1
Exhibit 4.7
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
DATED AS OF FEBRUARY 25, 1997
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
----
ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION .......................................... 1
SECTION 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation ..................................... 1
ARTICLE II TRUST INDENTURE ACT .................................................... 3
SECTION 2.1 Trust Indenture Act; Application ................................... 3
SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities ..................................... 4
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee ......................... 4
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Preferred Guarantee Trustee .................... 4
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent ................... 5
SECTION 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver .......................................... 5
SECTION 2.7 Event of Default; Notice ........................................... 5
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests .............................................. 5
ARTICLE III POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF PREFERRED GUARANTEE
TRUSTEE ........................................................................ 5
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee ............... 5
SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Preferred Guarantee Trustee ...................... 7
SECTION 3.3 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Preferred Securities
Guarantee ................................................................ 9
ARTICLE IV PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE ............................................ 9
SECTION 4.1 Preferred Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility ........................... 9
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Preferred Guarantee
Trustee .................................................................. 9
ARTICLE V GUARANTEE ............................................................... 10
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee .......................................................... 10
SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand ........................................ 10
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected ........................................... 11
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders .................................................. 11
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment ............................................... 12
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation ........................................................ 12
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations ............................................ 12
ARTICLE VI LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION .............................. 12
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions ......................................... 12
SECTION 6.2 Ranking ............................................................ 13
ARTICLE VII TERMINATION ........................................................... 13
SECTION 7.1 Termination ........................................................ 13
ARTICLE VIII INDEMNIFICATION ...................................................... 13
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation ........................................................ 13
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification .................................................... 14
ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS .......................................................... 14
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns ............................................. 14
SECTION 9.2 Amendments ......................................................... 14
SECTION 9.3 Notices ............................................................ 15
SECTION 9.4 Benefit ............................................................ 15
SECTION 9.5 Governing Law ...................................................... 15
-i-
3
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
This PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (the "Preferred Securities
Guarantee"), dated as of February 25, 1997, is executed and delivered by
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, a Delaware corporation (the "Guarantor"), and Wilmington
Trust Company, as trustee (the "Preferred Guarantee Trustee"), for the benefit
of the Holders (as defined herein) from time to time of the Preferred Securities
(as defined herein) of QUALCOMM Financial Trust I, a Delaware statutory business
trust (the "Issuer").
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the
"Declaration"), dated as of February 25, 1997, among the trustees of the Issuer
named therein and the Guarantor, as sponsor, the Issuer is issuing 11,000,000
preferred securities (plus up to an additional 2,200,000 preferred securities
solely to cover overallotments in connection with the sale thereof), having an
aggregate liquidation amount of $550,000,000 (up to $660,000,000 if the
overallotment option is exercised in full), designated the 5-3/4% Trust
Convertible Preferred Securities (the "Preferred Securities");
WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the Preferred
Securities, the Guarantor desires irrevocably and unconditionally to agree, to
the extent set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, to pay to the
Holders of the Preferred Securities the Guarantee Payments (as defined herein)
and to make certain other payments on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
WHEREAS, as of the date hereof the Guarantor is also executing and
delivering a guarantee agreement (the "Common Securities Guarantee") in
substantially identical terms to this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the
benefit of the holders of the Common Securities (as defined herein), except that
if an Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture), has occurred and is
continuing, the rights of holders of the Common Securities to receive payments
under the Common Securities Guarantee are subordinated to the rights of Holders
of Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each Holder of
Preferred Securities, which purchase the Guarantor hereby agrees shall benefit
the Guarantor, the Guarantor executes and delivers this Preferred Securities
Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1 DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
In this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless the context otherwise
requires:
(a) Capitalized terms used in this Preferred Securities Guarantee
but not defined in the preamble above have the respective meanings assigned to
them in this Section 1.1;
(b) Terms defined in the Declaration as at the date of execution of
this Preferred Securities Guarantee have the same meaning when used in this
Preferred Securities Guarantee unless otherwise defined in this Preferred
Securities Guarantee;
4
(c) a term defined anywhere in this Preferred Securities Guarantee
has the same meaning throughout;
(d) all references to "the Preferred Securities Guarantee" or "this
Preferred Securities Guarantee" are to this Preferred Securities Guarantee as
modified, supplemented or amended from time to time;
(e) all references in this Preferred Securities Guarantee to
Articles and Sections are to Articles and Sections of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, unless otherwise specified;
(f) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the same meaning
when used in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless otherwise defined in
this Preferred Securities Guarantee or unless the context otherwise requires;
and
(g) a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice versa.
