a period of __ days; provided,
however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by the
Company in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental
hereto, shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for
this purpose;
(2) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of
(or premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of that series as and
when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon
redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by
any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to that series;
provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such
Securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental
hereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or
premium, if any;
(3) if applicable to the Securities of that series, failure
by the Company to issue NorAm Common Stock upon an election by the
Holder or Holders of such Debt Securities to convert such Debt
Securities into shares of NorAm Common Stock pursuant to the
supplemental indenture, Board Resolution or other instrument
authorizing such series of Securities;
(4) the Company fails to observe or perform any other of its
covenants or agreements with respect to that series contained in this
Indenture or otherwise established with respect to that series of
Securities pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof (other than a covenant or
agreement that has been expressly included in this Indenture solely
for the benefit of one or more series of Securities other than such
series) for a period of 90 days after the date on which written notice
of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that
such notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder, shall have been given
to the Company by the Trustee, by registered or certified mail, or to
the Company and the Trustee by the holders of at least 25% in
principal amount of the Securities of that series at the time
Outstanding;
(5) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any
Bankruptcy Law (i) commences a voluntary case, (ii) consents to the
entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case, (iii)
consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or
substantially all of its
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property or (iv) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its
creditors;
(6) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order under
any Bankruptcy Law that (i) is for relief against the Company in an
involuntary case, (ii) appoints a Custodian of the Company for all or
substantially all of their respective property, or (iii) orders the
liquidation of the Company or the Guarantor, and the order or decree
remains unstayed and in effect for 90 days; or
(7) in the event Securities are issued to a NorAm Trust or a
trustee of such trust in connection with the issuance of Trust
Securities by such NorAm Trust, such NorAm Trust shall have
voluntarily or involuntarily dissolved, wound-up its business or
otherwise terminated its existence except in connection with (i) the
distribution of Securities to holders of Trust Securities in
liquidation of their interests in such NorAm Trust, (ii) the
redemption of all of the outstanding Trust Securities of such NorAm
Trust or (iii) certain mergers, consolidations or amalgamation, each
as permitted by the Declaration of such NorAm Trust.
(b) In each and every such case, unless the principal of all
the Securities of that series shall have already become due and payable, either
the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount
of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by notice in
writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by such Securityholders),
may declare the principal of all the Securities of that series to be due and
payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become and
shall be immediately due and payable, notwithstanding anything contained in
this Indenture or in the Securities of that series or established with respect
to that series pursuant to Section 2.1 to the contrary.
(c) At any time after the principal of the Securities of that
series shall have been so declared due and payable, and before any judgment or
decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been obtained or entered as
hereinafter provided, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the Securities of that series then Outstanding hereunder, by written notice
to the Company and the Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its
consequences if: (i) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum
sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest upon all the Securities
of that series and the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any and all
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Securities of that series that shall have become due otherwise than by
acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium, if any, and, to
the extent that such payment is enforceable under applicable law, upon overdue
installments of interest, at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of
that series to the date of such payment or deposit) and the amount payable to
the Trustee under Section 7.6, and (ii) any and all Events of Default under the
Indenture with respect to such series, other than the nonpayment of principal
on Securities of that series that shall not have become due by their terms,
shall have been remedied or waived as provided in Section 6.6.
No such rescission and annulment shall extend to or shall
affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereon.
(d) In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any
right with respect to Securities of that series under this Indenture and such
proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned because of such
rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have been determined
adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the Company and the
Trustee shall be restored respectively to their former positions and rights
hereunder, and all rights, remedies and powers of the Company and the Trustee
shall continue as though no such proceedings had been taken.
SECTION 6.2. Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for
Enforcement by Trustee.
(a) The Company covenants that (1) in case it shall default
in the payment of any installment of interest on any of the Securities of a
series, or any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established
with respect to that series as and when the same shall have become due and
payable, and such default shall have continued for a period of 90 Business
Days, or (2) in case it shall default in the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any, on) any of the Securities of a series when the same shall have
become due and payable, whether upon maturity of the Securities of a series or
upon redemption or upon declaration or otherwise, then, upon demand of the
Trustee the Guarantor will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders
of the Securities of that series, the whole amount that then shall have been
become due and payable on all such Securities for principal (and premium, if
any) or interest, or both, as the case may be, with interest upon the overdue
principal (and premium, if any) and (to the extent that payment of such
interest is enforceable
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under applicable law and, if the Securities are held by a NorAm Trust or a
trustee of such trust, without duplication of any other amounts paid by such
NorAm Trust or trustee in respect thereof) upon overdue installments of
interest at the rate per annum expressed in the Securities of that series; and,
in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the
costs and expenses of collection, and the amount payable to the Trustee under
Section 7.6.
(b) If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith
upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express
trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any action or proceedings
at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may
prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may
enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or other obligor
upon the Securities of that series and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed
to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company
or other obligor upon the Securities of that series, wherever situated.
(c) In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation,
bankruptcy, reorganization, readjustment, arrangement, composition or judicial
proceedings affected the Company or the creditors or property of either, the
Trustee shall have power to intervene in such proceedings and take any action
therein that may be permitted by the court and shall (except as may be
otherwise provided by law) be entitled to file such proofs of claim and other
papers and documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the
claims of the Trustee and of the holders of Securities of such series allowed
for the entire amount due and payable by the Company under the Indenture at the
date of institution of such proceedings and for any additional amount that may
become due and payable by the Company after such date, and to collect and
receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claim,
and to distribute the same after the deduction of the amount payable to the
Trustee under Section 7.6; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in bankruptcy
or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the holders of Securities of
such series to make such payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the
Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to such
Securityholders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it under Section 7.6.
(d) All rights of action and of asserting claims under this
Indenture, or under any of the terms established with respect to Securities of
that series, may be enforced by the
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Trustee without the possession of any of such Securities, or the production
thereof at any trial or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or
proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as
trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after
provision for payment to the Trustee of any amounts due under Section 7.6, be
for the ratable benefit of the holders of the Securities of such series.
In case of an Event of Default hereunder, the Trustee may in
its discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this
Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem
most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either at law or in
equity or in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether for the specific enforcement of
any covenant or agreement contained in the Indenture or in aid of the exercise
of any power granted in this Indenture, or to enforce any other legal or
equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture or by law.
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the
Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any
Securityholder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or
composition affecting the Securities of that series or the rights of any holder
thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any
Securityholder in any such proceeding.
SECTION 6.3. Application of Moneys Collected.
