|
Exhibit
10.2
EXECUTION VERSION
ATLAS PIPELINE PARTNERS,
L.P.,
ATLAS PIPELINE FINANCE
CORPORATION, as Issuers,
THE SUBSIDIARIES NAMED
HEREIN, as Subsidiary Guarantors
AND
U.S. BANK NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, as Trustee
8
3 /
4 %
Senior Notes due 2018
INDENTURE
Dated as of June 27,
2008
CROSS-REFERENCE
TABLE*
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|
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|
|
Trust Indenture
Act Section
|
|
Indenture
Section(s)
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| 310 |
|
(a)(1) |
|
7.10 |
|
|
(a)(2) |
|
7.10 |
|
|
(a)(3) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(a)(4) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(a)(5) |
|
7.10 |
|
|
(b) |
|
7.10 |
|
|
(c) |
|
N.A. |
| 311 |
|
(a) |
|
7.11 |
|
|
(b) |
|
7.11 |
|
|
(c) |
|
N.A. |
| 312 |
|
(a) |
|
2.05 |
|
|
(b) |
|
12.03 |
|
|
(c) |
|
12.03 |
| 313 |
|
(a) |
|
7.06 |
|
|
(b)(1) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(b)(2) |
|
7.06 |
|
|
(c) |
|
7.06; 12.02 |
|
|
(d) |
|
7.06 |
| 314 |
|
(a) |
|
4.03; 4.18; 12.02 |
|
|
(b) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(c)(1) |
|
12.04 |
|
|
(c)(2) |
|
12.04 |
|
|
(c)(3) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(d) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(e) |
|
12.05 |
|
|
(f) |
|
N.A. |
| 315 |
|
(a) |
|
7.01 |
|
|
(b) |
|
7.05;
12.02 |
|
|
(c) |
|
7.01 |
|
|
(d) |
|
7.01;
6.05 |
|
|
(e) |
|
6.11 |
| 316 |
|
(a)(last
sentence) |
|
2.09 |
|
|
(a)(1)(A) |
|
6.05 |
|
|
(a)(1)(B) |
|
6.04 |
|
|
(a)(2) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(b) |
|
6.07 |
|
|
(c) |
|
9.04 |
| 317 |
|
(a)(1) |
|
6.08 |
|
|
(a)(2) |
|
6.09 |
|
|
(b) |
|
2.04 |
| 318 |
|
(a) |
|
12.01 |
|
|
(b) |
|
N.A. |
|
|
(c) |
|
12.01 |
N.A. means not applicable.
| * |
This Cross-Reference Table is not part of the
Indenture. |
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
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Page |
| ARTICLE 1 |
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| DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY
REFERENCE |
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| Section 1.01. |
|
Definitions . |
|
1 |
| Section 1.02. |
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Other
Definitions . |
|
20 |
| Section 1.03. |
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Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act
. |
|
21 |
| Section 1.04. |
|
Rules
of Construction . |
|
21 |
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| ARTICLE 2 |
|
| THE NOTES |
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| Section 2.01. |
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Form
and Dating . |
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22 |
| Section 2.02. |
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Execution and Authentication . |
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22 |
| Section 2.03. |
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Registrar and Paying Agent . |
|
23 |
| Section 2.04. |
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Paying
Agent to Hold Money in Trust . |
|
23 |
| Section 2.05. |
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Holder
Lists . |
|
23 |
| Section 2.06. |
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Transfer and Exchange . |
|
23 |
| Section 2.07. |
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Replacement Notes . |
|
30 |
| Section 2.08. |
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Outstanding Notes . |
|
30 |
| Section 2.09. |
|
Treasury Notes . |
|
31 |
| Section 2.10. |
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Temporary Notes . |
|
31 |
| Section 2.11. |
|
Cancellation . |
|
31 |
| Section 2.12. |
|
Defaulted Interest . |
|
31 |
| Section 2.13. |
|
CUSIP
Numbers . |
|
31 |
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| ARTICLE 3 |
|
| REDEMPTION AND
PREPAYMENT |
|
|
|
| Section 3.01. |
|
Notices to Trustee . |
|
32 |
| Section 3.02. |
|
Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed . |
|
32 |
| Section 3.03. |
|
Notice
of Redemption . |
|
32 |
| Section 3.04. |
|
Effect
of Notice of Redemption . |
|
33 |
| Section 3.05. |
|
Deposit of Redemption Price . |
|
33 |
| Section 3.06. |
|
Notes
Redeemed in Part . |
|
33 |
| Section 3.07. |
|
Optional Redemption . |
|
34 |
| Section 3.08. |
|
Mandatory Redemption . |
|
34 |
| Section 3.09. |
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Offer
to Purchase by Application of Net Proceeds . |
|
34 |
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| ARTICLE 4 |
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| COVENANTS |
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|
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| Section 4.01. |
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Payment of Notes . |
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36 |
| Section 4.02. |
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Maintenance of Office or Agency . |
|
36 |
| Section 4.03. |
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Compliance Certificate . |
|
37 |
| Section 4.04. |
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Taxes . |
|
37 |
-i-
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| Section 4.05. |
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Stay,
Extension and Usury Laws . |
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37 |
| Section 4.06. |
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Change
of Control . |
|
37 |
| Section 4.07. |
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Asset
Sales . |
|
39 |
| Section 4.08. |
|
Restricted Payments . |
|
40 |
| Section 4.09. |
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Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Disqualified
Equity . |
|
43 |
| Section 4.10. |
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Liens . |
|
45 |
| Section 4.11. |
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Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting
Subsidiaries . |
|
46 |
| Section 4.12. |
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Transactions With Affiliates . |
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47 |
| Section 4.13. |
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Additional Subsidiary Guarantees . |
|
49 |
| Section 4.14. |
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Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries
. |
|
49 |
| Section 4.15. |
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Business Activities . |
|
49 |
| Section 4.16. |
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Sale
and Lease-back Transactions . |
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50 |
| Section 4.17. |
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Payments for Consent . |
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50 |
| Section 4.18. |
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Reports . |
|
50 |
| Section 4.19. |
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Layering Indebtedness . |
|
51 |
| Section 4.20. |
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Suspension of Covenants . |
|
51 |
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| ARTICLE 5 |
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| SUCCESSORS |
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| Section 5.01. |
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Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets . |
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51 |
| Section 5.02. |
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Successor Entity Substituted . |
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53 |
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| ARTICLE 6 |
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| DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES |
|
|
|
| Section 6.01. |
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Events
of Default . |
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53 |
| Section 6.02. |
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Acceleration . |
|
55 |
| Section 6.03. |
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Other
Remedies . |
|
55 |
| Section 6.04. |
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Waiver
of Past Defaults . |
|
55 |
| Section 6.05. |
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Control by Majority . |
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56 |
| Section 6.06. |
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Limitation on Suits . |
|
56 |
| Section 6.07. |
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Rights
of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment . |
|
56 |
| Section 6.08. |
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Collection Suit by Trustee . |
|
56 |
| Section 6.09. |
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Trustee May File Proofs of Claim . |
|
56 |
| Section 6.10. |
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Priorities . |
|
57 |
| Section 6.11. |
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Undertaking for Costs . |
|
57 |
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| ARTICLE 7 |
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| TRUSTEE |
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|
|
| Section 7.01. |
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Duties
of Trustee . |
|
57 |
| Section 7.02. |
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Rights
of Trustee . |
|
58 |
| Section 7.03. |
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Individual Rights of Trustee . |
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60 |
| Section 7.04. |
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Trustee’s Disclaimer . |
|
60 |
| Section 7.05. |
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Notice
of Defaults . |
|
60 |
| Section 7.06. |
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Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes . |
|
60 |
| Section 7.07. |
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Compensation and Indemnity . |
|
60 |
| Section 7.08. |
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Replacement of Trustee . |
|
61 |
| Section 7.09. |
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Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc . |
|
62 |
| Section 7.10. |
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Eligibility; Disqualification . |
|
62 |
| Section 7.11. |
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Preferential Collection of Claims Against Issuers
. |
|
62 |
-ii-
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| ARTICLE 8 |
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| LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT
DEFEASANCE |
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|
|
| Section 8.01. |
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Option
to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance . |
|
63 |
| Section 8.02. |
|
Legal
Defeasance and Discharge . |
|
63 |
| Section 8.03. |
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Covenant Defeasance . |
|
63 |
| Section 8.04. |
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Conditions to Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance
. |
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64 |
| Section 8.05. |
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Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in
Trust, Other Miscellaneous Provisions . |
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65 |
| Section 8.06. |
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[
Intentionally omitted ]. |
|
65 |
| Section 8.07. |
|
Reinstatement . |
|
65 |
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| ARTICLE 9 |
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| AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND
WAIVER |
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|
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| Section 9.01. |
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Without Consent of Holders of Notes . |
|
65 |
| Section 9.02. |
|
With
Consent of Holders of Notes . |
|
66 |
| Section 9.03. |
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Compliance with Trust Indenture Act . |
|
67 |
| Section 9.04. |
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Revocation and Effect of Consents . |
|
68 |
| Section 9.05. |
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Notation or Exchange of Notes . |
|
68 |
| Section 9.06. |
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Trustee to Sign Amendments, Etc . |
|
68 |
| Section 9.07. |
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Effect
of Supplemental Indentures . |
|
68 |
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| ARTICLE 10 |
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| GUARANTEES |
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|
|
| Section 10.01. |
|
Guarantees . |
|
69 |
| Section 10.02. |
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Limitation of Guarantor’s Liability . |
|
69 |
| Section 10.03. |
|
Execution and Delivery of Notations of Guarantees
. |
|
70 |
| Section 10.04. |
|
[
Intentionally omitted ]. |
|
70 |
| Section 10.05. |
|
Releases . |
|
70 |
| Section 10.06. |
|
“Trustee” to Include Paying Agent
. |
|
70 |
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| ARTICLE 11 |
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| SATISFACTION AND
DISCHARGE |
|
|
|
| Section 11.01. |
|
Satisfaction and Discharge . |
|
71 |
| Section 11.02. |
|
Application of Trust . |
|
72 |
| Section 11.03. |
|
Repayment of the Issuers . |
|
72 |
| Section 11.04. |
|
Reinstatement . |
|
72 |
|
| ARTICLE 12 |
|
| MISCELLANEOUS |
|
|
|
| Section 12.01. |
|
Trust
Indenture Act Controls . |
|
73 |
| Section 12.02. |
|
Notices . |
|
73 |
| Section 12.03. |
|
Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of
Notes . |
|
74 |
| Section 12.04. |
|
Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent
. |
|
74 |
-iii-
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|
| Section
12.05. |
|
Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion
. |
|
74 |
| Section
12.06. |
|
Rules
by Trustee and Agents . |
|
75 |
| Section
12.07. |
|
No Personal Liability of Directors,
Officers, Employees and Unitholders and No Recourse Against General
Partner .
|
|
75 |
| Section
12.08. |
|
Governing Law . |
|
75 |
| Section
12.09. |
|
No
Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements . |
|
75 |
| Section
12.10. |
|
Successors . |
|
75 |
| Section
12.11. |
|
Severability . |
|
75 |
| Section
12.12. |
|
Counterpart Originals . |
|
75 |
| Section 12.13. |
|
Table
of Contents, Headings, Etc . |
|
76 |
SCHEDULES, EXHIBITS AND
ANNEXES
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| SCHEDULE A |
|
Schedule of
Subsidiary Guarantors |
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| SCHEDULE B |
|
Certain
Agreements |
|
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| EXHIBIT A |
|
Form of
Note |
|
Exhibit A Page 1 |
|
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| EXHIBIT B |
|
Form of
Certificate of Transfer |
|
Exhibit B Page 1 |
|
|
|
| EXHIBIT C |
|
Form of
Certificate of Exchange |
|
Exhibit C Page 1 |
|
|
|
| EXHIBIT D |
|
Form of
Guarantee Notation |
|
Exhibit D Page 1 |
|
|
|
| EXHIBIT E |
|
Form of
Certificates from Acquiring Institutional Accredited
Investor |
|
Exhibit E Page 1 |
|
|
|
| ANNEX
A |
|
Form of
Supplemental Indenture |
|
A-1 |
-iv-
THIS INDENTURE dated as of
June 27, 2008 is among Atlas Pipeline Partners, L.P., a
Delaware limited partnership (the “Company”), Atlas
Pipeline Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(“Finance Co” and, collectively with the Company, the
“Issuers”), the Subsidiary Guarantors (as defined
herein) listed on Schedule A hereto, and U.S. Bank National
Association, a national banking association, as trustee (the
“Trustee”).
The Issuers, the Subsidiary
Guarantors, and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of
each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of
the 8 3 / 4 % Senior Notes due 2018 (the
“Notes”):
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
Section 1.01. Definitions
.
“ 144A Global
Note ” means the Global Note in the form of Exhibit
A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private
Placement Legend and that has the “ Schedule of Exchange
of Interests in the Global Note ” attached thereto and
deposited with and registered in the name of the Depositary or its
nominee that will be issued in a denomination equal to the
outstanding principal amount of the Notes sold in reliance on Rule
144A, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2.06
hereof.
“ Acquired Debt
” means, with respect to any specified Person:
(1) Indebtedness of any other Person existing at the time such
other Person is merged with or into or became a Subsidiary of such
specified Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is incurred in
connection with, or in contemplation of, such other Person merging
with or into, or becoming a Subsidiary of, such specified Person,
but excluding Indebtedness that is extinguished, retired or repaid
in connection with such Person merging with or becoming a
Subsidiary of such specified Person; and (2) Indebtedness
secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified
Person.
“ Additional
Interest ” means all additional interest then owing
pursuant to a Registration Rights Agreement. Unless the context
indicates otherwise, all references to “ interest
” in this Indenture or the Notes shall be deemed to include
any Additional Interest.