"Authorized Officer" of a Person means any Person that is authorized to
bind such Person; provided, however, that the Authorized Officer signing an
Officers' Certificate given pursuant to Section 314(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture
Act shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of such
Person.
"Common Securities" means undivided beneficial interests in the assets of
the Issuer which rank pari passu with the Preferred Securities issued by the
Issuer; provided, however, that, upon the occurrence of an event of default
under the Declaration, the rights of holders of Common Securities to payment in
respect to distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise
are subordinated to the rights of holders of the Preferred Securities.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall, at any particular time, be principally administered, which office at the
date of execution of this Agreement is located at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
"Covered Person" means any Holder or beneficial owner of Preferred
Securities.
"Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on any of its payment
or other obligations under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
"Debentures" means the 5-3/4% Convertible Subordinated Debentures due
February 24, 2012 issued pursuant to the Indenture.
"Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or distributions,
without duplication, with respect to the Preferred Securities, to the extent not
paid or made by the Issuer: (i) any accrued and unpaid Distributions that are
required to be paid on such Preferred Securities to the extent the Issuer shall
have funds available therefor, (ii) the Redemption Price, which includes all
accrued and unpaid Distributions to the date of the redemption, to the extent
the Issuer has funds available therefor, with respect to any Preferred
Securities called for redemption by the Issuer, and (iii) upon a voluntary or
involuntary termination, dissolution or winding-up of the Issuer (other than in
connection with the distribution of Debentures to the Holders in exchange for
Preferred Securities), the lesser of (a) the aggregate of the liquidation amount
and all accrued and unpaid Distributions on the Preferred Securities to the date
of payment, to the extent the Issuer shall have funds available therefor, and
(b) the amount
2
5
of assets of the Issuer remaining available for distribution to Holders in
liquidation of the Issuer (in either case, the "Liquidation Distribution").
"Holder" shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and records of
the Issuer of any Preferred Securities; provided, however, that, in determining
whether the holders of the requisite percentage of Preferred Securities have
given any request, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, "Holder" shall not
include the Guarantor or any Affiliate of the Guarantor.
"Indemnified Person" means the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, any Affiliate
of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, or any officers, directors, shareholders,
members, partners, employees, representatives, nominees, custodians or agents of
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Indenture dated as of February 25, 1997, among the
Guarantor (the "Debenture Issuer") and Wilmington Trust Company, as trustee.
"Majority in liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities" means, except
as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, a vote by Holders of Preferred
Securities, voting separately as a class, representing 50% or more of the
liquidation amount (including the stated amount that would be paid on
redemption, liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to
the date upon which the voting percentages are determined) of all Preferred
Securities then outstanding.
"Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means Wilmington Trust Company, until a
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such
appointment pursuant to the terms of this Preferred Securities Guarantee and
thereafter means each such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee, any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, including any vice president, any assistant vice president,
any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer or other officer
of the Corporate Trust Office of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee customarily
performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated
officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter,
any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of that officer's
knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
"Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means a successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee possessing the qualifications to act as Preferred Guarantee
Trustee under Section 4.1.
"Trust Securities" means the Common Securities and the Preferred
Securities.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1 TRUST INDENTURE ACT; APPLICATION
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee is subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed
by such provisions; and
3
6
(b) If and to the extent that any provision of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by
Section 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties
shall control.