Any moneys collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article
with respect to a particular series of Securities shall be applied in the
following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the
distribution of such moneys on account of principal (or premium, if any) or
interest, upon presentation of the Securities of that series, and notation
thereon the payment, if only partially paid, and upon surrender thereof if
fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of costs and expenses of collection and
of all amounts payable to the Trustee under Section 7.6;
SECOND: To the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of the
Company if and to the extent required by Article Fourteen; and
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THIRD: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon
Securities of such series for principal (and premium, if any) and
interest, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money
has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any
kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for
principal (and premium, if any) and interest, respectively.
SECTION 6.4. Limitation on Suits.
No holder of any Security of any series shall have any right
by virtue or by availing of any provision of this Indenture to institute any
suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law upon or under or with respect to
this Indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any
other remedy hereunder, unless (i) such holder previously shall have given to
the Trustee written notice of an Event of Default and of the continuance
thereof with respect to the Securities of such series specifying such Event of
Default, as hereinbefore provided; (ii) the holders of not less than 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series then Outstanding
shall have made written request upon the Trustee to institute such action, suit
or proceeding in its own name as trustee hereunder; (iii) such holder or
holders shall have offered to the Trustee such reasonable indemnity as it may
require against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred therein or
thereby; and (iv) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice,
request and offer of indemnity, shall have failed to institute any such action,
suit or proceeding and (v) during such 60 day period, the holders of a majority
in principal amount of the Securities of that series do not give the Trustee a
direction inconsistent with the request.
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, any
other provisions of this Indenture, the right of any holder of any Security to
receive payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on such
Security, as therein provided, on or after the respective due dates expressed
in such Security (or in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), or to
institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such
respective dates or redemption date, shall not be impaired or affected without
the consent of such holder and by accepting a Security hereunder it is
expressly understood, intended and covenanted by the taker and holder of every
Security of such series with every other such taker and holder and the Trustee,
that no one or more holders of Securities of such series shall have any right
in any manner whatsoever by virtue or by
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availing of any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the
rights of the holders of any other of such Securities, or to obtain or seek to
obtain priority over or preference to any other such holder, or to enforce any
right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the
equal, ratable and common benefit of all holders of Securities of series. For
the protection and enforcement of the provisions of this Section, each and
every Securityholder and the Trustee shall be entitled to such relief as can be
given either at law or in equity.
SECTION 6.5. Rights and Remedies Cumulative; Delay or
Omission Not Waiver.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.7, all powers
and remedies given by this Article to the Trustee or to the Securityholders
shall, to the extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive
of any other powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the holders of the
Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or
observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture or
otherwise established with respect to such Securities.
(b) No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any holder of
any of the Securities to exercise any right or power accruing upon any Event of
Default occurring and continuing as aforesaid shall impair any such right or
power, or shall be construed to be a waiver of any such default or on
acquiescence therein; and, subject to the provisions of Section 6.4, every
power and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or the
Securityholders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as shall be
deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Securityholders.
SECTION 6.6. Control by Securityholders.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Securities of any series at the time Outstanding, determined in accordance with
Section 8.4, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or
exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such
series; provided, however, that such direction shall not be in conflict with
any rule of law or with this Indenture or be unduly prejudicial to the rights
of holders of Securities of any other series at the time Outstanding determined
in accordance with Section
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8.4. Subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, the Trustee shall have the
right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith
shall, by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, determine that the
proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability. The
holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of any
series at the time Outstanding affected thereby, determined in accordance with
Section 8.4, may on behalf of the holders of all of the Securities of such
series waive any past default in the performance of any of the covenants
contained herein or established pursuant to Section 2.1 with respect to such
series and its consequences, except (i) a default in the payment of the
principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any of the Securities of that
series as and when the same shall become due by the terms of such Securities
otherwise than by acceleration (unless such default has been cured and a sum
sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal and any
premium has been deposited with the Trustee (in accordance with Section
6.1(c)), (ii) a default in the covenants contained in Section 4.6 or (iii) in
respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Article Nine cannot be
modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding
Security of such series affected; provided, however, that if the Debt
Securities of such series are held by a NorAm Trust or a trustee of such trust,
such waiver or modification to such waiver shall not be effective until the
holders of a majority in liquidation preference of Trust Securities of the
applicable NorAm Trust shall have consented to such waiver or modification to
such waiver; provided further, that if the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Debt Security is required, such waiver shall not be effective until
each holder of the Trust Securities of the applicable NorAm Trust shall have
consented to such waiver. Upon any such waiver, the default covered thereby
shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this Indenture and the Company,
the Trustee and the holders of the Securities of such series shall be restored
to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no such
waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right
consequent thereon.
SECTION 6.7. Undertaking to Pay Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any
Securities by such holder's acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed,
that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement
of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee
for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party
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litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that
such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable
attorneys' fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to
the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party
litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit
instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or
group of Securityholders, holding more than 10% in aggregate principal amount
of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or to any suit instituted by any
Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest on any Security of such series, on or after the
respective due dates expressed in such Security or established pursuant to this
Indenture.
ARTICLE VII.
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.1. Certain Duties and Responsibilities of
Trustee.
(a) The Trustee prior to the occurrence of an Event of
Default with respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing of all
Events of Default with respect to the Securities of that series that may have
occurred, shall undertake to perform with respect to the Securities of such
series such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this
Indenture, and no implied covenants shall be read into this Indenture against
the Trustee. In case an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of a
series has occurred (that has not been cured or waived), the Trustee shall
exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the rights and
powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and
skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under the
circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.
(b) No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to
relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own
negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(1) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with
respect to the Securities of a series and after the curing or waiving
of all such Events of Default with respect to that series that may
have occurred:
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(i) the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall
with respect to the Securities of such series be determined
solely by the express provisions of this Indenture, and the
Trustee shall not be liable with respect to the Securities of
such series except for the performance of such duties and
obligations as are specifically set forth in this Indenture,
and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into
this Indenture against the Trustee; and
(ii) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
Trustee, the Trustee may with respect to the Securities of
such series 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
Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture;
but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by
any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished
to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine
the same to determine whether or not they conform to the
requirement of this Indenture;
(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment
made in good faith by a Responsible Officer or Responsible Officers of
the Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee, was negligent
in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any
action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance
with the direction of the holders of not less than a majority in
principal amount of the Securities of any series at the time
Outstanding relating to the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any
trust or power conferred upon the Trustee under this Indenture with
respect to the Securities of that series; and
(4) None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall
require the 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 there is
reasonable ground for believing that the repayment of such funds or
liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this
Indenture
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or adequate indemnity against such risk is not reasonably assured to
it.
