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INDENTURE

Indenture Agreement

INDENTURE | Document Parties: NEWPAGE CORP | Bank of New York Mellon | CHILLICOTHE PAPER INC | ESCANABA PAPER COMPANY | LUKE PAPER COMPANY | NEWPAGE CANADIAN SALES LLC | NEWPAGE CONSOLIDATED PAPERS INC | NEWPAGE CORPORATION | NEWPAGE ENERGY SERVICES LLC | NEWPAGE PORT HAWKESBURY CORP | NEWPAGE PORT HAWKESBURY HOLDING LLC | NEWPAGE WISCONSIN SYSTEM INC | RUMFORD COGENERATION, INC | RUMFORD PAPER COMPANY | UPLAND RESOURCES INC | WICKLIFFE PAPER COMPANY LLC You are currently viewing:
This Indenture Agreement involves

NEWPAGE CORP | Bank of New York Mellon | CHILLICOTHE PAPER INC | ESCANABA PAPER COMPANY | LUKE PAPER COMPANY | NEWPAGE CANADIAN SALES LLC | NEWPAGE CONSOLIDATED PAPERS INC | NEWPAGE CORPORATION | NEWPAGE ENERGY SERVICES LLC | NEWPAGE PORT HAWKESBURY CORP | NEWPAGE PORT HAWKESBURY HOLDING LLC | NEWPAGE WISCONSIN SYSTEM INC | RUMFORD COGENERATION, INC | RUMFORD PAPER COMPANY | UPLAND RESOURCES INC | WICKLIFFE PAPER COMPANY LLC

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Title: INDENTURE
Governing Law: New York     Date: 10/5/2009
Law Firm: Schulte Roth    

INDENTURE, Parties: newpage corp , bank of new york mellon , chillicothe paper inc , escanaba paper company , luke paper company , newpage canadian sales llc , newpage consolidated papers inc , newpage corporation , newpage energy services llc , newpage port hawkesbury corp , newpage port hawkesbury holding llc , newpage wisconsin system inc , rumford cogeneration  inc , rumford paper company , upland resources inc , wickliffe paper company llc
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EXHIBIT 4.1

 

 

 

 

 

NEWPAGE CORPORATION

AND EACH OF THE GUARANTORS PARTY HERETO

11.375% SENIOR SECURED NOTES DUE 2014

 

 

INDENTURE

Dated as of September 30, 2009

 

 

The Bank of New York Mellon

Trustee

 

 

 

 

 


CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE*

 

Trust Indenture

Act Section

  

Indenture Section

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)(2)

  

7.06; 7.07

      (c)

  

7.06; 12.02

      (d)

  

7.06

314(a)

  

4.03;12.02; 12.05

      (c)(1)

  

12.04

      (c)(2)

  

12.04

      (c)(3)

  

N.A.

      (e)

  

12.05

      (f)

  

N.A.

315(a)

  

7.01

      (b)

  

7.05; 12.02

      (c)

  

7.01

      (d)

  

7.01

      (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)

  

2.12

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

 

 

  

 

  

Page

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION

BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01

  

Definitions

  

1

Section 1.02

  

Other Definitions

  

39

Section 1.03

  

Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act

  

40

Section 1.04

  

Rules of Construction

  

40

ARTICLE 2

  

THE NOTES

  

Section 2.01

  

Form and Dating

  

40

Section 2.02

  

Execution and Authentication

  

42

Section 2.03

  

Registrar and Paying Agent

  

42

Section 2.04

  

Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust

  

43

Section 2.05

  

Holder Lists

  

43

Section 2.06

  

Transfer and Exchange

  

43

Section 2.07

  

Replacement Notes

  

55

Section 2.08

  

Outstanding Notes

  

55

Section 2.09

  

Treasury Notes

  

56

Section 2.10

  

Temporary Notes

  

56

Section 2.11

  

Cancellation

  

56

Section 2.12

  

Defaulted Interest

  

56

Section 2.13

  

CUSIP Numbers

  

57

ARTICLE 3

REDEMPTION AND PREPAYMENT

  

Section 3.01

  

Notices to Trustee

  

57

Section 3.02

  

Selection of Notes to Be Redeemed or Purchased

  

57

Section 3.03

  

Notice of Redemption or Purchase

  

58

Section 3.04

  

Effect of Notice of Redemption or Purchase

  

59

Section 3.05

  

Deposit of Redemption or Purchase Price

  

59

Section 3.06

  

Notes Redeemed or Purchased in Part

  

59

Section 3.07

  

Optional Redemption

  

59

Section 3.08

  

Mandatory Redemption

  

60

Section 3.09

  

Offer to Purchase by Application of Excess Proceeds

  

61

ARTICLE 4

COVENANTS

  

Section 4.01

  

Payment of Notes

  

62

Section 4.02

  

Maintenance of Office or Agency

  

63

Section 4.03

  