SECTION 2.2 LISTS OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
(a) The Guarantor shall provide, (i) semiannually, not later than
March 31 and September 30 of each year, a list, in such form as the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the
Holders of the Preferred Securities ("List of Holders") as of a date not more
than 15 days prior to the delivery thereof, and (ii) at any other time within 30
days of receipt by the Guarantor of a written request for a List of Holders as
of a date no more than 15 days before such List of Holders is given to the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee; provided, however, that the Guarantor shall not be
obligated to provide such List of Holders at any time the List of Holders does
not differ from the most recent List of Holders given to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee in its capacity as trustee under the Declaration, and in the absence of
the provision of any such List of Holders to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee,
then notice shall be deemed to have been given to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee that the List of Holders has not changed since the most recent List of
Holders. The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as
is reasonably practicable, all information contained in Lists of Holders given
to it or which it receives in the capacity as Paying Agent under the Declaration
(if acting in such capacity), provided, however, that the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee may destroy any List of Holders previously given to it on receipt of a
new List of Holders.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall comply with its
obligations under Sections 311(a), 311(b) and Section 312(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.3 REPORTS BY THE PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
Within 60 days after May 15 of each year, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall provide to the Holders of the Preferred Securities such reports as are
required by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act, if any, in the form and in
the manner provided by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act. The Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall also comply with the requirements of Section 313(d) of
the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.4 PERIODIC REPORTS TO PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee such
documents, reports and information as required by Section 314 (if any), for
transmission to Holders of Preferred Securities as may be required by such
Section 314, and the compliance certificate required by Section 314 of the Trust
Indenture Act in the form, in the manner and at the times required by Section
314 of the Trust Indenture Act.
Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee's receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any
information contained therein or determinable from information contained
therein, including the Guarantor's compliance with any of its covenants
hereunder (as to which the Preferred Guarantee Trustee is entitled to rely
exclusively on Officers' Certificates).
4
7
SECTION 2.5 EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH CONDITIONS PRECEDENT
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee such
evidence of compliance with any conditions precedent, if any, provided for in
this Preferred Securities Guarantee that relate to any of the matters set forth
in Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act. Any certificate or opinion
required to be given by an officer pursuant to Section 314(c)(1) of the Trust
Indenture Act may be given in the form of an Officers' Certificate.
SECTION 2.6 EVENTS OF DEFAULT; WAIVER
The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of Preferred Securities
may, by vote, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Preferred Securities, waive
any past Event of Default and its consequences. Upon such waiver, any such Event
of Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom
shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other
default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 2.7 EVENT OF DEFAULT; NOTICE
(a) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall, within 90 days after the
occurrence of an Event of Default, transmit by mail, first class postage
prepaid, to the Holders of the Preferred Securities, notices of all Events of
Default actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee, unless such defaults have been cured before the giving of such notice,
provided, that, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be protected in
withholding such notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice
is in the interests of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be deemed to have
knowledge of any Event of Default unless the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall
have received written notice or a Responsible Officer of the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee charged with the administration of the Declaration shall have obtained
actual knowledge.
SECTION 2.8 CONFLICTING INTERESTS
The Declaration shall be deemed to be specifically described in this
Preferred Securities Guarantee for the purposes of clause (i) of the first
proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be held by the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities, and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this
Preferred Securities Guarantee to any Person except a Holder of Preferred
Securities exercising his or her rights pursuant to Section 5.4(b) or to a
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee on acceptance by such Successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee of its appointment to act as
5
8
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee. The right, title and interest of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall automatically vest in any Successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, and such vesting and cessation of title shall be effective
whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered pursuant
to the appointment of such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(b) Subject to the rights of any Holder of Preferred Securities to
proceed directly against the Guarantor to enforce this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, if an Event of Default actually known to a Responsible Officer of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee has occurred and is continuing, the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall enforce this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the
benefit of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
(c) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee, before the occurrence of any
Event of Default and after the curing of all Events of Default that may have
occurred, shall undertake to perform only such duties as are specifically set
forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no implied covenants shall be
read into this Preferred Securities Guarantee against the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee. In case an Event of Default has occurred (that has not been cured or
waived pursuant to Section 2.6) and is actually known to a Responsible Officer
of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall
exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise thereof, as
a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of
his or her own affairs.
