Exhibit 4.5
================================================================================
MERCANTILE BANCORPORATION INC.
as Issuer
INDENTURE
Dated as of February 4, 1997
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
as Trustee
SUBORDINATED DEBT SECURITIES
================================================================================
TIE-SHEET
of provisions of Trust Indenture Act of 1939 with Indenture dated as of February
4, 1997 between Mercantile Bancorporation Inc., as Issuer, and The Chase
Manhattan Bank, as Trustee:
ACT SECTION INDENTURE SECTION
310(a)(1)............................................ 6.09
310(a)(2)............................................ 6.09
310(a)(3)............................................ N.A.
310(a)(4)............................................ N.A.
310(a)(5)............................................ 6.09
310(b)............................................... 6.08; 6.10(a)(b) and (d)
310(c)............................................... N.A.
311(a) and (b)....................................... 6.13
311(c)............................................... N.A.
312(a)............................................... 4.01; 4.02(a)
312(b) and (c)....................................... 4.02(b) and (c)
313(a)............................................... 4.04(a)
313(b)(1)............................................ N.A.
313(b)(2)............................................ 4.04(a)
313(c)............................................... 4.04(a)
313(d)............................................... 4.04(b)
314(a)............................................... 4.03
314(b)............................................... N.A.
314(c)(1) and (2).................................... 13.06
314(c)(3)............................................ N.A.
314(d)............................................... N.A.
314(e)............................................... 13.06
314(f)............................................... N.A.
315(a)(c) and (d).................................... 6.01
315(b)............................................... 5.08
315(e)............................................... 5.09
316(a)(1)............................................ 5.01; 5.07
316(a)(2)............................................ N.A.
316(a) last sentence................................. 7.04
316(b)............................................... 5.04
317(a)............................................... 5.02
317(b)............................................... 3.04(a)
318(a)............................................... 13.08
THIS TIE-SHEET IS NOT PART OF THE INDENTURE AS EXECUTED.
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
----
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01. Definitions................................................... 1
ARTICLE II
DEBT SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Forms Generally............................................... 7
SECTION 2.02. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication............... 8
SECTION 2.03. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.......................... 8
SECTION 2.04. Authentication and Dating..................................... 10
SECTION 2.05. Date and Denomination of Debt Securities...................... 11
SECTION 2.06. Execution of Debt Securities.................................. 13
SECTION 2.07. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Debt Securities...... 14
SECTION 2.08. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Debt Securities.......... 16
SECTION 2.09. Temporary Debt Securities..................................... 17
SECTION 2.10. Cancellation of Debt Securities Paid, etc..................... 17
SECTION 2.11. Global Securities............................................. 17
SECTION 2.12. CUSIP Numbers................................................. 18
ARTICLE III
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
SECTION 3.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.................... 19
SECTION 3.02. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc......................... 19
SECTION 3.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee's Office............ 20
SECTION 3.04. Provision as to Paying Agent.................................. 20
SECTION 3.05. Certificate to Trustee........................................ 21
SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions...................... 21
SECTION 3.07. Limitation on Dividends....................................... 21
SECTION 3.08. Covenants as to Mercantile Trusts............................. 22
SECTION 3.09. Calculation of Original Issue Discount........................ 22
ARTICLE IV
SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS
BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.01. Securityholders' Lists........................................ 23
SECTION 4.02. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists.......................... 23
SECTION 4.03. [Reserved].................................................... 24
SECTION 4.04. Reports by the Trustee........................................ 24
ii
ARTICLE V
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
UPON AN EVENT OF DEFAULT
SECTION 5.01. Events of Default............................................. 25
SECTION 5.02. Payment of Debt Securities on Default; Suit Therefor.......... 27
SECTION 5.03. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee.................... 29
SECTION 5.04. Proceedings by Securityholders................................ 29
SECTION 5.05. Proceedings by Trustee........................................ 30
SECTION 5.06. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing............................ 30
SECTION 5.07. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by Majority
of Securityholders............................................ 30
SECTION 5.08. Notice of Defaults............................................ 31
SECTION 5.09. Undertaking to Pay Costs...................................... 32
ARTICLE VI
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee........................ 32
SECTION 6.02. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc.......................... 33
SECTION 6.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc........................... 35
SECTION 6.04. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agents, Transfer
Agents or Registrar May Own Debt Securities................... 35
SECTION 6.05. Moneys to be Held in Trust.................................... 35
SECTION 6.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee.......................... 35
SECTION 6.07. Officers' Certificate as Evidence............................. 36
SECTION 6.08. Conflicting Interest of Trustee............................... 36
SECTION 6.09. Eligibility of Trustee........................................ 37
SECTION 6.10. Resignation or Removal of Trustee............................. 37
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance by Successor Trustee............................... 38
SECTION 6.12. Succession by Merger, etc..................................... 39
SECTION 6.13. Limitation on Rights of Trustee as a Creditor................. 40
SECTION 6.14. Authenticating Agents......................................... 40
ARTICLE VII
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 7.01. Action by Securityholders..................................... 41
SECTION 7.02. Proof of Execution by Securityholders......................... 42
SECTION 7.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners................................ 42
SECTION 7.04. Debt Securities Owned by Company Deemed Not Outstanding....... 43
SECTION 7.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound.................. 43
iii
ARTICLE VIII
SECURITYHOLDERS' MEETINGS
SECTION 8.01. Purposes of Meetings.......................................... 43
SECTION 8.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee................................... 44
SECTION 8.03. Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders................ 44
SECTION 8.04. Qualifications for Voting..................................... 44
SECTION 8.05. Regulations................................................... 44
SECTION 8.06. Voting........................................................ 45
SECTION 8.07. Quorum; Actions............................................... 46
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.01. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of Securityholders.... 47
SECTION 9.02. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of Securityholders....... 48
SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act; Effect of Supplemental
Indentures.................................................... 49
SECTION 9.04. Notation on Debt Securities................................... 50
SECTION 9.05. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to be
Furnished to Trustee.......................................... 50
ARTICLE X
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE
SECTION 10.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms............... 50
SECTION 10.02. Successor Entity to be Substituted............................ 51
SECTION 10.03. Opinion of Counsel to be Given to Trustee..................... 51
ARTICLE XI
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 11.01. Discharge of Indenture....................................... 52
SECTION 11.02. Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust by Trustee.............. 52
SECTION 11.03. Paying Agent to Repay Moneys Held............................ 52
SECTION 11.04. Return of Unclaimed Moneys................................... 53
ARTICLE XII
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS,
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 12.01. Indenture and Debt Securities Solely Corporate Obligations... 53
ARTICLE XIII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 13.01. Successors................................................... 53
iv
SECTION 13.02. Official Acts by Successor Entity............................ 53
SECTION 13.03. Surrender of Company Powers.................................. 54
SECTION 13.04. Addresses for Notices, etc................................... 54
SECTION 13.05. Governing Law................................................ 54
SECTION 13.06. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent............. 54
SECTION 13.07. Non-Business Days............................................ 55
SECTION 13.08. Trust Indenture Act to Control............................... 55
SECTION 13.09. Table of Contents, Headings, etc............................. 55
SECTION 13.10. Execution in Counterparts.................................... 55
SECTION 13.11. Separability................................................. 55
SECTION 13.12. Assignment................................................... 55
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgment of Rights..................................... 56
ARTICLE XIV
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES -- MANDATORY AND
OPTIONAL SINKING FUND
SECTION 14.01. Applicability of Article..................................... 56
SECTION 14.02. Notice of Redemption; Selection of Debt Securities........... 56
SECTION 14.03. Payment of Debt Securities Called for Redemption............. 57
SECTION 14.04. Mandatory and Optional Sinking Fund.......................... 58
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION OF DEBT SECURITIES
SECTION 15.01. Agreement to Subordinate..................................... 60
SECTION 15.02. Default on Senior Indebtedness............................... 60
SECTION 15.03. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy......................... 61
SECTION 15.04. Subrogation.................................................. 62
SECTION 15.05. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.......................... 63
SECTION 15.06. Notice by the Company........................................ 63
SECTION 15.07. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness........ 64
SECTION 15.08. Subordination May Not Be Impaired............................ 64
v
THIS INDENTURE, dated as of February 4, 1997, between Mercantile
Bancorporation Inc., a Missouri corporation (hereinafter sometimes called the
"Company"), and The Chase Manhattan Bank, a New York banking corporation, as
trustee (hereinafter sometimes called the "Trustee"),
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, for its lawful corporate purposes, the Company has duly
authorized the issue from time to time of its subordinated unsecured debentures,
notes or other evidence of indebtedness to be issued in one or more series (the
"Debt Securities") up to such principal amount or amounts as may from time to
time be authorized in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and, to
provide the terms and conditions upon which the Debt Securities are to be
authenticated, issued and delivered, the Company has duly authorized the
execution of this Indenture; and
WHEREAS, all acts and things necessary to make this Indenture a valid
agreement according to its terms, have been done and performed;
NOW, THEREFORE, This Indenture Witnesseth:
In consideration of the premises, and the purchase of the Debt
Securities by the holders thereof, the Company covenants and agrees with the
Trustee for the equal and proportionate benefit of the respective holders from
time to time of the Debt Securities or of a series thereof, as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
SECTION 1.01. Definitions.
The terms defined in this Section 1.01 (except as herein otherwise
expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires) for all purposes of
this Indenture and of any indenture supplemental hereto shall have the
respective meanings specified in this Section 1.01. All other terms used in this
Indenture which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the
"Trust Indenture Act"), or which are by reference therein defined in the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), shall (except as
herein otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires)
have the meanings assigned to such terms in said Trust Indenture Act and in said
Securities Act as in force at the date of this Indenture as originally executed.
All accounting terms used herein and not expressly defined shall have the
meanings assigned to such terms in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles and the term "generally accepted accounting principles" means such
accounting principles as are generally accepted at the time of any computation.
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.
"Affiliate" means, with respect to a specified Person, (a) any Person
directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or
more of the outstanding voting securities or other ownership interests of the
specified Person, (b) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting
securities or other ownership interests are directly or indirectly owned,
controlled or held with power to vote by the specified Person,
(c) any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under
common control with the specified Person, (d) a partnership in which the
specified Person is a general partner, (e) any executive officer or director of
the specified Person, and (f) if the specified Person is an individual, any
entity of which the specified Person is an executive officer, director or
general partner.
"Authenticating Agent" shall mean any agent or agents of the Trustee
which at the time shall be appointed and acting pursuant to Section 6.14.
"Bankruptcy Law" shall mean Title 11, U.S. Code, or any similar
federal or state law for the relief of debtors.
"Board of Directors" shall mean the board of directors or the
executive committee or any other duly authorized designated officers of the
Company.
"Board Resolution" shall mean a copy of a resolution certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by
the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such
certification and delivered to the Trustee.
"Business Day" shall mean, with respect to any series of Debt
Securities, any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which
banking institutions in New York City (in the State of New York) and St. Louis
(in the State of Missouri) are permitted or required by any applicable law to
close.
"Capital Securities" shall mean undivided beneficial interests in the
assets of a Mercantile Trust which rank pari passu with Common Securities issued
by such Mercantile Trust; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an
Event of Default (as defined in the Declaration with respect to such Mercantile
Trust), the rights of holders of such Common Securities to payment in respect of
distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise are
subordinated to the rights of holders of such Capital Securities.
"Capital Securities Guarantee" shall mean, in respect of any
Mercantile Trust, any guarantee that the Company may enter into with The Chase
Manhattan Bank or other Persons that operates directly or indirectly for the
benefit of holders of Capital Securities of such Mercantile Trust.
"Certificate" shall mean a certificate signed by any one of the
principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal
accounting officer of the Company.
"Common Securities" shall mean undivided beneficial interests in the
assets of a Mercantile Trust which rank pari passu with Capital Securities
issued by such Mercantile Trust; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of
an Event of Default (as defined in the Declaration with respect to such
Mercantile Trust), the rights of holders of such Common Securities to payment in
respect of distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption
2
and otherwise are subordinated to the rights of holders of such Capital
Securities.
"Common Securities Guarantee" shall mean, in respect of any Mercantile
Trust, any guarantee that the Company may enter into with any Person or Persons
and that operates directly or indirectly for the benefit of holders of Common
Securities of such Mercantile Trust.
"Company" shall mean Mercantile Bancorporation Inc., a Missouri
corporation, and, subject to the provisions of Article X, shall include its
successors and assigns.
"Custodian" shall mean any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, or
similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
"Debt Security" or "Debt Securities" shall have the meaning stated in
the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any debt
security or debt securities, as the case may be, authenticated and delivered
under this Indenture.
"Debt Security Register" shall have the meaning specified in Section
2.07.
"Declaration," with respect to a Mercantile Trust, shall mean the
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of such Mercantile Trust, as amended
or supplemented from time to time.
"Default" means any event, act or condition that with notice or lapse
of time, or both, would constitute an Event of Default.
"Depositary" shall mean, with respect to Debt Securities of any series
for which the Company shall determine that such Debt Securities will be issued
as a Global Security, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, another
clearing agency, or any successor registered as a clearing agency under the
Exchange Act, or other applicable statute or regulation, which, in each case,
shall be designated by the Company pursuant to either Section 2.03 or 2.11.
"Event of Default" shall mean any event specified in Section 5.01,
continued for the period of time, if any, and after the giving of the notice, if
any, therein designated.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
"Global Security" shall mean, with respect to any series of Debt
Securities, a Debt Security executed by the Company and delivered by the Trustee
to the Depositary or pursuant to the Depositary's instruction, all in accordance
with this Indenture, which shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or
its nominee.
"Indenture" shall mean this instrument as originally executed or, if
amended or supplemented as herein provided, as so amended or supplemented, or
both, and shall include
3
the form and terms of particular series of Debt Securities established as
contemplated hereunder.
"Institutional Trustee" has the meaning set forth in the Declaration
of the applicable Mercantile Trust.
"Interest" shall mean, when used with respect to noninterest bearing
Debt Securities, interest payable after maturity.
"Interest Payment Date," when used with respect to any installment of
interest on a Debt Security of a particular series, shall mean the date
specified in such Debt Security or in a Board Resolution or in an indenture
supplemental hereto with respect to such series as the fixed date on which an
installment of interest with respect to Debt Securities of that series is due
and payable.
"Mercantile Trust" shall mean a Delaware business trust, or any other
similar trust created for the purpose of issuing Capital Securities in
connection with the issuance of Debt Securities under this Indenture, of which
the Company is the sponsor.
"Mortgage" shall mean and include any mortgage, pledge, lien, security
interest, conditional sale or other title retention agreement or other similar
encumbrance.
"Officers' Certificate" shall mean a certificate signed by the
Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman, the President, any Managing Director
or any Vice President, and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the
Comptroller, an Assistant Comptroller, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary
of the Company, and delivered to the Trustee. Each such certificate shall
include the statements provided for in Section 13.06 if and to the extent
required by the provisions of such Section.
"Opinion of Counsel" shall mean an opinion in writing signed by legal
counsel, who may be an employee of or counsel to the Company, or may be other
counsel satisfactory to the Trustee. Each such opinion shall include the
statements provided for in Section 13.06 if and to the extent required by the
provisions of such Section.
"Original Issue Date" of any Debt Security (or any portion thereof)
shall mean the earlier of (a) the date of such Debt Security or (b) the date of
any Debt Security (or portion thereof) for which such Debt Security was issued
(directly or indirectly) on registration of transfer, exchange or substitution.
"Original Issue Discount Security" shall mean any Debt 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 5.01.
4
The term "outstanding," when used with reference to Debt Securities,
shall, subject to the provisions of Section 7.04, mean, as of any particular
time, all Debt Securities authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent under this Indenture, except
(a) Debt Securities theretofore canceled by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Debt Securities, or portions thereof, for the payment or
redemption of which moneys in the necessary amount shall have been
deposited in trust with the Trustee or with any paying agent (other than
the Company) or shall have been set aside and segregated in trust by the
Company (if the Company shall act as its own paying agent); provided that,
if such Debt Securities, or portions thereof, are to be redeemed prior to
maturity thereof, notice of such redemption shall have been given as
provided in Article Fourteen or provision satisfactory to the Trustee shall
have been made for giving such notice; and
(c) Debt Securities paid pursuant to Section 2.08 or in lieu of or in
substitution for which other Debt Securities shall have been authenticated
and delivered pursuant to the terms of Section 2.08 unless proof
satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee is presented that any such Debt
Securities are held by bona fide holders in due course.
(d) In determining whether the holders of the requisite principal
amount of outstanding Debt Securities have given any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the
principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security that shall be
deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the
principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such
determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof
pursuant to Section 5.01.
"Person" shall mean any individual, corporation, limited liability
company, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust,
unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision
thereof.
"Predecessor Security" of any particular Debt Security means every
previous Debt Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that
evidenced by such particular Debt Security; and, for the purposes of this
definition, any Debt Security authenticated and delivered under Section 2.08 in
lieu of a lost, destroyed or stolen Debt Security shall be deemed to evidence
the same debt as the lost, destroyed or stolen Debt Security.
"Principal Office of the Trustee", or other similar term, shall mean
the office of the Trustee, at which at any particular time its corporate trust
business shall be principally administered, which at the time of the execution
of this Indenture shall be ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ -- ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
5
"Responsible Officer" shall mean, with respect to the Trustee, any
officer within the Principal Office of the Trustee, including any vice-
president, any assistant vice-president, any secretary, any assistant secretary,
the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, any trust officer or other officer of
the Principal Trust Office of the Trustee customarily performing functions
similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also
means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to
whom such matter is referred because of that officer's knowledge of and
familiarity with the particular subject.