“ 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. For purposes of this
definition, “ control ,” as used with respect to
any Person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of
the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or
policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting
securities, by agreement or otherwise; provided that
beneficial ownership of 10% or more of the Voting Stock of a
specified Person shall be deemed to be control by the other Person;
provided , further, that any third Person which also
beneficially owns 10% or more of the Voting Stock of a specified
Person shall not be deemed to be an Affiliate of either the
specified Person or the other Person merely because of such common
ownership in such specified Person. For purposes of this
definition, the terms “ controlling ,” “
controlled by ” and “ under common control
with ” shall have correlative meanings. Notwithstanding
the preceding, the term “ Affiliate ” shall not
include a Restricted Subsidiary of any specified Person.
“ Agent ”
means any Registrar or Paying Agent.
“ Applicable
Procedures ” means, with respect to any transfer or
exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the
rules and procedures of the Depositary or any direct or indirect
participant therein that apply to such transfer or
exchange.
“ Asset Sale
” means:
(1) the sale, lease,
conveyance or other disposition of any assets, other than sales of
inventory in the ordinary course of business; provided that
the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries taken as a whole will be governed by the provisions of
Section 4.06 and/or the provisions of Article 5 hereof and not
by the provisions of Section 4.07; and
(2) the issuance of Equity
Interests by any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries or
the sale by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of
Equity Interests in any of its Restricted Subsidiaries.
Notwithstanding the preceding, the
following items shall not be deemed to be Asset Sales:
(1) any single transaction or
series of related transactions that involves assets having a fair
market value of less than $10.0 million;
(2) a transfer of assets
between or among the Company and its Restricted
Subsidiaries;
(3) an issuance of Equity
Interests by a Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or to another
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;
(4) a Restricted Payment that
is permitted under Section 4.08 hereof or a Permitted
Investment;
(5) the sale or other
disposition of cash or Cash Equivalents, Hedging Obligations or
other financial instruments in the ordinary course of
business;
(6) transfers of damaged,
worn-out or obsolete equipment or assets that, in the
Company’s reasonable judgment, are no longer used or useful
in the business of the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries;
(7) surrender or waiver of
contract rights or the settlement, release or surrender of
contract, tort or other claims of any kind;
(8) the creation or
perfection of a Lien that is not prohibited by
Section 4.10;
(9) the grant in the ordinary
course of business of any non-exclusive license of patents,
trademarks, registrations therefor and other similar intellectual
property; and
(10) the sale or discounting
of accounts receivable in the ordinary course of
business.
“ Attributable
Debt ” in respect of a sale and lease-back transaction
means, at the time of determination, the present value of the
obligation of the lessee for net rental payments during the
remaining term of the lease included in such sale and lease-back
transaction including any period for which such lease has been
extended or may, at the option of the lessor, be extended. Such
present value shall be calculated using a discount rate equal to
the rate of interest implicit in such transaction, determined in
accordance with GAAP.
“ Available Cash
” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Partnership
Agreement, as in effect on the Issue Date.
“ Bankruptcy Law
” means Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar federal or state
law for the relief of debtors.
“ Beneficial
Owner ” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule
13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in
calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular
“person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3)
of the Exchange Act), such “person” will be deemed to
have beneficial ownership of all securities that such
“person” has the right to acquire by conversion or
exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently
exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence of a
subsequent condition. The terms “ Beneficially Owns
” and “ Beneficially Owned ” have
correlative meanings.
-2-
“ Board of
Directors ” means, with respect to the Company or the
Operating Company, the Board of Directors of the General Partner,
or any authorized committee of such Board of Directors, and with
respect to Finance Co or any other Subsidiary of the Company, the
Board of Directors or managing members of such Person.
“ Board
Resolution ” means a copy of a resolution certified by
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the applicable Person to
have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of such Person and
to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification,
and delivered to the Trustee.
“ Business Day
” means any day other than a Legal Holiday.
“ Capital Lease
Obligation ” means, at the time any determination thereof
is to be made, the amount of the liability in respect of a capital
lease that would at that time be required to be capitalized on a
balance sheet in accordance with GAAP.
“ Cash
Equivalents ” means:
(1) United States
dollars;
(2) securities issued or
directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States
government or any agency or instrumentality thereof (
provided that the full faith and credit of the United States
is pledged in support thereof) having maturities of not more than
one year from the date of acquisition;
(3) certificates of deposit,
time deposits and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of one
year or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’
acceptances with maturities not exceeding 365 days, demand and
overnight bank deposits and other similar types of investments
routinely offered by commercial banks, in each case, with any
domestic commercial bank having a combined capital and surplus in
excess of $500.0 million and a Thompson Bank Watch Rating of
“B” or better;
(4) repurchase obligations
with a term of not more than seven days for underlying securities
of the types described in clauses (2) and (3) above
entered into with any financial institution meeting the
qualifications specified in clause (3) above;
(5) commercial paper having
one of the two highest ratings obtainable from Moody’s or
Standard & Poor’s and in each case maturing within
six months after the date of acquisition; and
(6) money market funds at
least 95% of the assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the
kinds described in clauses (1) through (5) of this
definition.
“ Certificated
Note ” means a certificated Note registered in the name
of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with
Section 2.06 hereof, in the form of Exhibit A hereto,
except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note Legend, shall
not have the phrase identified by footnote 3 thereto and shall not
have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global
Note” attached thereto.
“ Change of
Control ” means the occurrence of any of the
following:
(1) the direct or indirect
sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than
by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related
transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or
assets (including Equity Interests of the Restricted Subsidiaries)
of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries taken as a whole, to
any “person” (as that term is used in
Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act);
(2) the adoption of a plan
relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company or the
removal of the General Partner by the limited partners of the
Company;
-3-
(3) the consummation of any
transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or
consolidation) the result of which is that any “person”
or “group” (as that term is used in
Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act,
or any successor provision), becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly
or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of the General
Partner, measured by voting power rather than number of shares;
provided that a change of control shall not be deemed to
occur solely as a result of a transfer of the general partnership
interests of the Company or the Equity Interests in the General
Partner to a new entity in contemplation of the initial public
offering of such new entity, or as a result of any further offering
of Equity Interests of such new entity (or securities convertible
into such Equity Interests) so long as the persons or entities that
beneficially own the general partnership interests of the Company
or the Equity Interests in the General Partner on the Issue Date
continue to hold the general partnership interests in such new
entity (or, in the case of a new entity that is not a partnership,
no other Person or group Beneficially Owns more than 50% of the
Voting Stock of such new entity);
(4) the Company consolidates
or merges with or into another Person or any Person consolidates or
merges with or into the Company, in either case under this clause
(4) in one transaction or a series of related transactions in
which immediately after the consummation thereof Persons
Beneficially Owning, directly or indirectly, Voting Stock
representing in the aggregate a majority of the total voting power
of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such
consummation do not Beneficially Own, directly or indirectly,
Voting Stock representing a majority of the total voting power of
the Voting Stock of the Company or the surviving or transferee
Person; or
(5) the first day on which a
majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the General
Partner are not Continuing Directors.
“ Code ”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time, and the rules and regulations thereunder, and any successor
thereto.
“ Company
” means the Person named as such in the preamble of this
Indenture unless and until a successor replaces it pursuant to the
applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means such
successor.
“ Consolidated Cash
Flow ” means, with respect to any Person for any period,
the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus
(without duplication):
(1) an amount equal to the
dividends or distributions paid during such period in cash or Cash
Equivalents to such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries by
a Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary of such Person;
plus
(2) the provision for taxes
based on income or profits of such Person and its Restricted
Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such provision for
taxes was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income;
plus
(3) the consolidated interest
expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such
period, whether paid or accrued (including, without limitation,
amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount,
non-cash interest payments, the interest component of any deferred
payment obligations, the interest component of all payments
associated with Capital Lease Obligations, imputed interest with
respect to Attributable Debt, commissions, discounts and other fees
and charges incurred in respect of letter of credit or
bankers’ acceptance financings, and net of the effect of all
payments made or received pursuant to interest-rate Hedging
Obligations), to the extent that any such expense was deducted in
computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus
(4) depreciation, depletion
and amortization (including amortization of goodwill and other
intangibles but excluding amortization of prepaid cash expenses
that were paid in a prior period) and other non-cash expenses
(excluding any such non-cash expense to the extent that it
represents an accrual of or reserve for cash expenses in any future
period or amortization of a prepaid cash expense that was paid in a
prior period) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for
such period to the extent that such depreciation, depletion,
amortization and other non-cash expenses were deducted in computing
such Consolidated Net Income; plus
-4-
(5) all extraordinary,
unusual or non-recurring items of loss or expense;
plus
(6) an amount equal to any
extraordinary loss plus any net loss realized by such Person or any
of its Subsidiaries in connection with an Asset Sale, including any
non-recurring charges relating to any premium or penalty paid,
write-off of deferred financing costs or other financial
recapitalization charges, in connection with redeeming or retiring
any Indebtedness prior to its Stated Maturity, to the extent such
losses were included in computing such Consolidated Net Income;
minus
(7) all extraordinary,
unusual or non-recurring items of gains or revenue;
minus
(8) non-cash items increasing
such Consolidated Net Income for such period, other than items that
were accrued in the ordinary course of business, in each case, on a
consolidated basis and determined in accordance with
GAAP.
Notwithstanding the preceding, the
provision for taxes based on the income or profits of, and the
depreciation, depletion and amortization and other non-cash charges
of, a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company shall be added to
Consolidated Net Income to compute Consolidated Cash Flow of the
Company only to the extent that a corresponding amount would be
permitted at the date of determination to be dividended or
distributed to the Company by such Restricted Subsidiary without
prior approval (that has not been obtained), pursuant to the terms
of its charter and all agreements (other than this Indenture, the
Notes or its Guarantee), instruments, judgments, decrees, orders,
statutes, rules and governmental regulations applicable to that
Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders, partners or
members.
“ Consolidated Net
Income ” means, with respect to any specified Person for
any period, the aggregate of the Net Income of such Person and its
Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, on a consolidated basis,
determined in accordance with GAAP; provided that (without
duplication):
(1) the aggregate Net Income
(but not net loss in excess of such aggregate Net Income) of all
Persons that are not Restricted Subsidiaries shall be excluded,
except to the extent of the amount of dividends or distributions
paid in cash to the specified Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of
the Person (without duplication);
(2) the earnings included
therein attributable to all entities that are accounted for by the
equity method of accounting and the aggregate Net Income (but not
net loss in excess of such aggregate Net Income) included therein
attributable to all entities constituting Joint Ventures that are
accounted for on a consolidated basis (rather than by the equity
method of accounting) shall be excluded, except to the extent of
the amount of dividends or distributions paid in cash to the
specified Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of the
Person;
(3) the Net Income of any
Restricted Subsidiary shall be excluded to the extent that the
declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by
that Restricted Subsidiary of that Net Income is not at the date of
determination permitted without any prior governmental approval
(that has not been obtained) or, directly or indirectly, by
operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement (other than
this Indenture, the Notes or its Guarantee), instrument, judgment,
decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable
to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders, partners or
members;
(4) unrealized losses and
gains under derivative instruments included in the determination of
Consolidated Net Income, including, without limitation, those
resulting from the application of Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 133, shall be excluded;
(5) the net operating income
of Noark Pipeline System, LP attributable to a particular expansion
project that is subject to a Permitted Noark Distribution to a
holder of equity interests of Noark (other than the Company or one
of its Restricted Subsidiaries) shall be excluded to the extent of
the Permitted Noark Distribution with respect to such expansion
project;
-5-
(6) the cumulative effect of
a change in accounting principles shall be excluded; and
(7) any nonrecurring charges
relating to any premium or penalty paid, write off of deferred
finance costs or other charges in connection with redeeming or
retiring any Indebtedness prior to its Stated Maturity (including
premiums or penalties paid to counterparties in connection with the
breakage, termination or unwinding of Hedging Obligations) will be
excluded.
“ Consolidated Net
Tangible Assets ” means, with respect to any Person at
any date of determination, the aggregate amount of total assets
included in such Person’s most recent quarterly or annual
consolidated balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP less
applicable reserves reflected in such balance sheet, after
deducting the following amounts: (1) all current liabilities
reflected in such balance sheet, and (2) all goodwill,
trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discounts and expenses and
other like intangibles reflected in such balance sheet.
“ Continuing
Directors ” means, as of any date of determination, any
member of the Board of Directors of the General Partner who
(1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the Issue Date
or (2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of
Directors with the approval of either (x) a majority of the
Continuing Directors who were members of such Board at the time of
such nomination or election, or (y) any “person”
or “group” (as those terms are used in
Section 13(d)(3) or Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act,
or any successor provision) who owns all the general partnership
interests or a majority of the Equity Interests of the General
Partner.
“ Corporate Trust
Office of the Trustee ” shall be at the address of the
Trustee specified in Section 12.02 hereof or such other
address as to which the Trustee may give notice to the
Issuers.
“ Credit
Agreement ” means that certain Revolving Credit and Term
Loan Agreement, dated July 27, 2007, and as amended as of
June 12, 2008, among the Company, the Subsidiaries party
thereto, the banks party thereto and Wachovia Bank, National
Association, as administrative agent, consisting of a revolver loan
and a term loan, including any related notes, guarantees,
collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in
connection therewith, and in each case as amended, restated,
modified, renewed, refunded, replaced, supplemented or refinanced
in whole or in part from time to time.
“ Credit
Facilities ” means, with respect to the Company, Finance
Co or any Restricted Subsidiary, one or more credit facilities or
commercial paper facilities, including the Credit Agreement, in
each case with banks, investment banks, insurance companies, mutual
funds and/or institutional lenders providing for revolving credit
loans, term loans, production payments, receivables or inventory
financing (including through the sale of receivables or inventory
to such lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow
from such lenders against such receivables) or letters of credit,
in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded,
replaced, supplemented or refinanced in whole or in part from time
to time.
