Exhibit 4.4
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SIERRA PACIFIC RESOURCES
JUNIOR SUBORDINATED INDENTURE
Dated as of [ ]
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
Trustee
Providing for the Issuance of Subordinated Debt Securities in Series
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 1.1 Definitions. ...................................................................................1
Section 1.2 Compliance Certificate and Opinions. ..................................................9
Section 1.3 Forms of Documents Delivered to Trustee. .............................................10
Section 1.4 Acts of Holders. .....................................................................10
Section 1.5 Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company..................................................11
Section 1.6 Notice to Holders; Waiver. ...........................................................12
Section 1.7 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act. ...................................................12
Section 1.8 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents. ............................................12
Section 1.9 Successors and Assigns. ..............................................................12
Section 1.10 Separability Clause. .................................................................12
Section 1.11 Benefits of Indenture. ...............................................................13
Section 1.12 Governing Law. .......................................................................13
Section 1.13 Non-Business Days. ...................................................................13
ARTICLE II.
SECURITY FORMS
Section 2.1 Forms Generally.......................................................................13
Section 2.2 Form of Face of Security. ............................................................14
Section 2.3 Form of Reverse of Security. .........................................................17
Section 2.4 Additional Provisions Required in Global Security. ...................................20
Section 2.5 Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication. .....................................21
ARTICLE III.
THE SECURITIES
Section 3.1 Title and Terms. .....................................................................21
Section 3.2 Denominations. .......................................................................23
Section 3.4 Temporary Securities. ................................................................25
Section 3.5 Registration, Transfer and Exchange...................................................25
Section 3.6 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities......................................27
Section 3.7 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved. ......................................28
Section 3.8 Persons Deemed Owners. ...............................................................29
Section 3.9 Cancellation. ........................................................................29
Section 3.10 Computation of Interest. .............................................................29
Section 3.11 Deferrals of Interest Payment Dates. .................................................30
Section 3.12 Right of Set-Off. ....................................................................31
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Section 3.13 Agreed Tax Treatment. ................................................................31
Section 3.14 Extension of Stated Maturity; Adjustment of Stated Maturity Upon an
Exchange..............................................................................31
Section 3.15 CUSIP Numbers. .......................................................................32
ARTICLE IV.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 4.1 Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. .............................................32
Section 4.2 Application of Trust Money............................................................33
Section 4.3 Satisfaction, Discharge and Defeasance of Securities of Any Series....................33
ARTICLE V.
REMEDIES
Section 5.1 Events of Default. ...................................................................35
Section 5.2 Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment. ..................................36
Section 5.3 Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee. .....................37
Section 5.4 Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. ....................................................38
Section 5.5 Trustee May Enforce Claim Without Possession of Securities............................39
Section 5.6 Application of Money Collected. ......................................................39
Section 5.7 Limitation on Suits. .................................................................40
Section 5.8 Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and
Interest..............................................................................40
Section 5.9 Restoration of Rights and Remedies. ..................................................41
Section 5.10 Rights and Remedies Cumulative. ......................................................41
Section 5.11 Delay or Omission Not Waiver. ........................................................41
Section 5.12 Control by Holders. ..................................................................42
Section 5.13 Waiver of Past Defaults. .............................................................42
Section 5.14 Undertaking for Costs. ...............................................................43
Section 5.15 Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws. .............................................43
ARTICLE VI.
THE TRUSTEE
Section 6.1 Certain Duties and Responsibilities. .................................................43
Section 6.2 Notice of Defaults. ..................................................................45
Section 6.3 Certain Rights of Trustee. ...........................................................45
Section 6.4 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities. ..............................46
Section 6.5 May Hold Securities. .................................................................46
Section 6.6 Money Held in Trust. .................................................................46
Section 6.7 Compensation and Reimbursement. ......................................................46
Section 6.8 Disqualification; Conflicting Interests. .............................................47
Section 6.9 Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility. .............................................47
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Section 6.10 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor. ...................................48
Section 6.11 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor. ..............................................49
Section 6.12 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business...........................50
Section 6.13 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. ...................................51
Section 6.14 Appointment of Authenticating Agent. .................................................51
ARTICLE VII.
HOLDER'S LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
Section 7.1 Company to Furnish Trustee Names and Addresses of Holders. ...........................52
Section 7.2 Preservation of Information, Communications to Holders. ..............................53
Section 7.3 Reports by Trustee. ..................................................................53
Section 7.4 Reports by Company. ..................................................................53
ARTICLE VIII.
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 8.1 Company May Consolidate, Etc., Only on Certain Terms. ................................54
Section 8.2 Successor Corporation Substituted. ...................................................55
ARTICLE IX.
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.1 Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Holders. ..................................55
Section 9.2 Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Holders. .....................................56
Section 9.3 Execution of Supplemental Indentures. ................................................58
Section 9.4 Effect of Supplemental Indentures. ...................................................58
Section 9.5 Conformity with Trust Indenture Act. .................................................58
Section 9.6 Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures. ..................................58
ARTICLE X.
COVENANTS
Section 10.1 Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest. ..........................................59
Section 10.2 Maintenance of Office or Agency. .....................................................59
Section 10.3 Money for Security Payments to be Held in Trust. .....................................59
Section 10.4 Statement as to Compliance. ..........................................................61
Section 10.5 Waiver of Certain Covenants. .........................................................61
Section 10.6 Additional Sums. .....................................................................61
[Section 10.7 Additional Covenants. ................................................................62
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ARTICLE XI.
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 11.1 Applicability of This Article. .......................................................63
Section 11.2 Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee. ...............................................63
Section 11.3 Selection of Securities to be Redeemed................................................63
Section 11.4 Notice of Redemption. ................................................................64
Section 11.5 Deposit of Redemption Price. .........................................................65
Section 11.6 Payment of Securities Called for Redemption. .........................................65
Section 11.7 Company's Right of Redemption. .......................................................65
ARTICLE XII.
SINKING FUNDS
Section 12.1 Applicability of Article. ............................................................66
Section 12.2 Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities. ...............................66
Section 12.3 Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund. ...........................................67
ARTICLE XIII.
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
Section 13.1 Securities Subordinate to Senior Debt.................................................68
Section 13.2 Payment Over of Proceeds Upon Dissolution, Etc........................................68
Section 13.3 Prior Payment to Senior Debt Upon Acceleration of Securities..........................69
Section 13.4 No Payment When Senior Debt in Default................................................70
Section 13.5 Payment Permitted If No Default.......................................................71
Section 13.6 Subrogation to Rights of Holders of Senior Debt.......................................71
Section 13.7 Provisions Solely to Define Relative Rights...........................................72
Section 13.8 Trustee to Effectuate Subordination...................................................72
Section 13.9 No Waiver of Subordination Provisions.................................................72
Section 13.10 Notice to Trustee. ...................................................................72
Section 13.11 Reliance on Judicial Order or Certificate of Liquidating Agent........................73
Section 13.12 Trustee Not Fiduciary for Holders of Senior Debt......................................73
Section 13.13 Rights of Trustee as Holder of Senior Debt; Preservation of Trustee's
Rights...............................................................73
Section 13.14 Article Applicable to Paying Agents. .................................................73
Section 13.15 Certain Conversions or Exchanges Deemed Payment. .....................................74
iv
SIERRA PACIFIC RESOURCES
Reconciliation and tie between the Trust Indenture Act of 1939
(including cross-references to provisions of Sections 310 to and including 317
which, pursuant to Section 318(c) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended
by the Trust Reform Act of 1990, are a part of and govern the Indenture whether
or not physically contained therein) and the Junior Subordinated Indenture,
dated as of [ ].
Trust Indenture Indenture
ACT SECTION SECTION
------------------ --------
310 (a) (1), (2) and (5)........................................................ 6.9
(a) (3)......................................................................... Not Applicable
(a) (4)......................................................................... Not Applicable
(b)............................................................................. 6.8. 6.10
(c)............................................................................. Not Applicable
311 (a)......................................................................... 6.13(a)
(b)............................................................................. 6.13(b)
(b) (2)......................................................................... 7.3(a) (2)
7.3(a) (2)
312 (a)......................................................................... 7.1
7.2(a)
(b)............................................................................. 7.2(b)
(c)............................................................................. 7.2(c)
313 (a)......................................................................... 7.3(a)
(b)............................................................................. 7.3(b)
(c)............................................................................. 7.3(a),7.3(b)
(d)............................................................................. 7.3(c)
314 (a) (1), (2) and (3)........................................................ 7.4
(a) (4)......................................................................... 10.5
(b)............................................................................. Not Applicable
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(c) (1)......................................................................... 1.2
(c) (2)......................................................................... 1.2
(c) (3)......................................................................... Not Applicable
(d)............................................................................. Not Applicable
(e)............................................................................. 1.2
(f)............................................................................. Not Applicable
315 (a)......................................................................... 6.1(a)
(b)............................................................................. 6.2
7.3(a) (6)
(c)............................................................................. 6.1(b)
(d)............................................................................. 6.1(c)
(d) (1)......................................................................... 6.1(a) (1)
(d) (2)......................................................................... 6.1(c) (2)
(d) (3)......................................................................... 6.1(c) (3)
(e)............................................................................. 5.14
316 (a)......................................................................... 1.1
(a) (1) (A)..................................................................... 5.12
(a) (1) (B)..................................................................... 5.13
(a) (2)......................................................................... Not Applicable
(b)............................................................................. 5.8
(c)............................................................................. 1.4(f)
317 (a) (1)..................................................................... 5.3
(a) (2)......................................................................... 5.4
(b)............................................................................. 10.3
318 (a)......................................................................... 1.7
Note: This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a
part of the Junior Subordinated Indenture.
vi
JUNIOR SUBORDINATED INDENTURE, dated as of [ ], between SIERRA PACIFIC
RESOURCES, a Nevada corporation (hereinafter called the "Company") having its
principal office at P.O. Box 30150 (6100 ▇▇▇▇ Road), Reno, Nevada 89520-3150,
and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation, as Trustee
(hereinafter called the "Trustee").
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this
Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its unsecured junior
subordinated debt securities in series (hereinafter called the "Securities") of
substantially the tenor hereinafter provided, including, without limitation,
Securities issued to evidence loans made to the Company of the proceeds from the
issuance from time to time by one or more business trusts (each a "Sierra
Pacific Trust," and, collectively, the "Sierra Pacific Trusts") of preferred
trust interests in such Trusts (the "Preferred Securities") and common interests
in such Trusts (the "Common Securities" and, collectively with the Preferred
Securities, the "Trust Securities"), and to provide the terms and conditions
upon which the Securities are to be authenticated, issued and delivered.
All things necessary to make the Securities, when executed by the
Company and authenticated and delivered hereunder and duly issued by the
Company, the valid obligations of the Company, and to make this Indenture a
valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with their and its terms, have
been done.
NOW THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises and the
purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, it is mutually covenanted and
agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders of the Securities
or of any series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Section 1.1 DEFINITIONS.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly
provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) The terms defined in this Article have the meanings
assigned to them in this Article, and include the plural as well as the
singular;
(2) All other terms used herein which are defined in the Trust
Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings
assigned to them therein;
(3) All accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the
meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, and the term "generally accepted accounting principles" with respect
to any computation required or
permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles which are generally
accepted at the date or time of such computation; provided, that when two or
more principles are so generally accepted, it shall mean that set of principles
consistent with those in use by the Company; and
(4) The words "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.
Certain terms, used principally in Article Six, are defined in that
Article.
"Act" when used with respect to any Holder has the meaning specified in
Section 1.4.
"Additional Interest" means the interest, if any, that shall accrue on
any interest on the Securities of any series the payment of which has not been
made on the applicable Interest Payment Date and which shall accrue at the rate
per annum specified or determined as specified in such Security.
"Additional Sums" has the meaning specified in Section 10.6.
"Additional Taxes" means the sum of any additional taxes, duties and
other governmental charges to which a Sierra PacificTrust has become subject
from time to time as a result of a Trust Tax Event.
"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with such specified Person; provided, however, that an Affiliate of the
Company shall not be deemed to include any Sierra PacificTrust to which
Securities have been issued. For the purposes of this definition, "control" when
used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the
management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through
the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms
"controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
"Authenticating Agent" means any Person authorized by the Trustee
pursuant to Section 6.14 to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate
Securities of one or more series.
"Board of Directors" means either the board of directors of the Company
or any committee of that board duly authorized to act hereunder.
"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, or such committee of the Board of Directors or officers
of the Company to which authority to act on behalf of the Board of Directors has
been delegated, and to be in full force and effect on the date of such
certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
2
"Business Day" means any day other than (i) a Saturday or Sunday, (ii)
a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York are authorized or
required by law or executive order to remain closed or (iii) a day on which the
Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, or, with respect to the Securities of a
series issued to a Sierra PacificTrust, the principal office of the Property
Trustee under the related Trust Agreement, is closed for business.
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time
to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or if at
any time after the execution of this instrument such Commission is not existing
and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then
the body performing such duties on such date.
"Common Securities" has the meaning specified in the first recital of
this Indenture.
"Common Stock" means the common stock, $l.00 par value per share, of
the Company.
"Company" means the Person named as the "Company" in the first
paragraph of this instrument until a successor corporation shall have become
such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Company" shall mean such successor corporation.
"Company Request" and "Company Order" mean, respectively, the written
request or order signed in the name of the Company by the Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer, President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, and
Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of
the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the principal office of the Trustee at
which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be administered.
"corporation" includes a corporation, association, company, joint-stock
company or business trust.
"Current Value" has the meaning specified in Section 11.7.
"Debt" means, with respect to any Person, whether recourse is to all or
a portion of the assets of such Person and whether or not contingent, (i) every
obligation of such Person for money borrowed; (ii) every obligation of such
Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments,
including obligations incurred in connection with the acquisition of property,
assets or businesses; (iii) every reimbursement obligation of such Person with
respect to letters of credit, bankers' acceptances or similar facilities issued
for the account of such Person; (iv) every obligation of such Person issued or
assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services (but excluding
trade accounts payable or accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of
business); (v) every capital lease obligation of such Person; and (vi) every
obligation of the type referred to in clauses (i) through (v) of another Person
and all dividends of another Person the payment of which, in either case, such
Person has guaranteed or is responsible or liable for, directly or indirectly,
as obligor or otherwise.
3
"Defaulted Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 3.7.
"Depository" means, with respect to the Securities of any series
issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global
Securities, the Person designated as Depository by the Company pursuant to
Section 3.1 with respect to such series (or any successor thereto).
"Discount Security" means any security which provides for an amount
less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration
of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.2.
"Dollar" means the currency of the United States of America that, as at
the time of payment, is legal tender for the payment of public and private
debts.
"Event of Default" unless otherwise specified in the supplemental
indenture creating a series of Securities has the meaning specified in Article
Five.
"Extension Period" has the meaning specified in Section 3.11.
"Foreign Currency" means any currency issued by the government of one
or more countries other than the United States of America or by any recognized
confederation or association of such governments.
"Global Security" means a Security in the form prescribed in Section
2.4 evidencing all or part of a series of Securities, issued to the Depository
or its nominee for such series, and registered in the name of such Depository or
its nominee.
"Government Obligations" means, with respect to the Securities of any
series, securities which are (i) direct obligations of the United States of
America 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 by the United States of America and which,
in either case, are full faith and credit obligations of the United States of
America and are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof
and shall also include a depository 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 Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on
or principal of any such Government Obligation held by such custodian for the
account of the holder of such depository receipt; provided that (except as
required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the
amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received
by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or the specific payment
of interest on or principal of the Government Obligation evidenced by such
depository receipt.
"Holder" means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the
Securities Register.
4
"Junior Subordinated Payment" has the meaning specified in Section
13.2.
"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 pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof
and shall include the terms of each particular series of Securities established
as contemplated by Section 3.1.