(d) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be
construed to relieve the Preferred Guarantee Trustee from liability for its own
negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful
misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and after
the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default that may have
occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee, and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and
obligations as are specifically set forth in this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, and no implied covenants or obligations shall
be read into this Preferred Securities Guarantee against the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may
conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the
correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates
or opinions furnished to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee and
conforming to the requirements of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that
by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or
not, on their face, they conform to the requirements of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee, but shall otherwise have no duty to
determine the accuracy or completeness thereof or whether the same
comply with applicable laws;
(ii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable for
any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee,
6
9
unless it shall be proved that the Preferred Guarantee Trustee was
negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts upon which such judgment was
made;
(iii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable with
respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in
accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less than a Majority
in liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities relating to the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, or exercising any trust or power
conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee; and
(iv) no provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
require the Preferred Guarantee Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or
otherwise incur personal financial liability in the performance of any of
its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have reasonable grounds for believing
that the repayment of such funds or liability is not reasonably assured to
it under the terms of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or indemnity,
reasonably satisfactory to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, against such
risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
SECTION 3.2 CERTAIN RIGHTS OF PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1:
(i) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may conclusively rely,
and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon, any
resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice,
request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence
of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed, sent or presented by the proper party or parties;
(ii) Any direction or act of the Guarantor contemplated by
this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be sufficiently evidenced by an
Officers' Certificate;
(iii) Whenever, in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable that a matter be proved or established before taking, suffering
or omitting any action hereunder, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee (unless
other evidence is herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of
bad faith on its part, request and conclusively rely upon an Officers'
Certificate which, upon receipt of such request, shall be promptly
delivered by the Guarantor;
(iv) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have no duty to
see to any recording, filing or registration of any instrument (or any
rerecording, refiling or registration thereof);
(v) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may consult with counsel
of its selection, and the advice or opinion of such counsel with respect
to legal matters shall be full and complete authorization and protection
in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in
good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion. Such counsel may
be counsel to the Guarantor or any of its Affiliates and may include any
of its employees. The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have the right at
any time to seek instructions concerning the administration of this
Preferred Securities Guarantee from any court of competent jurisdiction;
7
10
(vi) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be under no
obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this
Preferred Securities Guarantee at the request or direction of any Holder,
unless such Holder shall have provided to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
such security and indemnity, reasonably satisfactory to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, against the costs, expenses (including attorneys' fees
and expenses and the expenses of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee's agents,
nominees or custodians) and liabilities that might be incurred by it in
complying with such request or direction, including such reasonable
advances as may be requested by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee; provided
that, nothing contained in this Section 3.2(a)(vi) shall be taken to
relieve the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, upon the occurrence of an Event
of Default, from its obligations expressly created hereunder to exercise
the rights and powers vested in it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee;
(vii) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be bound to
make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution,
certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request,
direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of
indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation
into such facts or matters as it may see fit;
(viii) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may execute any of the
trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly
or by or through agents, nominees, custodians or attorneys, and the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or
negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by
it hereunder;
(ix) Any action taken by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or
its agents hereunder shall bind the Holders of the Preferred Securities,
and the signature of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or its agents alone
shall be sufficient and effective to perform any such action. No third
party shall be required to inquire as to the authority of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee to so act or as to its compliance with any of the terms
and provisions of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, both of which shall
be conclusively evidenced by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee's or its
agent's taking such action;
(x) Whenever in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable to receive instructions with respect to enforcing any remedy or
right or taking any other action hereunder, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee (i) may request instructions from the Holders of a Majority in
liquidation amount of the Preferred Securities, (ii) may refrain from
enforcing such remedy or right or taking such other action until such
instructions are received, and (iii) shall be protected in conclusively
relying on or acting in accordance with such instructions; and
(xi) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable for
any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good faith and
reasonably believed by it to be authorized or within the discretion or
rights or powers conferred upon it by this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be
deemed to impose any duty or obligation on the Preferred Guarantee Trustee to
perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty or obligation
conferred or imposed on it in any jurisdiction in which it shall be
8
11
illegal, or in which the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be unqualified or
incompetent in accordance with applicable law, to perform any such act or acts
or to exercise any such right, power, duty or obligation. No permissive power or
authority available to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be construed to be
a duty.