Reports

  

63

Section 4.04

  

Compliance Certificate

  

64

Section 4.05

  

Taxes

  

65

Section 4.06

  

Stay, Extension and Usury Laws

  

65

 

i


Section 4.07

  

Restricted Payments

  

65

Section 4.08

  

Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Subsidiaries

  

70

Section 4.09

  

Incurrence of Indebtedness and Issuance of Disqualified Stock and Preferred Stock

  

71

Section 4.10

  

Asset Sales

  

76

Section 4.11

  

Transactions with Affiliates

  

78

Section 4.12

  

Liens

  

80

Section 4.13

  

Business Activities

  

80

Section 4.14

  

Corporate Existence

  

80

Section 4.15

  

Offer to Repurchase Upon Change of Control

  

81

Section 4.16

  

Payments for Consent

  

82

Section 4.17

  

No Amendment to Subordination Provisions

  

83

Section 4.18

  

Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions

  

83

Section 4.19

  

Additional Subsidiary Guarantees

  

83

Section 4.20

  

Designation of Restricted and Unrestricted Subsidiaries

  

83

ARTICLE 5

SUCCESSORS

  

Section 5.01

  

Merger, Consolidation, or Sale of Assets

  

84

Section 5.02

  

Successor Corporation Substituted

  

85

ARTICLE 6

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

  

Section 6.01

  

Events of Default

  

86

Section 6.02

  

Acceleration

  

88

Section 6.03

  

Other Remedies

  

88

Section 6.04

  

Waiver of Past Defaults

  

88

Section 6.05

  

Control by Majority

  

89

Section 6.06

  

Limitation on Suits

  

89

Section 6.07

  

Rights of Holders to Receive Payment

  

89

Section 6.08

  

Collection Suit by Trustee

  

90

Section 6.09

  

Trustee May File Proofs of Claim

  

90

Section 6.10

  

Priorities

  

90

Section 6.11

  

Undertaking for Costs

  

91

ARTICLE 7

TRUSTEE

  

Section 7.01

  

Duties of Trustee

  

91

Section 7.02

  

Rights of Trustee

  

92

Section 7.03

  

Individual Rights of Trustee

  

93

Section 7.04

  

Trustee’s Disclaimer

  

93

Section 7.05

  

Notice of Defaults

  

93

Section 7.06

  

Reports by Trustee to Holders

  

94

Section 7.07

  

Compensation and Indemnity

  

94

Section 7.08

  

Replacement of Trustee

  

95

Section 7.09

  

Successor Trustee by Merger, etc.

  

96

Section 7.10

  

Eligibility; Disqualification

  

96

Section 7.11

  

Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company

  

96

 

ii


ARTICLE 8

LEGAL DEFEASANCE AND COVENANT DEFEASANCE

Section 8.01

  

Option to Effect Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance

  

96

Section 8.02

  

Legal Defeasance and Discharge

  

96

Section 8.03

  

Covenant Defeasance

  

97

Section 8.04

  

Conditions to Legal or Covenant Defeasance

  

97

Section 8.05

  

Deposited Money and Government Securities to be Held in Trust; Other Miscellaneous Provisions

  

98

Section 8.06

  

Repayment to Company

  

99

Section 8.07

  

Reinstatement

  

99

ARTICLE 9

AMENDMENT, SUPPLEMENT AND WAIVER

  

Section 9.01

  

Without Consent of Holders

  

100

Section 9.02

  

With Consent of Holders

  

101

Section 9.03

  

Compliance with Trust Indenture Act

  

102

Section 9.04

  

Revocation and Effect of Consents

  

102

Section 9.05

  

Notation on or Exchange of Notes

  

102

Section 9.06

  

Trustee to Sign Amendments, etc.

  

103

ARTICLE 10

COLLATERAL AND SECURITY

  

Section 10.01

  

Equal and Ratable Sharing of Collateral by Holders of Priority Lien Debt

  

103

Section 10.02

  

Ranking of Parity Liens

  

103

Section 10.03

  

Release of Liens in Respect of Notes

  

104

Section 10.04

  

Relative Rights

  

104

Section 10.05

  

Compliance with Trust Indenture Act

  

105

Section 10.06

  

Collateral Trustee

  

105

Section 10.07

  

Further Assurances; Insurance

  

106

Section 10.08

  

Limitation on Duty of Collateral Trustee in Respect of Collateral; Indemnification

  

107

ARTICLE 11

SUBSIDIARY GUARANTEES

  

Section 11.01

  

Guarantee

  

107

Section 11.02

  

Limitation on Guarantor Liability

  

108

Section 11.03

  

Execution and Delivery of Subsidiary Guarantee

  

108

Section 11.04

  

Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms

  

109

Section 11.05

  

Releases

  

110

ARTICLE 12

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE

  

Section 12.01

  

Satisfaction and Discharge

  

110

Section 12.02

  