"Interest Payment Date" means as to each series of Securities the
Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Securities.
"Interest Rate" means the rate of interest specified or determined as
specified in each Security as being the rate of interest payable on such
Security.
"Trust Investment Company Event" means, in respect of a Sierra
PacificTrust, the receipt by a Sierra PacificTrust of an Opinion of Counsel,
rendered by a law firm experienced in such matters, to the effect that, as a
result of the occurrence of a change in law or regulation or a change in
interpretation or application of law or regulation by any legislative body,
court, governmental agency or regulatory authority (a "Change in 1940 Act Law")
such Sierra Pacific Trust is or will be considered an investment company that is
required to be registered under the 1940 Act, which Change in 1940 Act Law
becomes effective on or after the date of original issuance of the Preferred
Securities of such Sierra Pacific Trust.
"Lien" means any mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or other
encumbrance.
"Sierra Pacific Guarantee" means the guarantee by the Company of
distributions on the Preferred Securities of a Sierra Pacific Trust to the
extent provided in the Guarantee Agreement, substantially in the form attached
hereto as Annex C, or substantially in such form as may be specified as
contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to the Securities of any series, in
each case as amended from time to time.
"Sierra Pacific Trust" has the meaning specified in the first recital
of this Indenture.
"Maturity" when used with respect to any Security means the date on
which the principal of such Security becomes due and payable as therein or
herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of
acceleration, call for redemption or otherwise.
"1940 Act" means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
"Notice of Default" has the meaning specified in Section 5.1(3).
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer, President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an
Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of
the Company, and delivered to the Trustee.
5
"Opinion of Counsel" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be
counsel for the Company.
"Original Issue Date" means the date of issuance specified as such in
each Security.
"Outstanding" means, when used in reference to any Securities, as of
the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and
delivered under this Indenture, except:
(1) Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(2) Securities for whose payment money in the necessary amount
has been theretofore deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent in trust for
the Holders of such Securities; and
(3) Securities in substitution for or in lieu of which other
Securities have been authenticated and delivered or which have been paid
pursuant to Section 3.6, unless proof satisfactory to the Trustee is presented
that any such Securities are held by Holders in whose hands such Securities are
valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite
principal amount of Outstanding Securities have given any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, Securities owned
by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the
Company or such other obligor shall be disregarded and deemed not to be
Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected
in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent or waiver, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall
be so disregarded. Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may
be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the
Trustee the pledgee's right so to act with respect to such Securities and that
the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any
Affiliate of the Company or such other obligor. Upon the written request of the
Trustee, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee promptly an Officers'
Certificate listing and identifying all Securities, if any, known by the Company
to be owned or held by or for the account of the Company, or any other obligor
on the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or such obligor, and, subject
to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee shall be entitled to accept such
Officers' Certificate as conclusive evidence of the facts therein set forth and
of the fact that all Securities not listed therein are Outstanding for the
purpose of any such determination.
"Paying Agent" means the Trustee or any Person authorized by the
Company to pay the principal of or interest on any Securities on behalf of the
Company.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
association, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or
political subdivision thereof.
6
"Place of Payment" means, with respect to the Securities of any series,
the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on
the Securities of such series are payable pursuant to Sections 3.1 and 3.11.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Security means every previous
Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such
particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any security
authenticated and delivered under Section 3.6 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" has the meaning specified in the first recital
of this Indenture.
"Proceeding" has the meaning specified in Section 13.2.
"Property Trustee" means, in respect of any Sierra Pacific Trust, the
commercial bank or trust company identified as the "Property Trustee" in the
related Trust Agreement, solely in its capacity as Property Trustee of such
Sierra Pacific Trust under such Trust Agreement and not in its individual
capacity, or its successor in interest in such capacity, or any successor
property trustee appointed as therein provided.
"Redemption Date," when used with respect to any Security to be
redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this
Indenture.
"Regular Record Date" for the interest payable on any Interest Payment
Date with respect to the Securities of a series means, unless otherwise provided
pursuant to Section 3.1 with respect to Securities of a series, the date which
is fifteen days next preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a
Business Day).
"Responsible Officer" when used with respect to the Trustee means any
officer of the Trustee assigned by the Trustee from time to time to administer
its corporate trust matters.
"Securities" or "Security" means any debt securities or debt security,
as the case may be, authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
"Securities Register" and "Securities Registrar" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 3.5.
"Senior Debt" means the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest, if any (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any
petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating to the Company whether or
not such claim for post-petition interest is allowed in such proceeding), on
Debt, whether incurred on or prior to the date of this Indenture or thereafter
incurred, unless, in the instrument creating or evidencing the same or pursuant
to which the same is outstanding, it is provided that such obligations are not
superior in right of payment to the Securities or to other Debt which is pari
passu with, or subordinated to, the Securities, provided,
7
however, that Senior Debt shall not be deemed to include (a) any Debt of the
Company which, when incurred and without respect to any election under Section
1111(b) of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, was without recourse to the
Company, (b) any Debt of the Company to any of its Subsidiaries, (c) Debt to any
employee of the Company, (d) any liability for taxes, (e) Debt or other monetary
obligations to trade creditors created or assumed by the Company or any of these
Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business in connection with the obtaining
of goods, materials or services and (f) the Securities.
"Special Event" means a Trust Tax Event or an Trust Investment Company
Event.
"Special Record Date" for the payment of any Defaulted Interest means a
date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 3.7.
"Stated Maturity" when used with respect to any Security or any
installment of principal thereof or interest thereon means the date specified
pursuant to the terms of such Security as the date on which the principal of
such Security or such installment of interest is due and payable.
"Subsidiary" means a corporation more than 50% of the outstanding
voting stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or by one
or more other Subsidiaries, or by the Company and one or more other
Subsidiaries. For purposes of this definition, "voting stock" means stock which
ordinarily has voting power for the election of directors, whether at all times
or only so long as no senior class of stock has such voting power by reason of
any contingency.
"Trust Tax Event" means the receipt by a Sierra Pacific Trust of an
Opinion of Counsel experienced in such matters to the effect that, as a result
of any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in,
the laws (or any regulations thereunder) of the United States or any political
subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein or as a result of any
official administrative pronouncement or judicial decision interpreting or
applying such laws or regulations, which amendment or change is effective or
which pronouncement or decision is announced on or after the date of issuance of
the Preferred Securities of such Sierra Pacific Trust, there is more than an
insubstantial risk that (i) the Sierra Pacific Trust is, or will be within 90
days of the date of such Opinion of Counsel, subject to United States Federal
income tax with respect to income received or accrued on the corresponding
series of Securities, (ii) interest payable by the Company on the corresponding
series of Securities is not, or within 90 days of the date of such Opinion of
Counsel, will not be, deductible, in whole or in part, for United States Federal
income tax purposes or (iii) the Sierra Pacific Trust is, or will be within 90
days of the date of such Opinion of Counsel, subject to more than a de minimis
amount of other taxes, duties or other governmental charges.
"Trust Agreement" means the Trust Agreement substantially in the form
attached hereto as Annex A, as amended by the form of Amended and Restated Trust
Agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex B, or substantially
in such form as may be specified as
8
contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to the Securities of any series, in
each case as amended from time to time.
"Trustee" means the Person named as the "Trustee" in the first
paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such
pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter
"Trustee" shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder and,
if at any time there is more than one such Person, "Trustee" as used with
respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to
Securities of that series.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C.
Sections 77aaa- 77bbb), as amended and as in effect on the date as of this
Indenture, except as provided in Section 9.5.
"Trust Securities" has the meaning specified in the first recital of
this Indenture.
"Vice President" when used with respect to the Company, means any duly
appointed vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or
words added before or after the title "vice president."
Section 1.2 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE AND OPINIONS.
Upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take
any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to
the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that all conditions precedent
(including covenants, compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent),
if any, 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 (including covenants compliance with which
constitute a condition precedent), if any, have been complied with, except that
in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of
such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture
relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or
opinion need be furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than the
certificates provided pursuant to Section 10.5) shall include:
(1) a statement that each individual signing such certificate
or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein
relating thereto;
(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;
9
(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such individual,
he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to
express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has
been complied with; and
(4) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such
individual, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
Section 1.3 FORMS OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO TRUSTEE.
In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or
covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all
such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such
Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one
such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one
or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify
or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.
Any certificate or opinion of an officer of the Company may be based,
insofar as it relates to legal matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, counsel, unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of
reasonable care should know, that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to matters upon which his certificate or opinion is based are
erroneous. Any such certificate or Opinion of Counsel may be based, insofar as
it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or
representations by, an officer or officers of the Company stating that the
information with respect to such factual matters is in the possession of the
Company, unless such counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should
know, that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to such
matters are erroneous.
Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more
applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions, or other
instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and
form one instrument.
Section 1.4 ACTS OF HOLDERS.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given to or
taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of
substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly
appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such
action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments is or are
delivered to the Trustee, and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the
Company. Such instrument or instruments (and the action embodied therein and
evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the "Act" of the Holders
signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such
instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any
purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 6.1) conclusive in favor of
the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.
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(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any
such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such
execution or by the certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized
by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing
such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such
execution is by a Person acting in other than his individual capacity, such
certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his
authority.
(c) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any
such instrument or writing, or the authority of the Person executing the same,
may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient and in
accordance with such reasonable rules as the Trustee may determine.
(d) The ownership of Securities shall be proved by the
Securities Register.
(e) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Security shall bind every
future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon
the transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of
anything done or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance
thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
(f) The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, fix a
record date for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to take any
action under this Indenture by vote or consent. Except as otherwise provided
herein, such record date shall be the later of 30 days prior to the first
solicitation of such consent or vote or the date of the most recent list of
Securityholders furnished to the Trustee pursuant to Section 7.1 prior to such
solicitation. If a record date is fixed, those persons who were Securityholders
at such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those persons,
shall be entitled to take such action by vote or consent or to revoke any vote
or consent previously given, whether or not such persons continue to be Holders
after such record date, provided, however, that unless such vote or consent is
obtained from the Holders (or their duly designated proxies) of the requisite
principal amount of Outstanding Securities prior to the date which is the 120th
day after such record date, any such vote or consent previously given shall
automatically and without further action by any Holder be cancelled and of no
further effect.
Section 1.5 NOTICES, ETC. TO TRUSTEE AND COMPANY.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver
or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to
be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with,
(1) the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company shall be
sufficient for every purpose hereunder if made, given, furnished or filed in
writing to or with the Trustee at its Corporate Trust office, or
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(2) the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder shall be
sufficient for every purpose (except as otherwise provided in Section 5.1
hereof) hereunder if in writing and mailed, first class, postage prepaid, to the
Company addressed to it at the address of its principal office specified in the
first paragraph of this instrument or at any other address previously furnished
in writing to the Trustee by the Company.
Section 1.6 NOTICE TO HOLDERS; WAIVER.
Where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such
notice shall be sufficiently given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided)
if in writing and mailed, first class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected
by such event, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Securities
Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest
date, prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any case where notice to
Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any
defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the
sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders. Where this Indenture
provides for notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by the
Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and
such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders
shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition
precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
Section 1.7 CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with
the duties imposed by any of Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust
Indenture Act through operation of Section 318(c) thereof, such imposed duties
shall control.
Section 1.8 EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are
for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 1.9 SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall
bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
Section 1.10 SEPARABILITY CLAUSE.
In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of
the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
12
Section 1.11 BENEFITS OF INDENTURE.
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Securities, express or implied,
shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, any Paying Agent and
their successors and assigns, the holders of Senior Debt and the Holders of the
Securities, any benefit or any legal or equitable, remedy or claim under this
Indenture.
Section 1.12 GOVERNING LAW.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of [__________].
Section 1.13 NON-BUSINESS DAYS.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated
Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day, then (notwithstanding any
other provision of this Indenture or the Securities) payment of interest or
principal need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding
Business Day (and no interest shall accrue for the period from and after such
Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be,
until such next succeeding Business Day except that, if such Business Day is in
the next succeeding calendar year, such payment shall be made on the immediately
preceding Business Day (in each case with the same force and effect as if made
on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date or at the Stated Maturity).
ARTICLE II.
SECURITY FORMS
Section 2.1 FORMS GENERALLY.
The Securities of each series and the Trustee's certificate of
authentication shall be in substantially the forms set forth in this Article, or
in such other form or forms as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board
Resolution or in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in each case with
such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as
are required or permitted by this Indenture and may have such letters, numbers
or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon
as may be required to comply with applicable tax laws or the rules of any
securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the
officers executing such securities, as evidenced by their execution of the
Securities. If the form of Securities of any series is established by action
taken pursuant to a Board Resolution, 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 Company
Order contemplated by Section 3.3 with respect to the authentication and
delivery of such Securities.
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The Trustee's certificates of authentication shall be substantially in
the form set forth in this Article.
The definitive Securities shall be printed, lithographed or engraved or
produced by any combination of these methods, if required by any securities
exchange on which the Securities may be listed, on a steel engraved border or
steel engraved borders or may be produced in any other manner permitted by the
rules of any securities exchange on which the Securities may be listed, all as
determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their
execution of such securities.
Section 2.2 FORM OF FACE OF SECURITY.
[If the Security is a Global Security, insert This Security is a Global
Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is
registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company (the "Depository") or a
nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities
registered in the name of a person other than the Depository or its nominee only
in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture and no transfer of this
Security (other than a transfer of this Security as a whole by the Depository to
a nominee of the Depository or by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository
or another nominee of the Depository) may be registered except in limited
circumstances.
Unless this Security is presented by an authorized representative of The
Depository Trust Company (55 ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇) to Sierra Pacific Resources
or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange or payment, and any Security
issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or such other name as requested
by an authorized representative of The Depository Trust Company and any payment
hereon is made to Cede & Co., ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE
OR OTHERWISE BY A PERSON IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof,
Cede & Co., has an interest herein.]
SIERRA PACIFIC RESOURCES (Title of Security) No. $
SIERRA PACIFIC RESOURCES, a corporation organized and existing under
the laws of Nevada (hereinafter called the "Company", which term includes any
successor corporation under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value
received, hereby promises to pay to , or registered assigns, the principal sum
of Dollars on , [; provided that the Company may (i) change the maturity date
upon the occurrence of an exchange of the Securities for the Trust Securities
subject to certain conditions set forth in Section 3.14 of the Indenture, which
changed maturity date shall in no case be earlier than , or later than , and
(ii) extend the maturity date subject to certain conditions specified in Section
3.14 of the Indenture, which extended maturity date shall in no case be later
than , ]. The Company further promises to pay interest on said principal sum
from , or from the most recent interest payment date (each such date, an
"Interest Payment Date") on which interest has been paid or duly provided for,
[monthly] [quarterly] [semi-annually] [if applicable, insert (subject to
deferral as set forth herein)] in arrears on [insert applicable Interest Payment
Dates] of each year, commencing , , at the rate of __% per annum,
14
until the principal hereof shall have become due and payable, [if applicable,
insert plus Additional Interest, if any,] until the principal hereof is paid or
duly provided for or made available for payment [if applicable, insert and on
any overdue principal and (without duplication and to the extent that payment of
such interest is enforceable under applicable law) on any overdue installment of
interest at the rate of % per annum, compounded [monthly] [quarterly]
[semi-annually] [annually]. The amount of interest payable for any period shall
be computed on the basis of twelve 30-day months and a 360-day year. The amount
of interest payable for any partial period shall be computed on the basis of the
number of days elapsed in a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. In the event
that any date on which interest is payable on this Security is not a Business
Day, then a payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the
next succeeding day which is a Business Day (and without any interest or other
payment in respect of any such delay), except that, if such Business Day is in
the next succeeding calendar year, such payment shall be made on the immediately
preceding Business Day, in each case with the same force and effect as if made
on the date the payment was originally payable. A "Business Day" shall mean any
day other than (i) a Saturday or Sunday, (ii) a day on which banking
institutions in the City of New York are authorized or required by law or
executive order to remain closed or (iii) a day on which the Corporate Trust
Office of the Trustee is closed for business. The interest installment so
payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date
will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this
Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities, as defined in the Indenture) is
registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest
installment, which shall be the [[insert definition of Regular Record Dates].