“ Default
” means any event that is or with the passage of time or the
giving of notice or both would be, an Event of
Default.”
“ Depositary
” means, with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in
whole or in part in global form, the Person specified in
Section 2.03 hereof as the Depositary with respect to the
Notes, and any and all successors thereto appointed as depositary
hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable
provision of this Indenture.
“ Disqualified
Equity ” means any Equity Interest that, by its terms (or
by the terms of any security into which it is convertible, or for
which it is exchangeable, in each case at the option of the holder
thereof), or upon the happening of any event, matures or is
mandatorily redeemable, pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or
otherwise, or redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in
whole or in part, on or prior to the date that is 91 days after the
date on which the Notes mature. Notwithstanding the preceding
sentence, any Equity Interest that would constitute Disqualified
Equity solely because (i) the holders thereof have the right
to require the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to
repurchase such Equity Interests upon the occurrence of a change of
control or an asset sale
-6-
shall not constitute Disqualified Equity
if the terms of such Equity Interests provide that the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary may not repurchase or redeem any such
Equity Interests pursuant to such provisions unless such repurchase
or redemption complies with Section 4.08 hereof or
(ii) such Equity Interest is entitled to receive Permitted
Noark Distributions in accordance with the terms of the Amended and
Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Noark Pipeline System,
LP as in effect on the Issue Date, in each case shall not
constitute Disqualified Equity.
“ Distribution
Compliance Period ” means the 40-day distribution
compliance period as defined in Regulation S.
“ Equity
Interests ” means:
(1) in the case of a
corporation, corporate stock;
(2) in the case of an
association or business entity, any and all shares, interests,
participations, rights or other equivalents (however designated) of
corporate stock;
(3) in the case of a
partnership or limited liability company, partnership or membership
interests (whether general or limited);
(4) any other interest or
participation that confers on a Person the right to receive a share
of the profits and losses of, or distributions of assets of, the
issuing Person; and
(5) all warrants, options or
other rights to acquire any of the interests described in clauses
(1) through (4) above (but excluding any debt security
that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, any of the interests
described in clauses (1) through (4) above).
“ Equity
Offering ” means any public or private sale for cash of
Equity Interests of the Company (excluding sales made to any
Restricted Subsidiary, sales of Disqualified Equity and private
sales to an Affiliate of the Company) after the Issue
Date.
“ Exchange Act
” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
“ Exchange Notes
” means the 8 3
/ 4 % Senior Notes due 2018, having terms
substantially identical to the Notes, offered to the Holders of the
Notes under an Exchange Offer Registration
Statement.
“ Exchange Offer
” means an offer that may be made by the Issuers pursuant to
a Registration Rights Agreement to the Holders of the Notes to
exchange their Notes for a like aggregate principal amount of the
Exchange Notes registered under the Securities Act.
“ Exchange Offer
Registration Statement ” means a registration statement
filed by the Issuers and the Subsidiary Guarantors with the SEC to
register the Exchange Notes for issuance in an Exchange
Offer.
“ Existing
Indebtedness ” means the aggregate principal amount of
Indebtedness of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries in
existence on the Issue Date.
“ Finance Co
” means the Person named as such in the preamble of this
Indenture under and until a successor replaces it pursuant to the
applicable provision of this Indenture and thereafter means such
successor.
“ Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio ” means, with respect to any specified
Person for any four-quarter reference period, the ratio of the
Consolidated Cash Flow of such Person for such period to the Fixed
Charges of such Person for such period. In the event that the
specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries incurs,
assumes, guarantees, repays or redeems any Indebtedness (other than
revolving credit borrowings not constituting a permanent commitment
reduction) or issues or redeems Disqualified Equity subsequent to
the commencement of the period for which the Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio is being calculated but prior to the date on which the event
for which the
-7-
calculation of the Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio is made (the “ Calculation Date ”), then
the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio shall be calculated giving pro
forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, guarantee, repayment
or redemption of Indebtedness, or such issuance or redemption of
Disqualified Equity, and the application of the net proceeds
thereof as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the
applicable four-quarter reference period (and if such Indebtedness
is incurred to finance the acquisition of assets (including,
without limitation, a single asset, a division or segment or an
entire company) that were conducting commercial operations prior to
such acquisition, there shall be included pro forma net income for
such assets, as if such assets had been acquired on the first day
of such period).
In addition, for purposes of
calculating the Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio:
(1) acquisitions that have
been made by the specified Person or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries, including through mergers or consolidations and
including any related financing transactions, during the
four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference
period and on or prior to the Calculation Date shall be deemed to
have occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period
and pro forma effect will be given to the amount of net cost
savings certified in an officer’s certificate executed by the
Chief Financial Officer of the Company to have occurred or that are
reasonably and in good faith projected to be realized within 12
months after, and as a result of, such acquisition and contractual
commitments in effect or specified actions that have been taken or
will within 90 days be commenced; provided that such cost
savings are reasonably identifiable and factually
supportable;
(2) designations of
Restricted Subsidiaries and Unrestricted Subsidiaries during the
four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference
period and on or prior to the Calculation Date shall be deemed to
have occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference
period;
(3) the Consolidated Cash
Flow attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in
accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses disposed of
prior to the Calculation Date, shall be excluded;
(4) the Fixed Charges
attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in
accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses disposed of
prior to the Calculation Date, shall be excluded, but only to the
extent that the obligations giving rise to such Fixed Charges will
not be obligations of the specified Person or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries following the Calculation Date;
(5) interest on outstanding
Indebtedness of the specified Person or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries as of the last day of the four-quarter reference
period shall be deemed to have accrued at a fixed rate per annum
equal to the rate of interest on such Indebtedness in effect on
such last day after giving effect to any Hedging Obligation then in
effect; and
(6) if interest on any
Indebtedness incurred by the specified Person or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries on such date may optionally be determined
at an interest rate based upon a factor of a prime or similar rate,
a eurocurrency interbank offered rate or other rates, then the
interest rate in effect on the last day of the four-quarter
reference period will be deemed to have been in effect during such
period.
“ Fixed Charges
” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum,
without duplication, of:
(1) the consolidated interest
expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such
period, whether paid or accrued, including, without limitation,
amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount,
non-cash interest payments, the interest component of any deferred
payment obligations, the interest component of all payments
associated with Capital Lease Obligations, imputed interest with
respect to Attributable Debt, commissions, discounts, and other
fees and charges incurred in respect of letter of credit or
bankers’ acceptance financings, and net of the effect of all
payments made or received pursuant to interest-rate Hedging
Obligations; plus
(2) the consolidated interest
expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was
capitalized during such period; plus
-8-
(3) any interest expense on
Indebtedness of another Person that is guaranteed by such Person or
one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or secured by a Lien on assets
of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries, whether or
not such guarantee or Lien is called upon; plus
(4) the product of
(a) all dividend payments, whether paid or accrued and whether
or not in cash, on any series of Disqualified Equity of such Person
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than dividend payments
on Equity Interests payable solely in Equity Interests of the
Company (other than Disqualified Equity) or to the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, times (b) a fraction,
the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is one
minus the then current combined federal, state and local statutory
tax rate of such Person, expressed as a decimal;
in each case, on a consolidated basis
and in accordance with GAAP.
“ GAAP ”
means generally accepted accounting principles in the United
States, which are in effect from time to time.
“ General
Partner ” means Atlas Pipeline Partners GP, LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company, and its successors and
permitted assigns as general partner of the Company.
“ Global Note
Legend ” means the legend set forth in
Section 2.06(g)(ii), which is required to be placed on all
Global Notes issued under this Indenture.
“ Global Notes
” means, individually and collectively, each of the
Restricted Global Notes and the Unrestricted Global Notes, in the
form of Exhibit A hereto issued in accordance with
Section 2.01, 2.06(b) or 2.06(f) hereof.
“ guarantee
” means to guarantee, other than by endorsement of negotiable
instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business,
directly or indirectly, in any manner, including, without
limitation, by way of a pledge of assets, or through letters of
credit or reimbursement, “claw-back,”
“make-well,” or “keep-well” agreements in
respect thereof, all or any part of any Indebtedness.
“ Guarantee
” means, individually and collectively, the guarantees given
by the Subsidiary Guarantors pursuant to Article 10 hereof,
including a notation in the Notes substantially in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit D .
“ Guarantor
Subordinated Obligation ” means, with respect to a
Subsidiary Guarantor, any Indebtedness or other Obligations of such
Subsidiary Guarantor (whether outstanding on the Issue Date or
thereafter incurred) which are expressly subordinate in right of
payment to the Obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its
Guarantee pursuant to a written agreement.
“ Hedging
Obligations ” means, with respect to any Person, the
obligations of such Person under interest rate and commodity price
swap agreements, interest rate and commodity price cap agreements,
interest rate and commodity price collar agreements and foreign
currency and commodity price exchange agreements, options or
futures contracts or other similar agreements or arrangements or
Hydrocarbon hedge contracts or Hydrocarbon forward sales contracts,
in each case designed to protect such Person against fluctuations
in interest rates, foreign exchange rates, or commodities
prices.
“ Holder ”
means the Person in whose name a Note is registered on the
Registrar’s books.
“Hydrocarbons” means crude oil, natural gas,
casinghead gas, drip gasoline, natural gasoline, condensate,
distillate, liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and all
constituents, elements or compounds thereof and products refined or
processed therefrom.
“ IAI Global
Note ” means the Global Note in the form of Exhibit
A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private
Placement Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchange of
Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto and deposited
with and registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee
that will be issued in a denomination equal to the outstanding
principal amount of the Notes transferred to Institutional
Accredited Investors in accordance with 2.06(b)(iii)(C), subject to
adjustment as provided in Section 2.06 hereof.
-9-
“ Indebtedness
” means, with respect to any specified Person, any
indebtedness of such Person, whether or not contingent:
(1) in respect of borrowed
money;
(2) evidenced by bonds,
notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or
reimbursement agreements in respect thereof);
(3) in respect of
banker’s acceptances;
(4) representing Capital
Lease Obligations;
(5) representing all
Attributable Debt of such Person in respect of any sale and
lease-back transactions not involving a Capital Lease
Obligation;
(6) representing the balance
deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property, except
any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade
payable incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(7) representing Disqualified
Equity; or
(8) representing any Hedging
Obligations;
if and to the extent any of the
preceding items (other than letters of credit, Disqualified Equity
and Hedging Obligations) would appear as a liability upon a balance
sheet of the specified Person prepared in accordance with GAAP. In
addition, the term “ Indebtedness ” includes all
Indebtedness of others secured by a Lien on any asset of the
specified Person (whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by
the specified Person) and, to the extent not otherwise included,
the guarantee by such Person of any indebtedness of any other
Person, provided that a guarantee otherwise permitted by this
Indenture to be incurred by the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries of Indebtedness incurred by the Company or a
Restricted Subsidiary in compliance with the terms of this
Indenture shall not constitute a separate incurrence of
Indebtedness.
The amount of any
Indebtedness outstanding as of any date shall be:
(1) the accreted value
thereof, in the case of any Indebtedness issued with original issue
discount;
(2) in the case of any
Hedging Obligation, the termination value of the agreement or
arrangement giving rise to such Hedging Obligation that would be
payable by such Person at such date;
(3) in the case of any letter
of credit, the maximum potential liability thereunder;
and
(4) the principal amount
thereof, together with any interest thereon that is more than 30
days past due, in the case of any other indebtedness.
For purposes of clause
(7) of the first paragraph of this definition, Disqualified
Equity shall be valued at the maximum fixed redemption, repayment
or repurchase price, which shall be calculated in accordance with
the terms of such Disqualified Equity as if such Disqualified
Equity were repurchased on any date on which Indebtedness shall be
required to be determined pursuant to this Indenture;
provided , that if such Disqualified Equity is not then
permitted by its terms to be redeemed, repaid or repurchased, the
redemption, repayment or repurchase price shall be the book value
of such Disqualified Equity. The amount of Indebtedness of any
Person at any date shall be the outstanding balance at such date of
all unconditional Obligations as described above and the maximum
liability of any
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guarantees at such date; provided
that for purposes of calculating the amount of any non-interest
bearing or other discount security, such Indebtedness shall be
deemed to be the principal amount thereof that would be shown on
the balance sheet of the issuer thereof dated such date prepared in
accordance with GAAP, but that such security shall be deemed to
have been incurred only on the date of the original issuance
thereof.
“ Indenture
” means this Indenture, as amended or supplemented from time
to time.
“ Indirect
Participant ” means a Person who holds a beneficial
interest in a Global Note through a Participant.
“ Initial
Purchasers ” means Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC, J.P.
Morgan Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities LLC, BNP Paribas
Securities Corp, RBC Capital Markets Corporation and Wells Fargo
Securities, LLC.
“ Institutional
Accredited Investor ” means an institution that is an
“accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1),
(2), (3) or (7) of the rules and regulations promulgated
under the Securities Act.
“ Interest Payment
Date ” means Stated Maturity of an installment of
interest on the Notes.
“ Investment Grade
Rating ” means a rating equal to or higher than Baa3 (or
the equivalent) by Moody’s or BBB- (or the equivalent) by
Standard & Poors or, if Moody’s and
Standard & Poors both cease to rate the Notes for reasons
outside the Company’s control, the equivalent ratings from
any other nationally recognized statistical ratings
agency.