"Securityholder," "holder of Debt Securities", or other similar terms,
shall mean any Person in whose name at the time a particular Debt Security is
registered on the register kept by the Company or the Trustee for that purpose
in accordance with the terms hereof.
"Senior Indebtedness" means, with respect to the Company (except any
other obligations which rank pari passu with the Debt Securities of a series),
(i) the principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of (A) indebtedness
of the Company for money borrowed and (B) indebtedness evidenced by securities,
debentures, notes, bonds or other similar instruments issued by the Company,
including, without limitation, any current or future indebtedness under any
indenture (other than this Indenture) to which the Company is a party; (ii) all
capital lease obligations of the Company; (iii) all obligations of the Company
issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property, all conditional
sale obligations of the Company and all obligations of the Company under any
title retention agreement (but excluding trade accounts payable arising in the
ordinary course of business); (iv) all obligations of the Company for the
reimbursement of any letter of credit, any banker's acceptance, any security
purchase facility, any repurchase agreement or similar arrangement, any interest
rate swap, any other hedging arrangement, any obligation under options or any
similar credit or other transaction; (v) all obligations of the type referred to
in clauses (i) through (iv) above of other Persons for the payment of which the
Company is responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise; and (vi)
all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (i) through (v) above of
other Persons secured by any lien on any property or asset of the Company
(whether or not such obligation is assumed by the Company), except for (1) any
indebtedness between or among the Company or any Affiliate of the Company and
(2) any series of Debt Securities issued pursuant to this Indenture and
guarantees in respect of any such series of Debt Securities. Senior Indebtedness
does not include the Debt Securities of any series or any junior subordinated
debt securities issued in the future with subordination terms substantially
similar to the Debt Securities of any series. Senior Indebtedness shall continue
to be Senior Indebtedness and be entitled to the subordination provisions
irrespective of any amendment, modification or waiver of any term of such Senior
Indebtedness.
"Subsidiary" shall mean with respect to any Person, (i) any
corporation at least a majority of the outstanding voting stock of which is
owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its
Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any
general partnership, joint venture or similar entity, at least a majority of the
outstanding partnership or similar interests of which shall at the time be owned
by such
6
Person, or by one or more of its Subsidiaries, or by such Person and one or more
of its Subsidiaries and (iii) any limited partnership of which such Person or
any of its Subsidiaries is a general partner. For the purposes of this
definition, "voting stock" means shares, interests, participations or other
equivalents in the equity interest (however designated) in such Person having
ordinary voting power for the election of a majority of the directors (or the
equivalent) of such Person, other than shares, interests, participations or
other equivalents having such power only by reason of the occurrence of a
contingency.
"Trust Indenture Act" shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in
force at the date of execution of this Indenture, except as provided in Section
9.03; provided, however, that, in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is
amended after such date, Trust Indenture Act shall mean, to the extent required
by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.
"Trust Securities" shall mean Common Securities and Capital Securities
of a Mercantile Trust.
"Trustee" shall mean the Person identified as "Trustee" in the first
paragraph hereof, and, subject to the provisions of Article VI hereof, shall
also include its successors and assigns as Trustee hereunder. The term "Trustee"
as used with respect to a particular series of Debt Securities shall mean the
trustee with respect to that series.
"Yield to Maturity" shall mean the yield to maturity on a series of
Debt Securities, calculated at the time of issuance of such series of Debt
Securities, or if applicable, at the most recent predetermination of interest on
such series and calculated in accordance with accepted financial practice.
ARTICLE II.
DEBT SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Forms Generally.
The Debt Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form
as shall be established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution and as set forth in
an Officers' Certificate of the Company 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 any law or with any rules made pursuant thereto or with any 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 Debt
Securities.
In the event the Debt Securities are issued in definitive form
pursuant to this Indenture, such Debt Securities shall be typed, printed,
lithographed or engraved on steel engraved borders or may be produced in any
other manner, all as determined by the officers executing such Debt Securities,
as evidenced by their execution of such Debt Securities.
7
SECTION 2.02. Form of Trustee's Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustee's certificate of authentication on all Debt Securities
shall be in substantially the following form:
This is one of the Debt Securities of the series designated therein
referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee
By
---------------------------------
Authorized Officer
SECTION 2.03. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities which may be
authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.
The Debt Securities may be issued in one or more series up to the
aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities of that series from time to time
authorized by or pursuant to a Board Resolution of the Company or pursuant to
one or more indentures supplemental hereto. Prior to the initial issuance of
Debt Securities of any series, there shall be established in or pursuant to a
Board Resolution of the Company and set forth in an Officers' Certificate of the
Company or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto:
(1) the title of the Debt Securities of the series (which shall
distinguish Debt Securities of the series from all other Debt Securities);
(2) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Debt
Securities of the series which may be authenticated and delivered under
this Indenture (except for Debt Securities authenticated and delivered upon
registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Debt
Securities of the series pursuant to Section 2.07, 2.08, 2.09, 9.04 or
14.03);
(3) the date or dates on which the principal of and premium, if
any, on the Debt Securities of the series is payable;
(4) the rate or rates at which the Debt Securities of the series
shall bear interest, if any, or the method by which such interest may be
determined, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue, the
Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable or the
manner of determination of such Interest Payment Dates and the record dates
for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable on any such
Interest Payment Dates;
8
(5) the place or places where the principal of, and premium, if
any, and any interest on Debt Securities of the series shall be payable;
(6) the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods
and the duration of such extension;
(7) the price or prices at which, the period or periods within
which and the terms and conditions upon which Debt Securities of the series
may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company,
pursuant to any sinking fund or otherwise;
(8) the obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem, purchase
or repay Debt Securities of the series pursuant to any sinking fund or
analogous provisions or at the option of a Securityholder thereof and the
price or prices at which and the period or periods within which, and the
terms and conditions upon which Debt Securities of the series shall be
redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such
obligation;
(9) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral
multiple thereof, the denominations in which Debt Securities of the series
shall be issuable;
(10) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of
the principal amount of Debt Securities of the series which shall be
payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant
to Section 5.01 or provable in bankruptcy pursuant to Section 5.02;
(11) any Events of Default with respect to the Debt Securities
of a particular series, if not set forth herein;
(12) the form of the Debt Securities of the series including the
form of the certificate of authentication of such series;
(13) any trustee, authenticating or paying agents, warrant
agents, transfer agents or registrars with respect to the Debt Securities
of such series;
(14) whether the Debt 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 Security or Securities, and
whether beneficial owners of interests in any such Global Securities may
exchange such interests for other Debt Securities of such series in the
manner provided in Section 2.07, and the manner and the circumstances under
which and the place or places where any such exchanges may occur if other
than in the manner provided in Section 2.07, and any other terms of the
series relating to the global nature of the Global Securities of such
series and the exchange, registration or transfer thereof and the payment
of any principal thereof, or interest or premium, if any, thereon;
9
(15) if the Debt Securities of the series are issued pursuant to
an exemption from registration under the Securities Act; and
(16) any other terms of the series (which terms shall not be
inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture).
All Debt Securities of any one series shall be substantially identical
except as to denomination and except as may otherwise be provided in or pursuant
to such resolution of the Board of Directors 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 of the Company, a copy of an appropriate record
of such action shall be certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of
the Company and delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the
Officers' Certificate of the Company setting forth the terms of the series.
SECTION 2.04. Authentication and Dating.
At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of
this Indenture, the Company may deliver Debt Securities of any series executed
by the Company to the Trustee for authentication, and the Trustee shall
thereupon authenticate and make available for delivery said Debt Securities to
or upon the written order of the Company, signed by its Chairman of the Board of
Directors, Vice Chairman, the President, one of its Managing Directors or one of
its Vice Presidents and by its Secretary, any Assistant Secretary, Treasurer or
any Assistant Treasurer, without any further action by the Company hereunder. In
authenticating such Debt Securities, and accepting the additional
responsibilities under this Indenture in relation to such Debt Securities, the
Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 6.01) shall be
fully protected in relying upon:
(1) a copy of any Board Resolution or Board Resolutions relating
thereto and, if applicable, an appropriate record of any action taken
pursuant to such resolution, in each case certified by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Company as the case may be;
(2) an executed supplemental indenture, if any;
(3) an Officers' Certificate prepared in accordance with Section
13.06 setting forth the form and terms of the Debt Securities if and as
required pursuant to Sections 2.01 and 2.03, respectively; and
(4) an Opinion of Counsel prepared in accordance with Section
13.06 which shall also state:
(a) that the form of such Debt Securities has been established by or
pursuant to a Board Resolution or by a supplemental indenture as permitted
by Section 2.01 in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
10
(b) that the terms of such Debt Securities have been established by
or pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors or by a supplemental
indenture as permitted by Section 2.03 in conformity with the provisions of
this Indenture;
(c) that such Debt Securities, when authenticated and delivered by
the Trustee and issued by the Company in each case in the manner and
subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will
constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company; and
(d) that all laws and requirements in respect of the execution and
delivery by the Company of the Debt Securities, have been complied with and
that authentication and delivery of the Debt Securities by the Trustee will
not violate the terms of this Indenture.
The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and
deliver any Debt Securities under this Section if the Trustee, being advised by
counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken or if a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such
action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to existing holders.
SECTION 2.05. Date and Denomination of Debt Securities.
The Debt Securities shall be issuable as registered Debt Securities
without coupons and in such denominations as shall be specified as contemplated
by Section 2.03. In the absence of any such specification with respect to the
Debt Securities of any series, the Debt Securities of such series shall be
issuable in the denominations of $1,000 and any multiple thereof. The Debt
Securities shall be numbered, lettered, or otherwise distinguished in such
manner or in accordance with such plans as the officers executing the same may
determine with the approval of the Trustee as evidenced by the execution and
authentication thereof.
Every Debt Security shall be dated the date of its authentication,
shall bear interest, if any, from such date and shall be payable on such dates,
in each case, as contemplated by Section 2.03. The interest installment on any
Security that is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any
Interest Payment Date for Debt Securities of that series shall be paid to the
Person in whose name said Debt Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities)
is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such
interest installment. In the event that any Debt Security of a particular series
or portion thereof is called for redemption and the redemption date is
subsequent to a regular record date with respect to any Interest Payment Date
and prior to such Interest Payment Date, interest on such Debt Security will be
paid upon presentation and surrender of such Debt Security as provided in
Section 14.03.
Any interest on any Debt Security that is payable, but is not
punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date for a Debt
Security of the same series (herein called "Defaulted Interest") shall forthwith
cease to be payable to the registered holder on the relevant regular record date
by virtue of having been such holder; and such
11
Defaulted Interest shall be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in
clause (1) or clause (2) below:
(A) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on Debt
Securities to the Persons in whose names such Debt Securities (or their
respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business
on a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which
shall be fixed in the following manner: the Company shall notify the
Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid
on each such Debt Security and the date of the proposed payment, and at the
same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money
equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such
Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee
for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when
deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to
such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee
shall fix a special record date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest
which shall not be more than 15 nor less than ten days prior to the date of
the proposed payment and not less than ten 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 Securityholder at his or her address as it
appears in the Debt Security Register, not less than ten days prior to such
special record date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted
Interest and the special record date therefor having been mailed as
aforesaid, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose
names such Debt Securities (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are
registered on such special record date and shall be no longer payable
pursuant to the following clause (2).
(B) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on any
Debt Securities in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the
requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be
listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after
notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant
to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the
Trustee.
In respect of any series of Debt Securities in which the right to
extend the interest payment periods has been provided pursuant to Section
2.03(6), any interest scheduled to become payable on an Interest Payment Date
occurring during a valid extension of an interest payment period shall not be
Defaulted Interest and shall be payable on such other date as may be specified
in the terms of such Debt Securities.
Unless otherwise set forth in a Board Resolution of the Company or one
or more indentures supplemental hereto establishing the terms of any series of
Debt Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 hereof, the term "regular record date"
as used in this Section with respect to a series of Debt Securities with respect
to any Interest Payment Date for such
12
series shall mean either the fifteenth day of the month immediately preceding
the month in which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant
to Section 2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the first
day of a month, or the last day of the month immediately preceding the month in
which an Interest Payment Date established for such series pursuant to Section
2.01 hereof shall occur, if such Interest Payment Date is the fifteenth day of a
month, whether or not such date is a Business Day.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section, each Debt
Security of a series delivered under this Indenture upon registration of
transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Debt Security of such
series shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue,
that were carried by such other Debt Security.
SECTION 2.06. Execution of Debt Securities.
The Debt Securities shall be signed in the name and on behalf of the
Company by the manual or facsimile signature of its Chairman of the Board of
Directors, Vice Chairman, President, one of its Managing Directors or one of its
Executive Vice Presidents, Senior Vice Presidents or Vice Presidents and by the
manual or facsimile signature of its Secretary, one of its Assistant
Secretaries, its Treasurer or one of its Assistant Treasurers, under its
corporate seal which may be affixed thereto or printed, engraved or otherwise
reproduced thereon, by facsimile or otherwise, and which need not be attested.
Only such Debt Securities as shall bear thereon a certificate of authentication
substantially in the form herein before recited, executed by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent by the manual signature of an authorized officer, shall be
entitled to the benefits of this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any
purpose. Such certificate by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent upon any
Debt Security executed by the Company shall be conclusive evidence that the Debt
Security so authenticated has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder
and that the holder is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture.
In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the
Debt Securities shall cease to be such officer before the Debt Securities so
signed shall have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent, or disposed of by the Company, such Debt Securities
nevertheless may be authenticated and delivered or disposed of as though the
Person who signed such Debt Securities had not ceased to be such officer of the
Company; and any Debt Security may be signed on behalf of the Company by such
Persons as, at the actual date of the execution of such Debt Security, shall be
the proper officers of the Company, although at the date of the execution of
this Indenture any such person was not such an officer.
SECTION 2.07. Exchange and Registration of Transfer of Debt
Securities.
Subject to Section 2.03(14), Debt Securities of any series may be
exchanged for a like aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities of the same
series of other authorized denominations. Debt Securities to be exchanged may be
surrendered at the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee or at any
office or agency to be maintained by the Company for such purpose as provided in
Section 3.02, and the Company shall execute,
13
the Company or the Trustee shall register and the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent shall authenticate and make available for delivery in exchange therefor
the Debt Security or Debt Securities which the Securityholder making the
exchange shall be entitled to receive. Subject to Section 2.03(14), upon due
presentment for registration of transfer of any Debt Security of any series at
the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee or at any office or agency
of the Company maintained for such purpose as provided in Section 3.02, the
Company shall execute, the Company or the Trustee shall register and the Trustee
or the Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and make available for delivery
in the name of the transferee or transferees a new Debt Security or Debt
Securities of the same series for a like aggregate principal amount.
Registration or registration of transfer of any Debt Security by the Trustee or
by any agent of the Company appointed pursuant to Section 3.02, and delivery of
such Debt Security, shall be deemed to complete the registration or registration
of transfer of such Debt Security.
The Company shall cause to be kept, at the office or agency maintained
for the purpose of registration of transfer and for exchange as provided in
Section 3.02, a register (the "Debt Security Register") for each series of Debt
Securities issued hereunder in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as
it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration and transfer of
all Debt Securities as in this Article Two provided. Such register shall be in
written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form
within a reasonable time.
All Debt Securities presented for registration of transfer or for
exchange or payment shall (if so required by the Company or the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent) be duly endorsed by, or be accompanied by a written
instrument or instruments of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and
the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent duly executed by, the holder or his
attorney duly authorized in writing.
No service charge shall be made for any exchange or registration of
transfer of Debt Securities, but the Company or the Trustee may require payment
of a sum sufficient to cover any tax, fee or other governmental charge that may
be imposed in connection therewith.