Any such interest installment not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall
forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may
either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security (or one or more
Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on a Special
Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the
Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series
not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time
in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any
securities exchange on which the Securities of this series may be listed, and
upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, all as more fully provided
in said Indenture.
[If applicable, insert The Company shall have the right at any time
during the term of this Security, from time to time, to defer payment of
interest on such Security for up to consecutive [monthly] [quarterly]
[semi-annual] interest payment periods with respect to each deferral period
(each an "Extension Period"), during which Extension Periods the Company shall
have the right to make partial payments of interest on any Interest Payment
Date, and at the end of which the Company shall pay all interest then accrued
and unpaid (together with Additional Interest thereon to the extent permitted by
applicable law); [provided that during any such Extension Period, the Company
will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary of the Company to, (i) declare or
pay any dividends or distributions or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a
liquidation payment with respect to, any of the Company's outstanding capital
stock or (ii) make any payment of principal of, interest or premium, if any, on
or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt security of the Company that ranks pari
passu with or junior in interest to this Security or make any
15
guarantee payments with respect to any guarantee by the Company of the debt
securities of any subsidiaries of the Company if such guarantee ranks pari passu
or junior in interest to this Security (other than (a) dividends or
distributions in Common Stock of the Company, (b) redemptions or purchases of
any rights pursuant to the Company's Rights Plan, or any successor to such
Rights Plan, and the declaration of a dividend of such rights or the issuance of
Stock under such plans in the future, (c) payments under any Sierra Pacific
Guarantee (as defined in the Indenture), and (d) purchases of Common Stock
related to the issuance of Common Stock under any of the Company's benefit plans
for its directors, officers or employees.] Prior to the termination of any such
Extension Period, the Company may further extend the interest payment period,
provided that no Extension Period shall exceed consecutive [months] [quarters]
[semi-annual periods] or extend beyond the Maturity of this Security. Upon the
termination of any such Extension Period and upon the payment of all accrued and
unpaid interest and any Additional Interest then due, the Company may elect to
begin a new Extension Period, subject to the above requirements. No interest
shall be due and payable during an Extension Period except at the end thereof.
The Company shall give the Holder of this Security and the Trustee notice of its
election to begin any Extension Period at least one Business Day prior to the
Interest Payment Date [if applicable, insert or, with respect to the Securities
issued to a Sierra Pacific Trust, prior to the earlier of (i) the date the
Distributions on the Preferred Securities are payable or (ii) the date the
Administrative Trustees are required to give notice to any securities exchange
or other applicable self-regulatory organization or to holders of such Preferred
Securities of the record date or the date such Distributions are payable, but in
any event not less than one Business Day prior to such record date].
Payment of the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on this
Security will be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that
purpose in the United States, in such coin or currency of the United States of
America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and
private debts [if applicable, insert ; provided, however, that at the option of
the Company payment of interest may be made (i) by check mailed to the address
of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Securities
Register or (ii) by wire transfer in immediately available funds at such place
and to such account as may be designated by the Person entitled thereto as
specified in the Securities Register].
The indebtedness evidenced by this Security is, to the extent provided
in the Indenture, subordinate and subject in right of payments to the prior
payment in full of all Senior Debt, and this Security is issued subject to the
provisions of the Indenture with respect thereto. Each Holder of this Security,
by accepting the same, (a) agrees to and shall be bound by such provisions, (b)
authorizes and directs the Trustee on his behalf to take such actions as may be
necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination so provided and (c)
appoints the Trustee his attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes. Each
Holder hereof, by his acceptance hereof, waives all notice of the acceptance of
the subordination provisions contained herein and in the Indenture by each
holder of Senior Debt, whether now outstanding or hereafter incurred, and waives
reliance by each such holder upon said provisions.
16
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Security set
forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall for all purposes
have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by
the Trustee referred to on the reverse hereof by manual signature, this Security
shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or
obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly
executed under its corporate seal.
Dated:
Sierra Pacific Resources
By:
--------------------------------------
[Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
President or Vice President]
Attest:
[Secretary or Assistant Secretary ]
Section 2.3 FORM OF REVERSE OF SECURITY.
This Security is one of a duly authorized issue of securities of the
Company (herein called the "Securities"), issued and to be issued in one or more
series under a Junior Subordinated Indenture, dated as of [ ] (herein called the
"Indenture"), between the Company and [ ], as Trustee (herein called the
"Trustee", which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to
which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made
for a statement of the respective rights, limitations of rights, duties and
immunities thereunder of the Trustee, the Company and the Holders of the
Securities, and of the terms upon which the Securities are, and are to be,
authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on
the face hereof, [limited in aggregate principal amount to $ ].
All terms used in this Security that are defined in the Indenture [if
applicable, insert and in the Trust Agreement, dated as of [ ], as amended (the
"Trust Agreement"), for [Sierra Pacific Capital Trust] among Sierra Pacific
Resources, as Depositor, and the Trustees named therein, shall have the meanings
assigned to them in the Indenture [if applicable, insert or the Trust Agreement,
as the case may be].
[If applicable, insert On or after , , the Company may at any time, at
its option, subject to the terms and conditions of Article Eleven of the
Indenture, redeem this Security in whole at any time or in part from time to
time, without premium or penalty, at a redemption price equal to
17
100% of the principal amount thereof plus the accrued and unpaid interest [if
applicable, insert including Additional Interest, if any] to the date fixed for
redemption.]
[If applicable, insert If a Special Event in respect of a Sierra
Pacific Trust shall occur and be continuing, the Company may, at its option,
redeem this Security within 90 days of the occurrence of such Special Event, in
whole but not in part, subject to the provisions of Section 11.7 and the other
provisions of Article Eleven of the Indenture, at a redemption price equal to
100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, including
Additional Interest, if any, to the date fixed for redemption.]
In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new
Security or Securities of this series for the unredeemed portion hereof will be
issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the cancellation hereof.
[If the Security is not a Discount Security: If an Event of Default
with respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the
principal of this Security may be declared due and payable in the manner, with
the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture.]
[If the Security is a Discount Security: If an Event of Default with
respect to Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, an amount of
principal of this Security may be declared due and payable in the manner, with
the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture. Such amount
shall be equal to [ insert formula for determining the amount]. Upon payment (i)
of the amount of principal so declared due and payable and (ii) of interest on
any overdue principal and overdue interest (in each case to the extent that the
payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable), all of the Company's
obligations in respect of the payment of the principal of and interest, if any,
on this Security shall terminate.]
The Indenture contains provisions for satisfaction, discharge and
defeasance at any time of the entire indebtedness of this Security upon
compliance by the Company with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the
Company and the Trustee at any time to enter into a supplemental indenture or
indentures for the purpose of modifying in any manner the rights and obligations
of the Company and of the Holders of the Securities, with the consent of the
Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of each series to be affected by such supplemental indenture. The
Indenture also contains provisions permitting Holders of specified percentages
in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on
behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by
the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults
under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the
Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and
upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the
18
registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof,
whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.
[If the Security is not a Discount Security: As provided in and subject
to the provisions of the Indenture, if an Event of Default with respect to the
Securities of this series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then
and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of this series may declare the
principal amount of all the Securities of this series to be due and payable
immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given
by Holders), provided that, in the case of the Securities of this series issued
to a Sierra Pacific Trust, if upon an Event of Default, the Trustee or the
Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities
of this series fails to declare the principal of all the Securities of this
series to be immediately due and payable, the holders of at least 25% in
aggregate liquidation amount of the corresponding series of Preferred Securities
then outstanding shall have such right by a notice in writing to the Company and
the Trustee; and upon any such declaration such specified amount of and the
accrued interest (including any Additional Interest) on all the Securities of
this series shall become immediately due and payable, provided that the payment
of principal and interest (including any Additional Interest) on such Securities
shall remain subordinated to the extend provided that the payment of principal
and interest (including any Additional Interest) on such Securities shall remain
subordinated to the extent provided in Article 13 of the Indenture.]
[If the Security is a Discount Security: As provided in and subject to
the provisions of the Indenture, if an Event of Default with respect to the
Securities of this series at the time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then
and in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than such portion
of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of this series of all
the Securities of this series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in
writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), provided that,
in the case of the Securities of this series issued to a Sierra Pacific Trust,
if upon an Event of Default, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of this series fails to declare
the principal of all the Securities of this series to be immediately due and
payable, the holders of at least 25% in aggregate liquidation amount of the
corresponding series of Preferred Securities then outstanding shall have such
right by a notice in writing to the Company and the Trustee; and upon any such
declaration such specified amount of and the accrued interest (including any
Additional Interest) on all the Securities of this series shall become
immediately due and payable, provided that the payment of principal and interest
(including any Additional Interest) on such Securities shall remain subordinated
to the extent provided in Article Thirteen of the Indenture.]
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security
or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which
is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or
currency, herein prescribed.
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As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein
set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Securities
Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the
office or agency of the Company maintained under Section 10.2 of the Indenture
duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to the Company and the Securities Registrar duly executed by, the
Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or
more new Securities of this series, of authorized denominations and for the same
aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or
transferees. No service charge shall be made for any such registration of
transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to
cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer,
the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat
the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all
purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the
Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form
without coupons in denominations of $[25] and any integral multiple thereof. As
provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth,
Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount
of Securities of such series of a different authorized denomination, as
requested by the Holder surrendering the same.
The Company and, by its acceptance of this Security or a beneficial
interest therein, the Holder of, and any Person that acquires a beneficial
interest in, this Security agree that for United States Federal, state and local
tax purposes it is intended that this Security constitute indebtedness.
THE INDENTURE AND THIS SECURITY SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND
CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF [ ] WITHOUT
REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
Section 2.4 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS REQUIRED IN GLOBAL SECURITY.
Any Global Security issued hereunder shall, in addition to the
provisions contained in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, bear a legend in substantially the
following form:
"This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture
hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of a Depositary or a
nominee of a Depositary. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered
in the name of a person other than the Depositary or its nominee only in the
limited circumstances described in the Indenture and may not be transferred
except as a whole by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a
nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the
Depositary."
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Section 2.5 FORM OF TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION.
This is one of the Securities referred to in the within mentioned
Indenture.
as Trustee By: Authorized officer
ARTICLE III.
THE SECURITIES
Section 3.1 TITLE AND TERMS.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated
and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be
established in or pursuant to a Board Resolution, and set forth in an Officers'
Certificate, or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior
to the issuance of Securities of a series:
(a) the title of the securities of such series, which
shall distinguish the Securities of the series from all other Securities;
(b) the limit, if any, upon the aggregate principal amount of
the Securities of such series which may be authenticated and delivered under
this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon
registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities
of the series pursuant to Section 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 9.6 or 11.6); provided,
however, that the authorized aggregate principal amount of such series may be
increased above such amount by a Board Resolution to such effect;
(c) the Stated Maturity or Maturities on which the principal
of the Securities of such series is payable or the method of determination
thereof;
(d) the rate or rates, if any, at which the Securities of such
series shall bear interest, if any, the rate or rates and extent to which
Additional Interest, if any, shall be payable in respect of any Securities of
such series, the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable,
the right, pursuant to Section 3.11 or as otherwise set forth therein, of the
Company to defer or extend an Interest Payment Date, and the Regular Record Date
for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date or the method by which any
of the foregoing shall be determined;
(e) the place or places where the principal of (and premium,
if any) and interest on the Securities of such series shall be payable, the
place or places where the Securities of such series may be presented for
registration of transfer or exchange, and the place or places
21
where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of
such series may be made;
(f) the period or periods within or the date or dates on
which, if any, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon
which the Securities of such series may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the
option of the Company;
(g) the obligation or the right, if any, of the Company to
redeem, repay or purchase the Securities of such series pursuant to any sinking
fund, amortization or analogous provisions, or at the option of a Holder
thereof, and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which,
the currency or currencies (including currency unit or units) in which and the
other terms and conditions upon which Securities of the series shall be
redeemed, repaid or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(h) the denominations in which any Securities of such series
shall be issuable, if other than denominations of $25 and any integral multiple
thereof;
(i) if other than Dollars, the currency or currencies
(including currency unit or units) in which the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest, if any, on the Securities of the series shall be payable, or
in which the Securities of the series shall be denominated;
(j) the additions, modifications or deletions, if any, in the
Events of Default or covenants of the Company set forth herein with respect to
the Securities of such series;
(k) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of
the principal amount of Securities of such series that shall be payable upon
declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof;
(l) the additions or changes, if any, to this Indenture with
respect to the Securities of such series as shall be necessary to permit or
facilitate the issuance of the Securities of such series in bearer form,
registrable or not registrable as to principal, and with or without interest
coupons;
(m) any index or indices used to determine the amount of
payments of principal of and premium, if any, on the Securities of such series
or the manner in which such amounts will be determined;
(n) the issuance of a temporary Global Security representing
all of the Securities of such series and exchange of such temporary Global
Security for definitive Securities of such series;
(o) whether the Securities of the series shall be issued in
whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and, in such case,
the Depositary for such Global
22
Securities, which Depositary shall be a clearing agency registered under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;
(p) the appointment of any Paying Agent or Agents for the
Securities of such series;
(q) the terms of any right to exchange Securities of such
series into any other securities or property of the Company, and the additions
or changes, if any, to this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such
series to permit or facilitate such exchange;
(r) the form or forms of the Trust Agreement, Amended and
Restated Trust Agreement and Guarantee Agreement, if different from the forms
attached hereto as Annexes A, B and C, respectively;
(s) the relative degree, if any, to which the Securities of
the series shall be senior to or be subordinated to other series of Securities
in right of payment, whether such other series of Securities are Outstanding or
not; and
(t) any other terms of the Securities of such series (which
terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture).
All Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical
except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided herein or in
or pursuant to such Board Resolution and set forth in such Officers' Certificate
or in any such indenture supplemental hereto.
If any of the terms of the series are established by action taken
pursuant to a Board Resolution, 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 setting forth the terms of the series.
Section 3.2 DENOMINATIONS.
The Securities of each series shall be in registered form without
coupons and shall be issuable in denominations of $25 and any integral multiple
thereof, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1.
Section 3.3 EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION, DELIVERY AND DATING.
The Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its
President or one of its Vice Presidents under its corporate seal reproduced or
impressed thereon and attested by its Secretary or one of its Assistant
Secretaries. The signature of any of these officers on the Securities may be
manual or facsimile.
23
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals
who were at any time the proper officers of the Company shall bind the Company,
notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such
offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not
hold such offices at the date of such Securities. At any time and from time to
time after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Company may deliver
Securities executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication. Securities
may be authenticated on original issuance from time to time and delivered
pursuant to such procedures acceptable to the Trustee ("Procedures") as may be
specified from time to time by Company Order. Procedures may authorize
authentication and delivery pursuant to oral instructions of the Company or a
duly authorized agent, which instructions shall be promptly confirmed in
writing.