“ Investments
” means, with respect to any Person, all investments by such
Person in other Persons (including Affiliates) in the forms of
direct or indirect loans (including guarantees of Indebtedness or
other Obligations), advances (other than advances to customers in
the ordinary course of business that are recorded as accounts
receivable on the balance sheet of the lender and commission,
moving, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made
in the ordinary course of business) or capital contributions,
purchases or other acquisitions for consideration of Indebtedness,
Equity Interests or other securities, together with all items that
are or would be classified as investments on a balance sheet
prepared in accordance with GAAP. For purposes of the definition of
“Unrestricted Subsidiary,” the definition of
“Restricted Payment” and the covenant in
Section 4.08 hereof, (1) the term
“Investment” shall include the portion (proportionate
to the Company’s Equity Interest in such Subsidiary) of the
fair market value of the net assets of any Subsidiary of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries at the time that such
Subsidiary is designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary, and
(2) any property transferred to or from an Unrestricted
Subsidiary shall be valued at its fair market value at the time of
such transfer, in each case as determined in good faith by the
Board of Directors of the General Partner. If the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company sells or otherwise disposes of
any Equity Interests of any direct or indirect Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company such that, after giving effect to any
such sale or disposition, such Person is no longer a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company, the Company shall be deemed to have made
an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition equal to
the fair market value of the Equity Interests of such Restricted
Subsidiary not sold or disposed of in an amount determined as
provided in the final paragraph of Section 4.08(b)
hereof.
“ Issue Date
” means June 27, 2008.
“ Issuers
” means the Company and Finance Co, collectively; “
Issuer ” means the Company or Finance Co.
“ Joint Venture
” means any Person that is not a direct or indirect
Subsidiary of the Company in which the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries makes any Investment; provided that
the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries own at least 20% of the
Equity Interests of such Person on a fully diluted basis or control
the management of such Person pursuant to a contractual
agreement.
“ Legal Holiday
” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking
institutions in New York, New York or at a place of payment are
authorized by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed.
If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment
may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a
Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening
period.
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“ Lien ”
means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien (statutory or
otherwise), pledge, charge, security interest, hypothecation,
assignment for security, claim, preference, priority or encumbrance
of any kind in respect of such asset, whether or not filed,
recorded or otherwise perfected under applicable law, including any
conditional sale or other title retention agreement or any lease in
the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to grant a
security interest in and any filing of or agreement to give any
financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code (or
equivalent statute) of any jurisdiction other than a precautionary
financing statement respecting a lease not intended as a security
agreement.
“ Make Whole
Amount ” means, with respect to any Note at any
redemption date, the greater of (A) 1.0% and (B) the
excess, if any, of (1) an amount equal to the present value of
(a) the redemption price of such Note at June 15, 2013
plus (b) the remaining scheduled interest payments on the
Notes to be redeemed (subject to the right of Holders on the
relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant
Interest Payment Date) to June 15, 2013 (other than interest
accrued to the redemption date), computed using a discount rate
equal to the Treasury Rate plus 50 basis points, over (2) the
aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed.
“ Moody’s
” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or any
successor to the rating agency business thereof.
“ Net Income
” means, with respect to any Person, the consolidated net
income (loss) of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries,
determined in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in
respect of preferred stock dividends, excluding,
however:
(1) the aggregate after tax
effect on gains and losses realized in connection with:
(a) any Asset Sale;
or
(b) the disposition of any
securities by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
and
(2) other than for purposes
of Section 4.08 hereof, any extraordinary gain or loss,
together with any related provision for taxes on such extraordinary
gain or loss.
“ Net Proceeds
” means, with respect to any Asset Sale or sale of Equity
Interests, the aggregate proceeds received by the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries in cash or Cash Equivalents in respect
of any Asset Sale or sale of Equity Interests (including, without
limitation, any cash received upon the sale or other disposition of
any non-cash consideration received in any such sale), net of,
without duplication, (1) the direct costs relating to such
Asset Sale or sale of Equity Interests, including, without
limitation, brokerage commissions and legal, accounting and
investment banking fees, sales commissions, recording fees, title
transfer fees, and any relocation expenses incurred as a result
thereof, (2) taxes paid or payable as a result thereof, in
each case after taking into account any available tax credits or
deductions and any tax sharing arrangements, (3) amounts
required to be applied to the repayment of Indebtedness secured by
a Lien on the asset or Equity Interests that were the subject of
such Asset Sale or sale of Equity Interests, (4) all
distributions and payments required to be made to minority interest
holders in Restricted Subsidiaries as a result of such Asset Sale
and (5) any amounts to be set aside in any reserve established
in accordance with GAAP or any amount placed in escrow, in either
case for adjustment in respect of the sale price of such asset or
Equity Interests or for liabilities associated with such Asset Sale
or sale of Equity Interests and retained by the Company or any of
its Restricted Subsidiaries until such time as such reserve is
reversed or such escrow arrangement is terminated, in which case
Net Proceeds shall include only the amount of the reserve so
reversed or the amount returned to the Company or its Restricted
Subsidiaries from such escrow arrangement, as the case may
be.
“ Non-Recourse
Debt ” means Indebtedness as to which:
(1) neither the Company nor
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (a) provides credit support
of any kind (including any undertaking, agreement or instrument
that would constitute Indebtedness), (b) is directly or
indirectly liable as a guarantor or otherwise, or
(c) constitutes the lender of such Indebtedness;
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(2) no default with respect
to which (including any rights that the holders thereof may have to
take enforcement action against an Unrestricted Subsidiary) would
permit upon notice, lapse of time or both any holder of any other
Indebtedness (other than the Notes) of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries to declare a default on such other
Indebtedness or cause the payment thereof to be accelerated or
payable prior to its Stated Maturity; and
(3) the lenders have been
notified in writing that they will not have any recourse to the
stock or assets of the Company or any of its Restricted
Subsidiaries.
“ Non-U.S.
Person ” means a person who is not a U.S.
Person.
“ Note Custodian
” means the Trustee, as custodian with respect to the Notes
in global form, or any successor entity thereto.
“ Notes ”
has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble to this
Indenture.
“ Obligations
” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees,
indemnifications, reimbursement obligations, damages and other
liabilities payable under the documentation governing any
Indebtedness.
“ Offering
” means the offering of the Notes by the Issuers pursuant to
the Offering Memorandum.
“ Offering
Memorandum ” means the offering memorandum of the Issuers
dated June 24, 2008 relating to the Offering.
“ Officer
” means, with respect to any Person, the Chairman of the
Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Chief
Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief
Accounting Officer, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the
Controller, the Secretary or any Vice President of such Person (or,
with respect to the Company or the Operating Company, so long as it
remains a partnership, the General Partner).
“ Officers’
Certificate ” means a certificate signed on behalf of
each of the Company and Finance Co by two of its Officers (or so
long as they remain partnerships, Officers of the General Partner),
one of whom must be the principal executive officer, the principal
financial officer or the principal accounting officer of such
Person, that meets the requirements of Section 12.05
hereof.
“ Operating
Company ” means Atlas Pipeline Operating Partnership,
L.P., a Delaware limited liability company, and its
successors.
“ Operating
Surplus ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
the Partnership Agreement, as in effect on the Issue
Date.
“ Opinion of
Counsel ” means an opinion from legal counsel who is
reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, that meets the requirements
of Section 12.05 hereof. The counsel may be an employee of or
counsel to the Company, Finance Co or the General Partner (or any
Subsidiary Guarantor, if applicable), any Subsidiary of the Company
or the Trustee.
“ Participant
” means a Person who has an account with DTC.
“ Participating
Broker-Dealer ” has the meaning set forth in the
Registration Rights Agreement relating to the Notes issued on the
Issue Date.
“ Partnership
Agreement ” means the Second Amended and Restated
Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Company, dated as of
March 9, 2004, as such may be amended, modified or
supplemented from time to time.
-13-
“Permitted Asset
Swap” means the concurrent purchase and sale or exchange
of assets used in a Permitted Business or a combination of assets
used in a Permitted Business and cash or Cash Equivalents between
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and another
Person.
“ Permitted
Business ” means either (1) gathering, transporting,
treating, processing, marketing or otherwise handling Hydrocarbons,
or activities or services reasonably related or ancillary thereto
including entering into Hedging Obligations to support these
businesses, or (2) any other business that generates gross
income at least 90% of which constitutes “qualifying
income” under Section 7704(d)(1)(E) of the
Code.
“Permitted Business
Investments” means: means Investments by the Company or
any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in any Unrestricted Subsidiary
of the Company or in any Joint Venture, provided that
(1) either (a) at the
time of such Investment and immediately thereafter, the Company
could incur $1.00 of additional Indebtedness under the Fixed Charge
Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of
Section 4.09 hereof or (b) such Investment does not
exceed the aggregate amount of Incremental Funds (as defined in
Section 4.08 hereof) not previously expended at the time of
making such Investment;
(2) if such Unrestricted
Subsidiary or Joint Venture has outstanding Indebtedness at the
time of such Investment, either (a) all such Indebtedness is
Non-Recourse Debt or (b) any such Indebtedness of such
Unrestricted Subsidiary or Joint Venture that is recourse to the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (which shall include
all Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary or Joint Venture
for which the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries may be
directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, obligated to
pay, whether pursuant to the terms of such Indebtedness, by law or
pursuant to any guarantee, including any “claw-back,”
“make-well” or “keep-well” arrangement)
could, at the time such Investment is made, be incurred at that
time by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries under the Fixed
Charge Coverage Ratio test set forth in the first paragraph of
Section 4.09 hereof; and
(3) such Unrestricted
Subsidiary’s or Joint Venture’s activities are not
outside the scope of the Permitted Business.
“ Permitted
Investments ” means:
(1) any Investment in, or
that results in the creation of, any Restricted Subsidiary of the
Company;
(2) any Investment in the
Company or in a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company (excluding
redemptions, purchases, acquisitions or other retirements of Equity
Interests in the Company);
(3) any Investment in cash or
Cash Equivalents;
(4) any Investment by the
Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company in a Person if
as a result of such Investment:
(a) such Person becomes a
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company; or
(b) such Person is merged,
consolidated or amalgamated with or into, or transfers or conveys
substantially all of its assets to, or is liquidated into, the
Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;
(5) any Investment made as a
result of the receipt of consideration consisting of other than
cash or Cash Equivalents from an Asset Sale that was made pursuant
to and in compliance with Section 4.07;
(6) any Investment in a
Person solely in exchange for the issuance of Equity Interests
(other than Disqualified Equity) of the Company;
-14-
(7) Investments in stock,
obligations or securities received in settlement of debts owing to
the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries as a result of
bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings or upon the foreclosure,
perfection or enforcement of any Lien in favor of the Company or
any such Restricted Subsidiary, in each case as to debt owing to
the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary that arose in the
ordinary course of business of the Company or any such Restricted
Subsidiary;
(8) any Investment in Hedging
Obligations permitted to be incurred under Section 4.09
hereof;
(9) other investments in any
Person engaged in a Permitted Business (other than an Investment in
an Unrestricted Subsidiary) having an aggregate fair market value
(measured on the date each such Investment was made and without
giving effect to subsequent changes in value), when taken together
with all other Investments made pursuant to this clause
(9) since the Issue Date and existing at the time of the
Investment, which is the subject of the determination, was made,
not to exceed the greater of (a) $60.0 million and
(b) 3.0% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets;
(10) any Investment in the
notes and Investments existing on the Issue Date;
(11) Permitted Business
Investments; and
(12) Investments consisting
of purchases and acquisitions of inventory, supplies, materials and
equipment or purchases of contract rights or licenses or leases of
intellectual property, in each case in the ordinary course of
business.
“ Permitted
Liens ” means:
(1) Liens securing
Indebtedness under the Credit Facilities permitted to be incurred
under this Indenture provided that all such Liens are pari passu
with each other;
(2) Liens in favor of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;
(3) any interest or title of
a lessor in the property subject to a Capital Lease
Obligation;
(4) Liens on property
(including Equity Interests) of a Person existing at the time such
Person is merged with or into or consolidated with the Company or
any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, provided that such Liens
were in existence prior to, and were not obtained in contemplation
of, such merger or consolidation and do not extend to any assets
other than those of the Person merged into or consolidated with the
Company or such Restricted Subsidiary;
(5) Liens on property
existing at the time of acquisition thereof by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, provided that such Liens were
in existence prior to, and were not obtained in contemplation of,
such acquisition and relate solely to such property, accessions
thereto and the proceeds thereof;
(6) Liens to secure the
performance of tenders, bids, leases, statutory or regulatory
obligations, surety, indemnity or appeal bonds, government
contracts, performance bonds or other obligations of a like nature
incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(7) Liens on any property or
asset acquired, constructed or improved by the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary, which (a) are in favor of the seller of
such property or assets, in favor of the Person constructing or
improving such asset or property, or in favor of the Person that
provided the funding for the acquisition, construction or
improvement of such asset or property, (b) are created within
360 days after the date of acquisition, construction or
improvement, (c) secure the purchase price or construction or
improvement cost, as the case may be, of such asset or property in
an amount not to exceed the lesser of (i) the cost to the
Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries of such acquisition,
construction or improvement of such
-15-
asset or property and
(ii) 100% of the fair market value (as determined by the Board
of Directors of the General Partner) of such acquisition,
construction or improvement of such asset or property, and
(d) are limited to the asset or property so acquired,
constructed or improved (including proceeds thereof, accessions
thereto and upgrades thereof);
(8) Liens to secure
performance of Hedging Obligations of the Company or a Restricted
Subsidiary;
(9) Liens existing on the
Issue Date and Liens in connection with any extensions,
refinancing, renewal, replacement or defeasance of any Indebtedness
or other obligation secured thereby; provided that
(a) the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by such
Lien is not increased and (b) no assets are encumbered by any
such Lien other than the assets encumbered immediately prior to
such extension, refinancing, renewal, replacement or
defeasance;
(10) Liens on pipelines or
pipeline facilities that arise by operation of law;
(11) Liens arising under
operating agreements, joint venture agreements, partnership
agreements, oil and gas leases, farmout agreements, division
orders, contracts for sale, transportation or exchange of oil and
natural gas, unitization and pooling declarations and agreements,
area of mutual interest agreements and other agreements arising in
the ordinary course of the Company’s or any Restricted
Subsidiary’s business that are customary in the Permitted
Business; provided that any Liens arising under operating
agreements, joint venture agreements, partnership agreements and
the like are non-recourse to the Company and its Subsidiaries and
only attach to Equity Interests in the applicable joint venture,
partnership or other entity that is the subject of such agreement,
and liens deemed to exist as a result of Permitted Noark
Distributions;
(12) Liens securing the
Obligations of the Issuers under the Notes and this Indenture and
of the Subsidiary Guarantors under the Guarantees;
(13) Liens upon specific
items of inventory or other goods and proceeds thereof of any
Person securing such Person’s Obligations in respect of
bankers’ acceptances issued or created for the account of
such Person to facilitate the purchase, shipment or storage of such
inventory or other goods and permitted by Section 4.09
hereof;
(14) Liens securing any
indebtedness equally and ratably with all Obligations due under the
Notes or any Guarantee pursuant to a contractual covenant that
limits liens in a manner substantially similar to Section 4.10
hereof; and
(15) Liens incurred in the
ordinary course of business of the Company or any Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company with respect to Obligations that do not
exceed 5% of Consolidated Net Tangible Assets at any one time
outstanding.