Application of Trust Money

  

111

ARTICLE 13

MISCELLANEOUS

  

Section 13.01

  

Trust Indenture Act Controls

  

111

 

iii


Section 13.02

  

Notices

  

112

Section 13.03

  

Communication by Holders with Other Holders of Notes

  

113

Section 13.04

  

Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent

  

113

Section 13.05

  

Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion

  

113

Section 13.06

  

Rules by Trustee and Agents

  

114

Section 13.07

  

No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees and Stockholders

  

114

Section 13.08

  

Governing Law

  

114

Section 13.09

  

No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements

  

114

Section 13.10

  

Successors

  

114

Section 13.11

  

Severability

  

114

Section 13.12

  

Counterpart Originals

  

114

Section 13.13

  

Table of Contents, Headings, etc.

  

115

Section 13.14

  

Waiver of Jury Trial

  

115

Section 13.15

  

Force Majeure

  

115

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A1

  

FORM OF NOTE

Exhibit A2

  

FORM OF REGULATION S TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE

Exhibit B

  

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER

Exhibit C

  

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF EXCHANGE

Exhibit D

  

FORM OF NOTATION OF GUARANTEE

Exhibit E

  

FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

 

iv


INDENTURE dated as of September 30, 2009 among NewPage Corporation (the “ Company” ), a Delaware corporation, the Guarantors (as defined) and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee.

The Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee agree as follows for the benefit of each other and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders (as defined) of the 11.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2014 (the “ Notes ”):

ARTICLE 1

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION

BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01 Definitions.

144A Global Note ” means a Global Note substantially in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend and deposited with or on behalf of, 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.

ABL Collateral ” means all now owned or hereafter acquired (a) “accounts” and “payment intangibles,” other than “payment intangibles” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC) which constitute identifiable proceeds of the Shared Collateral and/or the Separate Collateral, (b) “inventory” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC) or documents of title for any inventory; (c) “deposit accounts” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), “securities accounts” (as defined in Article 8 of the UCC), including all monies, “uncertificated securities,” and “securities entitlements” (in each case, as defined in Article 8 of the UCC) contained therein (including all cash, marketable securities and other funds held in or on deposit in either of the foregoing), “instruments” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), including Intercompany Notes of Subsidiaries, and “chattel paper” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC); provided, however , that to the extent that instruments or chattel paper constitute identifiable proceeds of the Shared Collateral or the Separate Collateral or other identifiable proceeds of the Shared Collateral or the Separate Collateral are deposited or held in any such bank accounts or securities accounts after an Enforcement Notice, then such instruments, chattel paper or other identifiable proceeds shall be treated as Shared Collateral or Separate Collateral (as applicable); (d) General Intangibles pertaining to the other items of property included within clauses (a), (b), (c), (e) and (f) of this definition of ABL Collateral, including, without limitation, all contingent rights with respect to warranties on inventory or accounts which are not yet “payment intangibles” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC); (e) “records” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), “supporting obligations” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC) and related Letters of Credit, commercial tort claims or other claims and causes of action, in each case, to the extent related primarily to any of the foregoing; and (f) substitutions, replacements, accessions, products and proceeds (including, without limitation, insurance proceeds, licenses, royalties, income, payments, claims, damages and proceeds of suit) of any or all of the foregoing.

ABL Facility ” means that certain Revolving Loan Credit and Guarantee Agreement, dated as of December 21, 2007, by and among the Company, the guarantors party thereto, the lenders party thereto, Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P., as Administrative Agent, Joint Lead Arranger, Joint Bookrunner and Co-Syndication Agent, UBS Securities LLC, as Joint Lead Arranger, Joint Bookrunner and Co-Syndication Agent, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as revolving loan collateral agent.

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 Restricted Subsidiary of, such specified Person; and

 

1


(2) Indebtedness secured by a Lien encumbering any asset acquired by such specified Person.

Acquisition ” means the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement dated as of January 14, 2005 as amended, between Escanaba Timber LLC (formerly named Maple Acquisition LLC) and MeadWestvaco Corporation, including the borrowings under the Credit Agreements and the offering of the Existing Second Lien Notes and the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes.

Act of Required Debtholders ” means, as to any matter at any time:

 

 

(1)

prior to the Discharge of Priority Lien Obligations, a direction in writing delivered to the Collateral Trustee by or with the written consent of the holders of more than 50% of the sum of:

 

 

(a)

the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Priority Lien Debt (including outstanding letters of credit whether or not then available or drawn); and

 

 

(b)

other than in connection with the exercise of remedies, the aggregate unfunded commitments to extend credit which, when funded, would constitute Priority Lien Debt; and

 

 

(2)

at any time after the Discharge of Priority Lien Obligations, a direction in writing delivered to the Collateral Trustee by or with the written consent of the holders of Parity Debt representing the Required Parity Lien Debtholders.