Prior to the delivery of a Security in any such form to the Trustee for
authentication, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee the following:
(a) A Company Order requesting the Trustee's authentication
and delivery of all or a portion of the Securities of such series, and if less
than all, setting forth procedures for such authentication;
(b) The Board Resolution by or pursuant to which such form of
Security has been approved, and the Board Resolution, if any, by or pursuant to
which the terms of the Securities of such series have been approved, and, if
pursuant to a Board Resolution, an Officers' Certificate describing the action
taken;
(c) An Officers' Certificate dated the date such certificate
is delivered to the Trustee, stating that all conditions precedent provided for
in this Indenture relating to the authentication and delivery of Securities in
such form and with such terms have been complied with; and
(d) An Opinion of Counsel stating that (i) the form of such
Securities has been duly authorized and approved in conformity with the
provisions of this Indenture; (ii) the terms of such Securities have been duly
authorized and determined in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture,
or, if such terms are to be determined pursuant to Procedures, as defined above,
when so determined such terms shall have been duly authorized and determined in
conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and (iii) Securities in such
form when completed by appropriate insertions and executed and delivered by the
Company to the Trustee for authentication in accordance with this Indenture,
authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in accordance with this Indenture
within the authorization as to aggregate principal amount established from time
to time by the Board of Directors and sold in the manner specified in such
Opinion of Counsel, will be the legal, valid and binding obligations of the
Company entitled to the benefits of this Indenture, subject to applicable
bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency and similar laws generally affecting
creditors' rights, to general equitable principles and except as enforcement
thereof may be limited by (A) requirements that a claim with respect to any
Securities denominated other than in Dollars (or a Foreign Currency or currency
unit judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into Dollars at a rate of
exchange prevailing on a date
24
determined pursuant to applicable law or (B) governmental authority to limit,
delay or prohibit the making of payments in Foreign Currencies or currency units
or payments outside the United States, and subject to such other qualifications
as such counsel shall conclude do not materially affect the rights of Holders of
such Securities;
provided, however, that the Trustee shall be entitled to receive the documents
referred to in Clauses (b), (c) and (d) above only at or prior to the first
request of the Company to the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series.
Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
No Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be
valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless there appears on such Security a
certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein
executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of its authorized
officers, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence,
and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and
delivered hereunder.
Section 3.4 TEMPORARY SECURITIES.
Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, the
Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten,
mimeographed or otherwise produced, in any denomination, substantially of the
tenor of the definitive Securities of such series in lieu of which they are
issued and with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other
variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced
by their execution of such Securities.
If temporary Securities of any series are issued, the Company will
cause definitive Securities of such series to be prepared without unreasonable
delay. After the preparation of definitive Securities, the temporary Securities
shall be exchangeable for definitive Securities upon surrender of the temporary
Securities at the office or agency of the Company designated for that purpose
without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more
temporary Securities, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of
definitive Securities of the same series of authorized denominations having the
same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms as such
temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, the temporary Securities shall in all
respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive
Securities.
Section 3.5 REGISTRATION, TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.
The Company shall cause to be kept at the Corporate Trust Office of the
Trustee a register in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may
prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities and of
transfers of Securities. Such register is herein
25
sometimes referred to as the "Securities Register." The Trustee is hereby
appointed "Securities Registrar" for the purpose of registering Securities and
transfers of Securities as herein provided.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security at the
office or agency of the Company designated for that purpose the Company shall
execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the
designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same
series of any authorized denominations, of a like aggregate principal amount, of
the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and having the same terms.
At the option of the Holder, Securities may be exchanged for other
Securities of the same series of any authorized denominations, of a like
aggregate principal amount, of the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity
and having the same terms, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at
such office or agency. Whenever any securities are so surrendered for exchange,
the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the
Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Securities issued upon any transfer or exchange of Securities shall
be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled
to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon
such transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for transfer or exchange shall
(if so required by the Company or the Securities Registrar) be duly endorsed, or
be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the
Company and the Securities Registrar, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his
attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made to a Holder for any transfer or
exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient
to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection
with any transfer or exchange of Securities.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, any Global Security of a series
shall be exchangeable pursuant to this Section 3.5 for Securities registered in
the names of Persons other than the Depositary for such Security or its nominee
only if (i) such Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable
to continue as Depositary for such Global Security or if at any time such
Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (ii) the Company executes and delivers to the
Trustee a Company Order that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or
(iii) there shall have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default with
respect to the Securities of such series. Any Global Security that is
exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for
Securities registered in such names as such Depositary shall direct.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, a Global
Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depositary with respect
to such Global Security to a
26
nominee of such Depositary or by a nominee of such Depositary to such Depositary
or another nominee of such Depositary.
Neither the Company nor the Trustee shall be required, pursuant to the
provisions of this Section, (a) to issue, transfer or exchange any Security of
any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before
the day of selection for redemption of Securities pursuant to Article Eleven and
ending at the close of business on the day of mailing of notice of redemption or
(b) to transfer or exchange any Security so selected for redemption in whole or
in part, except, in the case of any Security to be redeemed in part, any portion
thereof not to be redeemed.
Section 3.6 MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST AND STOLEN SECURITIES.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee together with
such security or indemnity as may be required by the Company or the Trustee to
save each of them harmless, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same issue
and series of like tenor and principal amount, having the same Original Issue
Date and Stated Maturity and bearing the same Interest Rate as such mutilated
Security, and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and to the Trustee (i)
evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any
Security, and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save
each of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the
Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the
issuing Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall
authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen
Security, a new Security of the same issue and series of like tenor and
principal amount, having the same Original Issue Date and Stated Maturity and
bearing the same Interest Rate as such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, and
bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has
become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may,
instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, 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.
Every new Security issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any
destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional
contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or
stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be
entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with
any and all other Securities duly issued hereunder.
27
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent
lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment
of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
Section 3.7 PAYMENT OF INTEREST; INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED.
Interest on any Security of any series which is payable, and is
punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date, shall be
paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor
Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date
for such interest in respect of Securities of such series, except that, unless
otherwise provided in the Securities of such series, interest payable on the
Stated Maturity of a Security shall be paid to the Person to whom principal is
paid. The initial payment of interest on any Security of any series which is
issued between a Regular Record Date and the related Interest Payment Date shall
be payable as provided in such Security or in the Board Resolution pursuant to
Section 3.1 with respect to the related series of Securities.
Any interest on any Security which is payable, but is not timely paid
or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for Securities of such 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 may be paid by the Company, at its
election in each case, as provided in Clause (1) or (2) below:
(1) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted
Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series in respect
of which interest is in default (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 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 be not more than 15 days
and not 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 class, postage prepaid, to each Holder of a
Security of such series at the address of such Holder as it appears in the
Securities Register not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. The
Trustee may, in its discretion, in the name and at the expense of the Company,
cause a similar notice to be published at least once in a newspaper, customarily
published in the English language on each Business Day and of general
circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, but such
publication shall not be a condition precedent to the establishment of
28
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 the
Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are
registered on such Special Record Date and shall no longer be payable pursuant
to the following Clause (2).
(2) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest in
any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities
exchange on which the Securities of the series in respect of which interest is
in default may be listed and, upon such notice as may be required by such
exchange (or by the Trustee if the Securities are not listed), if, after notice
given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this
Clause, such payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Security
delivered under this Indenture upon transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of
any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to
accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
Section 3.8 PERSONS DEEMED OWNERS.
The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee
may treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the owner of
such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and (subject
to Section 3.7) interest on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever,
whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee
nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the
contrary.
Section 3.9 CANCELLATION.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, transfer or
exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee, be
delivered to the Trustee, and any such Securities and Securities surrendered
directly to the Trustee for any such purpose shall be promptly canceled by it.
The Company may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any
Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company
may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Securities so delivered
shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated
in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided in this
Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All canceled
Securities shall be destroyed by the Trustee and the Trustee shall deliver to
the Company a certificate of such destruction.
Section 3.10 COMPUTATION OF INTEREST.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for
Securities of any series, interest on the Securities of each series for any
period shall be computed on the basis of a 360- day year of twelve 30-day months
and interest on the Securities of each series for any partial
29
period shall be computed on the basis of the number of days elapsed in a 360-day
year of twelve 30-day months.
Section 3.11 DEFERRALS OF INTEREST PAYMENT DATES.
If specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to the
Securities of a particular series, the Company shall have the right, at any time
during the term of such series, from time to time to defer the payment of
interest on such Securities for such period or periods as may be specified as
contemplated by Section 3.1 (each, an "Extension Period") during which Extension
Periods the Company shall have the right to make partial payments of interest on
any Interest Payment Date. No Extension Period shall end on a date other than an
Interest Payment Date. At the end of any such Extension Period the Company shall
pay all interest then accrued and unpaid on the Securities (together with
Additional Interest thereon, if any, at the rate specified for the Securities of
such series to the extent permitted by applicable law), provided, however, that
during any such Extension Period, [the Company shall not, and shall cause any
Subsidiary not to, (i) declare or pay any dividends or distributions on, or
redeem, purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of
the Company's capital stock, or (ii) make any payment of principal, interest or
premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities of the
Company that rank pari passu with or junior in interest to the Securities of
such series or make any guarantee payments with respect to any Guarantee by the
Company of the debt securities of any Subsidiary of the Company that by their
terms rank pari passu or junior in interest to the securities of such series
(other than (a) dividends or distributions in common stock of the Company (b)
redemptions or purchases of any rights pursuant to the Company's Rights Plan, or
any successor to such Rights Plan, and the declaration of a dividend of such
rights or the issuance of stock under such plans in the future, (c) payments
under any Sierra Pacific Guarantee), and (d) purchases of Common Stock related
to the issuance of Common Stock under any of the Company's benefit plans for its
directors, officers or employees.] Prior to the termination of any such
Extension Period, the Company may further extend the interest payment period,
provided that no Extension Period shall exceed the period or periods specified
in such Securities or extend beyond the Maturity of such Securities. Upon
termination of any Extension Period and upon the payment of all accrued and
unpaid interest and any Additional Interest then due on any Interest Payment
Date, the Company may elect to begin a new Extension Period, subject to the
above requirements. No interest shall be due and payable during an Extension
Period, except at the end thereof. The Company shall give the Holders of the
Securities of such series and the Trustee notice of its election to begin any
such Extension Period at least one Business Day prior to the Interest Payment
Date or, with respect to the Securities of a series issued to a Sierra Pacific
Trust, prior to the earlier of (i) the date the Distributions on the Preferred
Securities of such Sierra Pacific Trust are payable or (ii) the date the
Administrative Trustees of such Sierra Pacific Trust are required to give notice
to any securities exchange or other applicable self-regulatory organization or
to holders of such Preferred Securities of the record date or the date such
Distributions are payable, but in any event not less than one Business Day prior
to such record date.
30
The Trustee shall promptly give notice of the Company's election to
begin any such Extension Period to the Holders of the outstanding Securities of
such series.
Section 3.12 RIGHT OF SET-OFF.
With respect to the Securities of a series issued to a Sierra Pacific
Trust, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Indenture, the Company
shall have the right to set-off any payment it is otherwise required to make
thereunder in respect of any such Security to the extent the Company has
theretofore made, or is concurrently on the date of such payment making, a
payment under the Sierra Pacific Guarantee relating to such Security or under
Section 5.8 of the Indenture.
Section 3.13 AGREED TAX TREATMENT.
Each Security issued hereunder shall provide that the Company and, by
its acceptance of a Security or a beneficial interest therein, the Holder of,
and any Person that acquires a beneficial interest in, such Security agree that
for United States Federal, state and local tax purposes it is intended that such
Security constitute indebtedness.
Section 3.14 EXTENSION OF STATED MATURITY; ADJUSTMENT OF STATED
MATURITY UPON AN EXCHANGE.
If specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to the
Securities of a particular series, the Company shall have the right to (a)
change the Maturity Date of the Securities of such series upon the liquidation
of a Sierra Pacific Trust and the exchange of such Securities for the Preferred
Securities of such Sierra Pacific Trust and (b) extend the Stated Maturity for
the Securities of such series; provided, that at time any election to extend the
Maturity Date is made and at the time of such extension, (i) the Company is not
in bankruptcy, otherwise insolvent or in liquidation, (ii) the Company is not in
default in the payment of any interest or principal on the Securities of such
series and no deferred interest payments thereon have accrued, (iii) the
applicable Sierra Pacific Trust is not in arrears on payments of Distributions
on its Preferred Securities and no deferred Distributions thereon are
accumulated, (iv) the Securities are rated not less than BBB- by Standard &
Poor's Ratings Services or Baa3 by ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc. or the
equivalent by any other naturally recognized statistical rating organization and
(v) the extended Stated Maturity is no later than the 49th anniversary of the
initial issuance of the Preferred Securities of the applicable Sierra Pacific
Trust; provided, further, that, if the Company exercises its right to liquidate
the Sierra Pacific Trust and exchange the Securities of such series for the
Preferred Securities of such Sierra Pacific Trust as specified in clause (a)
above, any changed Stated Maturity of the Securities of such series shall be no
earlier than the date that is five years after the issuance of the Preferred
Securities and no later than the date 30 years (plus an extended term of up to
an additional 19 years if the above-referenced conditions are satisfied) after
the date of the initial issuance of the Preferred Securities of the applicable
Sierra Pacific Trust.
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Section 3.15 CUSIP NUMBERS.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use "CUSIP" numbers (if then
generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use "CUSIP" numbers in notices
of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may
state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers
either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a
redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification
numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected
by any defect in or omission of such numbers.
ARTICLE IV.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
Section 4.1 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE.
This Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as to (i)
any surviving rights of transfer, substitution and exchange of Securities, (ii)
rights hereunder of Holders to receive payments of principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on the Securities and other rights, duties and obligations of
the Holders as beneficiaries hereof with respect to the amounts, if any,
deposited with the Trustee pursuant to this Article IV and (iii) the rights and
obligations of the Trustee hereunder), and the Trustee, on demand of and at the
expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(1) either
(A) all Securities theretofore authenticated and
delivered (other than (i) Securities which have been destroyed, lost or
stolen and which have been replaced or paid as provided in Section 3.6
and (ii) Securities for whose payment money has theretofore been
deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust by the Company and
thereafter repaid to the Company or discharged from such trust, as
provided in Section 10.3) have been delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation; or
(B) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to
the Trustee for cancellation
(i) have become due and payable, or
(ii) will become due and payable at their
Stated Maturity within one year of the date of deposit,
and the Company, in the case of Clause (B) (i) or (B) (ii) above, has deposited
or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for such
purpose an amount in the currency or
32
currencies in which the Securities of such series are payable sufficient to pay
and discharge the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore
delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal (and premium, if any)
and interest (including any Additional Interest) to the date of such deposit (in
the case of Securities which have become due and payable) or to the Stated
Maturity;
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums
payable hereunder by the Company; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that all conditions precedent
herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture
have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the
obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 6.7 and, if money shall
have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to subclause (B) of clause (1) of
this Section, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.2 and the last
paragraph of Section 10.3 shall survive.
Section 4.2 APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY.
Subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10.3, all
money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.1 or money or Government
Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 4.3, or received by
the Trustee in respect of Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee
pursuant to Section 4.3, shall be held in trust and applied by the Trustee, in
accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the
payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company
acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the Persons
entitled thereto, of the principal (and premium, if any) and interest for the
payment of which such money or obligations have been deposited with or received
by the Trustee; provided, however, such moneys need not be segregated from other
funds except to the extent required by law.
Section 4.3 SATISFACTION, DISCHARGE AND DEFEASANCE OF SECURITIES
OF ANY SERIES.