During any covenant suspension pursuant
to Section 4.20 hereof, for purposes of complying with
Section 4.10, the Liens described in clauses (1) and
(15) of this definition of “Permitted Liens” will
be Permitted Liens only to the extent those Liens secure
Indebtedness not exceeding, at the time of determination, 10% of
the Consolidated Net Tangible Assets of the Company.
“Permitted Noark
Distributions” means dividends or distributions payable
to a holder of equity interests of Noark Pipeline System, LP that
made a Special Capital Contribution (as defined in the Noark
Pipeline System, LP Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited
Partnership as in effect on the Issue Date) specifically to finance
a particular expansion project; provided that such dividends
or distributions, in the aggregate with respect to any expansion
project, shall not exceed the additional or incremental net
operating income of Noark attributable to such expansion project
and shall not exceed 200% of such holder’s Special Capital
Contributions made in respect of such expansion project.
-16-
“ Permitted
Refinancing Indebtedness ” means any Indebtedness of the
Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries issued in exchange
for, or the net proceeds of which are used to extend, refinance,
renew, replace, defease or refund other Indebtedness of the Company
or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than intercompany
Indebtedness); provided that:
(1) the principal amount of
such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the
principal amount of, plus accrued interest on the Indebtedness so
extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded (plus
the amount of necessary fees and expenses incurred in connection
therewith and any premiums paid on the Indebtedness so extended,
refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded);
(2) such Permitted
Refinancing Indebtedness has a final maturity date no earlier than
the final maturity date of, and has a Weighted Average Life to
Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to
Maturity of, the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed,
replaced, defeased or refunded;
(3) if the Indebtedness being
extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded is
subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or the Guarantees,
such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of
payment to, the Notes or the Guarantees, as the case may be, on
terms at least as favorable to the Holders of Notes as those
contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being
extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced, defeased or refunded;
and
(4) such Indebtedness is not
incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary if the Company is the obligor
on the Indebtedness being extended, refinanced, renewed, replaced,
defeased or refunded.
For the avoidance of doubt,
the foregoing clauses (1) through (4) shall not apply to
extensions, refinancings, renewals, replacements, defeasances or
refunds of the Credit Facility.
“ Person ”
means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated
organization, limited liability company or government or agency or
political subdivision thereof or other entity.
“ Private Placement
Legend ” means the legend set forth in
Section 2.06(g)(i) to be placed on all Notes issued under this
Indenture except where otherwise permitted by the provisions of
this Indenture.
“ QIB ”
means a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in
Rule 144A.
“ Rating Agency
” means each of Standard & Poors and Moody’s,
or if Standard & Poors or Moody’s or both shall not
make a rating on the Notes publicly available, a nationally
recognized statistical rating agency or agencies, as the case may
be, selected by the Issuers (as certified by a resolution of the
Board of Directors of the General Partner) which shall be
substituted for Standard & Poors or Moody’s, or
both, as the case may be.
“ Registration
Rights Agreement ” means (1) with respect to the
Notes issued on the Issue Date that certain agreement dated the
Issue Date among the Issuers, the Subsidiary Guarantors and the
Initial Purchasers requiring the Issuers and the Subsidiary
Guarantors to file an Exchange Offer Registration Statement and a
Shelf Registration Statement, and (2) any other registration
rights agreement relating to any additional Notes issued by the
Issuers after the Issue Date pursuant to
Section 2.02.
“ Regulation S
” means Regulation S promulgated by the SEC under the
Securities Act.
“ Regulation S
Global Note ” means a Global Note in the form of
Exhibit A hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the
Private Placement Legend and that has the “Schedule of
Exchange of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto
and deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of
the Depositary or its nominee, issued in a denomination equal to
the outstanding principal amount of the Notes initially sold in
reliance on Rule 903 of Regulation S, subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 2.06 hereof.
-17-
“ Responsible
Officer ,” when used with respect to the Trustee, means
the officer in the Corporate Trust Department of the Trustee having
direct responsibility for administration of this
Indenture.
“ Restricted
Certificated Note ” means a Certificated Note bearing the
Private Placement Legend.
“ Restricted Global
Note ” means a Global Note bearing the Private Placement
Legend and that bears the Global Note Legend and that has the
“Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note”
attached thereto.
“ Restricted
Investment ” means an Investment other than a Permitted
Investment.
“ Restricted
Subsidiary ” of a Person means any Subsidiary of the
referenced Person that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, each of
Finance Co and the Operating Company shall be a Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company.
“ Rule 144
” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities
Act.
“ Rule 144A
” means Rule 144A promulgated by the SEC under the Securities
Act.
“ Rule 903
” means Rule 903 of Regulation S promulgated by the SEC under
the Securities Act.
“ Rule 904
” means Rule 904 of Regulation S promulgated by the SEC under
the Securities Act.
“ SEC ”
means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“ Securities Act
” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“ Shelf Registration
Statement ” means a shelf registration statement filed
with the SEC by the Issuers and the Subsidiary Guarantors in
accordance with the applicable Registration Rights Agreement to
register resales of the Notes or the Exchange Notes.
“ Significant
Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary that would be a
“significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1,
Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as such Regulation is in
effect on the Issue Date.
“
Standard & Poors ” means Standard &
Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc., or any successor to the rating agency business
thereof.
“ Stated
Maturity ” means, with respect to any installment of
interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on
which such payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be
paid in the original documentation governing such Indebtedness, and
shall not include any contingent Obligations to repay, redeem or
repurchase any such interest or principal prior to the date
originally scheduled for the payment thereof.
“ Subordinated
Obligation ” means any Indebtedness of either Issuer
(whether outstanding on the Issue Date or thereafter incurred)
which is subordinate or junior in right of payment to the Notes
pursuant to a written agreement.
“ Subsidiary
” means, with respect to any Person:
(1) any corporation,
association or other business entity (other than an entity referred
to in clause (2) below) of which more than 50% of the total
Voting Stock is at the time owned or controlled, directly or
indirectly, by such Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries
of that Person (or a combination thereof); and
(2) any partnership (whether
general or limited), limited liability company or joint venture
(a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner
or managing member of which is such Person
-18-
or a Subsidiary of such
Person, or (b) if there are more than a single general partner
or member, either (i) the only general partners or managing
members of which are such Person and/or one or more Subsidiaries of
such Person (or any combination thereof) or (ii) such Person
owns or controls, directly or indirectly, a majority of the
outstanding general partner interests, member interests or other
Voting Stock of such partnership, limited liability company or
joint venture, respectively.
“ Subsidiary
Guarantors ” means each of:
(1) each Restricted
Subsidiary of the Company existing on the Issue Date;
(2) any other Subsidiary of
the Company that becomes a Subsidiary Guarantor in accordance with
the provisions of Section 4.13 and Article 10 of this
Indenture; and
(3) their respective
successors and assigns;
in each case until such Subsidiary
Guarantor ceases to be such in accordance with this Indenture.
Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, Finance
Co shall not be a Subsidiary Guarantor.
“ TIA ”
means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Sections
77aaa-77bbbb) as in effect on the date on which this Indenture is
qualified under the TIA, except as provided in Section 9.03
hereof.
“ Treasury Rate
” means, at the time of computation, the yield to maturity of
United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as
compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve
Statistical Release H.15(519) which has become publicly available
at least two Business Days prior to the redemption date or, if such
Statistical Release is no longer published, any publicly available
source of similar market data) most nearly equal to the period from
the redemption date to June 15, 2013; provided, however
, that if such period is not equal to the constant maturity of a
United States Treasury security for which a weekly average yield is
given, the Treasury Rate shall be obtained by linear interpolation
(calculated to the nearest one-twelfth of a year) from the weekly
average yields of United States Treasury securities for which such
yields are given, except that if the period from the redemption
date to June 15, 2013 is less than one year, the weekly
average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities
adjusted to a constant maturity of one year shall be used. The
Treasury Rate shall be calculated on the third Business Day
preceding the redemption date. Any weekly average yields calculated
by interpolation shall be rounded to the nearest 1/100th of 1%,
with any figure of 1/200th of 1% or above being rounded
upward.
“ Trustee
” means the party named as such in the preamble of this
Indenture until a successor replaces it in accordance with the
applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means the
successor serving hereunder.
“ U.S. Government
Obligations ” means securities that are (1) direct
Obligations of the United States of America for the payment of
which its full faith and credit is pledged and (2) Obligations
of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or
instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of
which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit
obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case
under clauses (1) or (2) above, are not callable or
redeemable at the option of the issuers thereof.
“ U.S. Person
” means a U.S. person as defined in Rule 902(k) of Regulation
S promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
“ Unrestricted
Certificated Note ” means one or more Certificated Notes
that do not bear and are not required to bear the Private Placement
Legend.
“ Unrestricted
Global Note ” means a permanent Global Note in the form
of Exhibit A attached hereto that bears the Global Note
Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests
in the Global Note” attached thereto, and that is deposited
with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depositary,
representing a series of Notes that do not bear the Private
Placement Legend.
-19-
“ Unrestricted
Subsidiary ” means any Subsidiary of the Company (other
than Finance Co or the Operating Company) that is designated by the
Board of Directors of the General Partner as an Unrestricted
Subsidiary pursuant to a Board Resolution, but only to the extent
that such Subsidiary: (1) except to the extent permitted by
subclause (2)(b) of the definition of “Permitted
Business Investments”, has no Indebtedness other than
Non-Recourse Debt; (2) is not a party to any agreement,
contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company or any
Restricted Subsidiary of the Company unless the terms of any such
arrangement, contract, arrangement or understanding are no less
favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those
that might be obtained at the time from Persons who are not
Affiliates of the Company; (3) is a Person with respect to
which neither the Company nor any of its Restricted Subsidiaries
has any direct or indirect obligation (a) to subscribe for
additional Equity Interests or (b) to maintain or preserve
such Person’s financial condition or to cause such Person to
achieve any specified levels of operating results; and (4) has
not guaranteed or otherwise directly or indirectly provided credit
support for any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its
Restricted Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture
to the contrary, neither Finance Co nor the Operating Company shall
be designated as an Unrestricted Subsidiary.
Any designation of a
Subsidiary of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary shall be
evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee a Board
Resolution giving effect to such designation and an Officers’
Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the
preceding conditions and was permitted by Section 4.08 hereof.
If, at any time, any Unrestricted Subsidiary would fail to meet the
preceding requirements as an Unrestricted Subsidiary, it shall
thereafter cease to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary for purposes of
this Indenture and any Indebtedness of such Subsidiary shall be
deemed to be incurred by a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company as
of such date and, if such Indebtedness is not permitted to be
incurred as of such date under Section 4.09 hereof, the
Company shall be in default of such covenant.
“ Voting Stock
” of any Person as of any date means the Equity Interests of
such Person pursuant to which the holders thereof have the general
voting power under ordinary circumstances to elect at least a
majority of the board of directors, managers, general partners or
trustees of such Person (regardless of whether, at the time, Equity
Interests of any other class or classes shall have, or might have,
voting power by reason of the occurrence of any contingency) or,
with respect to a partnership (whether general or limited), any
general partner interest in such partnership.
“ Weighted Average
Life to Maturity ” means, when applied to any
Indebtedness at any date, the number of years obtained by dividing:
(1) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying
(a) the amount of each then remaining installment, sinking
fund, serial maturity or other required payments of principal,
including payment at final maturity, in respect thereof, by
(b) the number of years (calculated to the nearest
one-twelfth) that will elapse between such date and the making of
such payment; by (2) the then outstanding principal amount of
such indebtedness.