For purposes of this definition, (a) Secured Debt registered in the name of, or beneficially owned by, the Company or any Affiliate of the Company (other than Notes or Existing Second Lien Notes held by any Person that is an Affiliate of the Company as of May 2, 2005 and that is regulated by any banking or insurance authority) will be deemed not to be outstanding, and (b) votes will be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.2 of the Collateral Trust Agreement.

Actionable Default ” means (1) the failure to pay any payment of principal of or interest on any Series of Secured Debt outstanding in the amount of $25.0 million or more resulting in an event of default under the applicable Series of Secured Debt after payment is due, including payments that are due (or if any required offer had been timely made would be due) in respect of any mandatory offer to purchase Parity Lien Debt resulting in an event of default under the applicable Series of Secured Debt, (2) the failure to pay in full, when due and payable in full (whether at maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise), the ABL Facility, the Notes, the Existing Second Lien Notes or any other Series of Secured Debt outstanding in the amount of $25.0 million or more, (3) the exercise by the Collateral Trustee or any of its co-trustees or agents of any right or power that is exercisable by it only upon default to take sole and exclusive dominion or control over any deposits in a deposit account, commodity contract in a commodity account or financial asset in a securities account constituting any Shared Collateral or the delivery of any instructions to the Collateral Trustee directing it to foreclose or otherwise enforce, or to disburse the proceeds of enforcement of, any Lien upon any Collateral, or (4) the occurrence of any event of default under the Indenture, the Existing Second Lien Note Indentures or any Credit Agreement arising from the commencement of any bankruptcy case, receivership or other Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding by or against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any similar default provision at any time in effect under any indenture or agreement governing any Series of Secured Debt.

 

2


Additional Notes ” means additional Notes (other than the Initial Notes and the Exchange Notes) issued under this Indenture in accordance with Sections 2.02 and 4.09 hereof, as part of the same series as the Initial Notes.

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, means 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 Person will be deemed to be control. For purposes of this definition, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with” have correlative meanings.

Alternative Fuel Tax Credit ” means the alternative fuel mixture excise tax credit authorized by Section 6426(e) of the Internal Revenue Code in connection with black liquor used in the Company’s and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ kraft pulping process, as well as any similar alternate fuel credit or payment subsequently permitted by applicable law.

Agent ” means any Registrar, co-registrar, Paying Agent or additional paying agent.

Applicable Premium ” means, with respect to any Note on any redemption date, the greater of:

(1) 1.0% of the principal amount of such Note; or

(2) the excess of:

(a) the present value at such redemption date of (i) the redemption price of such Note at March 31, 2012, (such redemption price being set forth in the table appearing in Section 3.07(c) hereof) plus (ii) all required interest payments due on such Note through March 31, 2012 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest to the redemption date), computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate as of such redemption date plus 50 basis points; over

(b) the principal amount of such Note.

Applicable Procedures ” means, with respect to any transfer, redemption or exchange of or for beneficial interests in any Global Note, the rules and procedures of the Depositary, Euroclear and Clearstream that apply to such transfer, redemption or exchange.

Asset Sale ” means:

(1) the sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of any assets or rights; 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 shall be governed by Sections 4.15 and 5.01 of this Indenture and not by Section 4.10 of this Indenture; and

(2) the issuance of Equity Interests in any of the Company’s Restricted Subsidiaries or the sale of Equity Interests in any of its Subsidiaries (other than directors’ qualifying Equity Interests or Equity Interests required by applicable law to be held by a Person other than the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary).

 

3


Notwithstanding the preceding, none of the following items will be deemed to be an Asset Sale:

(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 of the Company to the Company or to a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(4) the licensing of intellectual property or other general intangibles to third persons on customary terms as determined by the Board of Directors in good faith and the ordinary course of business;

(5) the sale or disposition in the ordinary course of business of any property or equipment that has become damaged, worn-out or obsolete, in the ordinary course of business;

(6) to the extent allowable under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, any exchange of like property for use in a Permitted Business;

(7) the sale or other disposition of cash or Cash Equivalents;

(8) a Restricted Payment that does not violate Section 4.07 of this Indenture or a Permitted Investment;

(9) the sale, lease, sub-lease, license, sub-license, consignment, conveyance or other disposition of equipment, inventory or other assets in the ordinary course of business, including leases with respect to facilities that are temporarily not in use or pending their disposition, or accounts receivable in connection with the compromise, settlement or collection thereof;

(10) the creation of a Lien (but not the sale or other disposition of property subject to such Lien); and

(11) the transfer or sale of Receivables and Related Assets of the type specified in the definition of “Qualified Receivables Transaction” to a Receivables Entity or to any other Person in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction or the creation of a Lien on any such Receivables or Related Assets in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction.