Unless otherwise provided in the Board Resolution adopted pursuant to
Section 3.1 establishing the terms of the Securities of any series, the Company
shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the
Outstanding Securities of any such series and the Trustee, at the expense of the
Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and
discharge of such indebtedness, when
(1) with respect to all Outstanding Securities of such
series,
(A) the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused
to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust
for such purpose an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire
indebtedness on all Outstanding Securities of such series for
33
principal (and premium, if any) and interest (including any Additional
Interest) to the Stated Maturity or any Redemption Date as contemplated
by the penultimate paragraph of this Section 4.3, as the case may be;
or
(B) the Company has irrevocably deposited or caused
to be irrevocably deposited with the Trustee as obligations in trust
for such purpose an amount of Government Obligations as will, in the
written opinion of independent public accountants delivered to the
Trustee, together with predetermined and certain income to accrue
thereon, without consideration of any reinvestment thereof, be
sufficient to pay and discharge when due the entire indebtedness on all
Outstanding Securities of such series for principal (and premium, if
any) and interest (including any Additional Interest) to the Stated
Maturity or any Redemption Date as contemplated by the penultimate
paragraph of this Section 4.3, as the case may be; and
(2) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums
payable with respect to the Outstanding Securities of such series; and
(3) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions
precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the
entire indebtedness on all Outstanding Securities of any such series have been
complied with.
Any deposits with the Trustee referred to in Section 4.3(i) above shall
be irrevocable and shall be made under the terms of an escrow trust agreement in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee. If any Outstanding
Securities of such series are to be redeemed prior to their Stated Maturity,
whether pursuant to any optional redemption provisions or in accordance with any
mandatory sinking fund requirement, the applicable escrow trust agreement shall
provide therefor and the Company shall make such arrangements as are
satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the
Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company. If the Securities of
such series are not to become due and payable at their Stated Maturity or upon
call for redemption within one year of the date of deposit, then the Company
shall give, not later than the date of such deposit, notice of such deposit to
the Holders of Securities of such series.
Upon the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in this Section 4.3
with respect to all the Outstanding Securities of any series, the terms and
conditions of such series, including the terms and conditions with respect
thereto set forth in this Indenture, shall no longer be binding upon, or
applicable to, the Company; provided, that the Company shall not be discharged
from any payment obligations in respect of Securities of such series which are
deemed not to be Outstanding under clause (iii) of the definition thereof if
such obligations continue to be valid obligations of the Company under
applicable law.
34
ARTICLE V.
REMEDIES
Section 5.1 EVENTS OF DEFAULT.
"Event of Default", wherever used herein with respect to the Securities
of any series, means any one of the following events (whatever the reason for
such Event of Default and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be
effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any
court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental
body):
(1) default in the payment of any interest upon any Security
of that series, including any Additional Interest in respect thereof, when it
becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days
(subject to the deferral of any due date in the case of an Extension Period); or
(2) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if
any, on) any Security of that series at its Maturity; or
(3) default in the performance, or breach, in any material
respect, of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other
than a covenant or warranty a default in the performance of which or the breach
of which is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with), and continuance
of such default or breach for a period of 90 days after there has been given, by
registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company
and the Trustee by the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of that series a written notice specifying such default
or breach and requiring it to be remedied; or
(4) the entry of a decree or order by a court having
jurisdiction in the premises adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or
approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement,
adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable
Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law, or
appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other
similar official) of the Company or of any substantial part of its property or
ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of
any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive
days; or
(5) the institution by the Company of proceedings to be
adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the institution of
bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by it of a
petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any
applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other
similar law, or the consent by it to the filing of any such petition or to the
appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other
similar official) of
35
the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of
an assignment for the benefit for creditors, or the admission by it in writing
of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due and its
willingness to be adjudicated a bankrupt, or the taking of corporate action by
the Company in furtherance of any such action; or
(6) any other Event of Default with respect to Securities of
that series.
Section 5.2 ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series at the
time Outstanding occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the
Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of that series may declare the principal amount (or, if
the Securities of that series are Discount Securities, such portion of the
principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of all the
Securities of that series to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in
writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), provided that,
in the case of the Securities of a series issued to a Sierra Pacific Trust, if,
upon an Event of Default, the Trustee or the Holders of not less than 25% in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series fail to declare
the principal of all the Securities of that series to be immediately due and
payable, the holders of at least 25% in aggregate liquidation amount of the
corresponding series of Preferred Securities then outstanding shall have such
right by a notice in writing to the Company and the Trustee; and upon any such
declaration such principal amount (or specified amount) of and the accrued
interest (including any Additional Interest) on all the Securities of such
series shall become immediately due and payable, provided that the payment of
principal and interest (including any Additional Interest) on such Securities
shall remain subordinated to the extent provided in Article Thirteen.
At any time after such a declaration of acceleration with respect to
Securities of any series has been made and before a judgment or decree for
payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee as hereinafter in this
Article provided, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company and the
Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
(1) the Company has paid or deposited with the Trustee a
sum sufficient to pay:
(A) all overdue installments of interest
(including any Additional Interest) on all Securities of that series,
(B) the principal of (and premium, if any, on) any
Securities of that series which have become due otherwise than by such
declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate borne by
the Securities, and
36
(C) all sums paid or advanced by the Trustee
hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and
advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.
(2) all Events of Default with respect to Securities of that
series, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities of that series
which has become due solely by such acceleration, have been cured or waived as
provided in Section 5.13.
The holders of a majority in aggregate outstanding principal amount of
the Securities of a series affected thereby may, on behalf of the holders of all
the Securities of such series, waive any past default, except a default in the
payment of principal or interest (unless such default has been cured and a sum
sufficient to pay all matured installments of interest and principal due
otherwise than by acceleration has been deposited with the Trustee) or a default
in respect of a covenant or provision which under this Indenture cannot be
modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding
Security of such series and, in the case of Securities of a series issued to a
Sierra Pacific Trust, should the holders of such Securities fail to annul such
declaration and waive such default, the holders of a majority in aggregate
liquidation preference of the related series of Preferred Securities shall have
such right.
No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any
right consequent thereon.
Upon receipt by the Trustee of written notice declaring such an
acceleration, or rescission and annulment thereof, with respect to Securities of
a series all or part of which is represented by a Global Security, a record date
shall be established for determining Holders of Outstanding Securities of such
series entitled to join in such notice, which record date shall be at the close
of business on the day the Trustee receives such notice. The Holders on such
record date, or their duly designated proxies, and only such Persons, shall be
entitled to join in such notice, whether or not such Holders remain Holders
after such record date; provided, that, unless such declaration of acceleration,
or rescission and annulment, as the case may be, shall have become effective by
virtue of the requisite percentage having joined in such notice prior to the day
which is 90 days after such record date, such notice of declaration of
acceleration, or rescission and annulment, as the case may be, shall
automatically and without further action by any Holder be canceled and of no
further effect. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a Holder, or a proxy of
a Holder, from giving, after expiration of such 90-day period, a new written
notice of declaration of acceleration, or rescission and annulment thereof, as
the case may be, that is identical to a written notice which has been canceled
pursuant to the proviso to the preceding sentence, in which event a new record
date shall be established pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.2.
Section 5.3 COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT
BY TRUSTEE.
The Company covenants that if:
37
(1) default is made in the payment of any installment of
interest (including any Additional Interest) on any Security when such interest
becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days, or
(2) default is made in the payment of the principal of (and
premium, if any, on) any Security at the Maturity thereof,
the Company will, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to the Trustee, for the
benefit of the Holders of such Securities, the whole amount then due and payable
on such Securities for principal, including any sinking fund payment or
analogous obligations (and premium, if any) and interest (including any
Additional Interest); and, in addition thereto, all amounts owing the Trustee
under Section 6.7.
If the Company fails to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand,
the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a
judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may
prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same
against the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities and collect the
moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of
the property of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities, wherever
situated.
If an Event of Default with respect to Securities of any series occurs
and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and
enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series by
such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual
to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of
any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any
power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.
Section 5.4 TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation,
bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other
judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the
Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their
creditors,
(a) the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the
Securities of any series shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or
by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have
made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal (and
premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest)) shall be
entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,
(i) to file and prove a claim for the whole
amount of principal (and premium, if any) and interest
(including any Additional Interest) owing and unpaid in
respect to the Securities and to file such other papers or
documents as may be necessary or advisable and to take any and
all actions as are authorized
38
under the Trust Indenture Act in order to have the claims of
the Holders and any predecessor to the Trustee under Section
6.7 and of the Holders allowed in any such judicial
proceedings; and
(ii) and in particular, the Trustee shall be
authorized to collect and receive any moneys or other property
payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute
the same in accordance with Section 5.6; and
(b) any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator,
sequestrator (or other similar official) in any such judicial proceeding is
hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee for
distribution in accordance with Section 5.6, and in the event that the Trustee
shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to
the Trustee any amount due to it and any predecessor Trustee under Section 6.7.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to
authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities
or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in
respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding; provided, however,
that the Trustee may, on behalf of the Holders, vote for the election of a
trustee in bankruptcy or similar official and be a member of a creditors' or
other similar committee.
Section 5.5 TRUSTEE MAY ENFORCE CLAIM WITHOUT POSSESSION OF
SECURITIES.
All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities
may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of
the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and
any such 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 the payment of all the amounts owing the Trustee and any
predecessor Trustee under Section 6.7, its agents and counsel, be for the
ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such
judgment has been recovered.
Section 5.6 APPLICATION OF MONEY COLLECTED.
Any money or property collected or to be applied by the Trustee with
respect to a series of Securities pursuant to this Article shall be applied in
the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of
the distribution of such money or property on account of principal (or premium,
if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest), upon presentation of
the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid
and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
FIRST: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee and any
predecessor Trustee under Section 6.7;
39
SECOND: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon
such series of Securities for principal (and premium, if any) and interest
(including any Additional 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 series of Securities
for principal (and premium, if any) and interest (including any Additional
Interest), respectively; and
THIRD: The balance, if any, to the Person or Persons entitled
thereto.
Section 5.7 LIMITATION ON SUITS.
No Holder of any Securities of any series shall have any right to
institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture
or for the appointment of a receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator,
sequestrator (or other similar official) or for any other remedy hereunder,
unless:
(1) such Holder has previously given written notice to the
Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that
series;
(2) the Holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of
the Outstanding Securities of that series shall have made written request to the
Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own
name as Trustee hereunder;
(3) such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee
reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred
in compliance with such request;
(4) the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice,
request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and
(5) no direction inconsistent with such written request has
been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority
in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of that series;
it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have
any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing itself of, any
provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any
other Holders of Securities, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or
preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this
Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable
benefit of all such Holders.
Section 5.8 UNCONDITIONAL RIGHT OF HOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL,
PREMIUM AND INTEREST.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of
any Security shall have the right which is absolute and unconditional to receive
payment of the principal of (and
40
premium, if any) and (subject to Section 3.7) interest (including any Additional
Interest) on such Security on the respective Stated Maturities expressed in such
Security and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such
right shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder. In the case of
Securities of a series issued to a Sierra Pacific Trust, any holder of the
corresponding series of Preferred Securities shall have the right, upon the
occurrence of an Event of Default described in Section 5.1(1) or 5.2(1) hereof,
to institute a suit directly against the Company for enforcement of payment to
such Holder of principal of (premium, if any) and (subject to Section 3.7)
interest (including any Additional Interest) on the Securities having a
principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation preference of the Preferred
Securities of the corresponding series held by such Holder.
Section 5.9 RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES.
If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce
any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been
discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to
the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case the Company, the
Trustee and the Holders shall, subject to any determination in such proceeding,
be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder, and
thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue
as though no such proceeding had been instituted.
Section 5.10 RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE.
Except as otherwise provided in the last paragraph of Section 3.6, no
right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the
Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every
right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in
addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter
existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any
right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent
assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.
Section 5.11 DELAY OR OMISSION NOT WAIVER.
Except as otherwise provided in the last paragraph of Section 3.6, no
delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Security to exercise
any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such
right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an
acquiescence therein.
Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee
or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be
deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.
41
Section 5.12 CONTROL BY HOLDERS.
The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of any series 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 the
Securities of such series, provided that:
(1) such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule
of law or with this Indenture,
(2) the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the
Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction, and
(3) subject to the provisions of Section 6.1, the Trustee
shall have the right to decline to follow 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 be unjustly prejudicial to the Holders not
joining in any such direction or would involve the Trustee in personal
liability.
Upon receipt by the Trustee of any written notice directing the time,
method or place of conducting any such proceeding or exercising any such trust
or power, with respect to Securities of a series all or part of which is
represented by a Global Security, a record date shall be established for
determining Holders of Outstanding Securities of such series entitled to join in
such notice, which record date shall be at the close of business on the day the
Trustee receives such notice. The Holders on such record date, or their duly
designated proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join in such
notice, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date;
provided, that, unless the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of such series shall have joined in such notice prior to
the day which is 90 days after such record date, such notice shall automatically
and without further action by any Holder be canceled and of no further effect.
Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a Holder, or a proxy of a Holder, from
giving, after expiration of such 90-day period, a new notice identical to a
notice which has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the preceding
sentence, in which event a new record date shall be established pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 5.12.
Section 5.13 WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS.
The Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of any series may on behalf of the Holders of all the
Securities of such series waive any past default hereunder and its consequences
with respect to such series except a default:
(1) in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if
any) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on any Security of such
series, or
42
(2) 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.
Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any Event
of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every
purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or
other default or impair any right consequent thereon.
Section 5.14 UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by
his 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 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 Holder, or group of Holders, holding in
the aggregate more than 10% in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of
any series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the
payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest (including any
Additional Interest) on any Security on or after the respective Stated
Maturities expressed in such Security.
Section 5.15 WAIVER OF USURY, STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS.
The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that
it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim
or take the benefit or advantage of, any usury, stay or extension law wherever
enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants
or the performance of this Indenture; and the Company (to the extent that it may
lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such
law, and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any
power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of
every such power as though no such law had been enacted.
ARTICLE VI.
THE TRUSTEE
Section 6.1 CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
(a) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,
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(1) the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only
such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied
covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee;
and
(2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may
conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the
opinions expressed therein, upon 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 which by any provisions 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
requirements of this Indenture.
(b) In case an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, the Trustee shall exercise 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 person would exercise or use under the circumstances in
the conduct of his own affairs.
(c) 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) this Subsection shall not be construed to limit the
effect of Subsection (a) of this Section;
(2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment
made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the
Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts; and
(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 Holders pursuant to Section 5.12 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 such series.
(d) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee
to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in
the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its
rights or powers, if there shall be reasonable grounds for believing that
repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is
not reasonably assured to it.
(e) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every
provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability
of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of
this Section.
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Section 6.2 NOTICE OF DEFAULTS.
Within 90 days after actual knowledge by a Responsible Officer of the
Trustee of the occurrence of any default hereunder with respect to the
Securities of any series, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Holders of
Securities of such series, as their names and addresses appear in the Securities
Register, notice of such default hereunder known to the Trustee, unless such
default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that, except in the
case of a default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or
interest (including any Additional Interest) on any Security of such series, the
Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the
board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors
and/or Responsible Officers of the Trustee in good faith determines that the
withholding of such notice is in the interests of the Holders of Securities of
such series; and provided, further, that, in the case of any default of the
character specified in Section 5.1(3), no such notice to Holders of Securities
of such series shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence
thereof. For the purpose of this Section, the term "default" means any event
which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of
Default with respect to Securities of such series.
Section 6.3 CERTAIN RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.1:
(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, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture,
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 or direction of the Company mentioned herein
shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order and any
resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board
Resolution;
(c) whenever in the administration of this Indenture the
Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to
taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other
evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on
its part, rely upon an Officers' Certificate;
(d) the Trustee may consult with counsel and the advice of
such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization
and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;
(e) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any
of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or
direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holders
shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the
costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with
such request or direction;
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(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, direction, consent, order, bond,
indenture, Security or other paper or document, but the Trustee in its
discretion may make such inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as
it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such inquiry or
investigation, it shall be entitled to examine the books, records and premises
of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney; 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 6.4 NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF
SECURITIES.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities, except the
Trustee's certificates of authentication, shall be taken as the statements of
the Company, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility for their correctness.
