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Exhibit 10.2
GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
between
GREER BANCSHARES INCORPORATED,
As Guarantor,
and
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY,
As Guarantee Trustee
Dated as of December 28, 2006
GREER CAPITAL TRUST II
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
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INTERPRETATION AND DEFINITIONS
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2
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SECTION 1.1
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Interpretation
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2
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SECTION 1.2
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Definitions
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2
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ARTICLE II
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REPORTS
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6
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SECTION 2.1
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List of Holders
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6
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SECTION 2.2
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Periodic Reports to the Guarantee
Trustee
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6
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SECTION 2.3
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Event of Default; Waiver
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6
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SECTION 2.4
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Event of Default; Notice
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7
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ARTICLE III
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POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF THE GUARANTEE
TRUSTEE
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7
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SECTION 3.1
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Powers and Duties of the Guarantee
Trustee
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7
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SECTION 3.2
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Certain Rights of the Guarantee
Trustee
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8
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SECTION 3.3
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Compensation
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10
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SECTION 3.4
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Indemnity
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10
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SECTION 3.5
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Securities
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11
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ARTICLE IV
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GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
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11
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SECTION 4.1
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Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility
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11
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SECTION 4.2
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Appointment, Removal and Resignation of the
Guarantee Trustee
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12
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ARTICLE V
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GUARANTEE
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12
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SECTION 5.1
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Guarantee
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12
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SECTION 5.2
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Waiver of Notice and Demand
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13
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SECTION 5.3
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Obligations Not Affected
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13
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SECTION 5.4
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Rights of Holders
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14
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SECTION 5.5
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Guarantee of Payment
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14
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SECTION 5.6
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Subrogation
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14
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SECTION 5.7
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Independent Obligations
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15
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SECTION 5.8
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Enforcement
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15
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ARTICLE VI
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COVENANTS AND SUBORDINATION
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15
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SECTION 6.1
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Dividends, Distributions and Payments
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15
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SECTION 6.2
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Subordination
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16
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SECTION 6.3
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Pari Passu Guarantees
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16
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ARTICLE VII
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TERMINATION
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17
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SECTION 7.1
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Termination
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17
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ARTICLE VIII
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MISCELLANEOUS
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17
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SECTION 8.1
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Successors and Assigns
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17
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SECTION 8.2
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Amendments
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17
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i
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SECTION 8.3
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Notices
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17
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SECTION 8.4
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Benefit
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19
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SECTION 8.5
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Governing Law
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19
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SECTION 8.6
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Submission to Jurisdiction
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19
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SECTION 8.7
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Counterparts; Facsimile
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19
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ii
G UARANTEE
A GREEMENT , dated as of December 28, 2006, executed and delivered by
G REER B
ANCSHARES I NCORPORATED , a South Carolina
corporation (the "Guarantor" ) having its principal office
at 1111 W. Poinsett Street, Greer, South Carolina 29652, and
W ILMINGTON T
RUST C OMPANY , a Delaware banking corporation,
as trustee (in such capacity, the "Guarantee Trustee" ), for
the benefit of the Holders (as defined herein) from time to time of
the Preferred Securities (as defined herein) of Greer Capital Trust
II, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Issuer" ).
W I T
N E S S E
T H :
W HEREAS , pursuant to an
Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, dated as of the date hereof
(the "Trust Agreement" ), among the Guarantor, as Depositor,
the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee and the Administrative
Trustees named therein and the holders from time to time of the
Preferred Securities (as hereinafter defined), the Issuer is
issuing $5,000,000 aggregate Liquidation Amount (as defined in the
Trust Agreement) of its Floating Rate Preferred Securities
(Liquidation Amount $1,000 per preferred security) (the
"Preferred Securities" ) representing preferred undivided
beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer and having the
terms set forth in the Trust Agreement;
W HEREAS , the Preferred
Securities will be issued by the Issuer and the proceeds thereof,
together with the proceeds from the issuance of the Issuer’s
Common Securities (as defined below), will be used to purchase the
Notes (as defined in the Trust Agreement) of the Guarantor;
and
W HEREAS , as incentive for
the Holders to purchase Preferred Securities the Guarantor desires
irrevocably and unconditionally to agree, to the extent set forth
herein, 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.