SECTION 3.3 NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF PREFERRED
SECURITIES GUARANTEE
The recitals contained in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be
taken as the statements of the Guarantor, and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
does not assume any responsibility for their correctness. The Preferred
Guarantee Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of
this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IV
PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE; ELIGIBILITY
(a) There shall at all times be a Preferred Guarantee Trustee
which shall:
(i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and
(ii) be a corporation organized and doing business under the
laws of the United States of America or any State or Territory thereof or
of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or Person permitted by the
Securities and Exchange Commission to act as an institutional trustee
under the Trust Indenture Act, authorized under such laws to exercise
corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least
50 million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and subject to supervision or
examination by federal, state, territorial or District of Columbia
authority. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least
annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of the supervising or
examining authority referred to above, then, for the purposes of this
Section 4.1(a)(ii), the combined capital and surplus of such corporation
shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its
most recent report of condition so published.
(b) If at any time the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall cease to
be eligible to so act under Section 4.1(a), the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall immediately resign in the manner and with the effect set out in Section
4.2(c).
(c) If the Preferred Guarantee Trustee has or shall acquire any
"conflicting interest" within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee and Guarantor shall in all
respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture
Act.
SECTION 4.2 APPOINTMENT, REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF PREFERRED
GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
(a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may
be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the Guarantor.
9
12
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be removed in
accordance with Section 4.2(a) until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee has
been appointed and has accepted such appointment by written instrument executed
by such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor.
(c) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee appointed to office shall hold
office until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have been appointed
or until its removal or resignation. The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may resign
from office (without need for prior or subsequent accounting) by an instrument
in writing executed by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the
Guarantor, which resignation shall not take effect until a Successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by
instrument in writing executed by such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee and
delivered to the Guarantor and the resigning Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have been
appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section 4.2 within 60
days after delivery of an instrument of resignation or removal, the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee resigning or being removed may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee. Such
court may thereupon, after prescribing such notice, if any, as it may deem
proper, appoint a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(e) No Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be liable for the acts or
omissions to act of any Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(f) Upon termination of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
removal or resignation of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee pursuant to this
Section 4.2, the Guarantor shall pay to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee all
amounts accrued to the date of such termination, removal or resignation.
ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 GUARANTEE
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in full to the
Holders the Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts theretofore paid
by the Issuer), as and when due, regardless of any defense, right of set-off or
counterclaim that the Issuer may have or assert. The Guarantor's obligation to
make a Guarantee Payment may be satisfied by direct payment of the required
amounts by the Guarantor to the Holders or by causing the Issuer to pay such
amounts to the Holders.
SECTION 5.2 WAIVER OF NOTICE AND DEMAND
The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee and of any liability to which it applies or may apply,
presentment, demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first against
the Issuer or any other Person before proceeding against the Guarantor, protest,
notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all other
notices and demands.
10
13
SECTION 5.3 OBLIGATIONS NOT AFFECTED
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Guarantor under
this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected or impaired by
reason of the happening from time to time of any of the following:
(a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or otherwise, of the
performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or implied
agreement, covenant, term or condition relating to the Preferred
Securities to be performed or observed by the Issuer;
(b) the extension of time for the payment by the Issuer of all or
any portion of the Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation
Distribution or any other sums payable under the terms of the Preferred
Securities or the extension of time for the performance of any other
obligation under, arising out of, or in connection with, the Preferred
Securities (other than an extension of time for payment of Distributions,
Redemption Price, Liquidation Distribution or other sum payable that
results from the extension of any interest payment period on the
Debentures permitted by the Indenture);
(c) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of
the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or
remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Preferred
Securities, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or
extension of any kind;
(d) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of
any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the
benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or
readjustment of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the
Issuer or any of the assets of the Issuer;
(e) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in, the Preferred
Securities;
(f) the settlement or compromise of any obligation guaranteed hereby
or hereby incurred; or
(g) any other circumstance whatsoever that might otherwise
constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor, it
being the intent of this Section 5.3 that the obligations of the Guarantor
hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all
circumstances.