Section 1.02. Other
Definitions .
|
|
|
|
TERM
|
|
DEFINED IN SECTION
|
|
“Affiliate
Transaction”
|
|
4.12 |
|
“Alternate
Offer”
|
|
4.06(h) |
|
“Asset Sale
Offer”
|
|
3.09 |
|
“Calculation
Date”
|
|
1.01 (definition of Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio) |
|
“Change of Control
Offer”
|
|
4.06(a) |
|
“Change of Control
Payment”
|
|
4.06(a) |
|
“Change of Control Payment
Date”
|
|
4.06(b) |
|
“Covenant
Defeasance”
|
|
8.03 |
|
“DTC”
|
|
2.03 |
|
“Event of
Default”
|
|
6.01 |
|
“Excess
Proceeds”
|
|
4.07(c) |
|
“Incremental
Funds”
|
|
4.08(a) |
|
“incur”
|
|
4.09(a) |
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“Legal
Defeasance”
|
|
8.02 |
|
“Offer
Amount”
|
|
3.09 |
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|
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“Offer
Period”
|
|
3.09 |
|
“Paying
Agent”
|
|
2.03 |
|
“Payment
Default”
|
|
6.01(e)(i) |
|
“Permitted
Debt”
|
|
4.09(b) |
|
“Purchase
Date”
|
|
3.09 |
|
“Registrar”
|
|
2.03 |
|
“Reinstatement
Date”
|
|
4.20 |
|
“Restricted
Payments”
|
|
4.08(a) |
|
“Suspended
Covenants”
|
|
4.20 |
Section 1.03. Incorporation by
Reference of Trust Indenture Act . Whenever this Indenture
refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by
reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
The following TIA terms used
in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“ indenture
securities ” means the Notes and the
Guarantees;
“ indenture security
holder ” means a Holder of a Note;
“ indenture to be
qualified ” means this Indenture;
“ indenture
trustee ” or “ institutional trustee ”
means the Trustee;
“ obligor
” on the Notes means the Company, Finance Co or any
Subsidiary Guarantor and any successor obligor upon the
Notes.
All other terms used in this
Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to
another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA have the
meanings so assigned to them.
Section 1.04. Rules of
Construction .
Unless the context otherwise
requires:
(1) a term has the meaning
assigned to it;
(2) an accounting term not
otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with
GAAP;
(3) “or” is not
exclusive;
(4) words in the singular
include the plural, and in the plural include the
singular;
(5) provisions apply to
successive events and transactions; and
(6) references to sections of
or rules under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall be
deemed to include substitute, replacement of successor sections or
rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.
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ARTICLE 2
THE NOTES
Section 2.01. Form and
Dating .
The Notes and the
Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be
substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The notation
on each Note relating to the Guarantees shall be substantially in
the form set forth on Exhibit D , which is a part of this
Indenture. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements
required by law, stock exchange rule or usage. Each Note shall be
dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be in
denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 above such
amount thereof.
The terms and provisions
contained in the Notes (including the Guarantees) shall constitute,
and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the
Company, Finance Co, the Subsidiary Guarantors, and the Trustee, by
their execution and delivery of this Indenture, expressly agree to
such terms and provisions and to be bound thereby. However, to the
extent permitted by law, if any provision of any Note conflicts
with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of
this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.
Notes issued in global form
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached
hereto (including the Global Note Legend and the “Schedule of
Exchanges in the Global Note” attached thereto). Notes issued
in definitive form shall be substantially in the form of
Exhibit A attached hereto (but without the Global Note
Legend, the phrase identified in footnote 3 thereto and
without the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global
Note” attached thereto). Each Global Note shall represent
such of the outstanding Notes as shall be specified therein and
each shall provide that it shall represent the aggregate principal
amount of outstanding Notes from time to time endorsed thereon and
that the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes
represented thereby may from time to time be reduced or increased,
as appropriate, to reflect exchanges and redemptions. Any
endorsement of a Global Note to reflect the amount of any increase
or decrease in the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes
represented thereby shall be made by the Trustee or the Note
Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in accordance with
instructions given by the Holder thereof as required by
Section 2.06 hereof.
Section 2.02. Execution and
Authentication .
One Officer of the Company
and one Officer of Finance Co shall sign the Notes for the Company
and Finance Co, respectively, by manual or facsimile
signature.
If an Officer whose signature
is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time a Note is
authenticated, the Note shall nevertheless be valid.
A Note shall not be valid
until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee. The
signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Note has been
authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall, upon a
written order of the Company and Finance Co signed by one Officer
of the Company and one Officer of Finance Co, authenticate
(i) $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes, with the
Guarantees endorsed thereon, for original issue on the Issue Date
and (ii) from time to time thereafter any amount of additional
Notes specified by the Issuers, in each case, upon a written order
of the Company and Finance Co signed by one Officer of the Company
and one Officer of Finance Co. Such order shall specify
(a) the amount of the Notes of each series to be authenticated
and the date of original issue thereof, and (b) whether the
Notes are Exchange Notes. The aggregate principal amount of Notes
of either series outstanding at any time may not exceed the
aggregate principal amount of Notes of such series authorized for
issuance by the Issuers pursuant to one or more written orders of
the Issuers, except as provided in Section 2.07 hereof.
Subject to the foregoing, the aggregate principal amount of Notes
of either series that may be issued under this Indenture shall not
be limited.
The Notes issued on the Issue
Date and any additional Notes subsequently issued, together with
the Exchange Notes issued in exchange therefor, shall be treated as
a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, including,
without limitation, waivers, amendments, redemptions and offers to
purchase.
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The Trustee may appoint an
authenticating agent acceptable to the Issuers to authenticate
Notes. An authenticating agent may authenticate Notes whenever the
Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to
authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such
agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to
deal with Holders or an Affiliate of either of the
Issuers.
Section 2.03. Registrar and
Paying Agent .
The Company, Finance Co and
the Subsidiary Guarantors shall maintain an office or agency where
Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange
(“ Registrar ”) and an office or agency in the
Charlotte, North Carolina where Notes may be presented for payment
(“ Paying Agent ”). The Registrar shall keep a
register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The
Issuers may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more
additional paying agents. The term “Registrar” includes
any co-registrar and the term “Paying Agent” includes
any additional paying agent. The Issuers may change any Paying
Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Issuers shall
notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent
not a party to this Indenture. If the Issuers fail to appoint or
maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee
shall act as such. The Company, Finance Co or any of their
Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.
The Issuers initially appoint
The Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) to act as
Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.
The Issuers initially appoint
the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as
Note Custodian with respect to the Global Notes.
Section 2.04. Paying Agent to
Hold Money in Trust .
The Issuers shall require
each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that
the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or
the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of
principal, premium, if any, or interest or Additional Interest, if
any, on the Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by
the Company, Finance Co or the Subsidiary Guarantors in making any
such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may
require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee.
The Issuers at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money
held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the
Paying Agent (if other than an Issuer or a Subsidiary Guarantor)
shall have no further liability for the money. If an Issuer or a
Subsidiary Guarantor acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and
hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all
money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any bankruptcy or
reorganization proceedings relating to the Company or Finance Co,
the Trustee shall serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.
Section 2.05. Holder Lists
.
The Trustee shall preserve in
as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list
available to it of the names and addresses of all Holders and shall
otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is
not the Registrar, the Issuers shall furnish to the Trustee at
least seven Business Days before each Interest Payment Date and at
such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, a list in
such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require
of the names and addresses of the Holders of Notes and the Issuers
shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a).
Section 2.06. Transfer and
Exchange .
(a) Transfer and Exchange
of Global Notes . A Global Note may not be transferred as a
whole except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary, by a
nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or to another nominee
of the Depositary, or by the Depositary or any such nominee to a
successor Depositary or a nominee of such successor Depositary. All
Global Notes may be exchanged by the Issuers for Certificated Notes
if (i) the Issuers deliver to the Trustee notice from the
Depositary that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as
Depositary or that it is no longer a clearing agency registered
under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor Depositary
is not appointed by the Issuers within 90 days after the date of
such notice from the Depositary, or (ii) if an Event of
Default occurs and is continuing and the Depositary notifies the
Trustee of its decision to exchange the Global Notes
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for Certificated Notes. Whenever a
Global Note is exchanged as a whole for one or more Certificated
Notes, it shall be surrendered by the Holder thereof to the Trustee
for cancellation. Whenever a Global Note is exchanged in part for
one or more Certificated Notes, it shall be surrendered by the
Holder thereof to the Trustee and the Trustee shall make the
appropriate notations to the Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in
the Global Notes attached thereto pursuant to Section 2.01
hereof. All Certificated Notes issued in exchange for a Global Note
or any portion thereof shall be registered in such names, and
delivered, as the Depositary shall instruct the Trustee. Global
Notes also may be exchanged or replaced, in whole or in part, as
provided in Sections 2.07 and 2.10 hereof. Every Note authenticated
and delivered in exchange for, or in lieu of, a Global Note or any
portion thereof, pursuant to Section 2.07 or 2.10 hereof,
shall be authenticated and delivered in the form of, and shall be,
a Global Note. A Global Note may not be exchanged for another Note
other than as provided in this Section 2.06(a); however,
beneficial interests in a Global Note may be transferred and
exchanged as provided in Section 2.06(b) or
(f) hereof.
(b) Transfer and Exchange
of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes . The transfer and
exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes shall be
effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the provisions
of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Beneficial
interests in the Restricted Global Notes shall be subject to
restrictions on transfer comparable to those set forth herein to
the extent required by the Securities Act. Transfers of beneficial
interests in the Global Notes also shall require compliance with
either subparagraph (i) or (ii) below, as applicable, as
well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs as
applicable:
(i) Transfer of Beneficial
Interests in the Same Global Note . Beneficial interests in any
Restricted Global Note may be transferred to Persons who take
delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the same
Restricted Global Note in accordance with the transfer restrictions
set forth in the Private Placement Legend; provided, however, that
prior to the expiration of the Distribution Compliance Period
transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Global Note
may not be made to a U.S. Person or for the account or benefit of a
U.S. Person (other than an Initial Purchaser). Beneficial interests
in any Unrestricted Global Note may be transferred only to Persons
who take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in
an Unrestricted Global Note. No written orders or instructions
shall be required to be delivered to the Registrar to effect the
transfers described in this Section 2.06(b)(i).
(ii) All Other Transfers
and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes . In
connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests
(other than a transfer of a beneficial interest in a Global Note to
a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial
interest in the same Global Note), the transferor of such
beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar (A) a
written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given
to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures
directing the Depositary to credit or cause to be credited a
beneficial interest in another Global Note in an amount equal to
the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged and
(B) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable
Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account
to be credited with such increase. Upon an Exchange Offer by the
Issuers in accordance with Section 2.06(f) hereof, the
requirements of this Section 2.06(b)(ii) shall be deemed to
have been satisfied upon receipt by the Registrar of the
instructions contained in the Letters of Transmittal delivered by
the holders of such beneficial interests in the Restricted Global
Notes. Upon satisfaction of all of the requirements for transfer or
exchange of beneficial interests in Global Notes contained in this
Indenture, the Notes and otherwise applicable under the Securities
Act, the Trustee shall adjust the principal amount of the relevant
Global Note(s) pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof.
(iii) Transfer of
Beneficial Interests to Another Restricted Global Note . A
beneficial interest in any Restricted Global Note may be
transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a
beneficial interest in another Restricted Global Note if the
transfer complies with the requirements of clause (ii) above
and the Registrar receives the following:
(A) if the transferee will
take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the 144A
Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the
form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications
in item (1) thereof;
-24-
(B) if the transferee will
take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the
Regulation S Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a
certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the
certifications in item (2) thereof; and
(C) if the transferee will
take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the IAI
Global Note, then the transferor must deliver (x) a
certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the
certifications and certificates and Opinion of Counsel required by
item (3)(c) thereof, if applicable.
(iv) Transfer and Exchange
of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial
Interests in the Unrestricted Global Note . A beneficial
interest in any Restricted Global Note may be exchanged by any
holder thereof for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global
Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the
form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note if the
exchange or transfer complies with the requirements of clause
(ii) above and:
(A) such exchange or transfer
is effected pursuant to an Exchange Offer in accordance with the
applicable Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of the
beneficial interest to be transferred, in the case of an exchange,
or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, is not (i) a
broker-dealer, (ii) a Person participating in the distribution
of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person who is an affiliate
(as defined in Rule 144) of the Company;
(B) any such transfer is
effected pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement in accordance
with the applicable Registration Rights Agreement;
(C) any such transfer is
effected by a Participating Broker-Dealer pursuant to an Exchange
Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the applicable
Registration Rights Agreement; or
(D) the Registrar receives
the following:
(i) if the holder of such
beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to
exchange such beneficial interest for a beneficial interest in an
Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such holder in the
form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in
item (1)(a) thereof;
(ii) if the holder of such
beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to
transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who shall take
delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an
Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such holder in the
form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in
item (4) thereof; and
(iii) in each such case set
forth in this subparagraph (D), an Opinion of Counsel in form
reasonably acceptable to the Issuers to the effect that such
exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act, that
the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private
Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance
with the Securities Act and such beneficial interest is being
exchanged or transferred in compliance with any applicable blue sky
securities laws of any state of the United States.
If any such transfer is
effected pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (D) above at a
time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the
Issuers shall issue and, upon receipt of an authentication order in
accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee shall
authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes (accompanied by
a notation of the Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary
Guarantors) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal
amount of beneficial interests transferred pursuant to subparagraph
(B) or (D) above.
-25-
Beneficial interests in an
Unrestricted Global Note cannot be exchanged for, or transferred to
Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of, a beneficial
interest in a Restricted Global Note.
(c) Transfer or Exchange
of Beneficial Interests for Certificated Notes . A beneficial
interest in a Global Note cannot be exchanged for, or transferred
to Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of, a Certificated
Note, except in the circumstances specified in
Section 2.06(a).
(d) Transfer and Exchange
of Certificated Notes for Beneficial Interests . Certificated
Notes cannot be exchanged for, or transferred to Persons who take
delivery thereof in the form of, a beneficial interest in a Global
Note.
(e) Transfer and Exchange
of Certificated Notes for Certificated Notes . Upon request by
a Holder of Certificated Notes and such Holder’s compliance
with the provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar
shall register the transfer or exchange of Certificated Notes.
Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting
Holder shall present or surrender to the Registrar the Certificated
Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of
transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by
such Holder or by his attorney, duly authorized in writing. In
addition, the requesting Holder shall provide any additional
certifications, documents and information, as applicable, pursuant
to the provisions of this Section 2.06(e).