The Company or the Trustee shall not be required to exchange or
register a transfer of (a) any Debt Security for a period of 15 days next
preceding the date of selection of Debt Securities of such series for
redemption, or (b) any Debt Securities of any series selected, called or being
called for redemption in whole or in part, except in the case of any Debt
Securities of any series to be redeemed in part, the portion thereof not so to
be redeemed.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if pursuant to Section 2.03, a series
of Debt Securities are issued pursuant to an exemption from registration under
the Securities Act, such Debt Securities may not be transferred except in
compliance with the restricted securities legend set forth below (the
"Restrictive Securities Legend"), unless otherwise determined by the Company
pursuant to Section 2.03 and in accordance with applicable law:
14
THE DEBT SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES
ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT") OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
NEITHER THIS DEBT SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE
REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE
DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS
EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES
ACT. THE HOLDER OF THIS DEBT SECURITY BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF AGREES TO OFFER,
SELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER SUCH DEBT SECURITY PRIOR TO THE DATE WHICH IS THREE
YEARS AFTER THE LATER OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE HEREOF AND THE LAST DATE ON
WHICH MERCANTILE BANCORPORATION INC. (THE "COMPANY") OR ANY AFFILIATE OF THE
COMPANY WAS THE OWNER OF THIS DEBT SECURITY OR ANY PREDECESSOR OF THIS DEBT
SECURITY (THE "RESALE RESTRICTIONS TERMINATION DATE") ONLY (A) TO THE COMPANY,
(B) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT,
(C) FOR SO LONG AS THE DEBT SECURITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE
144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT ("RULE 144A"), TO A PERSON IT REASONABLY BELIEVES
IS A "QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER" AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A THAT PURCHASES FOR
ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHOM
NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (D) TO
AN INSTITUTIONAL "ACCREDITED INVESTOR" WITHIN THE MEANING OF SUBPARAGRAPH (a)
(1), (2), (3) OR (7) OF RULE 501 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT IS ACQUIRING THE
DEBT SECURITY FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF SUCH AN INSTITUTIONAL
"ACCREDITED INVESTOR," FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES AND NOT WITH A VIEW TO, OR FOR
OFFER OR SALE IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY DISTRIBUTION IN VIOLATION OF THE
SECURITIES ACT OR (E) PURSUANT TO ANOTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, SUBJECT TO THE COMPANY'S RIGHT
PRIOR TO ANY SUCH OFFER, SALE OR TRANSFER PURSUANT TO CLAUSES (D) OR (E) TO
REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, CERTIFICATION AND/OR OTHER
INFORMATION SATISFACTORY TO IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INDENTURE, A COPY OF WHICH
MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE COMPANY. THE HOLDER OF THIS DEBT SECURITY AGREES THAT
IT WILL COMPLY WITH THE FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS. DEBT SECURITIES OWNED BY A
PURCHASER THAT IS NOT A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER MAY NOT BE HELD IN BOOK-
ENTRY FORM. THIS LEGEND WILL BE REMOVED UPON THE REQUEST OF A HOLDER AFTER THE
RESALE RESTRICTIONS TERMINATION DATE.
Prior to any distribution of the Debt Securities to the holders of
Capital Securities in accordance with the related Declaration, the Company and
the Trustee shall enter into a supplemental indenture pursuant to Article IX to
provide for transfer procedures and restrictions with respect to the Debt
Securities substantially similar to those contained in the Declaration with
respect to Capital Securities of the corresponding series to the extent
15
applicable in the circumstances existing at the time of such distribution for
purposes of assuring, if applicable, that no registration of such Debt
Securities is required under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
SECTION 2.08. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Debt Securities.
In case any temporary or definitive Debt Security shall become
mutilated or be destroyed, lost or stolen, the Company shall execute, and upon
its written request the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, a new Debt
Security of the same series bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding,
in exchange and substitution for the mutilated Debt Security, or in lieu of and
in substitution for the Debt Security so destroyed, lost or stolen. In every
case the applicant for a substituted Debt Security shall furnish to the Company
and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save
each of them harmless, and, in every case of destruction, loss or theft, the
applicant shall also furnish to the Company and the Trustee evidence to their
satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of such Debt Security and of the
ownership thereof.
The Trustee may authenticate any such substituted Debt Security and
deliver the same upon the written request or authorization of any officer of the
Company. Upon the issuance of any substituted Debt Security, the Company may
require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental
charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses connected
therewith. In case any Debt Security which has matured or is about to mature or
has been called for redemption in full shall become mutilated or be destroyed,
lost or stolen, the Company may, instead of issuing a substitute Debt Security,
pay or authorize the payment of the same (without surrender thereof except in
the case of a mutilated Debt Security) if the applicant for such payment shall
furnish to the Company and the Trustee such security or indemnity as may be
required by them to save each of them harmless and, in case of destruction, loss
or theft, evidence satisfactory to the Company and to the Trustee of the
destruction, loss or theft of such Security and of the ownership thereof.
Every substituted Debt Security of any series issued pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 2.08 by virtue of the fact that any such Debt
Security is destroyed, lost or stolen shall constitute an additional contractual
obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Debt
Security shall be found at any time, and shall be entitled to all the benefits
of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Debt
Securities of the same series duly issued hereunder. All Debt Securities shall
be held and owned upon the express condition that, to the extent permitted by
applicable law, the foregoing provisions are exclusive with respect to the
replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt Securities
and shall preclude any and all other rights or remedies notwithstanding any law
or statute existing or hereafter enacted to the contrary with respect to the
replacement or payment of negotiable instruments or other securities without
their surrender.
16
SECTION 2.09. Temporary Debt Securities.
Pending the preparation of definitive Debt Securities of any series,
the Company may execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make available
for delivery temporary Debt Securities that are typed, printed or lithographed.
Temporary Debt Securities shall be issuable in any authorized denomination, and
substantially in the form of the definitive Debt Securities but with such
omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate for temporary Debt
Securities, all as may be determined by the Company. Every such temporary Debt
Security shall be executed by the Company and be authenticated by the Trustee
upon the same conditions and in substantially the same manner, and with the same
effect, as the definitive Debt Securities. Without unreasonable delay the
Company will execute and deliver to the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent
definitive Debt Securities and thereupon any or all temporary Debt Securities of
such series may be surrendered in exchange therefor, at the principal corporate
trust office of the Trustee or at any office or agency maintained by the Company
for such purpose as provided in Section 3.02, and the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent shall authenticate and make available for delivery in
exchange for such temporary Debt Securities a like aggregate principal amount of
such definitive Debt Securities. Such exchange shall be made by the Company at
its own expense and without any charge therefor except that in case of any such
exchange involving a registration of transfer the Company may require payment of
a sum sufficient to cover any tax, fee or other governmental charge that may be
imposed in relation thereto. Until so exchanged, the temporary Debt Securities
of any series shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this
Indenture as definitive Debt Securities of the same series authenticated and
delivered hereunder.
SECTION 2.10. Cancellation of Debt Securities Paid, etc.
All Debt Securities surrendered for the purpose of payment,
redemption, exchange or registration of transfer, shall, if surrendered to the
Company or any paying agent, be surrendered to the Trustee and promptly canceled
by it, or, if surrendered to the Trustee or any Authenticating Agent, shall be
promptly canceled by it, and no Debt Securities shall be issued in lieu thereof
except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Indenture. All
Debt Securities canceled by any Authenticating Agent shall be delivered to the
Trustee. The Trustee shall destroy all canceled Debt Securities unless the
Company otherwise directs the Trustee in writing. If the Company shall acquire
any of the Debt Securities, however, such acquisition shall not operate as a
redemption or satisfaction of the indebtedness represented by such Debt
Securities unless and until the same are surrendered to the Trustee for
cancellation.
SECTION 2.11. Global Securities.
(a) If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.03 that the
Debt Securities of a particular series are to be issued as a Global Security,
then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall, in accordance with Section
2.04, authenticate and deliver, a Global Security that (i) shall represent, and
shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of,
all or a specified portion of the outstanding Debt Securities of
17
such series, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the Depositary or its
nominee, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to the Depositary or pursuant
to the Depositary's instruction and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to
the following effect: "Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.11 of the
Indenture, this Debt Security may be transferred, in whole but not in part, only
to another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or to a
nominee of such successor Depositary."
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.07, the Global
Security of a series may be transferred, in whole but not in part and only in
the manner provided in Section 2.07, only to another nominee of the Depositary
for such series, or to a successor Depositary for such series selected or
approved by the Company or to a nominee of such successor Depositary.
(c) If at any time the Depositary for a series of the Debt Securities
notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary
for such series or if at any time the Depositary for such series shall no longer
be registered or in good standing under the Exchange Act, or other applicable
statute or regulation, and a successor Depositary for such series is not
appointed by the Company within 90 days after the Company receives such notice
or becomes aware of such condition, as the case may be, this Section 2.11 shall
no longer be applicable to the Debt Securities of such series and the Company
will execute, and subject to Section 2.07, the Trustee, upon written request of
the Company, will authenticate and make available for delivery the Debt
Securities of such series in definitive registered form without coupons, in
authorized denominations, and in an aggregate principal amount equal to the
principal amount of the Global Security of such series in exchange for such
Global Security. In addition, the Company may at any time determine that the
Debt Securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a Global
Security and that the provisions of this Section 2.11 shall no longer apply to
the Debt Securities of such series. In such event the Company will execute and
subject to Section 2.07, the Trustee, upon receipt of an Officers' Certificate
evidencing such determination by the Company, will authenticate and make
available for delivery the Debt Securities of such series in definitive
registered form without coupons, in authorized denominations, and in an
aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Global Security
of such series in exchange for such Global Security. Upon the exchange of the
Global Security for such Debt Securities in definitive registered form without
coupons, in authorized denominations, the Global Security shall be canceled by
the Trustee. Such Debt Securities in definitive registered form issued in
exchange for the Global Security pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall be
registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as the Depositary,
pursuant to instructions from its direct or indirect participants or otherwise,
shall instruct the Trustee. The Trustee shall deliver such Debt Securities to
the Depositary for delivery to the Persons in whose names such Debt Securities
are so registered.
SECTION 2.12. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Debt 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 Securityholders; provided that any
such notice may state that
18
no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as
printed on the Debt 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 Debt Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect
in or omission of such numbers. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in
writing of any change in the CUSIP numbers.
ARTICLE III
PARTICULAR COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
SECTION 3.01. Payment of Principal, Premium and Interest.
The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of each series of
Debt Securities that it will duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid the
principal of and premium, if any, and interest on each of the Debt Securities of
that series at the place, at the respective times and in the manner provided in
such Debt Securities. At the option of the Company, each installment of interest
on the Debt Securities of any series may be paid (i) by mailing checks for such
interest payable to the order of the holders of Debt Securities entitled thereto
as they appear on the registry books of the Company or (ii) if so specified with
respect to the Debt Securities of such series as contemplated by Section 2.03,
by wire transfer to any account with a banking institution located in the United
States designated by such Person to the paying agent no later than the related
record date.
SECTION 3.02. Offices for Notices and Payments, etc.
So long as any of the Debt Securities remain outstanding, the Company
will maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, an office or
agency where the Debt Securities of each series may be presented for payment, an
office or agency where the Debt Securities of that series may be presented for
registration of transfer and for exchange as in this Indenture provided and an
office or agency where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of
the Debt Securities of that series or of this Indenture may be served. The
Company will give to the Trustee written notice of the location of any such
office or agency and of any change of location thereof. Until otherwise
designated from time to time by the Company in a notice to the Trustee, or
specified as contemplated by Section 2.03, such office or agency for all of the
above purposes shall be the office or agency of the Trustee. In case the Company
shall fail to maintain any such office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan,
The City of New York, or shall fail to give such notice of the location or of
any change in the location thereof, presentations and demands may be made and
notices may be served at the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee.
In addition to any such office or agency, the Company may from time to
time designate one or more offices or agencies outside the Borough of Manhattan,
The City of New York, where the Debt Securities may be presented for
registration of transfer and for exchange in the manner provided in this
Indenture, and the Company may from time to time rescind such designation, as
the Company may deem desirable or expedient; provided, however, that no such
designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its
obligation to maintain any such office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan,
The City
19
of New York, for the purposes above mentioned. The Company will give to the
Trustee prompt written notice of any such designation or rescission thereof.
SECTION 3.03. Appointments to Fill Vacancies in Trustee's Office.
The Company, whenever necessary to avoid or fill a vacancy in the
office of Trustee, will appoint, in the manner provided in Section 6.10, a
Trustee, so that there shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder.
SECTION 3.04. Provision as to Paying Agent.
(a) If the Company shall appoint a paying agent other than the
Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, it will cause such
paying agent to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such
agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provision of this Section
3.04,
(1) that it will hold all sums held by it as such agent for the
payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any,
on the Debt Securities of such series (whether such sums have been
paid to it by the Company or by any other obligor on the Debt
Securities of such series) in trust for the benefit of the holders of
the Debt Securities of such series;
(2) that it will give the Trustee prompt written notice of any
failure by the Company (or by any other obligor on the Debt Securities
of such series) to make any payment of the principal of and premium,
if any, or interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of such series
when the same shall be due and payable; and
(3) that it will, at any time during the continuance of any
Event of Default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith
pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such paying agent.
(b) If the Company shall act as its own paying agent, it will, on or
before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if
any, on the Debt Securities of any series, set aside, segregate and hold in
trust for the benefit of the holders of the Debt Securities of such series a sum
sufficient to pay such principal, premium or interest so becoming due and will
notify the Trustee in writing of any failure to take such action and of any
failure by the Company (or by any other obligor under the Debt Securities of
such series) to make any payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or
interest, if any, on the Debt Securities of such series when the same shall
become due and payable.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more paying agents for any
series of Debt Securities, it will, on or prior to each due date of the
principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Debt Securities of
such series, deposit with a paying agent a sum sufficient to pay the principal,
premium or interest so becoming due, such sum to be held in trust for the
benefit of the Persons entitled thereto and (unless such paying agent is the
Trustee) the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee in writing of its action
or failure to act.
20
(c) Anything in this Section 3.04 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Company may, at any time, for the purpose of obtaining a satisfaction and
discharge with respect to one or more or all series of Debt Securities
hereunder, or for any other reason, pay, or direct any paying agent to pay to
the Trustee all sums held in trust for any such series by the Company or any
such paying agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the trusts herein
contained.
(d) Anything in this Section 3.04 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the agreement to hold sums in trust as provided in this Section 3.04 is subject
to Sections 11.03 and 11.04.
SECTION 3.05. Certificate to Trustee.
The Company will deliver to the Trustee on or before 120 days after
the end of each fiscal year in each year, so long as Debt Securities of any
series are outstanding hereunder, a Certificate stating that in the course of
the performance by the signers of their duties as officers of the Company they
would normally have knowledge of any default by the Company in the performance
of any covenants contained herein, stating whether or not they have knowledge of
any such default and, if so, specifying each such default of which the signers
have knowledge and the nature thereof.
SECTION 3.06. Compliance with Consolidation Provisions.
The Company will not, while any of the Debt Securities remain
outstanding, consolidate with, or merge into, or merge into itself, or sell or
convey all or substantially all of its property to any other Person unless the
provisions of Article X hereof are complied with.
SECTION 3.07. Limitation on Dividends.
If Debt Securities of a series are initially issued to a Mercantile
Trust or a trustee of such trust in connection with the issuance of Trust
Securities by such Mercantile Trust (regardless of whether Debt Securities
continue to be held by such trust) and (i) there shall have occurred and be
continuing any event that would constitute an Event of Default, (ii) the Company
shall be in default with respect to its payment of any obligations under a
Capital Securities Guarantee or a Common Securities Guarantee with respect to
securities issued by such trust, or (iii) the Company shall have given notice of
its election to defer payments of interest on the Debt Securities of such series
by extending the interest payment period as provided herein and such period, or
any extension thereof, shall be continuing, then (a) the Company shall not
declare or pay any dividend on, make a distribution with respect to, or redeem,
purchase, acquire, or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of its
capital stock or rights to acquire such capital stock (other than (i) purchases
or acquisitions of shares of any such capital stock or rights to acquire such
capital stock in connection with the satisfaction by the Company of its
obligations under any employee benefit plans, (ii) as a result of a
reclassification of the Company's capital stock or rights to acquire such
capital stock or the exchange or conversion of one class or series of the
21
Company's capital stock or rights to acquire such capital stock for another
class or series of the Company's capital stock or rights to acquire such capital
stock, (iii) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of the Company's
capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such capital
stock or the security being converted or exchanged, (iv) dividends and
distributions made on the Company's capital stock or rights to acquire such
capital stock with the Company's capital stock or rights to acquire such capital
stock, or (v) any declaration of a dividend in connection with the
implementation of a shareholder rights plan, or the issuance of stock under any
such plan in the future, or the redemption or repurchase of any such rights
pursuant thereto), or make any guarantee payments (other than payments under a
Capital Securities Guarantee or a Common Securities Guarantee) with respect to
the foregoing and (b) the Company shall not make any payment of interest,
principal or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt
securities issued by the Company that rank pari passu with or junior to the Debt
Securities of such series.
SECTION 3.08. Covenants as to Mercantile Trusts.
In the event Debt Securities of a series are initially issued to a
Mercantile Trust or the Institutional Trustee of such Mercantile Trust in
connection with the issuance of Trust Securities by such Mercantile Trust, for
so long as such Trust Securities remain outstanding, the Company shall maintain
100% ownership of the Common Securities of such Mercantile Trust; provided,
however, that any permitted successor of the Company under this Indenture may
succeed to the Company's ownership of such Common Securities. The Company, as
owner of a majority of the Common Securities of such Mercantile Trust, shall use
its reasonable efforts to cause such Mercantile Trust (a) to remain a statutory
business trust, except in connection with a distribution of Debt Securities of
such series to the holders of such Trust Securities in liquidation of such
Mercantile Trust, the redemption of all of the Trust Securities of such
Mercantile Trust or certain mergers, consolidations or amalgamations, each as
permitted by the Declaration of such Mercantile Trust, and (b) to otherwise
continue to be classified as a grantor trust for United States federal income
tax purposes and (c) to use its reasonable efforts to cause each holder of Trust
Securities issued by such Mercantile Trust to be treated as owning an undivided
beneficial interest in the Debt Securities of such series issued to such
Mercantile Trust.
SECTION 3.09. Calculation of Original Issue Discount.
The Company shall file with the Trustee promptly at the end of each
calendar year a written notice specifying the amount of original issue discount
(including daily rates and accrual periods), if any, accrued on outstanding Debt
Securities as of the end of such year.
22
ARTICLE IV.
SECURITYHOLDERS' LISTS AND REPORTS
BY THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.01. Securityholders' Lists.