There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to, or obtain
consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the foregoing.
SECTION 5.4 RIGHTS OF HOLDERS
(a) The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of the Preferred
Securities have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee in
respect of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or exercising any trust or power
conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee.
11
14
(b) If the Preferred Guarantee Trustee fails to enforce this
Preferred Securities Guarantee, any Holder of Preferred Securities may institute
a legal proceeding directly against the Guarantor to enforce the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee's rights under this Preferred Securities Guarantee, without
first instituting a legal proceeding against the Issuer, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee or any other person or entity.
(c) Any Holder of Preferred Securities shall have the right, which
is absolute and unconditional, to proceed directly against the Guarantor to
obtain Guarantee Payments, without first waiting to determine if the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee has enforced this Preferred Security Guarantee or instituting
a legal proceeding against the Issuer, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or any
other person or entity.
(d) The Guarantor waives any right or remedy to require that any
action be brought first against the Issuer or any other person or entity before
proceeding directly against the Guarantor.
SECTION 5.5 GUARANTEE OF PAYMENT
This Preferred Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of payment and not
of collection.
SECTION 5.6 SUBROGATION
The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all (if any) rights of the Holders of
Preferred Securities against the Issuer in respect of any amounts paid to such
Holders by the Guarantor under this Preferred Securities Guarantee; provided,
however, that the Guarantor shall not (except to the extent required by
mandatory provisions of law) be entitled to enforce or exercise any right that
it may acquire by way of subrogation or any indemnity, reimbursement or other
agreement, in all cases as a result of payment under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee, if, at the time of any such payment, any amounts are due and unpaid
under this Preferred Securities Guarantee. If any amount shall be paid to the
Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence, the Guarantor agrees to hold
such amount in trust for the Holders and to pay over such amount to the Holders.
SECTION 5.7 INDEPENDENT OBLIGATIONS
The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are independent
of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Preferred Securities, and
that the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor hereunder to make
Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this Preferred Securities Guarantee
notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to in subsections (a)
through (g), inclusive, of Section 5.3 hereof.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1 LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS
So long as any Preferred Securities remain outstanding, if an Event of
Default or an event of default under the Declaration shall have occurred and be
continuing, then (a) the Guarantor shall not declare or pay any dividend on,
make any distributions with respect to, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a
liquidation payment with respect to, any of its capital stock, (b) the Guarantor
shall not make
12
15
any payment of interest, principal or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase
or redeem any debt securities issued by the Guarantor which rank pari passu with
or junior to the Debentures, and (c) the Guarantor shall not make any guarantee
payments (other than pursuant to the Preferred Securities Guarantee) with
respect to the foregoing. However, the foregoing restriction will not apply to
any dividend, redemption, liquidation, interest, principal or guarantee payments
by the Guarantor where the payment is made by way of securities (including
capital stock) that rank pari passu or junior to the securities on which such
dividend, redemption, interest, principal or guarantee payment is being made.
SECTION 6.2 RANKING
This Preferred Securities Guarantee will constitute an unsecured obligation of
the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior in right of payment to
all other liabilities of the Guarantor, including the Debentures, except those
liabilities of the Guarantor made pari passu or subordinate by their terms, (ii)
pari passu with the most senior preferred stock now or hereafter issued by the
Guarantor and with any guarantee now or hereafter entered into by the Guarantor
in respect of any preferred stock of any subsidiary or affiliate of the
Guarantor, and (iii) senior to the Guarantor's common stock. If the Guarantor
does not make principal or interest payments on the Debentures, the Issuer will
not have sufficient funds to redeem or make distributions on the Preferred
Securities, in which event this Preferred Securities Guarantee will not apply to
such redemptions or distributions until the Issuer has sufficient funds
available therefor. If an event of default under the Indenture has occurred and
is continuing, the rights of holders of the Common Securities to receive
payments under the Common Securities Guarantee will be subordinated to the
rights of Holders of Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments.