N OW , T HEREFORE , 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 Guarantee Agreement to provide as
follows for the benefit of the Holders from time to time of the
Preferred Securities:
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ARTICLE I
I NTERPRETATION AND D EFINITIONS
SECTION 1.1 Interpretation.
In this Guarantee Agreement, unless the context otherwise
requires:
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(a) capitalized terms used in this Guarantee Agreement but not
defined in the preamble hereto have the respective meanings
assigned to them in Section 1.2 ;
(b) the words "include", "includes" and "including" shall be
deemed to be followed by the phrase "without limitation";
(c) all references to "the Guarantee Agreement" or "this
Guarantee Agreement" are to this Guarantee Agreement as modified,
supplemented or amended from time to time;
(d) all references in this Guarantee Agreement to Articles and
Sections are to Articles and Sections of this Guarantee Agreement
unless otherwise specified;
(e) the words "hereby", "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" and
other words of similar import refer to this Guarantee Agreement as
a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other
subdivision;
(f) a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice
versa; and
(g) the masculine, feminine or neuter genders used herein shall
include the masculine, feminine and neuter genders.
SECTION 1.2 Definitions .
As used in this Guarantee Agreement, the terms set forth below
shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following
meanings:
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"Affiliate" of any specified Person means any other
Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under
direct or indirect common control with such specified Person;
provided , that the Issuer shall not be deemed to be an
Affiliate of the Guarantor. For the purposes of this definition,
"control" when used with respect to any specified Person
means the power to direct the management and policies of such
Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of
voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms
"controlling" and "controlled" have meanings
correlative to the foregoing.
"Beneficiaries" means any Person to whom the Issuer is or
hereafter becomes indebted or liable.
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"Board of Directors" means either the
board of directors of the Guarantor or any duly authorized
committee of that board.
"Common Securities" means the securities representing
common undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the
Issuer.
"Debt" means with respect to any Person, whether recourse
is to all or a portion of the assets of such Person, whether
currently existing or hereafter incurred, and whether or not
contingent and without duplication, (i) every obligation of
such Person for money borrowed; (ii) every obligation of such
Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar
instruments, including obligations incurred in connection with the
acquisition of property, assets or businesses; (iii) every
reimbursement obligation of such Person with respect to letters of
credit, bankers’ acceptances or similar facilities issued for
the account of such Person; (iv) every obligation of such
Person issued or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property
or services (but excluding trade accounts payable arising in the
ordinary course of business); (v) every capital lease
obligation of such Person; (vi) all indebtedness of such
Person, whether incurred on or prior to the date of this Guarantee
Agreement or thereafter incurred, for claims in respect of
derivative products, including interest rate, foreign exchange rate
and commodity forward contracts, options, swaps and similar
arrangements; (vii) every obligation of the type referred to
in clauses (i) through (vi) of another Person and all
dividends of another Person the payment of which, in either case,
such Person has guaranteed or is responsible or liable for,
directly or indirectly, as obligor or otherwise; and
(viii) any renewals, extensions, refundings, amendments or
modifications of any obligation of the type referred to in clauses
(i) through (vii).
"Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on
any of its payment or other obligations under this Guarantee
Agreement; provided, that except with respect to a default in
payment of any Guarantee Payments, the Guarantor shall have
received notice of default from the Guarantee Trustee and shall not
have cured such default within thirty (30) days after receipt
of such notice.
"Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or
distributions, without duplication, with respect to the Preferred
Securities, to the extent not paid or made by or on behalf of the
Issuer: (i) any accumulated and unpaid Distributions (as
defined in the Trust Agreement) required to be paid on the
Preferred Securities, to the extent the Issuer shall have funds on
hand available therefor at such time, (ii) the Redemption
Price (as defined in the Trust Agreement) with respect to any
Preferred Securities to the extent the Issuer shall have funds on
hand available therefor at such time, and (iii) upon a
voluntary or involuntary termination, winding up or liquidation of
the Issuer, unless Notes are distributed to the Holders, the lesser
of (a) the aggregate of the Liquidation Amount of $1,000 per
Preferred Security plus accumulated and unpaid Distributions on the
Preferred Securities to the date of payment, to the extent that the
Issuer shall have funds available therefor at such time
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and (b) the amount of assets of the Issuer
remaining available for distribution to Holders in liquidation of
the Issuer after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors of the
Issuer in accordance with applicable law (in either case, the
"Liquidation Distribution" ).
"Guarantee Trustee" means Wilmington Trust Company in its
capacity as trustee hereunder, until a Successor Guarantee Trustee,
as defined below, has been appointed and has accepted such
appointment pursuant to the terms of this Guarantee Agreement, and
thereafter means each such Successor Guarantee Trustee.
"Holder" means any holder, as registered on the books and
records of the Issuer, of any Preferred Securities; provided
, 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, the Guarantee Trustee or any Affiliate of the Guarantor
or the Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Junior Subordinated Indenture,
dated as of the date hereof, as supplemented and amended, between
the Guarantor and Wilmington Trust Company, as trustee.
"List of Holders" has the meaning specified in
Section 2.1.
"Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred
Securities" means a vote by the Holder(s), voting separately as
a class, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate
Liquidation Amount of all then outstanding Preferred Securities
issued by the Issuer.
"Obligations" means any costs, expenses or liabilities
(but not including liabilities related to taxes) of the Issuer,
other than obligations of the Issuer to pay to holders of any Trust
Securities the amounts due such holders pursuant to the terms of
the Trust Securities.
"Officers’ Certificate" means, with respect to any
Person, a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Financial Officer, President or a Vice President of such Person,
and by the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of such Person, and delivered to the Guarantee
Trustee. Any Officers’ Certificate delivered with respect to
compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this
Guarantee Agreement (other than the certificate provided pursuant
to Section 2.4 ) shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers’
Certificate has read the covenant or condition and the definitions
relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the examination
or investigation undertaken by each officer in rendering the
Officers’ Certificate;
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(c) a statement that each officer has made such
examination or investigation as, in such officer’s opinion,
is necessary to enable such officer to express an informed opinion
as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied
with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each officer,
such condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Person" means a legal person, including any individual,
corporation, estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint
stock company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated
association, government or any agency or political subdivision
thereof or any other entity of whatever nature.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the
Guarantee Trustee, any Senior Vice President, any Vice President,
any Assistant Vice President, the Secretary, any Assistant
Secretary, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, any Financial
Services Officer or Assistant Financial Services Officer or any
other officer in the Corporate Trust Office of the Guarantee
Trustee with direct responsibility for the administration of this
Guarantee Agreement 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.
"Senior Debt" means the principal of and any premium and
interest on (including interest accruing on or after the filing of
any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating to the
Guarantor whether or not such claim for post-petition interest is
allowed in such proceeding) all Debt of the Guarantor, whether
incurred on or prior to the date of the Indenture or thereafter
incurred, unless it is provided in the instrument creating or
evidencing the same or pursuant to which the same is outstanding,
that such obligations are not superior in right of payment to the
Preferred Securities; provided, however , that if the
Guarantor is subject to the regulation and supervision of an
"appropriate Federal banking agency" within the meaning of 12
U.S.C. 1813(q), the Guarantor shall have received the approval of
such appropriate Federal banking agency prior to issuing any such
obligation if not otherwise generally approved; provided
further , that Senior Debt shall not include any other debt
securities, and guarantees in respect of such debt securities,
issued to any trust other than the Issuer (or a trustee of such
trust), partnership or other entity affiliated with the Guarantor
that is a financing vehicle of the Guarantor (a "financing
entity"), in connection with the issuance by such financing entity
of equity securities or other securities that are treated as equity
capital for regulatory capital purposes guaranteed by the Guarantor
pursuant to an instrument that ranks pari passu with or
junior in right of payment to this Guarantee Agreement, including,
without limitation, securities issued to Greer Capital Trust I.