Attributable Debt ” in respect of a Sale/Leaseback Transaction means, as at the time of determination, the present value (discounted at the interest rate borne by the Notes, compounded annually) of the total obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the remaining term of the lease included in such Sale/Leaseback Transaction (including any period for which such lease has been extended); provided, however , that if such Sale/Leaseback Transaction results in a Capital Lease Obligation, the amount of Indebtedness represented thereby will be determined in accordance with the definition of “Capital Lease Obligation.”

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 after the passage of time. The terms “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” have a corresponding meaning.

 

4


Board of Directors ” means:

(1) with respect to a corporation, the board of directors of the corporation or any committee thereof duly authorized to act on behalf of such board;

(2) with respect to a partnership, the Board of Directors of the general partner of the partnership;

(3) with respect to a limited liability company, the managing member or members or any controlling committee or board of directors of such company or of the sole member or of the managing member thereof; and

(4) with respect to any other Person, the board or committee of such Person serving a similar function.

Borrowing Base ” means, as of any date, an amount equal to:

(1) 85% of the face amount of all accounts receivable owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter preceding such date that were not more than 180 days past due; plus

(2) 75% of the book value of all inventory, net of reserves, owned by the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of the end of the most recent fiscal quarter preceding such date;

provided that any accounts receivable or inventory that are utilized in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction will be excluded from the Borrowing Base.

Broker-Dealer ” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Business Day ” means any day other than a Legal Holiday.

Capital Lease Obligation ” means, at the time any determination 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 prepared in accordance with GAAP, and the Stated Maturity thereof shall be the date of the last payment of rent or any other amount due under such lease prior to the first date upon which such lease may be prepaid by the lessee without payment of a penalty.

Capital Stock ” 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 interests (whether general or limited) or membership interests; and

(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, but excluding from all of the foregoing any debt securities convertible into Capital Stock, whether or not such debt securities include any right of participation with Capital Stock.

 

5


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 of the United States government ( provided that the full faith and credit of the United States is pledged in support of those securities) having maturities of not more than 360 days from the date of acquisition;

(3) certificates of deposit and eurodollar time deposits with maturities of six months or less from the date of acquisition, bankers’ acceptances with maturities not exceeding six months and overnight bank deposits, in each case, with any lender party to the Credit Agreements or with any domestic commercial bank having capital and sur plus in excess of $500.0 million and a Thomson Bank Watch Rating of “B” or better at the time of acquisition;

(4) repurchase obligations 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 at the time of acquisition one of the two highest ratings obtainable from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s Rating Service and, in each case, maturing within nine months after the date of acquisition;

(6) securities issued by any state of the United States of America or any political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof and at the time of acquisition thereof, having one of the two highest ratings obtainable from either Standard & Poor’s Rating Services or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.;

(7) money market funds at least 95% of the assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the kinds described in clauses (1) through (6) of this definition; and

(8) local currencies held by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, from time to time in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice.

Casualty Event ” means any taking under power of eminent domain or similar proceeding and any insured loss, in each case relating to property or other assets that constituted Shared Collateral.

“C hange 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 of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole to any “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) other than a Principal or a Related Party of a Principal;

(2) the adoption of a plan relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the Company;

 

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(3) the consummation of any transaction (including, without limitation, any merger or consolidation), the result of which is that any “person” (as defined above), other than a Principal or a Related Party of a Principal, becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of the Company, measured by voting power rather than number of shares; or

(4) after an initial public offering of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company, the first day on which a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the Company are not Continuing Directors.

Class ” means (1) in the case of Parity Lien Debt, all Series of Parity Lien Debt, taken together, and (2) in the case of Priority Lien Debt, all Series of Priority Lien Debt, taken together.

Clearstream ” means Clearstream Banking, S.A. and any successor thereto.

Collateral ” means, collectively, the Shared Collateral and the Separate Collateral.

Collateral Trust Agreement ” means that certain collateral trust agreement, dated as of May 2, 2005, as amended as of September 11, 2009, by and among the Collateral Trustee, the trustee under the Existing Second Lien Notes, and the administrative agent under the Term Loan Credit and Guaranty Agreement dated as of December 31, 2007, as amended, supplemented, restated, modified, renewed or replaced (whether upon or after termination or otherwise), in whole or in part from time to time, or any other successor agreement and whether among the same or any other parties.

Collateral Trustee ” means The Bank of New York Mellon, in its capacity as Collateral Trustee under the Collateral Trust Agreement, together with its successors in such capacity.

Company ” means NewPage Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and any and all successors thereto.

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA ” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, the Consolidated Net Income of such Person for such period plus , without duplication:

(1) an amount equal to any extraordinary loss plus any net loss realized by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in connection with an Asset Sale, to the extent such losses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(2) 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) Interest Expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries for such period, to the extent that such Interest Expense was deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

(4) depreciation, amortization (including amortization of 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, amortization and other non-cash expenses were deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; plus

 

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(5) nonrecurring charges or expenses made or incurred in connection with the Transactions, any purchase, redemption, acquisition or retirement of any Permitted Indebtedness and any restructuring and transaction costs incurred in connection with any future acquisition, to the extent deducted in computing such Consolidated Net Income; minus

(6) non-cash items increasing such Consolidated Net Income for such period, other than the accrual of revenue in the ordinary course of business,

in each case, on a consolidated basis and determined in accordance with GAAP.