(i) Restricted Certificated
Notes may be transferred to and registered in the name of Persons
who take delivery thereof if the Registrar receives the
following:
(A) if the transfer will be
made pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, then the
transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit
B hereto, including the certifications in item
(1) thereof;
(B) if the transfer will be
made pursuant to Rule 903 or Rule 904, then the transferor must
deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto,
including the certifications in item (2) thereof;
and
(C) if the transfer will be
made pursuant to any other exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act, then the transferor must
deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto,
including the certifications, certificates and Opinion of Counsel
required by item (3) thereof, if applicable.
(ii) Any Restricted
Certificated Note may be exchanged by the Holder thereof for an
Unrestricted Certificated Note or transferred to a Person or
Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted
Certificated Note if:
(A) such exchange or transfer
is effected pursuant to an Exchange Offer in accordance with the
applicable Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the
case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer,
is not (i) a broker-dealer, (ii) a Person participating
in the distribution of the Exchange Notes or (iii) a Person
who is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 144) of the
Company;
(B) any such transfer is
effected pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement in accordance
with the applicable Registration Rights Agreement;
(C) any such transfer is
effected by a Participating Broker-Dealer pursuant to an Exchange
Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the applicable
Registration Rights Agreement; or
(D) the Registrar receives
the following:
(i) if the Holder of such
Restricted Certificated Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for
an Unrestricted Certificated Note, a certificate from such Holder
in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the
certifications in item (1)(b) thereof;
-26-
(ii) if the Holder of such
Restricted Certificated Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a
Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an
Unrestricted Certificated Note, a certificate from such Holder in
the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications
in item (4) thereof; and
(iii) in each such case set
forth in this subparagraph (D), an Opinion of Counsel in form
reasonably acceptable to the Issuers to the effect that such
exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act, that
the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private
Placement Legend are not required in order to maintain compliance
with the Securities Act, and such Restricted Certificated Note is
being exchanged or transferred in compliance with any applicable
blue sky securities laws of any state of the United
States.
(iii) A Holder of
Unrestricted Certificated Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person
who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted
Certificated Note. Upon receipt of a request for such a transfer,
the Registrar shall register the Unrestricted Certificated Notes
pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof. Unrestricted
Certificated Notes cannot be exchanged for or transferred to
Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted
Certificated Note.
(f) Exchange Offer .
Upon the occurrence of an Exchange Offer in accordance with a
Registration Rights Agreement, the Issuers shall issue and, upon
receipt of an authentication order in accordance with
Section 2.02, the Trustee shall authenticate (i) one or
more Unrestricted Global Notes (accompanied by a notation of the
Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary Guarantors) in an
aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the
beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes tendered for
acceptance by Persons that are not (x) broker-dealers
(excluding broker-dealers that acquired such beneficial interests
in Restricted Global Notes as a result of market-making activities
or other trading activities (other than such beneficial interests
in Restricted Global Notes acquired directly from the Issuers or
any of their affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) thereof)),
(y) Persons participating in the distribution of the Exchange
Notes or (z) Persons who are affiliates of the Company and
accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer and
(ii) Unrestricted Certificated Notes (accompanied by a
notation of the Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary
Guarantors) in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal
amount of the Restricted Certificated Notes accepted for exchange
in the Exchange Offer. Concurrently with the issuance of such
Notes, the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of
the applicable Restricted Global Notes to be reduced accordingly,
and the Issuers shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate
and deliver to the Persons designated by the Holders of Restricted
Certificated Notes so accepted Unrestricted Certificated Notes in
the appropriate principal amount.
(g) Legends . The
following legends shall appear on the face of all Global Notes and
Certificated Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically
stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this
Indenture.
(i) Private Placement
Legend .
(A) Except as permitted by
subparagraph (B) below, each Global Note and each Certificated
Note (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution
thereof) shall bear the legend in substantially the following
form:
“THIS SECURITY (OR ITS
PREDECESSOR) EVIDENCED HEREBY WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A
TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE UNITED
STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES
ACT”), AND THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY MAY NOT BE OFFERED,
SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION
OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION THEREFROM. EACH PURCHASER OF THE
SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE SELLER MAY BE
RELYING ON
-27-
THE EXEMPTION FROM THE
PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 OF THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144A
THEREUNDER. THE HOLDER OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCED HEREBY AGREES FOR
THE BENEFIT OF THE ISSUER THAT: (A) SUCH SECURITY MAY BE
OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED ONLY:
(I) (A) FOR SO LONG AS THE SECURITY IS ELIGIBLE FOR
RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A, IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE
REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT TO A PERSON WHO
THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER
THAT PURCHASES FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A
QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHICH NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE
TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (B) OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES TO A NON-U.S. PERSON IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE
REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 903 OR 904 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT,
(C) TO AN INSTITUTIONAL “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” (AS
DEFINED IN RULE 501(A)(1), (2), (3) OR (7) OF THE
SECURITIES ACT (AN “INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED
INVESTOR”)) THAT, PRIOR TO SUCH TRANSFER, FURNISHES THE
TRUSTEE A SIGNED LETTER CONTAINING CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS AND
AGREEMENTS (THE FORM OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE TRUSTEE AND,
IF SUCH TRANSFER IS IN RESPECT OF AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
NOTES LESS THAN $100,000, AN OPINION OF COUNSEL ACCEPTABLE TO THE
ISSUER THAT SUCH TRANSFER IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT,
OR (D) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT (AND BASED UPON AN
OPINION OF COUNSEL, IF THE ISSUER SO REQUESTS), (II) TO THE ISSUER
OR ANY OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES, OR (III) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND, IN EACH CASE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY
APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY
OTHER APPLICABLE JURISDICTION; AND (B) THE HOLDER WILL, AND
EACH SUBSEQUENT HOLDER IS REQUIRED TO, NOTIFY ANY PURCHASER FROM IT
OF THE SECURITY EVIDENCE HEREBY OF THE RESALE RESTRICTIONS SET
FORTH IN (A) ABOVE.”
(B) Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any Global Note or Certificated Note issued pursuant to
subparagraphs (b)(iv), (e)(ii), (e)(iii) or (f) to this
Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or
substitution thereof) shall not bear the Private Placement
Legend.
(ii) Global Note
Legend . Each Global Note shall bear a legend in substantially
the following form:
“THIS GLOBAL NOTE IS
HELD BY THE DEPOSITARY (AS DEFINED IN THE INDENTURE GOVERNING THIS
NOTE) OR ITS NOMINEE IN CUSTODY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIAL
OWNERS HEREOF, AND IS NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANY PERSON UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT THAT (I) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH
NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06 OF THE
INDENTURE, (II) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (III) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE
DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11
OF THE INDENTURE AND (IV) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A
SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE
ISSUERS.”
“UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS
EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR NOTES IN DEFINITIVE FORM, THIS
NOTE MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE DEPOSITARY TO
A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO
THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE
DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A
NOMINEE OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS
PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST
COMPANY (55 WATER STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK)
-28-
(“ DTC ”),
TO THE ISSUERS OR THEIR AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER,
EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN
THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS MAY BE
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT
IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS MAY BE
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY
PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF,
CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.”
(h) Cancellation and/or
Adjustment of Global Notes . At such time as all beneficial
interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for
Certificated Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed,
repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global
Note shall be returned to or retained and canceled by the Trustee
in accordance with Section 2.11 hereof. At any time prior to
such cancellation, if any beneficial interest in a Global Note is
exchanged for or transferred to a Person who will take delivery
thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in another Global Note
or for Certificated Notes, the principal amount of Notes
represented by such Global Note shall be reduced accordingly and an
endorsement shall be made on such Global Note, by the Trustee or by
the Depositary at the direction of the Trustee, to reflect such
reduction; and if the beneficial interest is being exchanged for or
transferred to a Person who will take delivery thereof in the form
of a beneficial interest in another Global Note, such other Global
Note shall be increased accordingly and an endorsement shall be
made on such Global Note, by the Trustee or by the Depositary at
the direction of the Trustee, to reflect such increase.
(i) General Provisions
Relating to Transfers and Exchanges .
(i) To permit registrations
of transfers and exchanges, the Issuers shall execute and the
Trustee shall authenticate Global Notes and Certificated Notes (in
each case, accompanied by a notation of the Guarantees duly
endorsed by the Subsidiary Guarantors) upon the Issuers’
order or at the Registrar’s request.
(ii) No service charge shall
be made to a holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note or to
a Holder of a Certificated Note for any registration of transfer or
exchange, but the Issuers may require payment of a sum sufficient
to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in
connection therewith (other than any such transfer taxes or similar
governmental charge payable upon exchange or transfer pursuant to
Sections 2.10, 3.06, 3.09, 4.06 and 9.05 hereof).
(iii) The Registrar shall not
be required to register the transfer of or exchange any Note
selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed
portion of any Note being redeemed in part.
(iv) All Global Notes and
Certificated Notes (in each case, accompanied by a notation of the
Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary Guarantors) issued upon
any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or
Certificated Notes shall be the valid obligations of the Issuers
and the Subsidiary Guarantors, evidencing the same debt, and
entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global
Notes or Certificated Notes surrendered upon such registration of
transfer or exchange.
(v) The Issuers shall not be
required (A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to
exchange Notes during a period of 15 days before a selection of
Notes for redemption, (B) to register the transfer of or to
exchange any Note so selected for redemption in whole or in part,
except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part or
(C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between
a record date and the next succeeding Interest Payment
Date.
(vi) Prior to due presentment
for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any
Agent, the Issuers and the Subsidiary Guarantors may deem and treat
the Person in whose name any Note is registered as the absolute
owner of such Note for the purpose of receiving payment of
principal of and interest on such Notes and for all other purposes,
and none of the Trustee, any Agent, the Issuers or any Subsidiary
Guarantor shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
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(vii) The Trustee shall
authenticate Global Notes and Certificated Notes (in each case,
accompanied by a notation of the Guarantees duly endorsed by the
Subsidiary Guarantors) in accordance with the provisions of
Section 2.02 hereof.
(viii) All certifications,
certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to
the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.06 to effect a
transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile.
(ix) Each Holder of a Note
agrees to indemnify the Issuers and the Trustee against any
liability that may result from the transfer, exchange or assignment
of such Holder’s Note in violation of any provision of this
Indenture and/or applicable United States federal or state
securities law.
(j) Each beneficial owner of
an interest in a Note agrees to indemnify the Issuers and the
Trustee against any liability that may result from the transfer,
exchange or assignment by such beneficial owner of such interest in
violation of any provision of this Indenture and/or applicable
United States federal or state securities law.
(k) The Trustee shall have no
obligation or duty to monitor, determine or inquire as to
compliance with any restrictions on transfer imposed under this
Indenture or under applicable law with respect to any transfer of
any interest in any Note (including any transfers between or among
beneficial owners of interest in any Global Note) other than to
require delivery of such certificate and other documentation or
evidence as are expressly required by, and to do so if and when
expressly required by the terms of, this Indenture, and to examine
the same to determine substantial compliance as to form with the
express requirements hereof.
Section 2.07. Replacement
Notes .
If any mutilated Note is
surrendered to the Trustee or either of the Issuers and the Trustee
receives evidence to its satisfaction of the destruction, loss or
theft of any Note, the Issuers shall issue and the Trustee, upon
the written order of the Issuers signed by one Officer of the
Company and one Officer of Finance Co, shall authenticate a
replacement Note (accompanied by a notation of the Guarantees duly
endorsed by the Subsidiary Guarantors) if the Trustee’s
requirements are met. An indemnity bond must be supplied by the
Holder that is sufficient in the judgment of the Trustee and the
Issuers to protect the Issuers, the Subsidiary Guarantors, the
Trustee, any Agent and any authenticating agent from any loss that
any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Issuers may
charge for their expenses in replacing a Note.
Every replacement Note is an
additional obligation of the Issuers and the Subsidiary Guarantors
and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture
equally and proportionately with all other Notes duly issued
hereunder. The provisions of this Section 2.07 are exclusive
and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and
remedies with respect to the replacement of mutilated, destroyed,
lost or stolen Notes.
Section 2.08. Outstanding
Notes .
The Notes outstanding at any
time are all the Notes authenticated by the Trustee except for
those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those
reductions in the interests in a Global Note effected by the
Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof, and those
described in this Section as not outstanding. Except as set forth
in Section 2.09 hereof, a Note does not cease to be
outstanding because an Issuer or an Affiliate of an Issuer holds
the Note.
If a Note is replaced
pursuant to Section 2.07 hereof, it ceases to be outstanding
unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the
replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If the principal amount of
any Note is considered paid under Section 4.01 hereof, it
ceases to be outstanding and interest (including Additional
Interest, if applicable) on it ceases to accrue.
If the Paying Agent (other
than an Issuer or a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of an Issuer) holds,
on a redemption date or other maturity date, money sufficient to
pay Notes payable on that date, then on and after that date such
Notes shall be deemed to be no longer outstanding and shall cease
to accrue interest (including Additional Interest, if
any).
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Section 2.09. Treasury Notes
.
In determining whether the
Holders of the required principal amount of Notes have concurred in
any direction, waiver or consent, Notes owned by an Issuer, by any
Subsidiary Guarantor or by any Person directly or indirectly
controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, shall be
considered as though not outstanding, except that for the purposes
of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on
any such direction, waiver or consent, only Notes that a
Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned
shall be so disregarded.
Section 2.10. Temporary
Notes .
Until definitive Notes are
ready for delivery, the Issuers may prepare and the Trustee shall
authenticate temporary Notes (accompanied by a notation of the
Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary Guarantors) upon a
written order of the Issuers signed by one Officer of the Company
and one Officer of Finance Co. Temporary Notes shall be
substantially in the form of definitive Notes but may have
variations that the Issuers consider appropriate for temporary
Notes and as shall be reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. Without
unreasonable delay, the Issuers shall prepare and the Trustee shall
authenticate definitive Notes (accompanied by a notation of the
Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary Guarantors) in exchange
for temporary Notes.