The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this
Indenture or of the Securities. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the use
or application by the Company of the Securities or the proceeds thereof.
Section 6.5 MAY HOLD SECURITIES.
The Trustee, any Paying Agent, Securities Registrar or any other agent
of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or
pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 6.8 and 6.13, may otherwise deal
with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee,
Paying Agent, Securities Registrar or such other agent.
Section 6.6 MONEY HELD IN TRUST.
Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder 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 money received by it hereunder except as
otherwise agreed with the Company.
Section 6.7 COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT.
The Company agrees
(1) to pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder in such amounts as the
Company and the Trustee shall agree from time to time (which compensation shall
not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a
trustee of an express trust);
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(2) to reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all
reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee
in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable
compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel),
except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its
negligence or bad faith; and
(3) to indemnify the Trustee for, and to hold it harmless
against, any loss, liability or expense (including the reasonable compensation
and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel) incurred without
negligence or bad faith, arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or
administration of this trust or the performance of its duties hereunder,
including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or
liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or
duties hereunder. This indemnification shall survive the termination of this
Agreement.
To secure the Company's payment obligations in this Section, the
Company and the Holders agree that the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the
Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee. Such lien
shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of
Default specified in Section 5.1(4) or (5) occurs, the expenses and the
compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of
administration under any Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 or a successor statute.
Section 6.8 DISQUALIFICATION; CONFLICTING INTERESTS.
The Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder shall be
subject to the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act. Nothing
herein shall prevent the Trustee from filing with the Commission the application
referred to in the second to last paragraph of Section 301(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act.
Section 6.9 CORPORATE TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY.
There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be
(a) a corporation organized and doing business under the laws
of the United States of America or of any State, Territory or the District of
Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and
subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State, Territorial or District
of Columbia authority, or
(b) a corporation or other Person organized and doing business
under the laws of a foreign government that is permitted to act as Trustee
pursuant to a rule, regulation or order of the Commission, authorized under such
laws to exercise corporate trust powers, and subject to supervision or
examination by authority of such foreign government or a political subdivision
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thereof substantially equivalent to supervision or examination applicable to
United States institutional trustees,
in either case having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000,
subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State 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. If at any time the Trustee
shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it
shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified
in this Article. Neither the Company nor any Person directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company shall serve
as Trustee for the Securities of any series issued hereunder.
Section 6.10 RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.
(a) No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no
appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become
effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee under
Section 6.11.
(b) The Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the
Securities of one or more series by giving written notice thereof to the
Company. If an instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee shall not have
been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving 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 the
Securities of such series.
(c) The Trustee may be removed at any time with respect to the
Securities of any series by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount
of the Outstanding Securities of such series, delivered to the Trustee and to
the Company.
(d) If at any time:
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 6.8 after
written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona
fide Holder of a Security for at least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 6.9
and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any
such Holder, or
(3) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be
adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property
shall be appointed 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,
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then, in any such case, (i) the Company, acting pursuant to the authority of a
Board Resolution, may remove the Trustee, or (ii) subject to Section 5.14, any
Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months
may, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court
of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of
a successor Trustee.
(e) If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become
incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for
any cause with respect to the Securities of one or more series, the Company, by
a Board Resolution, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee with respect to
the Securities of that or those series. If, within one year after such
resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a
successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall be
appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of such series delivered to the Company and the retiring
Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance
of such appointment, become the successor Trustee with respect to the Securities
of such series and supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If
no successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series shall have
been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the
manner hereinafter provided, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a
Security for at least six months may, subject to Section 5.14, on behalf of
himself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the
Securities of such series.
(f) The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each
removal of the Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series and each
appointment of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any series
by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to
the Holders of Securities of such series as their names and addresses appear in
the Securities Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor
Trustee with respect to the Securities of such series and the address of its
Corporate Trust Office.
Section 6.11 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 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
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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) if the retiring Trustee
is not retiring with respect to all Securities, 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 and 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 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 and each 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 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 all 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 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.
Section 6.12 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 all or substantially all of the corporate trust
business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder,
provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this
Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the
part of any of the parties hereto. 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 Trustee may adopt
such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated, and in case any
Securities shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the Trustee may
authenticate such Securities either
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in the name of any predecessor Trustee or in the name of such successor Trustee,
and in all cases the certificate of authentication shall have the full force
which it is provided anywhere in the Securities or in this Indenture that the
certificate of the Trustee shall have.
Section 6.13 PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST COMPANY.
If and when the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company
(or any other obligor upon the Securities), the Trustee shall be subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against
the Company (or any such other obligor).
Section 6.14 APPOINTMENT OF AUTHENTICATING AGENT.
The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect
to one or more series of Securities which shall be authorized to act on behalf
of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued upon original
issue and upon exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof,
and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this
Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated
by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the
authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee's
certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include
authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent.
Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all
times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United
States of America, or of any State, Territory or the District of Columbia,
authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined
capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or
examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent
publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the
requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes
of this Section the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent
shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most
recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent
shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section,
such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the
effect specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent
shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of
the corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent shall be the successor
Authenticating Agent hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise
eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any
further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.
An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice
thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate
the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such
Authenticating Agent and to the
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Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination,
or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a
successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company and
shall give notice of such appointment in the manner provided in Section 1.6 to
all Holders of Securities of the series with respect to which such
Authenticating Agent will serve. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon
acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights,
powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if
originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent
shall be appointed unless eligible under the provision of this Section.
The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to
time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section, and the
Trustee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments, subject to the
provisions of Section 6.7.
If an appointment with respect to one or more series is made pursuant
to this Section, the Securities of such series may have endorsed thereon, in
addition to the Trustee's certificate of authentication, an alternative
certificate of authentication in the following form:
This is one of the Securities referred to in the within mentioned
Indenture.
As Trustee By: ; As Authenticating Agent By: : Authorized Officer
ARTICLE VII.
HOLDER'S LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY
Section 7.1 COMPANY TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF
HOLDERS.
The Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee:
(a) semi-annually, not more than 15 days after January 15 and
July 15, a list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the
names and addresses of the Holders as of such January 1 and July 1, 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,
excluding from any such list names and addresses received by the Trustee in its
capacity as Securities Registrar.
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Section 7.2 PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS TO
HOLDERS.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is
reasonably practicable, the names and addresses of Holders contained in the most
recent list furnished to the Trustee as provided in Section 7.1 and the names
and addresses of Holders received by the Trustee in its capacity as Securities
Registrar. The Trustee may destroy any list furnished to it as provided in
Section 7.1 upon receipt of a new list so furnished.
(b) The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders
with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the Securities, and
the corresponding rights and privileges of the Trustee, shall be as provided in
the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) Every Holder of Securities, by receiving and holding the
same, agrees with the Company and the Trustee that neither the Company nor the
Trustee nor any agent of either of them shall be held accountable by reason of
the disclosure of information as to the names and addresses of the Holders made
pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 7.3 REPORTS BY TRUSTEE.
(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports
concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required
pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act, at the times and in the manner provided
pursuant thereto.
(b) Reports so required to be transmitted at stated intervals
of not more than 12 months shall be transmitted no later than July 15 in each
calendar year, commencing with the first July 15 after the first issuance of
Securities under this Indenture.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such
transmission to Holders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock exchange upon
which the Securities are listed and also with the Commission. The Company will
notify the Trustee whenever the Securities are listed on any stock exchange.
Section 7.4 REPORTS BY COMPANY.
The Company shall file with the Trustee and with the Commission, and
transmit to Holders, such information, documents and other reports, and such
summaries thereof, as may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the
times and in the manner provided in the Trust Indenture Act; provided that any
such information, documents or reports required to be filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
shall be filed with the Trustee within 15 days after the same is required to be
filed with the Commission. Notwithstanding that the Company may not be required
to remain subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company shall continue to file with the
Commission and provide the Trustee with the annual reports and the information,
documents and other reports which are specified in Sections 13 and
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15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company also shall comply with
the other provisions of Trust Indenture Act Section 314(a).
ARTICLE VIII.
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, TRANSFER OR LEASE
Section 8.1 COMPANY MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC., ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS.
The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other Person
or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an
entirety to any Person, and no Person shall consolidate with or merge into the
Company or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as
an entirety to the Company, unless:
(1) in case the Company shall consolidate with or merge into
another Person or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets
substantially as an entirety to any Person, the corporation formed by such
consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires
by conveyance or transfer, or which leases, the properties and assets of the
Company substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation, partnership or
trust organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America or
any State or the District of Columbia, and shall expressly assume, by an
indenture supplemental hereto, executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form
satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of
(and premium, if any) and interest (including any Additional Interest) on all
the Securities and the performance of every covenant of this Indenture on the
part of the Company to be performed or observed;
(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no
Event of Default, and no event which, after notice or lapse of time, or both,
would become an Event of Default, shall have happened and be continuing;
(3) in the case of the Securities of a series issued to a
Sierra Pacific Trust, such consolidation, merger, conveyance, transfer or lease
is permitted under the related Trust Agreement and Sierra Pacific Guarantee and
does not give rise to any breach or violation of the related Trust Agreement or
Sierra Pacific Guarantee; and
(4) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel each stating that such consolidation,
merger, conveyance, transfer or lease and any such supplemental indenture
complies with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for
relating to such transaction have been complied with; and the Trustee, subject
to Section 6.1, may rely upon such Officers' Certificate and Opinion of Counsel
as conclusive evidence that such transaction complies with this Section 8.1.
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Section 8.2 SUCCESSOR CORPORATION SUBSTITUTED.
Upon any consolidation or merger by the Company with or into any other
Person, or any conveyance, transfer or lease by the Company of its properties
and assets substantially as an entirety to any Person in accordance with Section
8.1, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the
Company is merged or to which such conveyance, transfer or lease is made shall
succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of,
the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor
Person had been named as the Company herein; and in the event of any such
conveyance, transfer or lease the Company shall be discharged from all
obligations and covenants under the Indenture and the Securities and may be
dissolved and liquidated.
Such successor Person may cause to be signed, and may issue either in
its own name or in the name of the Company, any or all of the Securities
issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company
and delivered to the Trustee; and, upon the order of such successor Person
instead of the Company and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations
in this Indenture prescribed, the Trustee shall authenticate and shall deliver
any Securities which previously shall have been signed and delivered by the
officers of the Company to the Trustee for authentication pursuant to such
provisions and any Securities which such successor Person thereafter shall cause
to be signed and delivered to the Trustee on its behalf for the purpose pursuant
to such provisions. All the Securities so issued shall in all respects have the
same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Securities theretofore
or thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though
all of such Securities had been issued at the date of the execution hereof.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance or lease,
such changes in phraseology and form may be made in the Securities thereafter to
be issued as may be appropriate.
ARTICLE IX.
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
Section 9.1 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT CONSENT OF HOLDERS.
Without the consent of any Holders, the Company, when authorized by a
Board Resolution, and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter
into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the
Trustee, for any of the following purposes:
(1) to evidence the succession of another Person to the
Company, and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the
Company herein and in the Securities contained; or
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(2) to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any
property to or with the Trustee or to surrender any right or power herein
conferred upon the Company; or
(3) to establish the form or terms of Securities of any
series as permitted by Sections 2.1 or 3.1; or
(4) 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; or
(5) to add any additional Events of Default; or
(6) to change or eliminate any of the provisions of this
Indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective
only when there is no Security Outstanding of any series created prior to the
execution of such supplemental indenture which is entitled to the benefit of
such provision; or
(7) to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any
provision herein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein, or
to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under
this Indenture, provided that such action pursuant to this clause (7) shall not
materially adversely affect the interest of the Holders of Securities of any
series or, in the case of the Securities of a series issued to a Sierra Pacific
Trust and for so long as any of the corresponding series of Preferred Securities
shall remain outstanding, the holders of such Preferred Securities; or
(8) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment
hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more
series and to 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, pursuant to the requirements of Section
6.11(b); or
(9) to comply with the requirements of the Commission in order
to effect or maintain the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust
Indenture Act.
Section 9.2 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF HOLDERS.
With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in
principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of each series affected by such
supplemental indenture, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the
Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may
enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of
adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the
provisions of this Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the
Holders of Securities
56
of such series under this Indenture; provided, however, that no such
supplemental indenture shall, without the consent of the Holder of each
Outstanding Security affected thereby,
(1) except to the extent permitted by Section 3.11 or as
otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to the extension
of the interest payment period of the Securities of any series, change the
Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest (including
any Additional Interest) on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount
thereof or the rate of interest thereon or reduce any premium payable upon the
redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of principal of a Discount Security
that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity
thereof pursuant to Section 5.2, or change the place of payment where, or the
coin or currency in which, any Security or interest thereon is payable, or
impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or
after the Stated Maturity thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or after
the date fixed for redemption thereof), or
(2) reduce the percentage in principal amount of the
Outstanding Securities of any series, the consent of whose Holders is required
for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of whose Holders is required
for any waiver (of compliance with certain provisions of this Indenture or
certain defaults hereunder and their consequences) provided for in this
Indenture, or
(3) modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 5.13
or Section 10.5, except to increase any such percentage or to provide that
certain other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived without
the consent of the Holder of each Security affected thereby; or
(4) modify the provisions in Article Thirteen of this
Indenture with respect to the subordination of Outstanding Securities of any
series in a manner adverse to the Holders thereof;
provided that, in the case of the Securities of a series issued to a Sierra
Pacific Trust, so long as any of the corresponding series of Preferred
Securities remains outstanding, no such amendment shall be made that adversely
affects the holders of such Preferred Securities, and no termination of this
Indenture shall occur, and no waiver of any Event of Default or compliance with
any covenant under this Indenture shall be effective, without the prior consent
of the holders of at least a majority of the aggregate liquidation preference of
such Preferred Securities then outstanding unless and until the principal (and
premium, if any) of the Securities of such series and all accrued and, subject
to Section 3.7, unpaid interest (including any Additional Interest) thereon have
been paid in full; and provided further that in the case of the Securities of a
series issued to a Sierra Pacific Trust, so long as any of the corresponding
series of Preferred Securities remain outstanding, no amendment shall be made to
Section 5.8 of this Indenture without the prior consent of the holders of each
Preferred Security then outstanding unless and until the principal (and premium,
if any) of the Securities of such series and all accrued and (subject to Section
3.7) unpaid interest (including any Additional Interest) thereon have been paid
in full.
57
A supplemental indenture that changes or eliminates any covenant or
other provision of this Indenture that has expressly been included solely for
the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies
the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such
covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this
Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to
approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall
be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.
Section 9.3 EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.
In executing or accepting the additional trusts created by any
supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of
the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive,
and (subject to Section 6.1) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of
such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture, and
that all conditions precedent have been complied with. The Trustee may, but
shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which
affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or
otherwise.
Section 9.4 EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.
Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article,
this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental
indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder
of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder
shall be bound thereby.
Section 9.5 CONFORMITY WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall
conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act as then in effect.
Section 9.6 REFERENCE IN SECURITIES TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES.
Securities authenticated and delivered after the execution of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by
the Company, bear a notation in form approved by the Company as to any matter
provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine,
new Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the
Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the
Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for
Outstanding Securities of such series.
58
ARTICLE X.
COVENANTS
Section 10.1 PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, PREMIUM AND INTEREST.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of
securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of (and premium,
if any) and interest on the Securities of that series in accordance with the
terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
Section 10.2 MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.