SECTION 7.2. Certain Rights of Trustee.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.1:
(a) The Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or
refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument,
opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, security or
other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or
presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) Any request, direction, order or demand of the Company
mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution or an
instrument signed in the name of the Company by the President or any Vice
President and by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or the Treasurer or an
Assistant Treasurer thereof (unless other evidence in respect thereof is
specifically prescribed herein);
(c) The Trustee may consult with counsel and the written
advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete
authorization and protection in respect of any action taken or suffered or
omitted hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
(d) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any
of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or
direction of any of the Securityholders, pursuant to the provisions of this
Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee
reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities
that may be incurred therein or thereby; nothing contained herein shall,
however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the occurrence of an Event
of Default with respect to a series of the Securities (that has not been cured
or waived) to exercise with respect to Securities of that series such of the
rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and to use the same degree of
care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent man would exercise or use under
the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs;
(e) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or
omitted to be taken by it in good faith and believed by
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it to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon
it by this Indenture;
(f) The Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation
into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement,
instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond,
security, or other papers or documents, unless requested in writing so to do by
the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of the particular series affected thereby (determined as provided in
Section 8.4); provided, however, that if the payment within a reasonable time
to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or liabilities likely to be incurred by
it in the making of such investigation is, in the opinion of the Trustee, not
reasonably assured to the Trustee by the security afforded to it by the terms
of this Indenture, the Trustee may require reasonable indemnity against such
costs, expenses or liabilities as a condition to so proceeding. The reasonable
expense of every such examination shall be paid by the Company or, if paid by
the Trustee, shall be repaid by the Company upon demand; and
(g) The Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers
hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through
agents or attorneys and the 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.
SECTION 7.3. Trustee Not Responsible for Recitals or
Issuance or Securities.
(a) The recitals contained herein and in the Securities shall
be taken as the statements of the Company and the Trustee assumes no
responsibility for the correctness of the same.
(b) The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity
or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities.
(c) The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use or
application by the Company of any of the Securities or of the proceeds of such
Securities, or for the use or application of any moneys paid over by the
Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture or established
pursuant to Section 2.1, or for the use or application of any moneys received
by any paying agent other than the Trustee.
SECTION 7.4. May Hold Securities.
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The Trustee or any paying agent or Security Registrar, in its
individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities
with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee, paying agent or
Security Registrar.
SECTION 7.5. Moneys Held in Trust.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.5, all moneys received
by the Trustee shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be held in
trust for the purposes for which they were received, but need not be segregated
from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be
under no liability for interest on any moneys received by it hereunder except
such as it may agree with the Company to pay thereon.
SECTION 7.6. Compensation and Reimbursement.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee,
and the Trustee shall be entitled to, such reasonable compensation (which shall
not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a
trustee of an express trust), as the Company and the Trustee may from time to
time agree in writing, for all services rendered by it in the execution of the
trusts hereby created and in the exercise and performance of any of the powers
and duties hereunder of the Trustee, and, except as otherwise expressly
provided herein, the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee upon its request
for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the
Trustee in accordance with any of the provisions of this Indenture (including
the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its counsel
and of all Persons not regularly in its employ) except any such expense,
disbursement or advance as may arise from its negligence or bad faith. The
Company also covenants to indemnify the Trustee (and its officers, agents,
directors and employees) for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss,
liability or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on the part of
the Trustee and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or
administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending
itself against any claim of liability in the premises.
(b) The obligations of the Company under this Section to
compensate and indemnify the Trustee and to pay or reimburse the Trustee for
expenses, disbursements and advances shall constitute additional indebtedness
hereunder. Such additional indebtedness shall be secured by a lien prior to
that of the Securities upon all property and funds held or collected by the
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Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for the benefit of the holders of
particular Securities.
SECTION 7.7. Reliance on Officers' Certificate.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 7.1, whenever in the
administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it
necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking
or suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such matter (unless
other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in
the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to
be conclusively proved and established by an Officers' Certificate delivered to
the Trustee and such certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on
the part of the Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action
taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it under the provisions of this
Indenture upon the faith thereof.
SECTION 7.8. Disqualification: Conflicting Interests.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire any "conflicting interest"
within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee
and the Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section
310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 7.9. Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.
There shall at all times be a Trustee with respect to the
Securities issued hereunder which shall at all times 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 other
Person permitted to act as trustee by the Commission, 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 aforesaid supervising
or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, 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. The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the
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Company, serve as Trustee. In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be
eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee shall
resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 7.10.
SECTION 7.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of
Successor.
(a) The Trustee or any successor hereafter appointed, may at
any time resign with respect to the Securities of one or more series by giving
written notice thereof to the Company and by transmitting notice of resignation
by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the Securityholders of such series, as
their names and addresses appear upon the Security Register. Upon receiving
such notice of resignation, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor
trustee with respect to Securities of such series by written instrument, in
duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which
instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Trustee and one copy to the
successor trustee. If no successor trustee shall have been so appointed and
have accepted appointment within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of
resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to
Securities of such series, or any Securityholder of that series who has been a
bona fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months may,
subject to the provisions of Section 6.8, on behalf of himself and all others
similarly situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor
trustee. Such court may thereupon after such notice, if any, as it may deem
proper and prescribe, appoint a successor trustee.
(b) In case at any time any one of the following shall occur:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of
subsection (a) of Section 7.8 after written request therefor by the
Company or the Guarantor or by any Securityholder who has been a bona
fide holder of a Security or Securities for at least six months; or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with
the provisions of Section 7.9 and shall fail to resign after written
request therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder; or
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(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting, or shall be
adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or commence a voluntary bankruptcy
proceeding, or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be
appointed or consented to, or any public officer shall take charge or
control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose
of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation, then, in any such
case, the Company may remove the Trustee with respect to all
Securities and appoint a successor trustee by written instrument, in
duplicate, executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of
which instrument shall be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one
copy to the successor trustee, or, subject to the provisions of
Section 6.8, unless the Trustee's duty to resign is stayed as provided
herein, any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a
Security or Securities for at least six months may, on behalf of that
holder and all others similarly situated, petition any court of
competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the
appointment of a successor trustee. Such court may thereupon after
such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the
Trustee and appoint a successor trustee.
(c) The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount
of the Securities of any series at the time Outstanding may at any time remove
the Trustee with respect to such series by so notifying the Trustee and the
Company and may appoint a successor Trustee for such series with the consent of
the Company.