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 TERMINATION
This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall terminate upon (i) full payment
of the Redemption Price of all Preferred Securities, or (ii) upon the
distribution of the Debentures to the Holders, or (iii) upon full payment of the
amounts payable upon liquidation of the Issuer. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
this Preferred Securities Guarantee will continue to be effective or will be
reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any Holder of Preferred
Securities must repay to the Issuer or the Guarantor, or their successors, any
payment of any sums paid to them under the Preferred Securities or under this
Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1 EXCULPATION
(a) No Indemnified Person shall be liable, responsible or
accountable in damages or otherwise to the Guarantor or any Covered Person for
any loss, damage, liability, expense or claim incurred by reason of any act or
omission performed or omitted by such Indemnified Person in good faith in
accordance with this Preferred Securities Guarantee and in a manner that such
Indemnified Person reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority
conferred on such Indemnified Person by this Preferred Securities Guarantee or
by law, except that an Indemnified Person shall be
13
16
liable for any such loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of such Indemnified
Person's negligence or willful misconduct with respect to such acts or
omissions.
(b) An Indemnified Person shall be fully protected in relying in
good faith upon the records of the Guarantor and upon such information,
opinions, reports or statements presented to the Guarantor by any Person as to
matters the Indemnified Person reasonably believes are within such other
Person's professional or expert competence and who has been selected with
reasonable care by or on behalf of the Guarantor, including information,
opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets,
liabilities, profits, losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and
amount of assets from which Distributions to Holders of Preferred Securities
might properly be paid.
SECTION 8.2 INDEMNIFICATION
The Guarantor agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person for, and to hold
each Indemnified Person harmless against, any loss, liability or expense
incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part, arising out of or in
connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts
hereunder, including the costs and expenses (including reasonable legal fees and
expenses) of defending itself against, or investigating, any claim or liability
in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties
hereunder. The obligation to indemnify as set forth in this Section 8.2 shall
survive the termination of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
When the Preferred Guarantee Trustee incurs expenses or renders services
in connection with an event of default specified in Section 7.1(e) or Section
7.1(f) of the Indenture, the expenses (including the reasonable charges and
expenses of its counsel) and the compensation for services are intended to
constitute expenses of administration under any applicable federal or state
bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1 SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and
representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Holders
of the Preferred Securities then outstanding.
SECTION 9.2 AMENDMENTS
Except with respect to any changes that do not materially adversely affect
the rights of Holders (in which case no consent of Holders will be required),
this Preferred Securities Guarantee may only be amended with the prior approval
of the Holders of not less than 66 2/3% in liquidation amount (including the
stated amount that would be paid on redemption, liquidation or otherwise, plus
accrued and unpaid Distributions to the date upon which the voting percentages
are determined) of all the outstanding Preferred Securities. The provisions of
Section 12.2 of the Declaration with respect to meetings of Holders of the
Securities apply to the manner of obtaining any such approval.
14
17
SECTION 9.3 NOTICES
All notices provided for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be
in writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and shall be delivered,
telecopied or mailed by first class mail, as follows:
(a) If given to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, at the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee's mailing address set forth below (or such other address as
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may give notice of to the Holders of the
Preferred Securities):
Wilmington Trust Company
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
(b) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor's mailing address
set forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice of to
the Holders of the Preferred Securities):
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
(c) If given to any Holder of Preferred Securities, at the address
set forth on the books and records of the Issuer.
All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when received in
person, telecopied with receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class mail,
postage prepaid except that if a notice or other document is refused delivery or
cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice was given,
such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date
of such refusal or inability to deliver.
SECTION 9.4 BENEFIT
This Preferred Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit of the
Holders of the Preferred Securities and, subject to Section 3.1(a), is not
separately transferable from the Preferred Securities.
SECTION 9.5 GOVERNING LAW
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED
AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT
REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
[SIGNATURES APPEAR ON FOLLOWING PAGE]
15
18
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day and year
first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
as Guarantor
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
--------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY,
as Preferred Guarantee Trustee
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
--------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
16