Consolidated Coverage Ratio ” means with respect to any specified Person for any period, the ratio of the Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA of such Person for such period to the Interest Expense of such Person for such period. In the event that the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries incurs, assumes, guarantees, repays, repurchases, redeems, defeases or otherwise discharges any Indebtedness (other than ordinary working capital borrowings) or issues, repurchases or redeems Disqualified Stock subsequent to the commencement of the period for which the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is being calculated and on or prior to the date on which the event for which the calculation of the Consolidated Coverage Ratio is made (the “Calculation Date”), then the Consolidated Coverage Ratio will be calculated giving pro forma effect to such incurrence, assumption, Guarantee, repayment, repurchase, redemption, defeasance or other discharge of Indebtedness, or such issuance, repurchase or redemption of Disqualified Stock, and the use of the proceeds therefrom, as if the same had occurred at the beginning of the applicable four-quarter reference period.

In addition, for purposes of calculating the Consolidated Coverage Ratio:

(1) acquisitions that have been made by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including through mergers or consolidations, or any Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries acquired by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and including any related financing transactions and including increases in ownership of Restricted Subsidiaries, during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to the Calculation Date will be given pro forma effect (in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act), including Pro Forma Cost Savings whether or not such Pro Forma Cost Savings comply with Regulation S-X, as if they had occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period;

(2) the Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded (including by adding back the amount of any attributable Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA that was negative);

(3) the Interest Expense attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Calculation Date, will be excluded, but only to the extent that the obligations giving rise to such Interest Expense will not be obligations of the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries following the Calculation Date;

(4) any Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at all times during such four-quarter period;

(5) any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary on the Calculation Date will be deemed not to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at any time during such four-quarter period; and

 

8


(6) if any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest, the interest expense on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the rate in effect on the Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Hedging Obligation applicable to such Indebtedness if such Hedging Obligation has a remaining term as at the Calculation Date in excess of 12 months).

Consolidated Liquidity ” means, with respect to any specified Person for any period, on a consolidated basis, the amount equal to the sum of (i) the average Unrestricted Cash cash-on-hand of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries for the fifteen (15) day period ending on the date of determination, plus (ii) Excess Revolving Credit Availability.

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:

(1) the Net Income (but not loss) of any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or that is accounted for by the equity method of accounting shall be included only to the extent of the amount of dividends or similar distributions paid in cash to the specified Person or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Person;

(2) 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, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to that Restricted Subsidiary or its stockholders;

(3) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles will be excluded;

(4) all goodwill impairment charges will be excluded;

(5) non-cash compensation charges or other non-cash expenses or charges arising from the grant of or issuance or repricing of stock, stock options or other equity-based awards to directors, officers or employees of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries will be excluded;

(6) transaction costs and restructuring charges incurred in connection with the Acquisition, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $10.0 million, will be excluded;

(7) solely for purposes of calculating Consolidated Net Income as it relates to clause (3)(A) of Section 4.07(a), any proceeds of the Alternative Fuel Tax Credit applied to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any Existing Second Lien Notes pursuant to clause (14)(ii) of Section 4.07(b) will be excluded; and

(8) cancellation of indebtedness income will be excluded.

Continuing Directors ” means, as of any date of determination, any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who:

(1) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date of this Indenture; or

 

9


(2) was nominated for election or elected to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the Continuing Directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination or election.

Contractual Obligation ” means, as applied to any Person, any provision of any Security issued by that Person or of any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, contract, undertaking, agreement or other instrument to which that Person is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound or to which it or any of its properties is subject.

Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee ” means the principal office of the Trustee at which at any time its corporate trust business shall be administered, which office at the date hereof is located at 101 Barclay Street, Floor 8 West, New York, New York 10286, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration, or such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company, or the principal corporate trust office of any successor Trustee (or such other address as such successor Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Holders and the Company).

Credit Agreements ” means the ABL Facility, 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 (whether upon or after termination or otherwise) or refinanced (including by means of a receivables financing or sales of debt securities to institutional investors) in whole or in part from time to time, including any agreement extending the maturity of, refinancing, replacing or otherwise restructuring (including increasing the amount of available borrowings or letters of credit thereunder or adding Subsidiaries of the Company as additional borrowers or guarantors thereunder) all or any portion of the Indebtedness under such agreement or any successor or replacement agreement and whether by the same or any other agent, lender or group of lenders.