(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment
of a successor trustee with respect to the Securities of a series pursuant to
any of the provisions of this Section shall become effective upon acceptance of
appointment by the successor trustee as provided in Section 7.11.
(e) Any successor trustee appointed pursuant to this Section
may be appointed with respect to the Securities of one or more series or all of
such series, and at any time there shall be only one Trustee with respect to
the Securities of any particular series.
SECTION 7.11. Acceptance of Appointment By Successor.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor
trustee with respect to all Securities, every such successor trustee so
appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to
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the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such
appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee
shall become effective and such successor trustee, without any further act,
deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and
duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the
successor trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of its charges,
execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor trustee all
the rights, powers, and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign,
transfer and deliver to such successor trustee all property and money held by
such retiring Trustee hereunder.
(b) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor
trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the
Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor trustee with respect to the
Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture
supplemental hereto wherein each successor trustee shall accept such
appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary
or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor trustee
all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect
to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such
successor trustee relates, (2) shall contain such provisions as shall be deemed
necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and
duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those
series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be
vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) shall add to or change any of the
provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate
the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee, it being
understood that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall
constitute such Trustees co-trustees of the same trust, that each such Trustee
shall be trustee of a trust or trusts hereunder separate and apart from any
trust or trusts hereunder administered by any other such Trustee and that no
Trustee shall be responsible for any act or failure to act on the part of any
other Trustee hereunder; and upon the execution and delivery of such
supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall
become effective to the extent provided therein, such retiring Trustee shall
with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment
of such successor trustee relates have no further responsibility for the
exercise of rights and powers or for the performance of the duties and
obligations vested in the Trustee under this Indenture, and each such successor
trustee,
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without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the
rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the
Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor
trustee relates; but, on request of the Company or any successor trustee, such
retiring Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor
trustee, to the extent contemplated by such supplemental indenture, the
property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder with respect to the
Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor
trustee relates.
(c) upon request of any such successor trustee, the Company
shall execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in
and confirming to such successor trustee all such rights, powers and trusts
referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, as the case may be.
(d) No successor trustee shall accept its appointment unless
at the time of such acceptance such successor trustee shall be qualified and
eligible under this Article.
(e) Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee as
provided in this Section, the Company shall transmit notice of the succession
of such trustee hereunder by mail, first class postage prepaid, to the
Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear upon the Security
Register. If the Company fails to transmit such notice within ten days after
acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee, the successor trustee shall
cause such notice to be transmitted at the expense of the Company and the
Guarantor.
SECTION 7.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or
Succession to Business.
Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a
party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business of the
Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided that such
corporation shall be qualified under the provisions of Section 7.8 and eligible
under the provisions of Section 7.9, without the execution or filing of any
paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything
herein to the contrary notwithstanding. In case any Securities shall have been
authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor
by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating
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Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so
authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself
authenticated such Securities.
SECTION 7.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against
the Company.
The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust
Indenture Act, excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b)
of the Trust Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall
be subject to Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included
therein.
ARTICLE VIII.
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 8.1. Evidence of Action by Securityholders.
Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of
a majority or specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the
Securities of a particular series may take any action (including the making of
any demand or request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the
taking of any other action), the fact that at the time of taking any such
action the holders of such majority or specified percentage of that series have
joined therein may be evidenced by any instrument or any number of instruments
of similar tenor executed by such holders of Securities of that series in
Person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing.
If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any
series any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or other action, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an Officers'
Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the determination
of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, but the Company shall have
no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be given
before or after the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the
close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for
the purposes of determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion
of Outstanding Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented
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to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or
other action, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities of that series
shall be computed as of the record date; provided, however, that no such
authorization, agreement or consent by such Securityholders on the record date
shall be deemed effective unless it shall become effective pursuant to the
provisions of this Indenture not later than six months after the record date.
SECTION 8.2. Proof of Execution by Securityholders.
Subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, proof of the
execution of any instrument by a Securityholder (such proof will not require
notarization) or his agent or proxy and proof of the holding by any Person of
any of the Securities shall be sufficient if made in the following manner:
(a) The fact and date of the execution by any such Person of
any instrument may be proved in any reasonable manner acceptable to the
Trustee.
(b) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the
Security Register of such Securities or by a certificate of the Security
Registrar thereof.
(c) The Trustee may require such additional proof of any
matter referred to in this Section as it shall deem necessary.
SECTION 8.3. Who May be Deemed Owners.
Prior to the due presentment for registration of transfer of
any Security, the Company, the Trustee, any paying agent and any Security
Registrar may deem and treat the Person in whose name such Security shall be
registered upon the books of the Company as the absolute owner of such Security
(whether or not such Security shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notice
of ownership or writing thereon made by anyone other than the Security
Registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the
principal of, premium, if any, and (subject to Section 2.3) interest on such
Security and for all other purposes; and neither the Company nor the Trustee
nor any paying agent nor any Security Registrar shall be affected by any notice
to the contrary.
SECTION 8.4. Certain Securities Owned by Company
Disregarded.
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In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate
principal amount of Securities of a particular series have concurred in any
direction, consent of waiver under this Indenture, the Securities of that
series that are owned by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities of
that series or by any Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled
by or under common control with the Company or any other obligor on the
Securities of that series shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding
for the purpose of any such determination, except that for the purpose of
determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such
direction, consent or waiver, only Securities of such series that the Trustee
actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded. The Securities so owned
that have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding for the
purposes of this Section, if the pledgee shall establish to the satisfaction of
the Trustee the pledgee's right so to act with respect to such Securities and
that the pledgee is not a Person directly or indirectly controlling or
controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the Company or
any such other obligor. In case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by
the Trustee taken upon the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the
Trustee.
SECTION 8.5. Actions Binding on Future
Securityholders.
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the
Trustee, as provided in Section 8.1, of the taking of any action by the holders
of the majority or percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Securities
of a particular series specified in this Indenture in connection with such
action, any holder of a Security of that series that is shown by the evidence
to be included in the Securities the holders of which have consented to such
action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee, and upon proof of
holding as provided in Section 8.2, revoke such action so far as concerns such
Security. Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any
Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future
holders and owners of such Security, and of any Security issued in exchange
therefor, on registration of transfer thereof or in place thereof, irrespective
of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such Security.
Any action taken by the holders of the majority or percentage in aggregate
principal amount of the Securities of a particular series specified in this
Indenture in connection with such action shall be conclusively binding upon the
Company, the Trustee and the holders of all the Securities of that series.
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ARTICLE IX.
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.1. Supplemental Indentures Without the
Consent of Securityholders.