The Company covenants and agrees that it will furnish or caused to be
furnished to the Trustee:
(a) on each regular record date for each series of Debt Securities, a
list, in such form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and
addresses of the Securityholders of such series of Debt Securities as of such
record date (and on dates to be determined pursuant to Section 2.03 for non-
interest bearing securities in each year); 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;
(c) except that no such lists need be furnished under this Section
4.01 so long as the Trustee is in possession thereof by reason of its acting as
Debt Security registrar for such series.
SECTION 4.02. Preservation and Disclosure of Lists.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably
practicable, all information as to the names and addresses of the holders of
each series of Debt Securities (1) contained in the most recent list furnished
to it as provided in Section 4.01 or (2) received by it in the capacity of Debt
Securities registrar (if so acting) hereunder. The Trustee may destroy any list
furnished to it as provided in Section 4.01 upon receipt of a new list so
furnished.
(b) In case three or more holders of Debt Securities of any series
(hereinafter referred to as "applicants") apply in writing to the Trustee and
furnish to the Trustee reasonable proof that each such applicant has owned a
Debt Security of such series for a period of at least six months preceding the
date of such application, and such application states that the applicants desire
to communicate with other holders of Debt Securities of such series or with
holders of all Debt Securities with respect to their rights under this Indenture
or under such Debt Securities and is accompanied by a copy of the form of proxy
or other communication which such applicants propose to transmit, then the
Trustee shall within five Business Days after the receipt of such application,
at its election, either:
(1) afford such applicants access to the information preserved
at the time by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of subsection
(a) of this Section 4.02, or
(2) inform such applicants as to the approximate number of
holders of such series or all Debt Securities, as the case may be, whose
names and addresses
23
appear in the information preserved at the time by the Trustee in
accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section 4.02, and
as to the approximate cost of mailing to such Securityholders the form of
proxy or other communication, if any, specified in such application.
If the Trustee shall elect not to afford such applicants access to
such information, the Trustee shall, upon the written request of such
applicants, mail to each Securityholder of such series or all Debt Securities,
as the case may be, whose name and address appear in the information preserved
at the time by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a)
of this Section 4.02 a copy of the form of proxy or other communication which is
specified in such request with reasonable promptness after a tender to the
Trustee of the material to be mailed and of payment, or provision for the
payment, of the reasonable expenses of mailing, unless within five days after
such tender, the Trustee shall mail to such applicants and file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, if permitted or required by applicable law,
together with a copy of the material to be mailed, a written statement to the
effect that, in the opinion of the Trustee, such mailing would be contrary to
the best interests of the holders of Debt Securities of such series or all Debt
Securities, as the case may be, or would be in violation of applicable law. Such
written statement shall specify the basis of such opinion. If said Commission,
as permitted or required by applicable law, after opportunity for a hearing upon
the objections specified in the written statement so filed, shall enter an order
refusing to sustain any of such objections or if, after the entry of an order
sustaining one or more of such objections, said Commission shall find, after
notice and opportunity for hearing, that all the objections so sustained have
been met and shall enter an order so declaring, the Trustee shall mail copies of
such material to all such Securityholders with reasonable promptness after the
entry of such order and the renewal of such tender; otherwise the Trustee shall
be relieved of any obligation or duty to such applicants respecting their
application.
(c) Each and every holder of Debt Securities, by receiving and
holding the same, agrees with Company and the Trustee that neither the Company
nor the Trustee nor any paying agent shall be held accountable by reason of the
disclosure of any such information as to the names and addresses of the holders
of Debt Securities in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this
Section 4.02, regardless of the source from which such information was derived,
and that the Trustee shall not be held accountable by reason of mailing any
material pursuant to a request made under said subsection (b).
SECTION 4.03. [Reserved]
SECTION 4.04. Reports by the Trustee.
(a) The Trustee shall transmit to Securityholders 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. If required by Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, the
Trustee shall, within 60 days after each May 15 following the date of this
Indenture deliver to Securityholders a brief report, dated as of such May 15,
which complies with the provisions of such Section 313(a).
24
(b) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such
transmission to Securityholders, be filed by the Trustee with each stock
exchange, if any, upon which the Securities are listed, with the Commission, if
required by applicable law, and with the Company. The Company will promptly
notify the Trustee when the Debt Securities are listed on any stock exchange.
ARTICLE V.
REMEDIES OF THE TRUSTEE AND SECURITYHOLDERS
UPON AN EVENT OF DEFAULT
SECTION 5.01. Events of Default.
The following Events of Default with respect to Debt Securities of any
series or such other events as may be established with respect to the Debt
Securities of that series as contemplated by Section 2.03 hereof shall be
"Events of Default" with respect to Debt Securities of that series:
(a) the Company defaults in the payment of any interest upon any Debt
Securities of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of
such default for a period of 30 days; provided, however, that a valid extension
of an interest payment period by the Company in accordance with the terms of
such Debt Securities shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest
for this purpose; or
(b) the Company defaults in the payment of all or any part of the
principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Debt Securities of that series as and
when the same shall become due and payable either at maturity, upon redemption
(including redemption for any sinking fund), by declaration of acceleration or
otherwise; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such
Debt Securities shall not constitute a default for this purpose; or
(c) the Company defaults with respect to indebtedness for money
borrowed resulting in acceleration of such indebtedness having an aggregate
principal amount in excess of $25 million and such acceleration is not rescinded
or annulled within 30 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 aggregate principal amount of the outstanding
Debt Securities of that series, a written notice specifying such acceleration
and stating that such Notice is a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or
(d) the Company defaults in the performance of, or breaches, any of
its covenants or agreements in this Indenture or in the terms of that series of
Debt Securities established as contemplated in this Indenture (other than a
covenant or agreement a default in whose performance or whose breach 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 aggregate principal amount of
the outstanding Debt
25
Securities of that series, a written notice specifying such default or
breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is
a "Notice of Default" hereunder; or
(e) a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall enter a decree
or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case under any
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in
effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee,
sequestrator (or similar official) of the Company or for any substantial part of
its property, or ordering the winding-up or liquidation of its affairs and such
decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 90
consecutive days; or
(f) the Company shall commence a voluntary case under any applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, shall
consent to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any
such law, or shall consent to the appointment of or taking possession by a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator (or other
similar official) of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or
shall make any general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail
generally to pay its debts as they become due; or
(g) as to Debt Securities of any series issued to a Mercantile Trust,
such Mercantile Trust shall have voluntarily or involuntarily liquidated,
dissolved, wound-up its business or otherwise terminated its existence except in
connection with (i) the distribution of the Debt Securities of such series to
holders of such Trust Securities in liquidation of their interests in such
Mercantile Trust, (ii) the redemption of all of the outstanding Trust Securities
of such Mercantile Trust or (iii) certain mergers, consolidations or
amalgamations, each as permitted by the Declaration of such Mercantile Trust.
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to any
series of Debt Securities, then, and in each and every such case, unless the
principal of all of the Debt Securities of that series shall have already become
due and payable, either the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in
aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of that series then
outstanding hereunder, by notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee
if given by Securityholders), may declare the entire principal (or, if the Debt
Securities of that series are Original Issue Discount Securities, such portion
of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) of all
Debt Securities of that series and the interest accrued thereon, if any, to be
due and payable immediately, and upon any such declaration the same shall become
immediately due and payable.
The foregoing provisions, however, are subject to the condition that
if, at any time after the principal (or, if the Debt Securities are Original
Issue Discount Securities, such portion of the principal as may be specified in
the terms thereof) of the Debt Securities of any series (or of all the Debt
Securities, as the case may be) shall have been so declared due and payable, and
before any judgment or decree for the payment of the moneys due shall have been
obtained or entered as hereinafter provided, the Company shall pay or shall
deposit with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay all matured installments of
interest upon all the Debt Securities of such series (or of all the Debt
Securities, as the case may be) and the
26
principal of and premium, if any, on any and all Debt Securities of such series
(or of all the Debt Securities, as the case may be) which shall have become due
otherwise than by acceleration (with interest upon such principal and premium,
if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is enforceable under
applicable law, on overdue installments of interest, at the same rate as the
rate of interest or Yield to Maturity (in the case of Original Issue Discount
Securities) specified in the Debt Securities of such series (or at the
respective rates of interest or Yields to Maturity of all the Debt Securities,
as the case may be) to the date of such payment or deposit) and such amount as
shall be sufficient to cover reasonable compensation to the Trustee and each
predecessor Trustee, their respective agents, attorneys and counsel, and all
other amounts due to the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.06, and if any and all
Events of Default under this Indenture, other than the non-payment of the
principal of or premium, if any, on Debt Securities which shall have become due
by acceleration, shall have been cured, waived or otherwise remedied as provided
herein -- then and in every such case the holders of a majority in aggregate
principal amount of the Debt Securities of such series (or of all the Debt
Securities, as the case may be) then outstanding, by written notice to the
Company and to the Trustee, may waive all defaults with respect to that series
(or with respect to all Debt Securities, as the case may be, in such case,
treated as a single class) and rescind and annul such declaration and its
consequences, but no such waiver or rescission and annulment shall extend to or
shall affect any subsequent default or shall impair any right consequent
thereon.
In case the Trustee shall have proceeded to enforce any right under
this Indenture and such proceedings shall have been discontinued or abandoned
because of such rescission or annulment or for any other reason or shall have
been determined adversely to the Trustee, then and in every such case the
Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Debt Securities shall be restored
respectively to their several positions and rights hereunder, and all rights,
remedies and powers of the Company, the Trustee and the holders of the Debt
Securities shall continue as though no such proceeding had been taken.
SECTION 5.02. Payment of Debt Securities on Default; Suit Therefor.
The Company covenants that (a) in case default shall be made in the
payment of any installment of interest upon any of the Debt Securities of any
series as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default shall
have continued for a period of 30 days, or (b) in case default shall be made in
the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, on any of the Debt
Securities of any series as and when the same shall have become due and payable,
whether at maturity of the Debt Securities of that series or upon redemption or
by declaration of acceleration or otherwise -- then, upon demand of the Trustee,
the Company will pay to the Trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the Debt
Securities of that series the whole amount that then shall have become due and
payable on all such Debt Securities of that series for principal and premium, if
any, or interest, or both, as the case may be, with interest upon the overdue
principal and premium, if any, and (to the extent that payment of such interest
is enforceable under applicable law) upon the overdue installments of interest
at the rate or Yield to Maturity (in the case of Original Issue Discount
Securities) borne by the Debt Securities of that series; and, in addition
thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and
expenses of collection, including a reasonable
27
compensation to the Trustee, its agents, attorneys and counsel, and any other
amounts due to the Trustee under Section 6.06. In case the Company shall fail
forthwith to pay such amounts upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and
as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled and empowered to institute any
actions or proceedings at law or in equity for the collection of the sums so due
and unpaid, and may prosecute any such action or proceeding to judgment or final
decree, and may enforce any such judgment or final decree against the Company or
any other obligor on such Debt Securities and collect in the manner provided by
law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor on such Debt
Securities wherever situated the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable.
In case there shall be pending proceedings for the bankruptcy or for
the reorganization of the Company or any other obligor on the Debt Securities of
any series under ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Code, or any other applicable law, or
in case a receiver or trustee shall have been appointed for the property of the
Company or such other obligor, or in the case of any other similar judicial
proceedings relative to the Company or other obligor upon the Debt Securities of
any series, or to the creditors or property of the Company or such other
obligor, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the principal of the Debt
Securities of any series shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or
by declaration of acceleration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the
Trustee shall have made any demand pursuant to the provisions of this Section
5.02, shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceedings or
otherwise, to file and prove a claim or claims for the whole amount of principal
and interest (or, if the Debt Securities of that series are Original Issue
Discount Securities such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in
the terms of that series) owing and unpaid in respect of the Debt Securities of
such series and, in case of any judicial proceedings, to file such proofs of
claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to
have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for reasonable compensation
to the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, and their respective agents,
attorneys and counsel, and for reimbursement of all other amounts due to the
Trustee under Section 6.06 and of the Securityholders allowed in such judicial
proceedings relative to the Company or any other obligor on the Debt Securities
of any series, or to the creditors or property of the Company or such other
obligor, unless prohibited by applicable law and regulations, to vote on behalf
of the holders of the Debt Securities or any series in any election of a trustee
or a standby trustee in arrangement, reorganization, liquidation or other
bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings or Person performing similar functions in
comparable proceedings, and to collect and receive any moneys or other property
payable or deliverable on any such claims, and to distribute the same after the
deduction of its charges and expenses; and any receiver, assignee or trustee in
bankruptcy or reorganization is hereby authorized by each of the Securityholders
to make such payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the Trustee shall
consent to the making of such payments directly to the Securityholders, to pay
to the Trustee such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover reasonable
compensation to the Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their respective
agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other amounts due to the Trustee under
Section 6.06.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize the Trustee
to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Securityholder
any plan of
28
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Debt
Securities of any series or the rights of any holder thereof or to authorize the
Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Securityholder in any such
proceeding.
All rights of action and of asserting claims under this Indenture, or
under any of the Debt Securities, may be enforced by the Trustee without the
possession of any of the Debt Securities, or the production thereof at any trial
or other proceeding relative thereto, and any such suit or proceeding instituted
by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust,
and any recovery of judgment shall be for the ratable benefit of the holders of
the Debt Securities.
In any proceedings brought by the Trustee (and also any proceedings
involving the interpretation of any provision of this Indenture to which the
Trustee shall be a party) the Trustee shall be held to represent all the holders
of the Debt Securities, and it shall not be necessary to make any holders of the
Debt Securities parties to any such proceedings.
SECTION 5.03. Application of Moneys Collected by Trustee.
Any moneys collected by the Trustee shall be applied in the following
order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee for the distribution of such
moneys, upon presentation of the several Debt Securities in respect of which
moneys have been collected, and stamping thereon the payment, if only partially
paid, and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:
First: To the payment of costs and expenses of collection applicable
to such series and reasonable compensation to the Trustee, its agents, attorneys
and counsel, and of all other amounts due to the Trustee under Section 6.06;
Second: To the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of the Company if
and to the extent required by Article XV;
Third: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid upon Debt
Securities of such series for principal (and premium, if any), and interest on
the Debt Securities of such series, in respect of which or for the benefit of
which money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any
kind, according to the amounts due on such Debt Securities for principal (and
premium, if any) and interest, respectively; and
Fourth: The balance, if any, to the Company.
SECTION 5.04. Proceedings by Securityholders.
No holder of any Debt Security of any series shall have any right to
institute any suit, action or proceeding for any remedy hereunder, unless such
holder previously shall have given to the Trustee written notice of an Event of
Default with respect to the Debt Securities of such series and unless the
holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Debt
Securities of that series then outstanding shall have given the Trustee a
29
written request to institute such action, suit or proceeding and shall have
offered to the Trustee such reasonable indemnity as it may require against the
costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred thereby, and the Trustee for 60
days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have
failed to institute any such action, suit or proceeding; provided that no holder
of Debt Securities of any series shall have any right to prejudice the rights of
any other holder of Debt Securities of such series, obtain priority or
preference over any other such holder or enforce any right under this Indenture
except in the manner herein provided and for the equal, ratable and common
benefit of all holders of Debt Securities of the applicable series.
Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Indenture, however, the
right of any holder of any Debt Security to receive payment of the principal of,
premium, if any, and interest, on such Debt Security when due, or to institute
suit for the enforcement of any such payment, shall not be impaired or affected
without the consent of such holder. For the protection and enforcement of the
provisions of this Section, each and every Securityholder and the Trustee shall
be entitled to such relief as can be given either at law or in equity.
SECTION 5.05. Proceedings by Trustee.
In case of an Event of Default hereunder the Trustee may in its
discretion proceed to protect and enforce the rights vested in it by this
Indenture by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem
most effectual to protect and enforce any of such rights, either by suit in
equity or by action at law or by proceeding in bankruptcy or otherwise, whether
for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement contained in this
Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Indenture, or
to enforce any other legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this
Indenture or by law.
SECTION 5.06. Remedies Cumulative and Continuing.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.08, all powers and remedies
given by this Article V to the Trustee or to the Securityholders shall, to the
extent permitted by law, be deemed cumulative and not exclusive of any other
powers and remedies available to the Trustee or the holders of the Debt
Securities, by judicial proceedings or otherwise, to enforce the performance or
observance of the covenants and agreements contained in this Indenture or
otherwise established with respect to such series, and no delay or omission of
the Trustee or of any holder of any of the Debt Securities to exercise any right
or power accruing upon any Event of Default occurring and continuing as
aforesaid shall impair any such right or power, or shall be construed to be a
waiver of any such default or an acquiescence therein; and, subject to the
provisions of Section 5.04, every power and remedy given by this Article V or by
law to the Trustee or to the Securityholders may be exercised from time to time,
and as often as shall be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the
Securityholders.
30
SECTION 5.07. Direction of Proceedings and Waiver of Defaults by
Majority of Securityholders.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debt
Securities of any or all series affected (voting as one class) at the time
outstanding shall have the right to direct the time, method, and place of
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising
any trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such series;
provided, however, that (subject to the provisions of Section 6.01) the Trustee
shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee
shall determine that the action so directed would be unjustly prejudicial to the
holders not taking part in such direction or if the Trustee being advised by
counsel determines that the action or proceeding so directed may not lawfully be
taken or if a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall determine that the action
or proceedings so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability.