The Company will maintain in each Place of Payment for any series, an
office or agency where Securities of that series may be presented or surrendered
for payment and an office or agency where Securities may be surrendered for
transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in
respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company
initially appoints the Trustee, acting through its Corporate Trust Office, as
its agent for said purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the
Trustee of any change in the location of any such office or agency. If at any
time the Company shall fail to maintain such office or agency or shall fail to
furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders,
notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the
Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all
such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other
offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any
or all of such purposes, and may from time to time rescind such designations;
provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner
relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in each
Place of Payment for Securities of any series for such purposes. The Company
will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation and any
change in the location of any such office or agency.
Section 10.3 MONEY FOR SECURITY PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with
respect to any series of Securities, it will, on or before each due date of the
principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on any of the Securities of such
series, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled
thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal (and premium, if any) or interest
so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise
disposed of as herein provided, and will promptly notify the Trustee of its
failure so to act.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents, it will,
prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on each due date of the principal of or
interest on any Securities, deposit with a Paying Agent a sum sufficient to pay
the principal (and premium, if any) or
59
interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the benefit of the
Persons entitled to such principal and premium (if any) or interest, and (unless
such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company will promptly notify the Trustee
of its failure so to act.
The Company will cause each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to
execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent
shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that
such Paying Agent will:
(1) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal
of (and premium, if any) or interest on Securities in trust for the benefit of
the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or
otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(2) give the Trustee notice of any default by the Company (or
any other obligor upon the Securities) in the making of any payment of principal
(and premium, if any) or interest;
(3) at any time during the continuance of any such default,
upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums
so held in trust by such Paying Agent; and
(4) comply with the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act
applicable to it as a Paying Agent.
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
by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in
trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee
upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or
such Paying Agent; and, upon such payment by the Company or any Paying Agent to
the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with
respect to such money.
Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held
by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of (and premium, if
any) or interest on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after
such principal (and premium, if any) or interest has become due and payable
shall (unless otherwise required by mandatory provision of applicable escheat or
abandoned or unclaimed property law) be paid on Company Request to the Company,
or (if then held by the Company) shall (unless otherwise required by mandatory
provision of applicable escheat or abandoned or unclaimed property law) be
discharged from such trust; and the Holder of such Security shall thereafter, as
an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Company for payment thereof, and
all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust
money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon
cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being
required to make any such repayment, may at the expense of the Company cause to
be published once, in a newspaper published in the English language, customarily
published on each Business
60
Day and of general circulation in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New
York, notice that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified
therein, which shall not be less than 30 days from the date of such publication,
any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be repaid to the
Company.
Section 10.4 STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE.
The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end
of each calendar year of the Company ending after the date hereof, an Officers'
Certificate covering the preceding calendar year, stating whether or not to the
best knowledge of the signers thereof the Company is in default in the
performance, observance or fulfillment of or compliance with any of the terms,
provisions, covenants and conditions of this Indenture, and if the Company shall
be in default, specifying all such defaults and the nature and status thereof of
which they may have knowledge. For the purpose of this Section 10.4, compliance
shall be determined without regard to any grace period or requirement of notice
provided pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.
Section 10.5 WAIVER OF CERTAIN COVENANTS.
The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any
covenant or condition as specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect
to the Securities of any series, if before or after the time for such compliance
the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding
Securities of such series shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such
compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such covenant or
condition, but no such waiver shall extend to or affect such covenant or
condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall
become effective, the obligations of the Company in respect of any such covenant
or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 10.6 ADDITIONAL SUMS.
In the case of the Securities of a series issued to a Sierra Pacific
Trust, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1, in the
event that (i) a Sierra Pacific Trust is the Holder of all of the Outstanding
Securities of such series, (ii) a Trust Tax Event in respect of such Sierra
Pacific Trust shall have occurred and be continuing and (iii) the Company shall
not have (i) redeemed the Securities of such series pursuant to Section 11.7(b)
or (ii) terminated such Sierra Pacific Trust pursuant to Section 9.2(b) of the
related Trust Agreement, the Company shall pay to such Sierra Pacific Trust (and
its permitted successors or assigns under the related Trust Agreement) for so
long as such Sierra Pacific Trust (or its permitted successor or assignee) is
the registered holder of any Securities of such series, such additional amounts
as may be necessary in order that the amount of distributions (including any
Additional Amounts (as defined in the Trust Agreement)) then due and payable by
such Sierra Pacific Trust on the related Preferred Securities and Common
Securities that at any time remain outstanding in accordance with the terms
thereof shall not be reduced as a result of any Additional Taxes (the
"Additional Sums"). Whenever in this Indenture or the Securities there is a
reference in any context to the payment of principal of or interest on the
Securities, such mention shall be deemed
61
to include mention of the payments of the Additional Sums provided for in this
paragraph to the extent that, in such context, Additional Sums are, were or
would be payable in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph
and express mention of the payment of Additional Sums (if applicable) in any
provisions hereof shall not be construed as excluding Additional Sums in those
provisions hereof where such express mention is not made, provided, however,
that the extension of an interest payment period pursuant to Section 3.11 or the
Securities shall not extend the payment of any Additional Sums that may be due
and payable during such interest payment period.
[Section 10.7 ADDITIONAL COVENANTS.
The Company covenants and agrees with each Holder of Securities of a
series issued to a Sierra Pacific Trust that it will not, and it will not permit
any Subsidiary of the Company to, (a) declare or pay any dividends or
distributions on, or redeem purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with
respect to, any shares of the Company's capital stock, or (b) make any payment
of principal, interest or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any
debt securities of the Company that rank pari passu with or junior to the
Securities of such series or make any guarantee payments with respect to any
guarantee by the Company of debt securities of any subsidiary of the Company if
such guarantee ranks pari passu with or junior in interest to the Securities
(other than (a) dividends or distributions in Common Stock of the Company, (b)
redemptions or purchases of any rights pursuant to the Company's Rights Plan, or
any successor to such Rights Plan, and the declaration of a dividend of such
rights or the issuance of stock under such plans in the future, (c) payments
under any Sierra Pacific Guarantee, and (d) purchases of Common Stock related to
the issuance of Common Stock under any of the Company's benefit plans for its
directors, officers or employees) if at such time (i) there shall have occurred
any event of which the Company has actual knowledge that (a) with the giving of
notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default
hereunder and (b) in respect of which the Company shall not have taken
reasonable steps to cure, (ii) the Company shall be in default with respect to
its payment of any obligations under the related Sierra Pacific Guarantee or
(iii) the Company shall have given notice of its election to begin an Extension
Period as provided herein and shall not have rescinded such notice, or such
period, or any extension thereof, shall be continuing.
The Company also covenants with each Holder of Securities of a series
issued to a Sierra Pacific Trust (i) to maintain directly or indirectly 100%
ownership of the Common Securities of such Sierra Pacific Trust; provided,
however, that any permitted successor of the Company hereunder may succeed to
the Company's ownership of such Common Securities, (ii) not to voluntarily
terminate, wind-up or liquidate such Sierra Pacific Trust, except (a) in
connection with a distribution of the Securities of such series to the holders
of Preferred Securities in liquidation of such Sierra Pacific Trust or (b) in
connection with certain mergers, consolidations or amalgamations permitted by
the related Trust Agreement and (iii) to use its reasonable efforts, consistent
with the terms and provisions of such Trust Agreement, to cause such Sierra
Pacific Trust to remain classified as a grantor trust and not an association
taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.]
62
ARTICLE XI.
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES
Section 11.1 APPLICABILITY OF THIS ARTICLE.
Redemption of Securities (whether by operation of a sinking fund or
otherwise) as permitted or required by any form of Security issued pursuant to
this Indenture shall be made in accordance with such form of Security and this
Article; provided, however, that if any provision of any such form of Security
shall conflict with any provision of this Article, the provision of such form of
Security shall govern. Except as otherwise set forth in the form of Security for
such series, each Security shall be subject to partial redemption only in the
amount of $25 or, in the case of the Securities of a series issued to a Sierra
Pacific Trust, $25, or integral multiples thereof.
Section 11.2 ELECTION TO REDEEM; NOTICE TO TRUSTEE.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced
by or pursuant to a Board Resolution. In case of any redemption at the election
of the Company of less than all of the Securities of any particular series and
having the same terms, the Company shall, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days
prior to the date fixed for redemption (unless a shorter notice shall be
satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee of such date and of the
principal amount of Securities of that series to be redeemed. In the case of any
redemption of Securities prior to the expiration of any restriction on such
redemption provided in the terms of such Securities, the Company shall furnish
the Trustee with an Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel evidencing
compliance with such restriction.
Section 11.3 SELECTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REDEEMED.
If less than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed
(unless all the Securities of such series and of a specified tenor are to be
redeemed or unless such redemption affects only a single Security), the
particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected not more than 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee, from the Outstanding Securities of
such series not previously called for redemption, by such method as the Trustee
shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the selection for
redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such series,
provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security
shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be less than the minimum
authorized denomination) for such Security. If less than all the Securities of
such series and of a specified tenor are to be redeemed (unless such redemption
affects only a single Security), the particular Securities to be redeemed shall
be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the Trustee,
from the Outstanding Securities of such series and specified tenor not
previously called for redemption in accordance with the preceding sentence.
63
The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the
Securities selected for partial redemption and the principal amount thereof to
be redeemed. For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise
requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate,
in the case of any Security redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the
portion of the principal amount of such Security which has been or is to be
redeemed. If the Company shall so direct, Securities registered in the name of
the Company, any Affiliate or any Subsidiary thereof shall not be included in
the Securities selected for redemption.
Section 11.4 NOTICE OF REDEMPTION.
Notice of redemption shall be given by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, mailed not later than the thirtieth day, and not earlier than the
sixtieth day, prior to the date fixed for redemption, to each Holder of
Securities to be redeemed, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the
Securities Register.
With respect to Securities of each series to be redeemed, each notice
of redemption shall state:
(a) the date fixed for redemption for Securities of such
series;
(b) the redemption price at which Securities of such series
are to be redeemed;
(c) if less than all Outstanding Securities of such particular
series and having the same terms are to be redeemed, the identification (and, in
the case of partial redemption, the respective principal amounts) of the
particular Securities to be redeemed;
(d) that on the date fixed for redemption, the redemption
price at which such Securities are to be redeemed will become due and payable
upon each such Security or portion thereof, and that interest thereon, if any,
shall cease to accrue on and after said date;
(e) the place or places where such Securities are to be
surrendered for payment of the redemption price at which such Securities are to
be redeemed; and
(f) that the redemption is for a sinking fund, if such is the
case.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of
the Company shall be given by the Company or, at the Company's request, by the
Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company and shall not be
irrevocable. The notice if mailed in the manner herein provided shall be
conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Holder
receives such notice. In any case, a failure to give such notice by mail or any
defect in the notice to the Holder of any Security designated for redemption as
a whole or in part shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the
redemption of any other Security.
64
Section 11.5 DEPOSIT OF REDEMPTION PRICE.
Prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the redemption date specified
in the notice of redemption given as provided in Section 11.4, the Company will
deposit with the Trustee or with one or more paying agents an amount of money
sufficient to redeem on the redemption date all the Securities so called for
redemption at the applicable redemption price.
Section 11.6 PAYMENT OF SECURITIES CALLED FOR REDEMPTION.
If any notice of redemption has been given as provided in Section 11.4,
the Securities or portion of Securities with respect to which such notice has
been given shall become due and payable on the date and at the place or places
stated in such notice at the applicable redemption price. On presentation and
surrender of such Securities at a place of payment in said notice specified, the
said securities or the specified portions thereof shall be paid and redeemed by
the Company at the applicable redemption price.
Upon presentation of any Security redeemed in part only, the Company
shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder
thereof, at the expense of the Company, a new Security or Securities of the same
series, of authorized denominations, in aggregate principal amount equal to the
unredeemed portion of the Security so presented and having the same Original
Issue Date, Stated Maturity and terms. If a Global Security is so surrendered,
such new Security will also be a new Global Security.
If any Security called for redemption shall not be so paid upon
surrender thereof for redemption, the principal of and premium, if any, on such
Security shall, until paid, bear interest from the Redemption Date at the rate
prescribed therefor in the Security.
Section 11.7 COMPANY'S RIGHT OF REDEMPTION.
(a) Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1
with respect to the Securities of a particular series and notwithstanding any
additional redemption rights that may be so specified, the Company may, at its
option, redeem the Securities of any series after their date of issuance in
whole at any time or in part from time to time, subject to the provisions of
this clause (a) and the other provisions of this Article XI. Unless otherwise
specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 with respect to the Securities of a
particular series, the redemption price for any Security so redeemed pursuant to
this clause (a) shall be equal to 100% of the principal amount of such
Securities plus any accrued and unpaid interest, including any Additional
Interest, to the date fixed for redemption. The Company shall not redeem the
Securities in part unless all accrued and unpaid interest (including any
Additional Interest) has been paid in full on all Securities Outstanding for all
interest periods terminating on or prior to the date fixed for redemption.
(b) In the case of the Securities of a series issued to a
Sierra Pacific Trust, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section
3.1, if a Special Event in respect of such
65
Sierra Pacific Trust shall occur and be continuing, the Company may, at its
option, redeem the Securities of such series within 90 days of the occurrence of
such Special Event, in whole but not in part, subject to the provisions of this
clause (b) and the other provisions of this Article Eleven. The redemption price
for any Security so redeemed pursuant to this clause (b) shall be equal to 100%
of the principal amount of such Securities then Outstanding plus accrued and
unpaid interest, including any Additional Interest, to the date fixed for
redemption.
ARTICLE XII.
SINKING FUNDS
Section 12.1 APPLICABILITY OF ARTICLE.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund
for the retirement of Securities of any series except as otherwise specified as
contemplated by Section 3.1 for such Securities.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the
terms of any Securities of any series is herein referred to as a "mandatory
sinking fund payment", and any sinking fund payment in excess of such minimum
amount which is permitted to be made by the terms of such Securities of any
series is herein referred to as an "optional sinking fund payment". If provided
for by the terms of any Securities of any series, the cash amount of any sinking
fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 12.2. Each
sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any
series as provided for by the terms of such Securities.
Section 12.2 SATISFACTION OF SINKING FUND PAYMENTS WITH
SECURITIES.
In lieu of making all or any part of a mandatory sinking fund payment
with respect to any Securities of a series in cash, the Company may at its
option, at any time no more than 16 months and no less than 30 days prior to the
date on which such sinking fund payment is due, deliver to the Trustee
Securities of such series (together with the unmatured Coupons, if any,
appertaining thereto) theretofore purchased or otherwise acquired by the
Company, except Securities of such series that have been redeemed through the
application of mandatory or optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms
of the Securities of such series, accompanied by a Company Order instructing the
Trustee to credit such obligations and stating that the Securities of such
series were originally issued by the Company by way of bona fide sale or other
negotiation for value; provided that the Securities to be so credited have not
been previously so credited. The Securities to be so credited shall be received
and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the redemption price for such
Securities, as specified in the Securities so to be redeemed, for redemption
through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund
payment shall be reduced accordingly.
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Section 12.3 REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES FOR SINKING FUND.
Not less than 60 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for any
series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee an Officers'
Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing sinking fund payment for
such Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, the portion thereof,
if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash in the currency in which the
Securities of such series are payable (except as provided pursuant to Section
3.1) and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and
crediting Securities pursuant to Section 12.2 and will also deliver to the
Trustee any Securities to be so delivered. Such Certificate shall be irrevocable
and upon its delivery the Company shall be obligated to make the cash payment or
payments therein referred to, if any, on or before the succeeding sinking fund
payment date. In the case of the failure of the Company to deliver such
Certificate (or, as required by this Indenture, the Securities and coupons, if
any, specified in such Certificate), the sinking fund payment due on the
succeeding sinking fund payment date for such series shall be paid entirely in
cash and shall be sufficient to redeem the principal amount of the Securities of
such series subject to a mandatory sinking fund payment without the right to
deliver or credit securities as provided in Section 12.2 and without the right
to make the optional sinking fund payment with respect to such series at such
time.