"Successor Guarantee Trustee" means a successor Guarantee
Trustee possessing the qualifications to act as Guarantee Trustee
under Section 4.1.
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Capitalized or otherwise defined terms used but not otherwise
defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in
the Trust Agreement as in effect on the date hereof.
ARTICLE II
R EPORTS
SECTION 2.1 List of Holders.
The Guarantor shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the
Guarantee Trustee at such times as the Guarantee Trustee may
request in writing, within thirty (30) days after the receipt
by the Guarantor of any such request, a list, in such form as the
Guarantee Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and
addresses of the Holders (the "List of Holders" ) as of a
date not more than fifteen (15) days prior to the time such
list is furnished, in each case to the extent such information is
in the possession or control of the Guarantor and is not identical
to a previously supplied list of Holders or has not otherwise been
received by the Guarantee Trustee in its capacity as such. The
Guarantee Trustee may destroy any List of Holders previously given
to it on receipt of a new List of Holders.
SECTION 2.2 Periodic Reports to the Guarantee
Trustee.
The Guarantor shall deliver to the Guarantee Trustee, within one
hundred and twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal
year of the Guarantor ending after the date of this Guarantee
Agreement, an Officers’ Certificate covering the preceding
fiscal year, stating whether or not to the knowledge of the signers
thereof the Guarantor is in default in the performance or
observance of any of the terms or provisions or any of the
conditions of this Guarantee Agreement (without regard to any
period of grace or requirement of notice provided hereunder) and,
if the Guarantor shall be in default thereof, specifying all such
defaults and the nature and status thereof of which they have
knowledge.
SECTION 2.3 Event of Default; Waiver.
The Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred
Securities may, on behalf of the Holders, 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 Guarantee Agreement, but no such waiver shall extend to any
subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair any right
consequent therefrom.
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SECTION 2.4 Event of Default;
Notice.
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(a) The Guarantee Trustee shall, within ninety (90) days
after the occurrence of a default, transmit to the Holders notices
of all defaults actually known to the Guarantee Trustee, unless
such defaults have been cured or waived before the giving of such
notice, provided , that, except in the case of a default in
the payment of a Guarantee Payment, the Guarantee Trustee shall be
protected in withholding such notice if and so long as the Board of
Directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of
directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Guarantee Trustee in
good faith determine that the withholding of such notice is in the
interests of the Holders. For the purpose of this
Section 2.4 , the term "default" means any event
that is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an
Event of Default.
(b) The Guarantee Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge
of any default or Event of Default unless the Guarantee Trustee
shall have received written notice, or a Responsible Officer
charged with the administration of this Guarantee Agreement shall
have received written notice, of such default or Event of Default
from the Guarantor or a Holder.
ARTICLE III
P OWERS ,
D UTIES A
ND R IGHTS O F
T HE G UARANTEE T
RUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Guarantee
Trustee.
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(a) This Guarantee Agreement shall be held by the Guarantee
Trustee for the benefit of the Holders, and the Guarantee Trustee
shall not transfer this Guarantee Agreement to any Person except a
Holder exercising its rights pursuant to Section 5.4(d)
or to a Successor Guarantee Trustee upon acceptance by such
Successor Guarantee Trustee of its appointment to act as Successor
Guarantee Trustee. The right, title and interest of the Guarantee
Trustee shall automatically vest in any Successor Guarantee
Trustee, upon acceptance by such Successor Guarantee Trustee of its
appointment hereunder, 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 Guarantee Trustee.
(b) The rights, immunities, duties and responsibilities of the
Guarantee Trustee shall be as provided by this Guarantee Agreement
and there shall be no other duties or obligations, express or
implied, of the Guarantee Trustee. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
no provisions of this Guarantee Ag
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