Holders of temporary Notes
shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this
Indenture.
Section 2.11. Cancellation
.
Either of the Issuers at any
time may deliver Notes to the Trustee for cancellation. The
Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Notes
surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange or
payment. The Trustee and no one else shall cancel all Notes
surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment,
replacement or cancellation and shall treat such canceled Notes in
accordance with its documents retention policies. The Issuers may
not issue new Notes to replace Notes that have been paid or that
have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
Section 2.12. Defaulted
Interest .
If any of the Company,
Finance Co or any Subsidiary Guarantor defaults in a payment of
interest on the Notes, it or they (to the extent of their
obligations under the Guarantees) shall pay the defaulted interest
in any lawful manner plus, to the extent lawful, interest payable
on the defaulted interest, to the Persons who are Holders on a
subsequent special record date, in each case at the rate provided
in the Notes and in Section 4.01 hereof. The Issuers shall
notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest
proposed to be paid on each Note and the date of the proposed
payment. The Issuers shall fix or cause to be fixed each such
special record date and payment date, provided that no such special
record date shall be less than 10 days prior to the related payment
date for such defaulted interest. At least 15 days before the
special record date, the Issuers (or, upon the written request of
the Issuers, the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the
Issuers) shall mail or cause to be mailed to Holders a notice that
states the special record date, the related payment date and the
amount of such interest to be paid.
Section 2.13. CUSIP Numbers
.
The Issuers in issuing the
Notes may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in
use), and, if they do so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP”
numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders;
provided that any such notice may state that no representation is
made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the
Notes or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that
reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers
printed on the Notes, and any such redemption shall not be affected
by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Issuers will
promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the
“CUSIP” numbers.
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ARTICLE 3
REDEMPTION AND
PREPAYMENT
Section 3.01. Notices to
Trustee .
If an Issuer elects to redeem
Notes pursuant to the optional redemption provisions of
Section 3.07 hereof, it shall furnish to the Trustee, at least
ten Business Days (unless a shorter period is acceptable to the
Trustee) before the date of giving notice of the redemption
pursuant to Section 3.03, an Officers’ Certificate
setting forth (i) the clause of this Indenture pursuant to
which the redemption shall occur, (ii) the redemption date,
(iii) the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed,
(iv) the redemption price and (v) whether it requests the
Trustee to give notice of such redemption. Any such notice may be
cancelled at any time prior to the mailing of notice of such
redemption to any Holder and shall thereby be void and of no
effect.
Section 3.02. Selection of Notes
to Be Redeemed .
If less than all of the Notes
are to be redeemed at any time, the Trustee will select Notes for
redemption as follows:
(a) if the Notes are listed
for trading on a national securities exchange, in compliance with
the requirements of the principal national securities exchange on
which the Notes are so listed; or
(b) if the Notes are not so
listed or there are no such requirements, on a pro rata basis, by
lot or by such method as the Trustee shall deem fair and
appropriate.
No Notes of $2,000 or less
shall be redeemed in part. Notices of redemption shall be mailed by
first class mail at least 30 but not more than 60 days before the
redemption date to each Holder of Notes to be redeemed at its
registered address. Notices of redemption may not be
conditional.
If any Note is to be redeemed
in part only, the notice of redemption that relates to that Note
shall state the portion of the principal amount thereof to be
redeemed. A new Note in principal amount equal to the unredeemed
portion of the original Note will be issued in the name of the
Holder thereof upon cancellation of the original Note. Notes called
for redemption become due on the date fixed for redemption. On and
after the redemption date, interest (including Additional Interest,
if applicable) ceases to accrue on Notes or portions of them called
for redemption unless the Issuers default in making such redemption
payment.
Section 3.03. Notice of
Redemption .
At least 30 days but not more
than 60 days before a redemption date, the Issuers shall mail or
cause to be mailed, by first class mail, a notice of redemption to
each Holder whose Notes are to be redeemed at its registered
address.
The notice shall identify the
Notes to be redeemed (including CUSIP numbers) and shall
state:
(a) the redemption
date;
(b) the redemption
price;
(c) if any Note is being
redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Note
to be redeemed and that, after the redemption date upon surrender
of such Note, a new Note or Notes in principal amount equal to the
unredeemed portion shall be issued upon cancellation of the
original Note;
(d) the name and address of
the Paying Agent;
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(e) that Notes called for
redemption (other than a Global Note) must be surrendered to the
Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;
(f) that, unless the Issuers
default in making such redemption payment, interest (including
Additional Interest, if applicable) on Notes called for redemption
ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date;
(g) the paragraph of the
Notes and/or Section of this Indenture pursuant to which the Notes
called for redemption are being redeemed; and
(h) that no representation is
made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP number, if any,
listed in such notice or printed on the Notes.
If any of the Notes to be
redeemed is in the form of a Global Note, then the Issuers shall
modify such notice to the extent necessary to accord with the
procedures of the Depositary applicable to redemption.
At the Issuers’
request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the
Issuers’ names and at their expense; provided, however, that
the Issuers shall have delivered to the Trustee, as provided in
Section 3.01, an Officers’ Certificate requesting that
the Trustee give such notice and setting forth the information to
be stated in such notice as provided in the preceding
paragraph.
Section 3.04. Effect of Notice
of Redemption .
Once notice of redemption is
mailed in accordance with Section 3.03 hereof, Notes called
for redemption become irrevocably due and payable on the redemption
date at the redemption price. A notice of redemption may not be
conditional.
Section 3.05. Deposit of
Redemption Price .
Not later than 11:00 a.m.,
New York City time, on the redemption date, the Issuers shall
deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent (or, if the
Company or a Subsidiary thereof is acting as its own Paying Agent,
segregate and hold in trust as provided in Section 2.04
hereof) money sufficient to pay the redemption price of, and
accrued and unpaid interest (including Additional Interest, if
applicable) on, all Notes to be redeemed on that date. The Trustee
or the Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Issuers any money
deposited with the Trustee or the Paying Agent by the Issuers in
excess of the amounts necessary to pay the redemption price of, and
accrued and unpaid interest (including Additional Interest, if
applicable) on, all Notes to be redeemed.
If the Issuers comply with
the provisions of the preceding paragraph, on and after the
redemption date, interest (including Additional Interest, if
applicable) shall cease to accrue on the Notes or the portions of
Notes called for redemption. If a Note is redeemed on or after an
interest record date but on or prior to the related Interest
Payment Date, then any accrued and unpaid interest (including
Additional Interest, if any) shall be paid to the Person in whose
name such Note was registered at the close of business on such
record date. If any Note called for redemption shall not be so paid
upon surrender for redemption because of the failure of the Issuers
to comply with the preceding paragraph, interest (including
Additional Interest, if any) shall be paid on the unpaid principal,
from the redemption date until such principal is paid, and to the
extent lawful on any interest not paid on such unpaid principal, in
each case at the rate provided in the Notes and in
Section 4.01 hereof.
Section 3.06. Notes Redeemed in
Part .
Upon surrender of a Note that
is redeemed in part, the Issuers shall issue and, upon the
Issuers’ written request, the Trustee shall authenticate for
the Holder at the expense of the Issuers a new Note (accompanied by
a notation of the Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary
Guarantors) equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of
the Note surrendered.
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Section 3.07. Optional
Redemption .
(a) Except as set forth in
clauses (b) and (c) of this Section 3.07, the
Issuers shall not have the option to redeem the Notes prior to
June 15, 2013. On or after June 15, 2013, the Issuers
shall have the option to redeem all or, from time to time, a part
of the Notes upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days notice, at
the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal
amount) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest
(including Additional Interest, if any) to the applicable
redemption date (subject to the rights of Holders of record on the
relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant
Interest Payment Date), if redeemed during the twelve-month period
beginning on June 15 of the years indicated below:
|
|
|
|
|
YEAR
|
|
PERCENTAGE |
|
|
2013
|
|
104.375 |
% |
|
2014
|
|
102.917 |
% |
|
2015
|
|
101.458 |
% |
|
2016 and thereafter
|
|
100.000 |
% |
(b) On or before
June 15, 2013, the Issuers may redeem all or, from time to
time, a part of the Notes upon not less than 30 nor more than 60
days’ notice, at a redemption price equal to:
(i) 100% of the aggregate
principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and
unpaid interest, if any, to the applicable redemption date (subject
to the right of Holders of record on the relevant record date to
receive interest due on an Interest Payment Date that is on or
prior to the redemption date), plus
(ii) the Make Whole
Amount.
(c) On or before
June 15, 2011, the Issuers may on any one or more occasions
redeem in the aggregate up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount
of Notes issued hereunder with the net cash proceeds of one or more
Equity Offerings at a redemption price equal to 108.75% of the
principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and
unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (subject to the
right of Holders of record on a record date to receive interest due
on the relevant Interest Payment Date); provided
that
(i) at least 65% of the
aggregate principal amount of Notes issued hereunder remains
outstanding after each such redemption; and
(ii) any redemption occurs
within 90 days after the closing of such Equity Offering (without
regard to any over-allotment option).
(d) Any redemption pursuant
to this Section 3.07 shall be made pursuant to the provisions
of Section 3.01 through 3.06 hereof.
Section 3.08. Mandatory
Redemption .
Except for any repurchase
offers required to be made pursuant to Sections 4.06 and 4.07
hereof, the Issuers shall not be required to make mandatory
redemption payments with respect to the Notes.
Section 3.09. Offer to Purchase
by Application of Net Proceeds .
In the event that, pursuant
to Section 4.07 hereof, the Issuers shall be required to
commence a pro rata offer (an “ Asset Sale Offer
”) to all Holders and all holders of other Indebtedness that
is pari passu with the Notes containing provisions similar to those
set forth in this Indenture with respect to offers to purchase or
redeem with the Net Proceeds of sales of assets to purchase Notes
and such other pair passu Indebtedness, it shall follow the
procedures specified below.
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The Asset Sale Offer shall
remain open for a period of at least 30 days following its
commencement but no longer than 60 days, except to the extent that
a longer period is required by applicable law (the “ Offer
Period ”). Promptly after the termination of the Offer
Period (the “ Purchase Date ”), the Issuers
shall purchase the principal amount of Notes required to be
purchased pursuant to Section 4.07 hereof (the “
Offer Amount ”) or, if less than the Offer Amount has
been tendered, all Notes tendered and not withdrawn in response to
the Asset Sale Offer. Payment for any Notes so purchased shall be
made in the same manner as interest payments are made.
Upon the commencement of an
Asset Sale Offer, the Issuers shall send, by first class mail, a
notice to the Trustee and each of the Holders. The notice shall
contain all instructions and materials necessary to enable such
Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer. The Asset
Sale Offer shall be made to all Holders. The notice, which shall
govern the terms of the Asset Sale Offer, shall state:
(a) that the Asset Sale Offer
is being made pursuant to this Section 3.09 and
Section 4.07 hereof and the length of time the Asset Sale
Offer shall remain open;
(b) the Offer Amount, the
purchase price and the Purchase Date;
(c) that any Note not validly
tendered or accepted for payment shall continue to accrue interest
(including Additional Interest, if applicable);
(d) that, unless the Issuers
default in making such payment, any Note accepted for payment
pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer shall cease to accrue interest
(including Additional Interest, if applicable) after the Purchase
Date;
(e) that Holders electing to
have a Note purchased pursuant to any Asset Sale Offer shall be
required to surrender the Note, with the form entitled
“Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse of
the Note completed, or transfer by book-entry transfer, to the
Issuers, a depositary, if appointed by the Issuers, or a Paying
Agent at the address specified in the notice at least three days
before the Purchase Date;
(f) that Holders shall be
entitled to withdraw their election if the Issuers, the depositary
or the Paying Agent, as the case may be, receive, not later than
the expiration of the Offer Period, a telegram, facsimile
transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder, the
principal amount of the Note the Holder delivered for purchase and
a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have
such Note purchased;
(g) that, if the aggregate
principal amount of Notes surrendered by Holders exceeds the Offer
Amount, the Issuers shall select the Notes to be purchased on a pro
rata basis (with such adjustments as may be deemed appropriate by
the Issuers so that only Notes in denominations of $2,000, or
integral multiples of $1,000 above such amount thereof, shall be
purchased); and
(h) that Holders whose Notes
were purchased only in part shall be issued new Notes (accompanied
by a notation of the Guarantees duly endorsed by the Subsidiary
Guarantors) equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of
the Notes surrendered (or transferred by book-entry
transfer).
On the Purchase Date, the
Issuers shall, to the extent lawful, accept for payment, on a pro
rata basis to the extent necessary, the Offer Amount of Notes or
portions thereof validly tendered and not properly withdrawn
pursuant to the Asset Sale Offer, or if less than the Offer Amount
has been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn, all Notes so
tendered and not withdrawn, shall deposit by 11:00 a.m., New York
time, with the Paying Agent or depositary an amount equal to the
purchase price in respect of all Notes or portions thereof accepted
for payment, and shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers’
Certificate stating that such Notes or portions thereof were
accepted for payment by the Issuers in accordance with the terms of
this Section 3.09. Upon surrender and cancellation of a
Certificated Note that is purchased in part, the Issuers shall
promptly issue and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to
the surrendering Holder of such Certificated Note a new
Certificated Note equal in principal amount to the unpurchased
portion of such surrendered Certificated Note; provided that each
such new Certificated Note shall be in a
-35-
principal amount of $2,000 or an
integral multiple of $1,000 above such amount thereof. Respecting a
Global Note that is purchased in part pursuant to an Asset Sale
Offer, the Trustee shall make an endorsement thereon to reduce the
principal amount of such Global Note to an amount equal to the
unpurchased portion of such Global Note, as provided in
Se
|