Prior to any declaration accelerating the maturity of any series of the Debt
Securities, or of all the Debt Securities, as the case may be, the holders of a
majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of that series at
the time outstanding may on behalf of the holders of all of the Debt Securities
of such series waive (or modify any previously granted waiver of) any past
default or Event of Default, including any default or Event of Default the
conditions for the occurrence of which are established pursuant to Section 2.03,
and its consequences, except a default (a) in the payment of principal of,
premium, if any, or interest on any of the Debt Securities, (b) in respect of
covenants or provisions hereof which cannot be modified or amended without the
consent of the holder of each Debt Security affected, or (c) in respect of the
covenants contained in Section 3.08; provided, however, that if the Debt
Securities of such series are held by a Mercantile Trust or a trustee of such
trust, such waiver or modification to such waiver shall not be effective until
the holders of a majority in liquidation preference of Trust Securities of the
applicable Mercantile Trust shall have consented to such waiver or modification
to such waiver; provided, further, that if the consent of the holder of each
outstanding Debt Security is required, such waiver shall not be effective until
each holder of the Trust Securities of the applicable Mercantile Trust shall
have consented to such waiver. Upon any such waiver, the default covered thereby
shall be deemed to be cured for all purposes of this Indenture and the Company,
the Trustee and the holders of the Debt Securities of such series shall be
restored to their former positions and rights hereunder, respectively; but no
such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of Default
or impair any right consequent thereon. Whenever any default or Event of Default
hereunder shall have been waived as permitted by this Section 5.07, said default
or Event of Default shall for all purposes of the Debt Securities of that series
(or of all Securities, as the case may be) and this Indenture be deemed to have
been cured and to be not continuing.
SECTION 5.08. Notice of Defaults.
The Trustee shall, within 90 days after the occurrence of a default
with respect to the Debt Securities of any series, mail to all Securityholders
of that series, as the names and addresses of such holders appear upon the Debt
Security Register, notice of all defaults with respect to that series known to
the Trustee, unless such defaults shall have been cured before the giving of
such notice (the term "defaults" for the purpose of this Section 5.08
31
being hereby defined to be the events specified in clauses (a), (b), (c), (d),
(e) and (f) of Section 5.01, not including periods of grace, if any, provided
for therein, and irrespective of the giving of written notice specified in
clause (c) of Section 5.01); and provided that, except in the case of default in
the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any of the Debt
Securities of such series, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such
notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith
determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the
Securityholders of such series; and provided further, that in the case of any
default of the character specified in Section 5.01(c) no such notice to
Securityholders of such series shall be given until at least 60 days after the
occurrence thereof but shall be given within 90 days after such occurrence.
SECTION 5.09. Undertaking to Pay Costs.
All parties to this Indenture agree, and each holder of any Debt
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 and expenses, 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 5.09 shall not apply to any suit instituted
by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Securityholder, or group of
Securityholders of any series, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in
principal amount of the Debt Securities of that series outstanding, or to any
suit instituted by any Securityholder for the enforcement of the payment of the
principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any Debt Security against the
Company on or after the same shall have become due and payable.
ARTICLE VI
CONCERNING THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.01. Duties and Responsibilities of Trustee.
With respect to the holders of any series of Debt Securities issued
hereunder, the Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with
respect to Debt Securities of that series and after the curing or waiving of all
Events of Default which may have occurred, with respect to Debt Securities of
that series, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Indenture. In case an Event of Default with
respect to the Debt Securities of a series has occurred (which has not been
cured or waived) 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 man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the
conduct of his own affairs.
32
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:
(a) prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to
Debt Securities of a series and after the curing or waiving of all Events of
Default with respect to that series which may have occurred
(1) the duties and obligations of the Trustee with respect to
Debt Securities of such series shall be determined solely by the express
provisions of this Indenture, and the Trustee shall not be liable except
for the performance of such duties and obligations with respect to such
series 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 the part of the Trustee, the
Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the
correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or
opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of
this Indenture; but, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which
by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the
Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine
whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture;
(b) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in
good faith by a Responsible Officer or Officers of the Trustee, unless it shall
be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
and
(c) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken
or omitted to be taken by it in good faith, in accordance with the direction of
the Securityholders pursuant to Section 5.07, 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.
None of the provisions contained in this Indenture shall require the
Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial
liability in the performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of
its rights or powers, if there is ground for believing that the repayment of
such funds or liability is not assured to it under the terms of this Indenture
or indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against such risk is not reasonably
assured to it.
SECTION 6.02. Reliance on Documents, Opinions, etc.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.01:
(a) the Trustee may conclusively rely and shall be fully protected in
acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement,
instrument, opinion,
33
report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, note, debenture or other paper or
document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by
the proper party or parties;
(b) any request, direction, order or demand of the Company mentioned
herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers' Certificate (unless other
evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed); and any Board
Resolution may be evidenced to the Trustee by a copy thereof certified by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company;
(c) the Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and any
advice or 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 accordance with such advice or Opinion of Counsel;
(d) the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the
rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or
direction of any of the Securityholders, pursuant to the provisions of this
Indenture, unless such Securityholders shall have offered to the Trustee
reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities
which may be incurred therein or thereby;
(e) the Trustee shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted
by it in good faith and believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion
or rights or powers conferred upon it by this Indenture; nothing contained
herein shall, however, relieve the Trustee of the obligation, upon the
occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to a series of the Debt
Securities (that has not been cured or waived) to exercise with respect to Debt
Securities of that series such of the rights and powers vested in it by this
Indenture, and to use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a
prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his
own affairs;
(f) the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the
facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument,
opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, approval, bond, debenture,
coupon or other paper or document, unless requested in writing to do so by the
holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt
Securities of the series affected thereby; provided, however, that if the
payment within a reasonable time to the Trustee of the costs, expenses or
liabilities likely to be incurred by it in the making of such investigation is,
in the opinion of the Trustee, not reasonably assured to the Trustee by the
security afforded to it by the terms of this Indenture, the Trustee may require
reasonable indemnity against such expense or liability as a condition to so
proceeding;
(g) the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or
perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents (including
any Authenticating Agent) or attorneys, and the Trustee shall not be responsible
for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent or attorney
appointed by it with due care; and
34
(h) the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Default or
Event of Default with respect to the Debt Securities unless either (1) a
Responsible Officer shall have actual knowledge of such Default or Event of
Default or (2) written notice of such Default or Event of Default shall have
been given to the Trustee by the Company or any other obligor on the Debt
Securities or by any holder of the Debt Securities.
SECTION 6.03. No Responsibility for Recitals, etc.
The recitals contained herein and in the Debt Securities (except in
the certificate of authentication of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent)
shall be taken as the statements of the Company and the Trustee and the
Authenticating Agent assume no responsibility for the correctness of the same.
The Trustee and the Authenticating Agent make no representations as to the
validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Debt Securities. The Trustee
and the Authenticating Agent shall not be accountable for the use or application
by the Company of any Debt Securities or the proceeds of any Debt Securities
authenticated and delivered by the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent in
conformity with the provisions of this Indenture.
SECTION 6.04. Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agents, Transfer
Agents or Registrar May Own Debt Securities.
The Trustee or any Authenticating Agent or any paying agent or any
transfer agent or any Debt Security registrar, in its individual or any other
capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Debt Securities with the same
rights it would have if it were not Trustee, Authenticating Agent, paying agent,
transfer agent or Debt Security registrar.
SECTION 6.05. Moneys to be Held in Trust.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.04, all moneys received by the
Trustee or any paying agent shall, until used or applied as herein provided, be
held in trust for the purpose for which they were received, but need not be
segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law. The Trustee
and any paying agent shall be under no liability for interest on any money
received by it hereunder except as otherwise agreed in writing with the Company.
So long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, all
interest allowed on any such moneys shall be paid from time to time upon the
written order of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors,
the President, a Managing Director, a Vice President, the Treasurer or an
Assistant Treasurer of the Company.
SECTION 6.06. Compensation and Expenses of Trustee.
The Company covenants and agrees to pay to the Trustee from time to
time, and the Trustee shall be entitled to, such reasonable compensation as
shall be agreed to in writing between the Company and the Trustee (which shall
not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a
trustee of an express trust), and the Company will pay or reimburse the Trustee
upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and
35
advances incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any of the
provisions of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the
expenses and disbursements of its counsel and of all Persons not regularly in
its employ) except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may arise from
its negligence or bad faith. The Company also covenants to indemnify each of the
Trustee or any predecessor Trustee (and its officers, agents, directors and
employees) for, and to hold it harmless against, any and all loss, damage,
claim, liability or expense including taxes (other than taxes based on the
income of the Trustee) incurred without negligence or bad faith on the part of
the Trustee and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or
administration of this trust, including the costs and expenses of defending
itself against any claim of liability in the premises. The obligations of the
Company under this Section 6.06 to compensate and indemnify the Trustee and to
pay or reimburse the Trustee for expenses, disbursements and advances shall
constitute additional indebtedness hereunder. Such additional indebtedness shall
be secured by a lien prior to that of the Debt Securities upon all property and
funds held or collected by the Trustee as such, except funds held in trust for
the benefit of the holders of particular Debt Securities.
Without prejudice to any other rights available to the Trustee under
applicable law, when the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services in
connection with an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(d), Section
5.01(e) or Section 5.01(f), the expenses (including the reasonable charges and
expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for the services are intended to
constitute expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
The provisions of this Section shall survive the resignation or
removal of the Trustee and the defeasance or other termination of this
Indenture.
SECTION 6.07. Officers' Certificate as Evidence.
Except as otherwise provided in Sections 6.01 and 6.02, whenever in
the administration of the provisions of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it
necessary or desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking or
omitting any action hereunder, such matter (unless other evidence in respect
thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of negligence or
bad faith on the part of the Trustee, be deemed to be conclusively proved and
established by an Officers' Certificate delivered to the Trustee, and such
certificate, in the absence of negligence or bad faith on the part of the
Trustee, shall be full warrant to the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by
it under the provisions of this Indenture upon the faith thereof.
SECTION 6.08. Conflicting Interest of Trustee.
If the Trustee has or shall acquire any "conflicting interest" within
the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act, the Trustee and the
Company shall in all respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of
the Trust Indenture Act, subject to the penultimate paragraph of such section.
36
SECTION 6.09. Eligibility of Trustee.
The Trustee hereunder shall at all times be a corporation organized
and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or any state
or territory thereof or of the District of Columbia or a corporation or other
Person permitted to act as trustee by the Securities and Exchange Commission
authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined
capital and surplus of at least 50 million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000) and
subject to supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial, or
District of Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports of
condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the
aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this
Section 6.09 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
records of condition so published.
The Company may not, nor may any Person directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company, serve as
Trustee; provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible and qualified
under this Article.
In case at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of this Section 6.09, the Trustee shall resign
immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 6.10.
SECTION 6.10. Resignation or Removal of Trustee.
(a) The Trustee, or any trustee or trustees hereafter appointed, may
at any time resign with respect to one or more or all series of Debt Securities
by giving written notice of such resignation to the Company and by mailing
notice thereof, at the Company's expense, to the holders of the applicable
series of Debt Securities at their addresses as they shall appear on the Debt
Security Register. Upon receiving such notice of resignation, the Company shall
promptly appoint a successor trustee or trustees with respect to the applicable
series by written instrument, in duplicate, executed by order of its Board of
Directors, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to the resigning
Trustee and one copy to the successor Trustee. If no successor Trustee shall
have been so appointed with respect to any series of Debt Securities and have
accepted appointment within 30 days after the mailing of such notice of
resignation to the affected Securityholders, the resigning Trustee may petition
any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee,
or any Securityholder who has been a bona fide holder of a Debt Security or Debt
Securities of the applicable series for at least six months may, subject to the
provisions of Section 5.09, on behalf of himself and all others similarly
situated, petition any such court for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
Such court may thereupon, after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and
prescribe, appoint a successor Trustee.
(b) In case at any time any of the following shall occur --
(1) the Trustee shall fail to comply with the provisions of
Section 6.08 after written request therefor by the Company or by any
Securityholder who has been a bona
37
fide holder of a Debt Security or Debt Securities for at least six months, or
(2) the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with
the provisions of Section 6.09 and shall fail to resign after written request
therefor by the Company or by any such Securityholder, 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, then, in any such case, the Company may remove the
Trustee and appoint a successor Trustee by written instrument, in duplicate,
executed by order of the Board of Directors, one copy of which instrument shall
be delivered to the Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor Trustee,
or, subject to the provisions of Section 5.09, any Securityholder who has been a
bona fide holder of a Debt Security or Debt Securities of the applicable series
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. Such court may thereupon,
after such notice, if any, as it may deem proper and prescribe, remove the
Trustee and appoint successor Trustee.
(c) Upon prior written notice to the Company and the Trustee, the
holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of
any series at the time outstanding may at any time remove the Trustee with
respect to such series and nominate a successor Trustee with respect to the
applicable series of Debt Securities, which shall be deemed appointed as
successor Trustee with respect to the applicable series unless within ten
Business Days after such nomination the Company objects thereto, in which case
the Trustee so removed or any Securityholder of the applicable series, upon the
terms and conditions and otherwise as in subsection (a) of this Section 6.10
provided, may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for an appointment of
a successor Trustee with respect to such series.
(d) Any resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a
successor Trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section 6.10 shall
become effective upon acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee as
provided in Section 6.11.
SECTION 6.11. Acceptance by Successor Trustee.
Any successor Trustee appointed as provided in Section 6.10 shall
execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to its predecessor Trustee
an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon the
resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee with respect to all or any
applicable series shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any
further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights,
powers, duties and obligations with respect to such series of its predecessor
hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as Trustee herein; but,
nevertheless, on the written request of the Company or of the successor Trustee,
the Trustee ceasing to act shall, upon payment of any amounts then due it
pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.06, execute and deliver an instrument
transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights and powers of
38
the Trustee so ceasing to act and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to
such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee
thereunder. Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall
execute any and all instruments in writing for more fully and certainly vesting
in and confirming to such successor Trustee all such rights and powers. Any
Trustee ceasing to act shall, nevertheless, retain a lien upon all property or
funds held or collected by such Trustee to secure any amounts then due it
pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.06.
If a successor Trustee is appointed with respect to the Debt
Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring
Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Debt Securities of any
applicable series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto
which 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 Debt Securities of any series as to which the predecessor
Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the predecessor Trustee,
and 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 Trust 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.
No successor Trustee shall accept appointment as provided in this
Section 6.11 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall
be qualified under the provisions of Section 6.08 and eligible under the
provisions of Section 6.09.
In no event shall a retiring Trustee be liable for the acts or
omissions of any successor Trustee hereunder.
Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor Trustee as provided in
this Section 6.11, the Company shall mail notice of the succession of such
Trustee hereunder to the holders of Debt Securities of any applicable series at
their addresses as they shall appear on the Debt Security Register. If the
Company fails to mail such notice within ten Business Days after the acceptance
of appointment by the successor Trustee, the successor Trustee shall cause such
notice to be mailed at the expense of the Company.
SECTION 6.12. Succession by Merger, etc.
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 without
the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of
the parties hereto; provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible and
qualified under this Article.
39
In case at the time such successor to the Trustee shall succeed to the
trusts created by this Indenture any of the Debt Securities of any series shall
have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor to the Trustee may
adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee, and deliver
such Debt Securities so authenticated; and in case at that time any of the Debt
Securities of any series shall not have been authenticated, any successor to the
Trustee may authenticate such Debt Securities either in the name of any
predecessor hereunder or in the name of the successor Trustee; and in all such
cases such certificates shall have the full force which it is anywhere in the
Debt Securities of such series or in this Indenture provided that the
certificate of the Trustee shall have; provided, however, that the right to
adopt the certificate of authentication of any predecessor Trustee or
authenticate Debt Securities of any series in the name of any predecessor
Trustee shall apply only to its successor or successors by merger, conversion or
consolidation.
SECTION 6.13. Limitation on Rights of Trustee as a Creditor.
The Trustee shall comply with Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture
Act, excluding any creditor relationship described in Section 311(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act. A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject
to Section 311(a) of the Trust Indenture Act to the extent included therein.
SECTION 6.14. Authenticating Agents.
There may be one or more Authenticating Agents appointed by the
Trustee upon the request of the Company with power to act on its behalf and
subject to its direction in the authentication and delivery of Debt Securities
of any series issued upon exchange or registration of transfer thereof as fully
to all intents and purposes as though any such Authenticating Agent had been
expressly authorized to authenticate and deliver Debt Securities of such series;
provided that the Trustee shall have no liability to the Company for any acts or
omissions of the Authenticating Agent with respect to the authentication and
delivery of Debt Securities of any series. Any such Authenticating Agent shall
at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the
United States or of any state or territory thereof or of the District of
Columbia authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a
combined capital and surplus of at least $5,000,000 and being subject to
supervision or examination by federal, state, territorial or District of
Columbia authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least
annually pursuant to law or the requirements of such authority, then for the
purposes of this Section 6.14 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 an
Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the
provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with
the effect herein specified in this Section.
Any corporation into which any Authenticating Agent may be merged or
converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting
from any merger, consolidation or conversion to which any Authenticating Agent
shall be a party, or
40
any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust
business of any Authenticating Agent, shall be the successor of such
Authenticating Agent hereunder, if such successor corporation is otherwise
eligible under this Section 6.14 without the execution or filing of any paper or
any further act on the part of the parties hereto or such Authenticating Agent.