In addition to any supplemental indenture otherwise authorized
by this Indenture, the Company and the Trustee may from time to time and at any
time enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall
conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect),
without the consent of the Securityholders, for one or more of the following
purposes:
(a) to cure any ambiguity, defect, or inconsistency herein,
in the Securities of any series;
(b) to comply with Article Ten;
(c) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to
or in place of certificated Securities;
(d) to add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of
the holders of all or any Series of Securities (and if such covenants are to be
for the benefit of less than all series of Securities, stating that such
covenants are expressly being included solely for the benefit of such series)
or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company;
(e) to add to, delete from, or revise the conditions,
limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of
issue, authentication, and delivery of Securities, as herein set forth;
(f) to make any change that does not adversely affect the
rights of any Securityholder in any material respect; or
(g) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and
terms and conditions of the Securities of any series, to establish the form of
any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this
Indenture or any series of Securities, or to add to the rights of the holders
of any series of Securities.
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The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in
the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and to make any further
appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the
Trustee shall not be obligated to enter into any such supplemental indenture
that affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this
Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of
this Section may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent
of the holders of any of the Securities at the time Outstanding,
notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.2.
SECTION 9.2. Supplemental Indentures With Consent of
Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 8.1) of the
holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the
Securities of each series affected by such supplemental indenture or indentures
at the time Outstanding, the Company, when authorized by Board Resolutions, and
the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or
indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the
Trust Indenture Act as then in effect) for the purpose of adding any provisions
to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this
Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner not
covered by Section 9.1 the rights of the holders of the Securities of such
series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such supplemental
indenture shall without the consent of the holders of each Debenture then
Outstanding and affected thereby, (i) extend the fixed maturity of any
Securities of any series, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the
rate or extend the time of payment of interest thereon, or reduce any premium
payable upon the redemption thereof, without the consent of the holder of each
Security so affected or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities, the
holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture
provided, further, that if the Debt Securities of such series are held by a
NorAm Trust or a trustee of such trust, such supplemental indenture shall not
be effective until the holders of a majority in liquidation preference of Trust
Securities of the applicable Trust shall have consented to such supplemental
indenture; provided further, that if the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Debt Security is required, such supplemental indenture shall not be
effective until each holder of the Trust Securities of the
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applicable NorAm Trust shall have consented to such supplemental indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the
Securityholders of any series affected thereby under this Section to approve
the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be
sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof.
SECTION 9.3. Effect of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to
the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.1, this Indenture shall, with
respect to such series, be and be deemed to be modified and amended in
accordance therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights,
obligations, duties and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the
Company and the holders of Securities of the series affected thereby shall
thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all
respects to such modifications and amendments, and all the terms and conditions
of any such supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the
terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
SECTION 9.4. Securities Affected by Supplemental
Indentures.
Securities of any series, affected by a supplemental
indenture, authenticated and delivered after the execution of such supplemental
indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article or of Section 10.1, may
bear a notation in form approved by the Company, provided such form meets the
requirements of any exchange upon which such series may be listed, as to any
matter provided for in such series may be listed, as to any matter provided for
in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new
Securities of that series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the
Board of Directors of the Company, to any modification of this Indenture
contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared by the Company,
authenticated by the Trustee and delivered in exchange for the Securities of
that series then Outstanding.
SECTION 9.5. Execution of Supplemental Indentures.
Upon the request of the Company, accompanied by their Board
Resolutions authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and
upon the filing with the Trustee of evi-
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dence of the consent of Securityholders required to consent thereto as
aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such
supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee's
own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which
case the Trustee may in its discretion but shall not be obligated to enter into
such supplemental indenture. The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section
7.1, may receive an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any
supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article is authorized or
permitted by, and conforms to, the terms of this Article and that it is proper
for the Trustee under the provisions of this Article to join in the execution
thereof.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of
any supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the
Trustee shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, setting
forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental indenture, to the
Securityholders of all series affected thereby as their names and addresses
appear upon the Security Register. Any failure of the Trustee to mail such
notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect
the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
ARTICLE X.
SUCCESSOR CORPORATION
SECTION 10.1. Company May Consolidate, Etc.
Nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the
Securities shall prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or
into any other corporation or corporations (whether or not affiliated with the
Company, as the case may be), or successive consolidations or mergers in which
the Company, as the case may be, or its successor or successors shall be a
party or parties, or shall prevent any sale, conveyance, transfer or other
disposition of the property of the Company, as the case may be, or its
successor or successors as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to any
other corporation (whether or not affiliated with the Company, as the case may
be, or its successor or successors) authorized to acquire and operate the same;
provided, however, the Company hereby covenants and agree that, upon any such
consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, the due
and punctual payment, in the case
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of the Company, of the principal of (premium, if any) and interest on all of
the Debt Securities of all series in accordance with the terms of each series,
according to their tenor and the due and punctual performance and observance of
all the covenants and conditions of this Indenture with respect to each series
or established with respect to such series pursuant to Section 2.1 to be kept
or performed by the Company as the case may be, shall be expressly assumed, by
supplemental indenture (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust
Indenture Act, as then in effect) satisfactory in form to the Trustee executed
and delivered to the Trustee by the entity formed by such consolidation, or
into which the Company, as the case may be, shall have been merged, or by the
entity which shall have acquired such property.
SECTION 10.2. Successor Corporation Substituted.
(a) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale,
conveyance, transfer or other disposition and upon the assumption by the
successor corporation, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the
Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of, in the case of the
Company, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and
interest on all of the Debt Securities of all series Outstanding and the due
and punctual performance of all of the covenants and conditions of this
Indenture or established with respect to each series of the Securities pursuant
to Section 2.1 to be performed by the Company, as the case may be, with respect
to each series, such successor corporation shall succeed to and be substituted
for the Company, as the case may be, with the same effect as if it had been
named as the Company, as the case may be, herein, and thereupon the predecessor
corporation shall be relieved of all obligations and covenants under this
Indenture and the Securities.
(b) In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale,
conveyance, transfer or other disposition such changes in phraseology and form
(but not in substance) may be made in the Securities thereafter to be issued as
may be appropriate.
(c) Nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the
Securities shall prevent the Company from merging into itself or acquiring by
purchase or otherwise all or any part of the property of any other Person
(whether or not affiliated with the Company).
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SECTION 10.3. Evidence of Consolidation, Etc. to Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1, may
receive an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any such
consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, and any
such assumption, comply with the provisions of this Article.