Credit Facilities ” means, one or more debt facilities (including, without limitation, the Credit Agreements), indentures or commercial paper facilities, in each case, with banks or other institutional lenders or a trustee providing for revolving credit loans, term loans, receivables financing (including through the sale of receivables to such lenders or to special purpose entities formed to borrow from such lenders against such receivables) or letters of credit or issuances of notes, in each case, as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced (whether upon or after termination or otherwise), substituted or refinanced (including by means of sales of debt securities to institutional investors) in whole or in part from time to time.

Custodian ” means the Trustee, as custodian with respect to the Notes issuable or issued in whole or in part in global form, or any successor entity thereto appointed as Custodian hereunder and having become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture.

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.

Definitive Note ” means a certificated Note registered in the name of the Holder thereof and issued in accordance with Section 2.06 or Section 2.10 hereof, substantially in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto except that such Note shall not bear the Global Note Legend and shall not have the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto.

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.

 

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Designated Non-cash Consideration ” means the Fair Market Value of non-cash consideration received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with an Asset Sale that is so designated as Designated Non-cash Consideration pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee, setting forth the basis of such valuation.

Discharge of Priority Lien Obligations ” means the occurrence of all of the following:

 

 

(1)

termination or expiration of all commitments to extend credit that would constitute Priority Lien Debt;

 

 

(2)

payment in full in cash of the principal of and interest and premium (if any) on all Priority Lien Debt (other than any undrawn letters of credit);

 

 

(3)

discharge or cash collateralization (at the lower of (1) 105% of the aggregate undrawn amount and (2) the percentage of the aggregate undrawn amount required for release of liens under the terms of the applicable Priority Lien Document) of all outstanding letters of credit constituting Priority Lien Debt; and

 

 

(4)

payment in full in cash of all other Priority Lien Obligations that are outstanding and unpaid at the time the Priority Lien Debt is paid in full in cash (other than any obligations for taxes, costs, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities in respect of which no claim or demand for payment has been made at such time).

Disqualified Stock ” means any Capital Stock 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 of the Capital Stock), 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 of the Capital Stock, 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 Capital Stock that would constitute Disqualified Stock solely because the holders of the Capital Stock have the right to require the Company to repurchase such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of a change of control or an asset sale will not constitute Disqualified Stock if the terms of such Capital Stock provide that the Company may not repurchase or redeem any such Capital Stock pursuant to such provisions unless such repurchase or redemption complies with Section 4.07 hereof. The amount of Disqualified Stock deemed to be outstanding at any time for purposes of this Indenture will be the maximum amount that the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries may become obligated to pay upon the maturity of, or pursuant to any mandatory redemption provisions of, such Disqualified Stock, exclusive of accrued dividends.

Domestic Subsidiary ” means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that was formed under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States or the District of Columbia or that Guarantees or otherwise provides direct credit support for any Indebtedness of the Company.

Enforcement Notice ” means a written notice delivered pursuant to the Intercreditor Agreement, at a time when an event of default under the ABL Facility or an event of default under the Priority Lien Documents has occurred and is continuing, by either Secured Debt Representative thereunder to the other, specifying the relevant event of default.

 

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Equally and Ratably ” means, in reference to sharing of Liens or proceeds thereof as between holders of Secured Obligations within the same Class, that such Liens or proceeds:

(1) will be allocated and distributed first to the Secured Debt Representative for each outstanding Series of Secured Debt within that Class, for the account of the holders of such Series of Secured Debt, ratably in proportion to the principal of, and interest and premium (if any) and reimbursement obligations (contingent or otherwise) with respect to letters of credit, if any, outstanding (whether or not drawings have been made under such letters of credit) on each outstanding Series of Secured Debt within that Class when the allocation or distribution is made, and thereafter,

(2) will be allocated and distributed (if any remain after payment in full of all of the principal of, and interest and premium (if any) and reimbursement obligations (contingent or otherwise) with respect to letters of credit, if any, outstanding (whether or not drawings have been made on such letters of credit) on all outstanding Secured Obligations within that Class) to the Secured Debt Representative for each outstanding Series of Secured Obligations within that Class, for the account of the holders of any remaining Secured Obligations within that Class, ratably in proportion to the aggregate unpaid amount of such remaining Secured Obligations within that Class due and demanded (with written notice to the applicable Secured Debt Representative and the Collateral Trustee) prior to the date such distribution is made;