Any sinking fund payment or payments (mandatory or optional) made in
cash plus any unused balance of any preceding sinking fund payments made with
respect to the Securities of any particular series shall be applied by the
Trustee (or by the Company if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent) on
the sinking fund payment date on which such payment is made (or, if such payment
is made before a sinking fund payment date, on the sinking fund payment date
immediately following the date of such payment) to the redemption of Securities
of such series at the redemption price specified in such Securities with respect
to the sinking fund. Any sinking fund moneys not so applied or allocated by the
Trustee (or by the Company if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent,
segregated and held in trust as provided in Section 10.3) for such series and
together with such payment (or such amount so segregated) shall be applied in
accordance with the provisions of this Section 12.3. Any and all sinking fund
moneys with respect to the Securities of any particular series held by the
Trustee (or if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, segregated and
held in trust as provided in Section 10.3) on the last sinking fund payment date
with respect to Securities of such series and not held for the payment or
redemption of particular Securities of such series shall be applied by the
Trustee (or by the Company if the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent),
together with other moneys, if necessary, to be deposited (or segregated)
sufficient for the purpose, to the payment of the principal of the Securities of
such series at Maturity. The Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed
upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 11.3 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 11.4. Such notice
having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the
terms and in the manner stated in Section 11.6. On or before each sinking fund
payment date, the Company shall pay to the Trustee (or, if the Company is acting
as its own Paying Agent, the Company shall segregate and hold in trust as
provided in Section 10.3) in cash a sum in the currency in which Securities of
such series are
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payable (except as provided pursuant to Section 3.1) equal to the principal and
any interest accrued to the redemption date for Securities or portions thereof
to be redeemed on such sinking fund payment date pursuant to this Section 12.3.
Neither the Trustee nor the Company shall redeem any Securities of a
series with sinking fund moneys or mail any notice of redemption of Securities
of such series by operation of the sinking fund for such series during the
continuance of a default in payment of interest, if any, on any Securities of
such series or of any Event of Default (other than an Event of Default occurring
as a consequence of this paragraph) with respect to the Securities of such
series, except that if the notice of redemption shall have been provided in
accordance with the provisions hereof, the Trustee (or the Company if the
Company is then acting as its own Paying Agent) shall redeem such Securities if
cash sufficient for that purpose shall be deposited with the Trustee (or
segregated by the Company) for that purpose in accordance with the terms of this
Article Twelve. Except as aforesaid, any moneys in the sinking fund for such
series at the time when any such default or Event of Default shall occur and any
moneys thereafter paid into such sinking fund shall, during the continuance of
such default or Event of Default, be held as security for the payment of the
Securities and coupons, if any, of such series; provided, however, that in case
such default or Event of Default shall have been cured or waived herein, such
moneys shall thereafter be applied on the next sinking fund payment date for the
Securities of such series on which such moneys may be applied pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 12.3.
ARTICLE XIII.
SUBORDINATION OF SECURITIES
Section 13.1 SECURITIES SUBORDINATE TO SENIOR DEBT.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each Holder of a Security, by its
acceptance thereof, likewise covenants and agrees, that, to the extent and in
the manner hereinafter set forth in this Article, the payment of the principal
of (and premium, if any) and interest (including any Additional Interest) on
each and all of the Securities are hereby expressly made subordinate and subject
in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all amounts then due and
payable in respect of all Senior Debt.
Section 13.2 PAYMENT OVER OF PROCEEDS UPON DISSOLUTION, ETC.
In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation,
bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other
judicial proceeding relative to the Company (each such event, if any, herein
sometimes referred to as a "Proceeding"), then the holders of Senior Debt shall
be entitled to receive payment in full of principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest, if any, on such Senior Debt, or provision shall be made for such
payment in cash or cash equivalents or otherwise in a manner satisfactory to the
holders of Senior Debt, before the Holders of the Securities are entitled to
receive or retain any payment or distribution of any kind or character, whether
in cash, property or securities (including any payment or
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distribution which may be payable or deliverable by reason of the payment of any
other Debt of the Company (including any series of the Securities) subordinated
to the payment of the Securities, such payment or distribution being hereinafter
referred to as a "Junior Subordinated Payment"), on account of principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on the
Securities or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities by
the Company or any Subsidiary and to that end the holders of Senior Debt shall
be entitled to receive, for application to the payment thereof, any payment or
distribution of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities,
including any Junior Subordinated Payment, which may be payable or deliverable
in respect of the Securities in any such Proceeding.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this
Section, the Trustee or the Holder of any Security shall have received any
payment or distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character,
whether in cash, property or securities, including any Junior Subordinated
Payment, before all Senior Debt is paid in full or payment thereof is provided
for in cash or cash equivalents or otherwise in a manner satisfactory to the
holders of Senior Debt, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the time of such
payment or distribution, have been made known to the Trustee or, as the case may
be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment or distribution shall be
paid over or delivered forthwith to the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver,
liquidating trustee, custodian, assignee, agent or other Person making payment
or distribution of assets of the Company for application to the payment of all
Senior Debt remaining unpaid, to the extent necessary to pay all Senior Debt in
full, after giving effect to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for
the holders of Senior Debt.
For purposes of this Article only, the words "any payment or
distribution of any kind or character, whether in 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 which securities are subordinated in
right of payment to all then outstanding Senior Debt to substantially the same
extent as the Securities are so subordinated as provided in this Article. The
consolidation of the Company with, or the merger of the Company into, another
Person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the sale of
all or substantially all of its properties and assets as an entirety to another
Person or the liquidation or dissolution of the Company following the sale of
all or substantially all of its properties and assets as an entirety to another
Person upon the terms and conditions set forth in Article Eight shall not be
deemed a Proceeding for the purposes of this Section if the Person formed by
such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which
acquires by sale such properties and assets as an entirety, as the case may be,
shall, as a part of such consolidation, merger, or sale comply with the
conditions set forth in Article Eight.
Section 13.3 PRIOR PAYMENT TO SENIOR DEBT UPON ACCELERATION OF
SECURITIES.
In the event that any Securities are declared due and payable before
their Stated Maturity, then and in such event the holders of the Senior Debt
outstanding at the time such Securities so become due and payable shall be
entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due on or in
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respect of such Senior Debt (including any amounts due upon acceleration), or
provision shall be made for such payment in cash or cash equivalents or
otherwise in a manner satisfactory to the holders of Senior Debt, before the
Holders of the Securities are entitled to receive any payment or distribution of
any kind or character, whether in cash, properties or securities (including any
Junior Subordinated Payment) by the Company on account of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on the
Securities or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities by
the Company or any Subsidiary; provided, however, that nothing in this Section
shall prevent the satisfaction of any sinking fund payment in accordance with
this Indenture or as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for the
Securities of any series by delivering and crediting pursuant to Section 12.2 or
as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for the Securities of any
series Securities which have been acquired (upon redemption or otherwise) prior
to such declaration of acceleration.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall
make any payment to the Trustee or the Holder of any Security prohibited by the
foregoing provisions of this Section, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the
time of such payment, have been made known to the Trustee or, as the case may
be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment shall be paid over and
delivered forthwith to the Company.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any payment with
respect to which Section 13.2 would be applicable.
Section 13.4 NO PAYMENT WHEN SENIOR DEBT IN DEFAULT.
(a) In the event and during the continuation of any default in
the payment of principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Senior Debt,
or in the event that any event of default with respect to any Senior Debt shall
have occurred and be continuing and shall have resulted in such Senior Debt
becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would
otherwise have become due and payable, unless and until such event of default
shall have been cured or waived or shall have ceased to exist and such
acceleration shall have been rescinded or annulled, or (b) in the event any
judicial proceeding shall be pending with respect to any such default in payment
or such event or default, then no payment or distribution of any kind or
character, whether in cash, properties or securities (including any Junior
Subordinated Payment) shall be made by the Company on account of principal of
(or premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest), if any, on
the Securities or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities
by the Company or any Subsidiary; provided, however, that nothing in this
Section shall prevent the satisfaction of any sinking fund payment in accordance
with this Indenture or as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for
the Securities of any series by delivering and crediting pursuant to Section
12.2 or as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 3.1 for the Securities
of any series Securities which have been acquired (upon redemption or otherwise)
prior to such default in payment or event of default.
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In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall
make any payment to the Trustee or the Holder of any Security prohibited by the
foregoing provisions of this Section, and if such fact shall, at or prior to the
time of such payment, have been made known to the Trustee or, as the case may
be, such Holder, then and in such event such payment shall be paid over and
delivered forthwith to the Company.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any payment with
respect to which Section 13.2 would be applicable.
Section 13.5 PAYMENT PERMITTED IF NO DEFAULT.
Nothing contained in this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in
any of the Securities shall prevent (a) the Company, at any time except during
the pendency of any Proceeding referred to in Section 13.2 or under the
conditions described in Sections 13.3 and 13.4, from making payments at any time
of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the Securities, or (b) the
application by the Trustee of any money or Government Obligations deposited with
it hereunder to the payment of or on account of the principal of (and premium,
if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on the Securities or the
retention of such payment by the Holders, if, at the time of such application by
the Trustee, it did not have knowledge that such payment would have been
prohibited by the provisions of this Article.
Section 13.6 SUBROGATION TO RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF SENIOR DEBT.
Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Debt, or the provision for
such payment in cash or cash equivalents or otherwise in a manner satisfactory
to the holders of Senior Debt, the Holders of the Securities shall be subrogated
to the extent of the payments or distributions made to the holders of such
Senior Debt pursuant to the provisions of this Article (equally and ratably with
the holders of all indebtedness of the Company which by its express terms is
subordinated to Senior Debt of the Company to substantially the same extent as
the Securities are subordinated to the Senior Debt and is entitled to like
rights of subrogation by reason of any payments or distributions made to holders
of such Senior Debt) to the rights of the holders of such Senior Debt to receive
payments and distributions of cash, property and securities applicable to the
Senior Debt until the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the
Securities shall be paid in full. For purposes of such subrogation or
assignment, no payments or distributions to the holders of the Senior Debt of
any cash, property or securities to which the Holders of the Securities or the
Trustee would be entitled except for the provisions of this Article, and no
payments over pursuant to the provisions of this Article to the holders of
Senior Debt by Holders of the Securities or the Trustee, shall, as among the
Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Debt, and the Holders of the
Securities, be deemed to be a payment or distribution by the Company to or on
account of the Senior Debt.
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Section 13.7 PROVISIONS SOLELY TO DEFINE RELATIVE RIGHTS.
The provisions of this Article are and are intended solely for the
purpose of defining the relative rights of the Holders of the Securities on the
one hand and the holders of Senior Debt on the other hand. Nothing contained in
this Article or elsewhere in this Indenture or in the Securities is intended to
or shall (a) impair, as between the Company and the Holders of the Securities,
the obligations of the Company, which are absolute and unconditional, to pay to
the Holders of the Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest (including any Additional Interest) on the Securities as and when the
same shall become due and payable in accordance with their terms; or (b) affect
the relative rights against the Company of the Holders of the Securities and
creditors of the Company other than their rights in relation to the holders of
Senior Debt; or (c) prevent the Trustee or the Holder of any Security from
exercising all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under
this Indenture including, without limitation, filing and voting claims in any
Proceeding, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article of the holders of
Senior Debt to receive cash, property and securities otherwise payable or
deliverable to the Trustee or such Holder.
Section 13.8 TRUSTEE TO EFFECTUATE SUBORDINATION.
Each Holder of a Security by his or her acceptance thereof authorizes
and directs the Trustee on his or her behalf to take such action as may be
necessary or appropriate to acknowledge or effectuate the subordination provided
in this Article and appoints the Trustee his or her attorney-in-fact for any and
all such purposes.
Section 13.9 NO WAIVER OF SUBORDINATION PROVISIONS.
No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Debt 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 or by any act
or failure to act, in good faith, by any such holder, or by any noncompliance by
the Company with the terms, provisions and covenants of this Indenture,
regardless of any knowledge thereof that any such holder may have or be
otherwise charged with.
Section 13.10 NOTICE TO TRUSTEE.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any fact
known to the Company which would prohibit the making of any payment to or by the
Trustee in respect of the Securities. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
Article or any other provision of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be
charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts which would prohibit the
making of any payment to or by the Trustee in respect of the Securities, unless
and until the Trustee shall have received written notice thereof from the
Company or a holder of Senior Debt or from any trustee, agent or representative
therefor (whether or not the facts contained in such notice are true); provided,
however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice provided for in
this Section at least two Business Days prior to the date upon
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which by the terms hereof any monies may become payable for any purpose
(including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of (and premium, if
any) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on any Security), then,
anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall
have full power and authority to receive such monies and to apply the same to
the purpose for which they were received and shall not be affected by any notice
to the contrary which may be received by it within two Business Days prior to
such date.
Section 13.11 RELIANCE ON JUDICIAL ORDER OR CERTIFICATE OF LIQUIDATING
AGENT.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to
in this Article, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article Six, and the
Holders of the Securities shall be entitled to rely upon any order or decree
entered by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such Proceeding is
pending, or a certificate of the trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, liquidating
trustee, custodian, assignee for the benefit of creditors, agent or other Person
making such payment or distribution, delivered to the Trustee or to the Holders
of Securities, for the purpose of ascertaining the Persons entitled to
participate in such payment or distribution, the holders of the Senior Debt and
other indebtedness of the Company, the amount thereof or payable thereon, the
amount or amounts paid or distributed thereon and all other facts pertinent
thereto or to this Article.
Section 13.12 TRUSTEE NOT FIDUCIARY FOR HOLDERS OF SENIOR DEBT.
The Trustee, in its capacity as trustee under this Indenture, shall not
be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the holders of Senior Debt and shall not
be liable to any such holders if it shall in good faith mistakenly pay over or
distribute to Holders of Securities or to the Company or to any other Person
cash, property or securities to which any holders of Senior Debt shall be
entitled by virtue of this Article or otherwise.
Section 13.13 RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE AS HOLDER OF SENIOR DEBT; PRESERVATION
OF TRUSTEE'S RIGHTS.
The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the
rights set forth in this Article with respect to any Senior Debt which may at
any time be held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Debt,
and nothing in this Indenture shall deprive the Trustee of any of its rights as
such holder.
Section 13.14 ARTICLE APPLICABLE TO PAYING AGENTS.
In case at any time any Paying Agent other than the Trustee shall have
been appointed by the Company and be then acting hereunder, the term "Trustee"
as used in this Article shall in such case (unless the context otherwise
requires) be construed as extending to and including such Paying Agent within
its meaning as fully for all intents and purposes as if such Paying Agent were
named in this Article in addition to or in place of the Trustee.
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Section 13.15 CERTAIN CONVERSIONS OR EXCHANGES DEEMED PAYMENT.
For the purposes of this Article only, (a) the issuance and delivery of
junior securities upon conversion or exchange of Securities shall not be deemed
to constitute a payment or distribution on account of the principal of (or
premium, if any) or interest (including any Additional Interest) on Securities
or on account of the purchase or other acquisition of Securities, and (b) the
payment, issuance or delivery of cash, property or securities (other than junior
securities) upon conversion or exchange of a Security shall be deemed to
constitute payment on account of the principal of such security. For the
purposes of this Section, the term "junior securities" means (i) shares of any
stock of any class of the Company and (ii) securities of the Company which are
subordinated in right of payment to all Senior Debt which may be outstanding at
the time of issuance or delivery of such securities to substantially the same
extent as, or to a greater extent than, the Securities are so subordinated as
provided in this Article.
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* * * * This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such
counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
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.
SIERRA PACIFIC RESOURCES
By:
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Attest:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK
as Property Trustee
By:
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