Any Authenticating Agent may at any time resign with respect to one or
more or all series of Debt Securities by giving written notice of resignation to
the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency
of any Authenticating Agent with respect to one or more or all series of Debt
Securities by giving written notice of termination to such Authenticating Agent
and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a
termination, or in case at any time any Authenticating Agent shall cease to be
eligible under this Section 6.14, the Trustee may, and upon the request of the
Company shall, promptly appoint a successor Authenticating Agent with respect to
the applicable series eligible under this Section 6.14, shall give written
notice of such appointment to the Company and shall mail notice of such
appointment to all holders of the applicable series of Debt Securities as the
names and addresses of such holders appear on the Debt Security Register. Any
successor Authenticating Agent with respect to all or any series upon acceptance
of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all rights, powers, duties
and responsibilities with respect to such series of its predecessor hereunder,
with like effect as if originally named as Authenticating Agent herein.
The Company agrees to pay to any Authenticating Agent from time to
time reasonable compensation for its services. Any Authenticating Agent shall
have no responsibility or liability for any action taken by it as such in
accordance with the directions of the Trustee.
ARTICLE VII.
CONCERNING THE SECURITYHOLDERS
SECTION 7.01. Action by Securityholders.
Whenever in this Indenture it is provided that the holders of a
specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of any
or all series may take any action (including the making of any demand or
request, the giving of any notice, consent or waiver or the taking of any other
action) the fact that at the time of taking any such action the holders of such
specified percentage have joined therein may be evidenced (a) by any instrument
or any number of instruments of similar tenor executed by such Securityholders
in person or by agent or proxy appointed in writing, or (b) by the record of
such holders of Debt Securities voting in favor thereof at any meeting of such
Securityholders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of
Article Eight, or (c) by a combination of such instrument or instruments and any
such record of such a meeting of such Securityholders or (d) by any other method
the Trustee deems satisfactory.
If the Company shall solicit from the Securityholders of any series
any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other
action or
41
revocation of the same, the Company may, at its option, as evidenced by an
Officers' Certificate, fix in advance a record date for such series for the
determination of Securityholders entitled to give such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action or revocation
of the same, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record
date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent,
waiver or other action or revocation of the same may be given before or after
the record date, but only the Securityholders of record at the close of business
on the record date shall be deemed to be Securityholders for the purposes of
determining whether Securityholders of the requisite proportion of outstanding
Debt Securities of that series have authorized or agreed or consented to such
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other
action or revocation of the same, and for that purpose the outstanding Debt
Securities of that series shall be computed as of the record date; provided,
however, that no such authorization, agreement or consent by such
Securityholders on the record date shall be deemed effective unless it shall
become effective pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture not later than six
months after the record date.
SECTION 7.02. Proof of Execution by Securityholders.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, 6.02 and 8.05, proof of the
execution of any instrument by a Securityholder or his agent or proxy shall be
sufficient if made in accordance with such reasonable rules and regulations as
may be prescribed by the Trustee or in such manner as shall be satisfactory to
the Trustee. The ownership of Debt Securities shall be proved by the Debt
Security Register or by a certificate of the Debt Security registrar. The
Trustee may require such additional proof of any matter referred to in this
Section as it shall deem necessary.
The record of any Securityholders' meeting shall be proved in the
manner provided in Section 8.06.
SECTION 7.03. Who Are Deemed Absolute Owners.
Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Debt
Security, the Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent,
any transfer agent and any Debt Security registrar may deem the Person in whose
name such Debt Security shall be registered upon the Debt Security Register to
be, and may treat him as, the absolute owner of such Debt Security (whether or
not such Debt Security shall be overdue) for the purpose of receiving payment of
or on account of the principal of, premium, if any, and (subject to Section
2.05) interest on such Debt Security and for all other purposes; and neither the
Company nor the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent nor any paying agent nor
any transfer agent nor any Debt Security registrar shall be affected by any
notice to the contrary. All such payments so made to any holder for the time
being or upon his order shall be valid, and, to the extent of the sum or sums so
paid, effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability for moneys payable upon
any such Debt Security.
42
SECTION 7.04. Debt Securities Owned by Company Deemed Not
Outstanding.
In determining whether the holders of the requisite aggregate
principal amount of Debt Securities have concurred in any direction, consent or
waiver under this Indenture, Debt Securities which are owned by the Company or
any other obligor on the Debt Securities or by any Person directly or indirectly
controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the
Company or any other obligor on the Debt Securities shall be disregarded and
deemed not to be outstanding for the purpose of any such determination; provided
that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in
relying on any such direction, consent or waiver, only Debt Securities which a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so
disregarded. Debt Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may
be regarded as outstanding for the purposes of this Section 7.04 if the pledgee
shall establish to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee's right to vote
such Debt Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any such other
obligor or Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under
direct or indirect common control with the Company or any such other obligor. In
the case of a dispute as to such right, any decision by the Trustee taken upon
the advice of counsel shall be full protection to the Trustee.
SECTION 7.05. Revocation of Consents; Future Holders Bound.
At any time prior to (but not after) the evidencing to the Trustee, as
provided in Section 7.01, of the taking of any action by the holders of the
percentage in aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities specified in
this Indenture in connection with such action, any holder (in cases where no
record date has been set pursuant to Section 7.01) or any holder as of an
applicable record date (in cases where a record date has been set pursuant to
Section 7.01) of a Debt Security (or any Debt Security issued in whole or in
part in exchange or substitution therefor) the serial number of which is shown
by the evidence to be included in the Debt Securities the holders of which have
consented to such action may, by filing written notice with the Trustee at the
Principal Office of the Trustee and upon proof of holding as provided in Section
7.02, revoke such action so far as concerns such Debt Security (or so far as
concerns the principal amount represented by any exchanged or substituted Debt
Security). Except as aforesaid any such action taken by the holder of any Debt
Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such holder and upon all future
holders and owners of such Debt Security, and of any Debt Security issued in
exchange or substitution therefor or on registration of transfer thereof,
irrespective of whether or not any notation in regard thereto is made upon such
Debt Security or any Debt Security issued in exchange or substitution therefor.
ARTICLE VIII.
SECURITYHOLDERS' MEETINGS
SECTION 8.01. Purposes of Meetings.
A meeting of Securityholders of any or all series may be called at any
time and from time to time pursuant to the provisions of this Article Eight for
any of the
43
following purposes:
(a) to give any notice to the Company or to the Trustee, or to give
any directions to the Trustee, or to consent to the waiving of any default
hereunder and its consequences, or to take any other action authorized to be
taken by Securityholders pursuant to any of the provisions of Article V;
(b) to remove the Trustee and nominate a successor trustee pursuant
to the provisions of Article VI;
(c) to consent to the execution of an indenture or indentures
supplemental hereto pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.02; or
(d) to take any other action authorized to be taken by or on behalf
of the holders of any specified aggregate principal amount of such Debt
Securities under any other provision of this Indenture or under applicable law.
SECTION 8.02. Call of Meetings by Trustee.
The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Securityholders of any
or all series to take any action specified in Section 8.01, to be held at such
time and at such place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the
Trustee shall determine. Notice of every meeting of the Securityholders of any
or all series, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in
general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be mailed
to holders of Debt Securities of each series affected at their addresses as they
shall appear on the Debt Securities Register for each series affected. Such
notice shall be mailed not less than 20 nor more than 180 days prior to the date
fixed for the meeting.
SECTION 8.03. Call of Meetings by Company or Securityholders.
In case at any time the Company pursuant to a Board Resolution, or the
holders of at least 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities of
any or all series, as the case may be, then outstanding, shall have requested
the Trustee to call a meeting of Securityholders of any or all series, as the
case may be, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action
proposed to be taken at the meeting, and the Trustee shall not have mailed the
notice of such meeting within 20 days after receipt of such request, then the
Company or such Securityholders may determine the time and the place in said
Borough of Manhattan for such meeting and may call such meeting to take any
action authorized in Section 8.01, by mailing notice thereof as provided in
Section 8.02.
SECTION 8.04. Qualifications for Voting.
To be entitled to vote at any meeting of Securityholders a Person
shall (a) be a holder of one or more Debt Securities with respect to which the
meeting is being held or (b) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as
proxy by a holder of one or more such Debt Securities. The only Persons who
shall be entitled to be present or to speak at any
44
meeting of Securityholders shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting
and their counsel and any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any
representatives of the Company and its counsel.
SECTION 8.05. Regulations.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee
may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of
Securityholders, in regard to proof of the holding of Debt Securities and of the
appointment of proxies, and in regard to the appointment and duties of
inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and
other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the
conduct of the meeting as it shall think fit.
The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary
chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the
Company or by Securityholders as provided in Section 8.03, in which case the
Company or the Securityholders calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in
like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent
secretary of the meeting shall be elected by majority vote of the meeting.
Subject to the provisions of Section 7.04, at any meeting each holder
of Debt Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held or proxy
therefor shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount (in the
case of Original Issue Discount Securities, such principal amount to be
determined as provided in the definition "outstanding") of Debt Securities held
or represented by him; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted
at any meeting in respect of any Debt Security challenged as not outstanding and
ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not outstanding. The chairman of the
meeting shall have no right to vote other than by virtue of Debt Securities held
by him or instruments in writing as aforesaid duly designating him as the Person
to vote on behalf of other Securityholders. Any meeting of Securityholders duly
called pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.02 or 8.03 may be adjourned from
time to time by a majority of those present, whether or not constituting a
quorum, and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.
SECTION 8.06. Voting.
The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of holders of
Debt Securities with respect to which such meeting is being held shall be by
written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of such holders or
of their representatives by proxy and the serial number or numbers of the Debt
Securities held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting
shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the
meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the
secretary of the meeting their verified written reports in triplicate of all
votes cast at the meeting. A record in duplicate of the proceedings of each
meeting of Securityholders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and
there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of
votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits
45
by one or more Persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the
notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was mailed as provided in
Section 8.02. The record shall show the serial numbers of the Debt Securities
voting in favor of or against any resolution. The record shall be signed and
verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the
meeting and one of the duplicates shall be delivered to the Company and the
other to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached
thereto the ballots voted at the meeting.
Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the
matters therein stated.
SECTION 8.07. Quorum; Actions.
The Persons entitled to vote a majority in principal amount of the
Debt Securities of a series shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of
Securityholders of such series; provided, however, that if any action is to be
taken at such meeting with respect to a consent, waiver, request, demand,
notice, authorization, direction or other action which may be given by the
holders of not less than a specified percentage in principal amount of the Debt
Securities of a series, the Persons holding or representing such specified
percentage in principal amount of the Debt Securities of such series will
constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within 30 minutes of the time
appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of
Securityholders of such series, be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may
be adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by the
permanent chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. In
the absence of a quorum at any such adjourned meeting, such adjourned meeting
may be further adjourned for a period of not less than 10 days as determined by
the permanent chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such adjourned
meeting. Notice of the reconvening of any adjourned meeting shall be given as
provided in Section 8.02, except that such notice need be given only once not
less than five days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be
reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of an adjourned meeting shall state
expressly the percentage, as provided above, of the principal amount of the Debt
Securities of such series which shall constitute a quorum.
Except as limited by the proviso in the first paragraph of Section
9.02, any resolution presented to a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened
at which a quorum is present as aforesaid may be adopted by the affirmative vote
of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Debt Securities of that
series; provided, however, that, except as limited by the proviso in the first
paragraph of Section 9.02, any resolution with respect to any consent, waiver,
request, demand, notice, authorization, direction or other action which this
Indenture expressly provides may be given by the holders of not less than a
specified percentage in principal amount of the Debt Securities of a series may
be adopted at a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a
quorum is present as aforesaid only by the affirmative vote of the holders of a
not less than such specified percentage in principal amount of the Debt
Securities of that series.
46
Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of holders of
Debt Securities of any series duly held in accordance with this Section shall be
binding on all the Securityholders of such series, whether or not present or
represented at the meeting.
ARTICLE IX.
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.01. Supplemental Indentures without Consent of
Securityholders.
The Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee
may from time to time and at any time enter into an indenture or indentures
supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust
Indenture Act as then in effect), without the consent of the Securityholders,
for one or more of the following purposes:
(a) to evidence the succession of another corporation to the Company,
or successive successions, and the assumption by the successor corporation of
the covenants, agreements and obligations of the Company, pursuant to Article X
hereof;
(b) to add to the covenants of the Company such further covenants,
restrictions or conditions for the protection of the holders of all or any
series of Debt Securities (and if such covenants are to be for the benefit of
less than all series of Debt Securities stating that such covenants are
expressly being included for the benefit of such series) as the Board of
Directors shall consider to be for the protection of the holders of such Debt
Securities, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a
default in any of such additional covenants, restrictions or conditions a
default or an Event of Default permitting the enforcement of all or any of the
several remedies provided in this Indenture as herein set forth; provided,
however, that in respect of any such additional covenant, restriction or
condition such supplemental indenture may provide for a particular period of
grace after default (which period may be shorter or longer than that allowed in
the case of other defaults) or may provide for an immediate enforcement upon
such default or may limit the remedies available to the Trustee upon such
default;
(c) to cure any ambiguity or to correct or supplement any provision
contained herein or in any supplemental indenture which may be defective or
inconsistent with any other provision contained herein or in any supplemental
indenture, or to make such other provisions in regard to matters or questions
arising under this Indenture; provided that any such action shall not adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the Debt Securities of any series;
(d) to add to, delete from, or revise the terms of Debt Securities of
any series, including, without limitation, any terms relating to the issuance,
exchange, registration or transfer of Debt Securities, including to provide for
transfer procedures and restrictions substantially similar to those applicable
to the Capital Securities relating to such series as required by Section 2.07
(for purposes of assuring that no registration of Debt Securities of a series
subject to transfer restrictions is required under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended); provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the
interests of
47
the holders of the Debt Securities of any series then outstanding (it being
understood, for purposes of this proviso, that transfer restrictions on Debt
Securities of a series substantially similar to those that were applicable to
Capital Securities of the related series shall not be deemed to adversely affect
the holders of the Debt Securities);
(e) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment
hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Debt 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;
(f) to make any change (other than as elsewhere provided in this
paragraph) that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder in
any material respect; or
(g) to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms
and conditions of the Debt Securities of any series, to establish the form of
any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of this
Indenture or any series of Debt Securities, or to add to the rights of the
holders of any series of Debt Securities.
The Trustee is hereby authorized to join with the Company in the
execution of any such supplemental indenture, to make any further appropriate
agreements and stipulations which may be therein contained and to accept the
conveyance, transfer and assignment of any property thereunder, but the Trustee
shall not be obligated to, but may in its discretion, enter into any such
supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or
immunities under this Indenture or otherwise.
Any supplemental indenture authorized by the provisions of this
Section 9.01 may be executed by the Company and the Trustee without the consent
of the holders of any of the Debt Securities at the time outstanding,
notwithstanding any of the provisions of Section 9.02.
SECTION 9.02. Supplemental Indentures with Consent of
Securityholders.
With the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 7.01) of the
holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Debt
Securities at the time outstanding of all series affected by such supplemental
indenture (voting as a class), the Company, when authorized by a Board
Resolution, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an
indenture or indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, then in effect, applicable to indentures
qualified thereunder) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in
any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any
supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the holders
of the Debt Securities of each series so affected; provided, however, that no
such supplemental indenture shall without the consent of the holders of each
Debt Security then outstanding and affected thereby (i) extend the fixed
maturity of any Debt Security of any series, or reduce the principal amount
thereof or any premium thereon, or reduce the rate or extend the time of payment
of interest thereon, or
48
reduce any amount payable on redemption thereof or make the principal thereof or
any interest or premium thereon payable in any coin or currency other than that
provided in the Debt Securities, or reduce the amount of the principal of an
Original Issue Discount Security that would be due and payable upon an
acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 5.01 or the amount
thereof provable in bankruptcy pursuant to Section 5.02, or impair or affect the
right of any Securityholder to institute suit for payment thereof or impair the
right of repayment, if any, at the option of the holder, or (ii) reduce the
aforesaid percentage of Debt Securities the holders of which are required to
consent to any such supplemental indenture; provided, further, that if the Debt
Securities of such series are held by a Mercantile Trust or a trustee of such
trust, such supplemental indenture shall not be effective until the holders of a
majority in liquidation preference of Trust Securities of the applicable Trust
shall have consented to such supplemental indenture; provided further, that if
the consent of the Securityholder of each outstanding Debt Security is required,
such supplemental indenture shall not be effective until each holder of the
Trust Securities of the applicable Mercantile Trust shall have consented to such
supplemental indenture.
A supplemental indenture which changes or eliminates any covenant or
other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for
the benefit of one or more particular series of Debt Securities, or which
modifies the rights of Securityholders of such series with respect to such
covenant or provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this
Indenture or the Securityholders of any other series.
Upon the request of the Company accompanied by a Board Resolution
authorizing the execution of any such supplemental indenture, and upon the
filing with the Trustee of evidence of the consent of Securityholders as
aforesaid, the Trustee shall join with the Company in the execution of such
supplemental indenture unless such supplemental indenture affects the Trustee's
own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which
case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter
into such supplemental indenture.
Promptly after the execution by the Company and the Trustee of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the Trustee
shall transmit by mail, first class postage prepaid, a notice, prepared by the
Company, setting forth in general terms the substance of such supplemental
indenture, to the Securityholders of all series affected thereby as their names
and addresses appear upon the Debt Security Register. Any failure of the Trustee
to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way
impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Securityholders under
this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental
indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such consent shall approve the
substance thereof.
SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act; Effect of
Supplemental Indentures.
Any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to the provisions of this
Article IX shall comply with the Trust Indenture Act, as then in effect to the
extent applicable to
49
indentures qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. Upon the execution of any
supplemental indenture pursuant to the provisions of this Article IX, this
Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified and amended in accordance
therewith and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties
and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the Company and the holders
of Debt Securities of each series affected thereby shall thereafter be
determined, exercised and enforced hereunder subject in all respects to such
modifications and amendments and all the terms and conditions of any such
supplemental indenture shall be and be deemed to be part of the terms and
conditions of this Indenture for any and all purposes.
SECTION 9.04. Notation on Debt Securities.
Debt Securities of any series authenticated and delivered after the
execution of any supplemental indenture affecting such series pursuant to the
provisions of this Article IX may bear a notation as to any matter provided for
in such supplemental indenture. If the Company or the Trustee shall so
determine, new Debt Securities of any series so modified as to conform, in the
opinion of the Board of Directors of the Company, to any modification of this
Indenture contained in any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and
executed by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent and delivered in exchange for the Debt Securities of any series then
outstanding.
SECTION 9.05. Evidence of Compliance of Supplemental Indenture to be
Furnished to Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and 6.02,
shall, in addition to the documents required by Section 13.06, receive an
Officers' Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any
supplemental indenture executed pursuant hereto complies with the requirements
of this Article IX. The Trustee shall receive an Opinion of Counsel as
conclusive evidence that any supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this
Article IX is authorized or permitted by, and conforms to, the terms of this
Article IX and that it is proper for the Trustee under the provisions of this
Article IX to join in the execution thereof.
ARTICLE X.
CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, SALE, CONVEYANCE AND LEASE
SECTION 10.01. Company May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms.
Nothing contained in this Indenture or in the Debt Securities of any
series shall prevent any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any
other corporation or corporations (whether or not affiliated with the Company)
or successive consolidations or mergers in which the Company or its successor or
successors shall be a party or parties, or shall prevent any sale, conveyance,
transfer or other disposition of the property of the Company or its successor or
successors as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to any other
corporation (whether or not affiliated with the Company, or its successor or
successors) authorized to acquire and operate the same; provided, however, that
the Company hereby
50
covenants and agrees that, upon any such consolidation, merger (where the
Company is not the surviving corporation), sale, conveyance, transfer or other
disposition, the due and punctual payment of the principal of (and premium, if
any) and interest on all of the Debt Securities of all series in accordance with
the terms of each series, according to their tenor, and the due and punctual
performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of this Indenture
with respect to each series or established with respect to such series to be
kept or performed by the Company, shall be expressly assumed by supplemental
indenture (which shall conform to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, as
then in effect, applicable to indentures qualified thereunder) satisfactory in
form to the Trustee executed and delivered to the Trustee by the entity formed
by such consolidation, or into which the Company shall have been merged, or by
the entity which shall have acquired such property.
SECTION 10.02. Successor Entity to be Substituted.
In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance, transfer
or other disposition and upon the assumption by the successor entity, by
supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory
in form to the Trustee, of the due and punctual payment of the principal of and
premium, if any, and interest on all of the Debt Securities and the due and
punctual performance and observance of all of the covenants and conditions of
this Indenture to be performed or observed by the Company, such successor entity
shall succeed to and be substituted for the Company, with the same effect as if
it had been named herein as the Company, and thereupon the predecessor entity
shall be relieved of any further liability or obligation hereunder or upon the
Debt Securities. Such successor entity thereupon may cause to be signed, and may
issue either in its own name or in the name of Mercantile Bancorporation Inc.,
any or all of the Debt Securities issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not
have been signed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent; and, upon the order of such successor entity instead of
the Company and subject to all the terms, conditions and limitations in this
Indenture prescribed, the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent shall authenticate
and deliver any Debt Securities which previously shall have been signed and
delivered by the officers of the Company, to the Trustee or the Authenticating
Agent for authentication, and any Debt Securities which such successor entity
thereafter shall cause to be signed and delivered to the Trustee or the
Authenticating Agent for that purpose. All the Debt Securities so issued shall
in all respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the
Debt Securities theretofore or thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of
this Indenture as though all of such Debt Securities had been issued at the date
of the execution hereof.
SECTION 10.03. Opinion of Counsel to be Given to Trustee.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections 6.01 and 6.02,
shall receive, in addition to the Opinion of Counsel required by Section 9.05,
an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that any consolidation, merger,
sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition, and any assumption, permitted
or required by the terms of this Article X complies with the provisions of this
Article X.
51
ARTICLE XI.
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 11.01. Discharge of Indenture.
When (a) the Company shall deliver to the Trustee for cancellation
all Debt Securities theretofore authenticated (other than any Debt Securities
which shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which shall have been
replaced or paid as provided in Section 2.08) and not theretofore canceled, or
(b) all the Debt Securities not theretofore canceled or delivered to the Trustee
for cancellation shall have become due and payable, or are by their terms to
become due and payable within one year or are to be called for redemption within
one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice
of redemption, and the Company shall deposit with the Trustee, in trust, funds,
which shall be immediately due and payable, sufficient to pay at maturity or
upon redemption all of the Debt Securities (other than any Debt Securities which
shall have been destroyed, lost or stolen and which shall have been replaced or
paid as provided in Section 2.08) not theretofore canceled or delivered to the
Trustee for cancellation, including principal and premium, if any, and interest
due or to become due to such date of maturity or redemption date, as the case
may be, but excluding, however, the amount of any moneys for the payment of
principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on the Debt Securities (1)
theretofore repaid to the Company in accordance with the provisions of Section
11.04, or (2) paid to any state or to the District of Columbia pursuant to its
unclaimed property or similar laws, and if in the case of either clause (a) or
clause (b) the Company shall also pay or cause to be paid all other sums payable
hereunder by the Company, then this Indenture shall cease to be of further
effect except for the provisions of Sections 2.05, 2.07, 2.08, 3.01, 3.02, 3.04,
6.06, 6.10 and 11.04 hereof shall survive until such Debt Securities shall
mature and be paid. Thereafter, Sections 6.10 and 11.04 shall survive, and the
Trustee, on demand of the Company accompanied by 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, and at the cost and expense of the Company, shall execute proper
instruments acknowledging satisfaction of and discharging this Indenture, the
Company, however, hereby agreeing to reimburse the Trustee for any costs or
expenses thereafter reasonably and properly incurred by the Trustee in
connection with this Indenture or the Debt Securities.
SECTION 11.02. Deposited Moneys to be Held in Trust by Trustee.
Subject to the provisions of Section 11.04, all moneys deposited with
the Trustee pursuant to Section 11.01 shall be held in trust and applied by it
to the payment, either directly or through any paying agent (including the
Company if acting as its own paying agent), to the holders of the particular
Debt Securities for the payment of which such moneys have been deposited with
the Trustee, of all sums due and to become due thereon for principal, and
premium, if any, and interest.
SECTION 11.03. Paying Agent to Repay Moneys Held.
Upon the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture all moneys then
held by
52
any paying agent of the Debt Securities (other than the Trustee) shall, upon
demand of the Company, be repaid to it or paid to the Trustee, and thereupon
such paying agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to
such moneys.
SECTION 11.04. Return of Unclaimed Moneys.
Any moneys deposited with or paid to the Trustee or any paying agent
for payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest on Debt
Securities and not applied but remaining unclaimed by the holders of Debt
Securities for two years after the date upon which the principal of, and
premium, if any, or interest on such Debt Securities, as the case may be, shall
have become due and payable, shall be repaid to the Company by the Trustee or
such paying agent on written demand; and the holder of any of the Debt
Securities shall thereafter look only to the Company for any payment which such
holder may be entitled to collect and all liability of the Trustee or such
paying agent with respect to such moneys shall thereupon cease.
ARTICLE XII.
IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, STOCKHOLDERS,
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
SECTION 12.01. Indenture and Debt Securities Solely Corporate
Obligations.
No recourse for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or
interest on any Debt Security, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in
respect thereof, and no recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or
agreement of the Company in this Indenture or in any supplemental indenture, or
in any such Debt Security, or because of the creation of any indebtedness
represented thereby, shall be had against any incorporator, stockholder, officer
or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any
successor corporation of the Company, either directly or through the Company or
any successor corporation of the Company, whether by virtue of any constitution,
statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or
otherwise; it being expressly understood that all such liability is hereby
expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as a consideration for, the
execution of this Indenture and the issue of the Debt Securities.
ARTICLE XIII.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 13.01. Successors.
All the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in this
Indenture contained by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns whether
so expressed or not.
SECTION 13.02. Official Acts by Successor Entity.
Any act or proceeding by any provision of this Indenture authorized or
53
required to be done or performed by any board, committee or officer of the
Company shall and may be done and performed with like force and effect by the
like board, committee, officer or other authorized Person of any entity that
shall at the time be the lawful successor of the Company.
SECTION 13.03. Surrender of Company Powers.
The Company by instrument in writing executed by authority of 2/3
(two-thirds) of its Board of Directors and delivered to the Trustee may
surrender any of the powers reserved to the Company and thereupon such power so
surrendered shall terminate both as to the Company, and as to any permitted
successor.
SECTION 13.04. Addresses for Notices, etc.
Any notice or demand which by any provision of this Indenture is
required or permitted to be given or served by the Trustee or by the holders of
Debt Securities on the Company may be given or served in writing by being
deposited postage prepaid by registered or certified mail in a post office
letter box addressed (until another address is filed by the Company, with the
Trustee for the purpose) to the Company, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇.▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇,
▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, General Counsel. Any
notice, direction, request or demand by any Securityholder or the Company to or
upon the Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for
all purposes, if given or made in writing at the office of the Trustee,
addressed to the Trustee, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
Attention: Global Trust Services.
SECTION 13.05. Governing Law.
This Indenture and each Debt Security shall be deemed to be a contract
made under the laws of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of said State, without
regard to conflict of laws principles thereof.
SECTION 13.06. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent.
Upon any application or demand by the Company to the Trustee to take
any action under any of the provisions of this Indenture, the Company shall
furnish to the Trustee an Officers' Certificate stating that in the opinion of
the signers all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture
relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of
Counsel stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions
precedent have been complied with.
Each certificate or opinion provided for in this Indenture and
delivered to the Trustee with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant
provided for in this Indenture shall include (1) a statement that the person
making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (2) a
brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation
upon which the statements or opinions contained in such
54
certificate or opinion are based; (3) a statement that, in the opinion of such
person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable
him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or
condition has been complied with; and (4) a statement as to whether or not, in
the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 13.07. Non-Business Days.
Subject to Section 2.03, in any case where the date of payment of
interest on or principal of the Debt Securities will be a Saturday, Sunday or a
day on which banking institutions in New York City (in the State of New York)
and St. Louis (in the State of Missouri) are permitted or required by any
applicable law to close, the payment of such interest on or principal of the
Debt Securities need not be made on such date but may be made on the next
succeeding day not a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in
such cities are permitted or required by any applicable law to close, with the
same force and effect as if made on the date of payment and no interest shall
accrue for the period from and after such date.
SECTION 13.08. Trust Indenture Act to Control.
If and to the extent that any provision of this Indenture limits,
qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by Sections 310 to 317,
inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties shall control.
SECTION 13.09. Table of Contents, Headings, etc.
The table of contents and the titles and headings of the articles and
sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only,
are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict
any of the terms or provisions hereof.
SECTION 13.10. Execution in Counterparts.
This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but
one and the same instrument.
SECTION 13.11. Separability.
In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Indenture
or in the Debt Securities of any series shall for any reason be held to be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or
unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions of this Indenture or of
such Debt Securities, but this Indenture and such Debt Securities shall be
construed as if such invalid or illegal or unenforceable provision had never
been contained herein or therein.
55
SECTION 13.12. Assignment.
The Company will have the right at all times to assign any of its
rights or obligations under this Indenture to a direct or indirect wholly owned
Subsidiary of the Company, provided that, in the event of any such assignment,
the Company will remain liable for all such obligations. Subject to the
foregoing, this Indenture is binding upon and inures to the benefit of the
parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This Indenture may
not otherwise be assigned by the parties thereto.
SECTION 13.13. Acknowledgment of Rights.
The Company acknowledges that, with respect to any Debt Securities
held by any Mercantile Trust or the Institutional Trustee of such Mercantile
Trust, if the Institutional Trustee of such Mercantile Trust fails to enforce
its rights under this Indenture as the holder of the series of Debt Securities
held as the assets of such Mercantile Trust after the holders of a majority in
liquidation amount of the Capital Securities of such Mercantile Trust have so
directed such Institutional Trustee, a holder of record of such Capital
Securities may to the fullest extent permitted by law institute legal
proceedings directly against the Company to enforce such Institutional Trustee's
rights under this Indenture without first instituting any legal proceedings
against such Institutional Trustee or any other Person. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and such event
is attributable to the failure of the Company to pay interest (or premium, if
any) or principal on the applicable series of Debt Securities on the date such
interest (or premium, if any) or principal is otherwise payable (or in the case
of redemption, on the redemption date), the Company acknowledges that a holder
of record of Capital Securities of the Mercantile Trust that purchased the
applicable series of Debt Securities may directly institute a proceeding against
the Company for enforcement of payment to such holder directly of the principal
of (or premium, if any) or interest on the applicable series of Debt Securities
having an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate liquidation amount
of the Capital Securities of such holder on or after the respective due date
specified in the applicable series of Debt Securities.
ARTICLE XIV.
REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES -- MANDATORY AND
OPTIONAL SINKING FUND
SECTION 14.01. Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to the Debt
Securities of any series which are redeemable before their maturity or to any
sinking fund for the retirement of Debt Securities of a series except as
otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.03 for Debt Securities of such
series.
SECTION 14.02. Notice of Redemption; Selection of Debt Securities.
In case the Company shall desire to exercise the right to redeem all,
or, as the
56
case may be, any part of the Debt Securities of any series in accordance with
their terms, it shall fix a date for redemption and shall mail a notice of such
redemption at least 30 and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for
redemption to the holders of Debt Securities of such series so to be redeemed as
a whole or in part at their last addresses as the same appear on the Debt
Security Register. Such mailing shall be by first class mail. 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, failure
to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the holder of any
Debt Security of a series designated for redemption as a whole or in part shall
not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other Debt
Security of such series.
Each such notice of redemption shall specify the CUSIP number of the
Debt Securities to be redeemed, the date fixed for redemption, the redemption
price at which Debt Securities of such series are to be redeemed, the place or
places of payment, that payment will be made upon presentation and surrender of
such Debt Securities, that interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption
will be paid as specified in said notice, and that on and after said date
interest thereon or on the portions thereof to be redeemed will cease to accrue.
If less than all the Debt Securities of such series are to be redeemed the
notice of redemption shall specify the numbers of the Debt Securities of that
series to be redeemed. In case any Debt Security of a series is to be redeemed
in part only, the notice of redemption shall state the portion of the principal
amount thereof to be redeemed and shall state that on and after the date fixed
for redemption, upon surrender of such Debt Security, a new Debt Security or
Debt Securities of that series in principal amount equal to the unredeemed
portion thereof will be issued.
On or prior to the redemption date specified in the notice of
redemption given as provided in this Section, 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 Debt Securities so called for redemption
at the appropriate redemption price, together with accrued interest to the date
fixed for redemption.
If all, or less than all, the Debt Securities of a series are to be
redeemed, the Company will give the Trustee notice not less than 45 nor more
than 60 days, respectively, prior to the redemption date as to the aggregate
principal amount of Debt Securities of that series to be redeemed and the
Trustee shall select, in such manner as in its sole discretion it shall deem
appropriate and fair, the Debt Securities of that series or portions thereof (in
integral multiples of $1,000, except as otherwise set forth in the applicable
form of Debt Security) to be redeemed.
SECTION 14.03. Payment of Debt Securities Called for Redemption.
If notice of redemption has been given as provided in Section 14.02 or
Section 14.04, the Debt Securities or portions of Debt Securities of the series
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, together with interest accrued to the date fixed for
redemption, and on and after said date (unless the Company shall default
57
in the payment of such Debt Securities at the redemption price, together with
interest accrued to said date) interest on the Debt Securities or portions of
Debt Securities of any series so called for redemption shall cease to accrue. On
presentation and surrender of such Debt Securities at a place of payment
specified in said notice, the said Debt Securities or the specified portions
thereof shall be paid and redeemed by the Company at the applicable redemption
price, together with interest accrued thereon to the date fixed for redemption.
Upon presentation of any Debt Security of any series redeemed in part
only, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and make
available for delivery to the holder thereof, at the expense of the Company, a
new Debt Security or Debt Securities of such series of authorized denominations,
in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the Debt Security so
presented.
SECTION 14.04. Mandatory and Optional Sinking Fund.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the
terms of Debt Securities of any series is herein referred to as a "mandatory
sinking fund payment," and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided
for by the terms of Debt Securities of any series is herein referred to as an
"optional sinking fund payment." The last date on which any such payment may be
made is herein referred to as a "sinking fund payment date."