ARTICLE XI.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
SECTION 11.1. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
If at any time: (a) the Company shall have delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation all Securities of a series theretofore authenticated
(other than any Securities that shall have ben destroyed, lost or stolen and
that shall have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.7) and
Securities for whose payment money or Governmental Obligations have theretofore
been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company (and
thereupon repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as provided in
Section 11.5); or all such Securities of a particular series not theretofore
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or
are by their terms to become due and payable within one year or are to be
called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the
Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption, and the Company shall deposit
or cause to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds the entire amount in
moneys or Governmental Obligations sufficient or a combination thereof,
sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public
accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the
Trustee, to pay at maturity or upon redemption all Securities of that series
not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, including principal
(and premium, if any) and interest due or to become due to such date of
maturity or date fixed for redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company
shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable hereunder with
respect to such series by the Company; then this Indenture shall thereupon
cease to be of further effect with respect to such series except for the
provisions of Sections 2.3, 2.5, 2.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 7.10, that shall
survive until the date of maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, and
Sections 7.6 and 11.5, that shall survive to such date and thereafter, and the
Trustee,
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on demand of the Company and at the cost and expense of the Company, shall
execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction of and discharging this
Indenture with respect to such series.
SECTION 11.2. Discharge of Obligations.
If at any time all such Securities of a particular series not
heretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation or that have not become
due and payable as described in Section 11.1 shall have been paid by the
Company by depositing irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds moneys or an
amount of Governmental Obligations sufficient to pay at maturity or upon
redemption all such Securities of that series not theretofore delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation, including principal (and premium, if any) and
interest due or to become due to such date of maturity or date fixed for
redemption, as the case may be, and if the Company shall also pay or cause to
be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company with respect to such
series, then after the date such moneys or Governmental Obligations, as the
case may be, are deposited with the Trustee the obligations of the Company
under this Indenture with respect to such series shall cease to be of further
effect except for the provisions of Sections 2.3, 2.5, 2.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4,3, 7.6,
7.10 and 11.5 hereof that shall survive until such Securities shall mature and
be paid. Thereafter, Sections 7.6 and 11.5 shall survive.
SECTION 11.3. Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust.
All moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with the
Trustee pursuant to Sections 11.1 or 11.2 shall be held in trust and shall be
available for payment as due, either directly or through any paying agent
(including the Company acting as its own paying agent), to the holders of the
particular series of Securities for the payment or redemption of which such
moneys or Governmental Obligations have been deposited with the Trustee.
SECTION 11.4. Payment of Moneys Held by Paying Agents.
In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this
Indenture all moneys or Governmental Obligations then held by any paying agent
under the provisions of this Indenture shall, upon demand of the Company, be
paid to the Trustee and thereupon such paying agent shall be released from all
further liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations.
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SECTION 11.5. Repayment to Company.
Any moneys or Governmental Obligations deposited with any
paying agent or the Trustee, or then held by the Company in trust for payment
of principal of or premium or interest on the Securities of a particular series
that are not applied but remain unclaimed by the holders of such Securities for
at least two years after the date upon which the principal of (and premium, if
any) or interest on such Securities shall have respectively become due and
payable, shall be repaid to the Company, as the case may be, on May 31 of each
year or (if then held by the Company) shall be discharged from such trust; and
thereupon the paying agent and the Trustee shall be released from all further
liability with respect to such moneys or Governmental Obligations, and the
holder of any of the Securities entitled to receive such payment shall
thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company or the
Guarantor for the payment thereof.
ARTICLE XII.
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS, OFFICERS
AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 12.1. No Recourse.
No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or
agreement of this Indenture, or of any Security, or for any claim based thereon
or otherwise in respect thereof, shall be had against any incorporator,
stockholder, officer or director, past, present or future as such, of the
Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, either directly or
through the Company or the Guarantor or any such predecessor or successor
corporation, whether by virtue of any constitution, statute or rule of law, or
by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being
expressly understood that this Indenture and the obligations issued hereunder
are solely corporate obligations, and that no such personal liability whatever
shall attach to, or is or shall be incurred by, the incorporators,
stockholders, officers or directors as such, of the Company or of any
predecessor or successor corporation, or any of them, because of the creation
of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the
obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of
the Securities or implied therefrom; and that any and all such personal
liability of every name and nature, either at common law or in equity or by
constitution
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or statute, of, and any and all such rights and claims against, every such
incorporator, stockholder, officer or director as such, because of the creation
of the indebtedness hereby authorized, or under or by reason of the
obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of
the Securities or implied therefrom, are hereby expressly waived and released
as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the execution of this Indenture
and the issuance of such Securities.
ARTICLE XIII.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 13.1. Effect on Successors and Assigns.
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in
this Indenture contained by or on behalf of the Company shall bind their
respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
SECTION 13.2. Actions by Successor.
Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture
authorized or required to be done or performed by any board, committee or
officer of the Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and
effect by the corresponding board, committee or officer of any corporation that
shall at the time be the lawful sole successor of the Company, as the case may
be.
SECTION 13.3. Surrender of Company Powers.
The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of
2/3 (two-thirds) of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may
surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company, and thereupon such power
so surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company, as the case may be, and
as to any successor corporation.
SECTION 13.4. Notices.
Except as otherwise expressly provided herein any notice or
demand that by any provision of this Indenture is required or permitted to be
given or served by the Trustee or by the holders of Securities to or on the
Company may be given or served by being deposited first class postage prepaid
in a post-office letterbox addressed (until another address is filed in
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writing by the Company with the Trustee), as follows: c/o NorAm Energy Corp.,
______________________________________, Attention: _________________. Any
notice, election, request or demand by the Company or any Securityholder to or
upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for
all purposes, if given or made in writing at the Corporate Trust Office of the
Trustee.
SECTION 13.5. Governing Law.
This Indenture and each Security shall be deemed to be a
contract made under the internal laws of the State of New York, and for all
purposes shall be construed in accordance with the laws of said State.
SECTION 13.6. Treatment of Debt Securities as Debt.
It is intended that the Debt Securities will be treated as
indebtedness and not as equity for federal income tax purposes. The provisions
of this Indenture shall be interpreted to further this intention.
SECTION 13.7. Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
(a) Upon any application or demand by the Company to the
Trustee to take any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the
Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that all
conditions precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed
action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the
opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent have been complied with,
except that in the case of any such application or demand as to which the
furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this
Indenture relating to such particular application or demand, no additional
certificate or opinion need be furnished.
(b) Indenture and delivered to the Trustee with respect to
compliance with a condition or covenant in this Indenture shall include (1) a
statement that the Person making such certificate or opinion has read such
covenant or condition; (2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the
examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in
such certificate or opinion are based; (3) a statement that, in the opinion of
such Person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to
enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or
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condition has been complied with; and (4) a statement as to whether or not, in
the opinion of such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 13.8. Payments on Business Days.