In lieu of making all or any part of any mandatory sinking fund
payment with respect to any Debt Securities of a series in cash, the Company may
at its option (a) deliver to the Trustee Debt Securities of that series
theretofore purchased by the Company and (b) may apply as a credit Debt
Securities of that series which have been redeemed either at the election of the
Company pursuant to the terms of such Debt Securities or through the application
of optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the next succeeding paragraph, in
each case in satisfaction of all or any part of any mandatory sinking fund
payment, provided that such Debt Securities have not been previously so
credited. Each such Debt Security so delivered or applied as a credit shall be
credited at the sinking fund redemption price for such Debt Securities and the
amount of any mandatory sinking fund shall be reduced accordingly. If the
Company intends so to deliver or credit such Debt Securities with respect to any
mandatory sinking fund payment it shall deliver to the Trustee at least 60 days
prior to the next succeeding sinking fund payment date for such series (a) a
certificate signed by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or an
Assistant Treasurer of the Company specifying the portion of such sinking fund
payment, if any, to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion of such
sinking fund payment, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and
crediting such Debt Securities and the basis for such credit and stating that
such Debt Securities have not been previously so credited and (b) any Debt
Securities to be so delivered. All Debt Securities so delivered to the Trustee
shall be canceled by the Trustee and no Debt Securities shall be authenticated
in lieu thereof. If the Company fails to deliver such certificate and Debt
Securities at or before the time provided above, the Company shall not be
permitted to satisfy any portion of such mandatory sinking fund payment by
delivery or credit of Debt Securities.
58
At its option the Company may pay into the sinking fund for the
retirement of Debt Securities of any particular series, on or before each
sinking fund payment date for such series, any additional sum in cash as
specified by the terms of such series of Debt Securities. If the Company intends
to exercise its right to make any such optional sinking fund payment, it shall
deliver to the Trustee at least 60 days prior to the next succeeding sinking
fund payment date for such series a certificate signed by the Secretary, an
Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Company
stating that the Company intends to exercise such optional right and specifying
the amount which the Company intends to pay on such sinking fund payment date.
If the Company fails to deliver such certificate at or before the time provided
above, the Company shall not be permitted to make any optional sinking fund
payment with respect to such sinking fund payment date. To the extent that such
right is not exercised in any year it shall not be cumulative or carried forward
to any subsequent year.
If the sinking fund payment or payments (mandatory or optional) made
in cash plus any unused balance of any preceding sinking fund payments made in
cash shall exceed $50,000 (or a lesser sum if the Company shall so request) with
respect to the Debt Securities of any particular series, it shall be applied by
the Trustee or one or more paying agents on the next succeeding sinking fund
payment date to the redemption of Debt Securities of such series at the sinking
fund redemption price together with accrued interest to the date fixed for
redemption. The Trustee shall select, in the manner provided in Section 14.02,
for redemption on such sinking fund payment date a sufficient principal amount
of Debt Securities of such series to absorb said cash, as nearly as may be, and
the Trustee shall, at the expense and in the name of the Company, thereupon
cause notice of redemption of Debt Securities of such series to be given in
substantially the manner and with the effect provided in Sections 14.02 and
14.03 for the redemption of Debt Securities of that series in part at the option
of the Company, except that the notice of redemption shall also state that the
Debt Securities of such series are being redeemed for the sinking fund. Any
sinking fund moneys not so applied or allocated by the Trustee or any paying
agent to the redemption of Debt Securities of that series shall be added to the
next cash sinking fund payment received by the Trustee or such paying agent and,
together with such payment, shall be applied in accordance with the provisions
of this Section 14.04. Any and all sinking fund moneys held by the Trustee or
any paying agent on the maturity date of the Debt Securities of any particular
series, and not held for the payment or redemption of particular Debt Securities
of such series, shall be applied by the Trustee or such paying agent, together
with other moneys, if necessary, to be deposited sufficient for the purpose, to
the payment of the principal of the Debt Securities of that series at maturity.
On or before 10:00 a.m. on each sinking fund payment date, the Company
shall pay to the Trustee or to one or more paying agents in cash a sum equal to
all interest accrued to the date fixed for redemption on Debt Securities to be
redeemed on the next following sinking fund payment date pursuant to this
Section.
Neither the Trustee nor any paying agent shall redeem any Debt
Securities of a series with sinking fund moneys, and the Trustee shall not mail
any notice of redemption of Debt Securities for such series by operation of the
sinking fund, during the continuance of a
59
default in payment of interest on such Debt Securities or of any Event of
Default (other than an Event of Default occurring as a consequence of this
paragraph), except that if the notice of redemption of any Debt Securities shall
theretofore have been mailed in accordance with the provisions hereof, the
Trustee or any paying agent shall redeem such Debt Securities if cash sufficient
for that purpose shall be deposited with the Trustee or such paying agent for
that purpose in accordance with the terms of this Article XIV. 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
the sinking fund shall, during the continuance of such default or Event of
Default, be held as security for the payment of all such Debt Securities;
provided, however, that in case such Event of Default or default, shall have
been cured or waived as provided herein, such moneys shall thereafter be applied
on the next succeeding sinking fund payment date on which such moneys may be
applied pursuant to the provisions of this Section 14.04.
ARTICLE XV
SUBORDINATION OF DEBT SECURITIES
SECTION 15.01. Agreement to Subordinate.
The Company covenants and agrees, and each holder of Debt Securities
issued hereunder and under any supplemental indenture or by any Board Resolution
("Additional Provisions") by such Securityholder's acceptance thereof likewise
covenants and agrees, that all Debt Securities shall be issued subject to the
provisions of this Article XV; and each holder of a Debt Security, whether upon
original issue or upon transfer or assignment thereof, accepts and agrees to be
bound by such provisions.
The payment by the Company of the principal of, and premium, if any,
and interest on all Debt Securities issued hereunder and under any Additional
Provisions shall, to the extent and in the manner hereinafter set forth, be
subordinated and junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all
Senior Indebtedness of the Company, whether outstanding at the date of this
Indenture or thereafter incurred.
No provision of this Article XV shall prevent the occurrence of any
default or Event of Default hereunder.
SECTION 15.02. Default on Senior Indebtedness.
In the event and during the continuation of any default by the Company
in the payment of principal, premium, interest or any other payment due on any
Senior Indebtedness of the Company following any grace period, or in the event
that the maturity of any Senior Indebtedness of the Company has been accelerated
because of a default, then, in either case, no payment shall be made by the
Company with respect to the principal (including redemption and sinking fund
payments) of, or premium, if any, or interest on the Debt Securities.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment shall be
received by the Trustee when such payment is prohibited by the preceding
paragraph of this Section
60
15.02, such payment shall, subject to Section 15.06, be held in trust for the
benefit of, and shall be paid over or delivered to, the holders of Senior
Indebtedness or their respective representatives, or to the trustee or trustees
under any indenture pursuant to which any of such Senior Indebtedness may have
been issued, as their respective interests may appear, but only to the extent
that the holders of the Senior Indebtedness (or their representative or
representatives or a trustee) notify the Trustee in writing within 90 days of
such payment of the amounts then due and owing on the Senior Indebtedness and
only the amounts specified in such notice to the Trustee shall be paid to the
holders of Senior Indebtedness.
SECTION 15.03. Liquidation; Dissolution; Bankruptcy.
Upon any payment by the Company or distribution of assets of the
Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to
creditors upon any dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of
the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy, insolvency,
receivership or other proceedings, all amounts due upon all Senior Indebtedness
of the Company shall first be paid in full, or payment thereof provided for in
money in accordance with its terms, before any payment is made by the Company,
on account of the principal (and premium, if any) or interest on the Debt
Securities; and upon any such dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or
reorganization, any payment by the Company, or distribution of assets of the
Company of any kind or character, whether in cash, property or securities, to
which the Securityholders or the Trustee would be entitled to receive from the
Company, except for the provisions of this Article XV, shall be paid by the
Company, or by any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidating trustee, agent
or other Person making such payment or distribution, or by the Securityholders
or by the Trustee under this Indenture if received by them or it, directly to
the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company (pro rata to such holders on
the basis of the respective amounts of Senior Indebtedness held by such holders,
as calculated by the Company) or their representative or representatives, or to
the trustee or trustees under any indenture pursuant to which any instruments
evidencing such Senior Indebtedness may have been issued, as their respective
interests may appear, to the extent necessary to pay such Senior Indebtedness in
full, in money or money's worth, after giving effect to any concurrent payment
or distribution to or for the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, before any
payment or distribution is made to the Securityholders or to the Trustee.
In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any payment or
distribution of assets of the Company of any kind or character, whether in cash,
property or securities, prohibited by the foregoing, shall be received by the
Trustee before all Senior Indebtedness of the Company is paid in full, or
provision is made for such payment in money in accordance with its terms, such
payment or distribution shall be held in trust for the benefit of and shall be
paid over or delivered to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness or their
representative or representatives, or to the trustee or trustees under any
indenture pursuant to which any instruments evidencing such Senior Indebtedness
may have been issued, as their respective interests may appear, as calculated by
the Company, for application to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of the
Company, remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to pay such Senior
Indebtedness in full in money in accordance with its terms, after giving effect
to any concurrent payment or distribution to or for the benefit of the
61
holders of such Senior Indebtedness.
For purposes of this Article XV, the words "cash, property or
securities" shall not be deemed to include shares of stock of the Company as
reorganized or readjusted, or securities of the Company or any other corporation
provided for by a plan of reorganization or readjustment, the payment of which
is subordinated at least to the extent provided in this Article XV with respect
to the Debt Securities to the payment of all Senior Indebtedness of the Company,
that may at the time be outstanding, provided that (i) such Senior Indebtedness
is assumed by the new corporation, if any, resulting from any such
reorganization or readjustment, and (ii) the rights of the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness are not, without the consent of such holders, altered by
such reorganization or readjustment. The consolidation of the Company with, or
the merger of the Company into, another corporation or the liquidation or
dissolution of the Company following the conveyance or transfer of its property
as an entirety, or substantially as an entirety, to another corporation upon the
terms and conditions provided for in Article X of this Indenture shall not be
deemed a dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization for the purposes
of this Section 15.03 if such other corporation shall, as a part of such
consolidation, merger, conveyance or transfer, comply with the conditions stated
in Article X of this Indenture. Nothing in Section 15.02 or in this Section
15.03 shall apply to claims of, or payments to, the Trustee under or pursuant to
Section 6.06 of this Indenture.
SECTION 15.04. Subrogation.
Subject to the payment in full of all Senior Indebtedness of the
Company, the Securityholders shall be subrogated to the rights of the holders of
such Senior Indebtedness to receive payments or distributions of cash, property
or securities of the Company, applicable to such Senior Indebtedness until the
principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the Debt Securities shall be
paid in full; and, for the purposes of such subrogation, no payments or
distributions to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness of any cash, property
or securities to which the Securityholders or the Trustee would be entitled
except for the provisions of this Article XV, and no payment over pursuant to
the provisions of this Article XV to or for the benefit of the holders of such
Senior Indebtedness by Securityholders or the Trustee, shall, as between the
Company, its creditors other than holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company,
and the holders of the Debt Securities be deemed to be a payment or distribution
by the Company to or on account of such Senior Indebtedness. It is understood
that the provisions of this Article XV are and are intended solely for the
purposes of defining the relative rights of the holders of the Securities, on
the one hand, and the holders of such Senior Indebtedness, on the other hand.
Nothing contained in this Article XV or elsewhere in this Indenture,
any Additional Provisions or in the Debt Securities is intended to or shall
impair, as between the Company, its creditors other than the holders of Senior
Indebtedness of the Company, and the holders of the Debt Securities, the
obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay to the
holders of the Debt Securities the principal of (and premium, if any) and
interest on the Debt Securities as and when the same shall become due and
payable in accordance with their terms, or is intended to or shall affect the
relative rights of the
62
holders of the Debt Securities and creditors of the Company, other than the
holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company, nor shall anything herein or
therein prevent the Trustee or the holder of any Debt Security from exercising
all remedies otherwise permitted by applicable law upon default under this
Indenture, subject to the rights, if any, under this Article XV of the holders
of such Senior Indebtedness in respect of cash, property or securities of the
Company, received upon the exercise of any such remedy.
Upon any payment or distribution of assets of the Company referred to
in this Article XV, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of this
Indenture, and the Securityholders shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon
any order or decree made by any court of competent jurisdiction in which such
dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization proceedings are pending,
or a certificate of the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, liquidation trustee,
agent or other Person making such payment or distribution, delivered to the
Trustee or to the Securityholders, for the purposes of ascertaining the Persons
entitled to participate in such distribution, the holders of Senior Indebtedness
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 XV.
SECTION 15.05. Trustee to Effectuate Subordination.
Each Securityholder by such Securityholder's acceptance thereof
authorizes and directs the Trustee on such Securityholder's behalf to take such
action as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the subordination
provided in this Article XV and appoints the Trustee such Securityholder's
attorney-in-fact for any and all such purposes.
SECTION 15.06. Notice by the Company.
The Company shall give prompt written notice to a Responsible Officer
of the Trustee at the Principal Office of the Trustee of any fact known to the
Company that would prohibit the making of any payment of monies to or by the
Trustee in respect of the Debt Securities pursuant to the provisions of this
Article XV. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article XV or any other
provision of this Indenture or any Additional Provisions, the Trustee shall not
be charged with knowledge of the existence of any facts that would prohibit the
making of any payment of monies to or by the Trustee in respect of the Debt
Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Article XV, unless and until a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee at the Principal Office of the Trustee shall
have received written notice thereof from the Company or a holder or holders of
Senior Indebtedness or from any trustee therefor; and before the receipt of any
such written notice, the Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of
this Indenture, shall be entitled in all respects to assume that no such facts
exist; provided, however, that if the Trustee shall not have received the notice
provided for in this Section 15.06 at least two Business Days prior to the date
upon which by the terms hereof any money may become payable for any purpose
(including, without limitation, the payment of the principal of (or premium, if
any) or interest on any Debt Security), then, anything herein contained to the
contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall have full power and authority to
receive such money and to apply the same to the purposes for which they were
received, and shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary that may be
received by it
63
within two Business Days prior to such date.
The Trustee, subject to the provisions of Article VI of this
Indenture, shall be entitled to conclusively rely on the delivery to it of a
written notice by a Person representing himself to be a holder of Senior
Indebtedness of the Company (or a trustee or representative on behalf of such
holder), to establish that such notice has been given by a holder of such Senior
Indebtedness or a trustee or representative on behalf of any such holder or
holders. In the event that the Trustee determines in good faith that further
evidence is required with respect to the right of any Person as a holder of such
Senior Indebtedness to participate in any payment or distribution pursuant to
this Article XV, the Trustee may request such Person to furnish evidence to the
reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee as to the amount of such Senior
Indebtedness held by such Person, the extent to which such Person is entitled to
participate in such payment or distribution and any other facts pertinent to the
rights of such Person under this Article XV, and, if such evidence is not
furnished, the Trustee may defer any payment to such Person pending judicial
determination as to the right of such Person to receive such payment.
SECTION 15.07. Rights of the Trustee; Holders of Senior Indebtedness.
The Trustee in its individual capacity shall be entitled to all the
rights set forth in this Article XV in respect of any Senior Indebtedness at any
time held by it, to the same extent as any other holder of Senior Indebtedness,
and nothing in this Indenture or any Additional Provisions shall deprive the
Trustee of any of its rights as such holder.
With respect to the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company, the
Trustee undertakes to perform or to observe only such of its covenants and
obligations as are specifically set forth in this Article XV, and no implied
covenants or obligations with respect to the holders of such Senior Indebtedness
shall be read into this Indenture or any Additional Provisions against the
Trustee. The Trustee shall not be deemed to owe any fiduciary duty to the
holders of such Senior Indebtedness and, subject to the provisions of Article VI
of this Indenture, the Trustee shall not be liable to any holder of such Senior
Indebtedness if it shall pay over or deliver to Securityholders, the Company or
any other Person money or assets to which any holder of such Senior Indebtedness
shall be entitled by virtue of this Article XV or otherwise.
Nothing in this Article XV shall apply to claims of, or payments to,
the Trustee under or pursuant to Section 6.06.
SECTION 15.08. Subordination May Not Be Impaired.
No right of any present or future holder of any Senior Indebtedness of
the Company to enforce subordination as herein provided shall at any time in any
way be prejudiced or impaired by any act or failure to act on the part of the
Company, 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 otherwise be charged with.
64
Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph,
the holders of Senior Indebtedness of the Company may, at any time and from time
to time, without the consent of or notice to the Trustee or the Securityholders,
without incurring responsibility to the Securityholders and without impairing or
releasing the subordination provided in this Article XV or the obligations
hereunder of the holders of the Debt Securities to the holders of such Senior
Indebtedness, do any one or more of the following: (i) change the manner, place
or terms of payment or extend the time of payment of, or renew or alter, such
Senior Indebtedness, or otherwise amend or supplement in any manner such Senior
Indebtedness or any instrument evidencing the same or any agreement under which
such Senior Indebtedness is outstanding; (ii) sell, exchange, release or
otherwise deal with any property pledged, mortgaged or otherwise securing such
Senior Indebtedness; (iii) release any Person liable in any manner for the
collection of such Senior Indebtedness; and (iv) exercise or refrain from
exercising any rights against the Company, and any other Person.
The Chase Manhattan Bank hereby accepts the trusts in this Indenture
declared and provided, upon the terms and conditions herein above set forth.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to
be duly executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of
the day and year first above written.
MERCANTILE BANCORPORATION INC.
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
----------------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President and
Treasurer
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as Trustee
By /s/ ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
----------------------------------------------
Name: ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Second Vice President
65