Except as provided pursuant to Section 2.1 pursuant to a Board
Resolution, and as set forth in an Officers' Certificate, or established in one
or more indentures supplemental to this Indenture, in any case where the date
of maturity of interest or principal of any Security or the date of redemption
of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then payment of interest or
principal (and premium, if any) may be made on the next succeeding Business Day
with the same force and effect as if made on the nominal date of maturity or
redemption, and no interest shall accrue for the period after such nominal
date.
SECTION 13.9. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture
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 13.10. Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
SECTION 13.11. Separability.
In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this
Indenture or in the Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality
or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or
of such Securities, but this Indenture and such Securities shall be construed
as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never been
contained herein or therein.
SECTION 13.12. Assignment.
The Company will have the right at all times to assign any of
its respective rights or obligations under this Indenture to a direct or
indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company, provided that, in the event of
any such assignment, the Company,
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as the case may be, will remain liable for all such obligations. Subject to
the foregoing, the Indenture is binding upon and inures to the benefit of the
parties thereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Indenture
may not otherwise be assigned by the parties thereto.
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgement of Rights.
The Company acknowledges that, with respect to any Debt
Securities held by NorAm Trust or a trustee of such trust, if the Institutional
Trustee of such Trust fails to enforce its rights under this Indenture as the
holder of the series of Debt Securities held as the assets of such NorAm Trust
any holder of Preferred Securities may institute legal proceedings directly
against the Company to enforce such Institutional Trustee's rights under this
Indenture without first instituting any legal proceedings against such
Institutional Trustee or any other person or entity. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and such event
is attributable to the failure of the Company to pay interest or principal on
the applicable Series of Securities on the date such interest or principal is
otherwise payable (or in the case of redemption, on the redemption date), the
Company acknowledges that a holder of Preferred Securities may directly
institute a proceeding for enforcement of payment to such holder of the
principal of or interest on the applicable Series of Securities having a
principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation amount of the Preferred
Securities of such holder on or after the respective due date specified in the
Applicable Series of Securities.
ARTICLE XIV.
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
SECTION 14.1. Agreement to Subordinate.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of Debt
Securities issued hereunder by such Holder's acceptance thereof likewise
covenants and agrees, that all Debt Securities shall be issued subject to the
provisions of this Article XIV; and each Holder of a Debt Security, whether
upon original issue or upon transfer or assignment thereof, accepts and agrees
to be bound by such provisions.
The payment by the Company of the principal of, premium, if
any, and interest on all Debt Securities issued hereunder
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shall, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, be subordinated
and junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all Senior
Indebtedness of the Company, whether outstanding at the date of this Indenture
or thereafter incurred.
No provision of this Article XIV shall prevent the occurrence
of any default or Event of Default hereunder.
SECTION 14.2. Default on Senior Indebtedness.
In the event and during the continuation of any default by the
Company in the payment of principal, premium, interest or any other payment due
on any Senior Indebtedness of the Company, as the case may be, or in the event
that the maturity of any Senior Indebtedness of the Company, as the case may
be, has been accelerated because of a default, then, in either case, no payment
shall be made by the Company with respect to the principal (including
redemption and sinking fund payments) of, or premium, if any, or interest on
the Debt Securities.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment
shall be received by the Trustee when such payment is prohibited by the
preceding paragraph of this Section 14.3, such payment shall be held in trust
for the benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the holders of
Senior Indebtedness or their respective representatives, or to the trustee or
trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior Indebtedness
may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, but only to the
extent that the holders of the Senior Indebtedness (or their representative or
representatives or a trustee) notify the Trustee in writing within 90 days of
such payment of the amounts then due and owing on the Senior Indebtedness and
only the amounts specified in such notice to the Trustee shall be paid to the
holders of Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 14.3. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy.
Upon any payment by the Company or distribution of assets of
the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities,
to creditors upon any dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or
reorganization of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or in
bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or other proceedings, all amounts due upon
all Senior Indebtedness of the Company shall first be paid in full, or payment
thereof provided for in money in accordance with its terms, before any payment
is made by the Company on account of the principal (and premium, if any) or
interest on the Debt
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Securities; and upon any such dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or
reorganization, any payment by the Company, or distribution of assets of the
Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to
which the Holders of the Debt Securities or the Trustee would be entitled to
receive from the Company, except for the provisions of this Article XIV, shall
be paid by the Company or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating
trustee, agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, or by the
Holders of the Debt Securities or by the Trustee under the Indenture if
received by them or it, directly to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the
Company (pro rata to such holders on the basis of the respective amounts of
Senior Indebtedness held by such holders, as calculated by the Company) or
their representative or representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under
any indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing such Senior
Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, to
the extent necessary to pay such Senior Indebtedness in full, in money or
money's worth, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to
or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, before any payment or
distribution is made to the Holders of Debt Securities or to the Trustee.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment
or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in
cash, property or securities, prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by
the Trustee before all Senior Indebtedness of the Company is paid in full, or
provision is made for such payment in money in accordance with its terms, such
payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall be
paid over or delivered to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their
representative or representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any
indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing such Senior Indebtedness
may have been issued, and their respective interests may appear, as calculated
by the Company, for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of
the Company, as the case may be, remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to
pay such Senior Indebtedness in full in money in accordance with its terms,
after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the
benefit of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
For purposes of this Article XIV, the words "cash, property or
securities" shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as
reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other
corporation provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the
payment of which is subordi-
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nated at least to the extent provided in this Article XIV with respect to the
Debt Securities to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of the Company, as the
case may be, that may at the time be outstanding, provided that (i) such Senior
Indebtedness is assumed by the new corporation, if any, resulting from any such
reorganization or readjustment, and (ii) the rights of the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness are not, without the consent of such holders, altered by
such reorganization or readjustment. The consolidation of the Company with, or
the merger of the Company into, another corporation or the liquidation or
dissolution of the Company following the conveyance or transfer of its property
as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to another corporation upon the
terms and conditions provided for in Article X of the Indenture shall not be
deemed a dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes
of this Section 14.3 if such other corporation shall, as a part of such
consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions stated
in Article X of the Indenture. Nothing in Section 14.2 or in this Section 14.3
shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to
Section 7.6 of the Indenture.
SECTION 14.4. Subrogation.
Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness of
the Company, the rights of the Holders of the Debt Securities shall be
subrogated to the rights of the holders of such Senior Indebtedness to receive
payments or distributions of cash, property or securities of the Company, as
the case may be, applicable to such Senior Indebtedness until the principal of
(and premium, if any) and interest on the Debt Securities shall be paid in
full; and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no payments or distributions
to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property or securities
to which the Holders of the Debt Securities or the Trustee would be entitled
except for the provisions of this Article XIV, and no payment over pursuant to
the provisions of this Article XIV to or for the benefit of the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness by Holders of the Debt Securities or the Trustee, shall, as
between the Company, its creditors other than Holders of Senior Indebtedness of
the Company, and the holders of the Debt Securities, be deemed to be a payment
by the Company to or on account of such Senior Indebtedness. It is understood
that the provisions of this Article XIV are and are intended solely for the
purposes of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Debt Securities,
on the one hand, and the holders of such Senior Indebtedness on the other hand.
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Nothing contained in this Article XIV or elsewhere in the
Indenture, this First Supplemental Indenture or in the Debt Securities is
intended to or shall impair, as between the Company, its creditors other than
the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company, and the Holders of the Debt
Securities, the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional,
to pay to the Holders of the Debt Securities the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on the Debt Securities as and when the same shall become due
and payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall affect
the relative rights of the Holders of the Debt Securities and creditors of the
Company, as the case may be, other than the holders of Senior Indebtedness of
the Company, as the case may be, nor shall anything herein or therein prevent
the Trustee or the Holder of any Debt Security from exercising all remedies
otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under the Indenture,
subject to the rights, if any, under this Article XIV of the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the Company,
as the case may be, received upon the exercise of any such remedy.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company
referred to in this Article XIV, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of
Section 7.1 of the Indenture, and the Holders of the Debt Securities shall be
entitled to conclusively rely upon any order or decree made by any court of
competent jurisdiction in which such dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or
reorganization proceedings are pending, or a certificate of the receiver,
trustee in bankruptcy, liquidation trustee, agent or other Person making such
payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders of the Debt
Securities, for the purposes of ascertaining the Persons entitled to
participate in such distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness and other
indebtedness of the Company, as the case may be, the amount thereof or payable
thereon, the amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts
pertinent thereto or to this Article XIV.
SECTION 14.5. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.
Each Holder of Debt Securities by such Holder's acceptance
thereof authorizes and directs the Trustee on such Holder's behalf to take such
action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination
provided in this Article XIV and appoints the Trustee such Holder's
attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
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SECTION 14.6. Notice by the Company.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible
Officer of the Trustee of any fact known to the Company that would prohibit the
making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Debt
Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XIV. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this Article XIV or any other provision of the Indenture and this
First Supplemental Indenture, the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge
of the existence of any facts that would prohibit the making of any payment of
monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Debt Securities pursuant to the
provisions of this Article XIV, unless and until a Responsible Officer of the
Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the Company or a holder
or holders of Senior Indebtedness or from any trustee therefor; and before the
receipt of any such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of
Section 7.1 of the Indenture, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that
no such facts exist; provided, however, that if the Trustee shall not have
received the notice provided for in this Section 6.6 at least two Business Days
prior to the date upon which by the terms hereof any money may become payable
for any purpose (including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of
(or premium, if any) or interest on any Debenture), then, anything herein
contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power
and authority to receive such money and to apply the same to the purposes for
which they were received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the
contrary that may be received by it within two Business Days prior to such
date.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1 of the
Indenture, shall be entitled to conclusively rely on the delivery to it of a
written notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior
Indebtedness of the Company, as the case may be (or a trustee on behalf of such
holder), to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of such
Senior Indebtedness or a trustee on behalf of any such holder or holders. In
the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further evidence is
required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of such Senior
Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to this
Article XIV, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the
reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of such Senior
Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled
to participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to
the rights of such Person under
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this Article XIV, and, if such evidence is not furnished, the Trustee may defer
any payment to such Person pending judicial determination as to the right of
such Person to receive such payment.
SECTION 14.7. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior
Indebtedness.
The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to
all the rights set forth in this Article XIV in respect of any Senior
Indebtedness at any time held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of
Senior Indebtedness, and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of
any of its rights as such holder.
With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the
Company, the Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its
covenants and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article XIV,
and no implied covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness shall be read into the Indenture or this First Supplemental
Indenture against the Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any
fiduciary duty to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness and, subject to the
provisions of Section 7.1 of the Indenture, the Trustee shall not be liable to
any holder of such Senior Indebtedness if it shall pay over or deliver to
Holders of Debt Securities, the Company or any other Person money or assets to
which any holder of such Senior Indebtedness shall be entitled by virtue of
this Article XIV or otherwise.
SECTION 14.8. Subordination May Not Be Impaired.
No right of any present or future holder of any Senior
Indebtedness of the Company to enforce subordination as herein provided shall
at any time in any way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act
on the part of the Company, as the case may be, or by any act or failure to
act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by the Company,
as the case may be, with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture,
regardless of any knowledge thereof that any such holder may have or otherwise
be charged with.
Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing
paragraph, the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company may, at any time
and from time to time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the
Holders of the Debt Securities, without incurring responsibility to the Holders
of
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the Debt Securities and without impairing or releasing the subordination
provided in this Article XIV or the obligations hereunder of the Holders of the
Debt Securities to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, do any one or more
of the following: (i) change the manner, place or terms of payment or extend
the time of payment of, or renew or alter, such Senior Indebtedness, or
otherwise amend or supplement in any manner such Senior Indebtedness or any
instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which such Senior
Indebtedness is outstanding; (ii) sell, exchange, release or otherwise deal
with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing such Senior
Indebtedness; (iii) release any Person liable in any manner for the collection
of such Senior Indebtedness; and (iv) exercise or refrain from exercising any
rights against the Company, as the case may be, and any other Person.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Indenture to be duly executed, and their respective corporate seals to be
hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.
NORAM ENERGY CORP.
By ____________________________________
Attest:
By _________________________________
[ ]
as Trustee
By ____________________________________
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STATE OF )
COUNTY OF ) ss.:
On the ____ day of ________________, 1995, before me personally came
__________________ to me known, who, being by me duly sworn, did depose and say
that he is the of NORAM ENERGY CORP., one of the corporations described in and
which executed the above instrument; that he knows the corporate seal of said
corporation; that the seal affixed to the said instrument is such corporation
seal; that it was so affixed by authority of the Board of Directors of said
corporation, and that he signed his name thereto by like authority.
________________________________________
NOTARY PUBLIC
[seal] Commission expires
________________________________________
NOTARY PUBLIC
[seal]
Commission expires
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