provided, however that, for the purpose of defining “equally and ratably” during the pendency of any Actionable Default, and subject to Section 3.4 of the Collateral Trust Agreement, if any payment or distribution is made in cash to any holders of Priority Lien Obligations from or on account of Separate Collateral by reason of enforcement of Liens or realization in a bankruptcy case, receivership or other Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding, then any concurrent or subsequent payment or distribution that is to be made in cash to such holders from or on account of Shared Collateral by reason of any such enforcement or realization shall be reduced, and any concurrent or subsequent payment or distribution that is to be made in cash to the remaining holders of Priority Lien Obligations from or on account of Shared Collateral by reason of any such enforcement or realization shall be increased, to the extent necessary to cause the aggregate amount of all payments and distributions made in cash to all holders of Priority Lien Obligations (whether made from or on account of Separate Collateral or from or on account of Shared Collateral) by reason of any such enforcement or realization to be distributed equally and ratably as fully as if the Separate Collateral had been Shared Collateral; provided further that during the pendency of any Actionable Default, and subject to Section 3.4 of the Collateral Trust Agreement, if any payment or distribution is made in cash to any holders of Parity Lien Obligations from or on account of Separate Collateral by reason of enforcement of Liens or realization in a bankruptcy case, receivership or other Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding, then any concurrent or subsequent payment or distribution that is to be made in cash to such holders from or on account of Shared Collateral by reason of any such enforcement or realization shall be reduced, and any concurrent or subsequent payment or distribution that is to be made in cash to the remaining holders of Parity Lien Obligations from or on account of Shared Collateral by reason of any such enforcement or realization shall be increased, to the extent necessary to cause the aggregate amount of all payments and distributions made in cash to all holders of Parity Lien Obligations (whether made from or on account of Separate Collateral or from or on account of Shared Collateral) by reason of any such enforcement or realization to be distributed equally and ratably as fully as if the Separate Collateral had been Shared Collateral.

Equity Interests ” means Capital Stock and all warrants, options or other rights to acquire Capital Stock (but excluding any debt security that is convertible into, or exchangeable for, Capital Stock).

Equity Offering ” means an offer and sale of Qualified Capital Stock of the Company or a direct or indirect parent of the Company (other than to a Subsidiary of the Company) pursuant to a registration statement that has been declared effective by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act (other than a registration statement on Form S-8 or otherwise relating to equity securities issuable under any employee benefit plan of the Company).

 

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Euroclear ” means Euroclear Bank, S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system and any successor thereto.

Excess Revolving Credit Availability ” means, as of any date of determination, (a) the average “Excess Availability” (as defined in the ABL Facility) for the fifteen (15) day period ending on the date of determination or (b) if the ABL Facility shall no longer be in effect or the definition of “Excess Availability” is no longer defined in the ABL Facility, (i) the lesser of (1) the revolving commitments of all the lenders party to any revolving credit agreement replacing or refinancing the ABL Facility and (2) if applicable, the borrowing base on the date of determination, provided such Indebtedness is permitted to be incurred under the Senior Debt Documents, less (ii) the average total utilization of such revolving credit commitments for the fifteen (15) day period ending on the date of determination (whether from loans, the issuance of any letters of credit or any other extensions of credit thereunder), less (iii) the aggregate amount of all of the outstanding and unpaid trade payables and other obligations of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries that are not paid within 60 days past the due date according to their original terms of sale, in each case as of the date of determination, less (iv) the amount of checks issued by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to pay trade payables and other obligations which are not paid within 60 days past the due date according to their original terms of sale, in each case as of such date of determination, but which checks either have not yet been sent or are subject to other arrangements which are expected to delay the prompt presentation of such checks for payment.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Exchange Notes ” means the Notes issued in the Exchange Offer pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.

Exchange Offer ” has the meaning set forth for such term in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Exchange Offer Registration Statement ” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

Excluded Contributions ” means the net cash proceeds received by the Company after the date of this Indenture from (i) contributions (other than from any Subsidiary) to its common equity capital and (ii) the sale (other than to any Subsidiary or any management equity plan or stock option plan or any other management or employee benefit plan or agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary) of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company, in each case designated as Excluded Contributions on the date of receipt pursuant to an Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee.

Existing Indebtedness ” means Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness under the Credit Agreements, the Notes, the Existing Second Lien Notes and the Existing Senior Subordinated Notes) in existence on the date of this Indenture.

Existing Second Lien Note Indentures ” means the Senior Secured Fixed Rate Note Indenture and the Senior Secured Floating Rate Note Indenture.

Existing Second Lien Notes ” means, collectively, the Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes and the Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes.

 

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Existing Senior Subordinated Notes ” means the 12.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013 issued pursuant to the Senior Subordinated Note Indenture.

Fair Market Value ” means the value that would be paid by a willing buyer to an unaffiliated willing seller in a transaction not involving distress or necessity of either party, determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company (unless otherwise provided in this Indenture).

Foreign Subsidiary ” means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company that is not a Domestic Subsidiary.

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles which are in effect on the date of this Indenture, set forth in the Accounting Standards Codification of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession or in the rules and regulations of the SEC governing the inclusion of financial statements (including pro forma financial statements) in periodic reports required to be filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act, including opinions and pronouncements from the staff of the SEC.

General Intangibles ” means “general intangibles” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), but excluding “payment intangibles” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), claims under agreements of the type described under clauses (1), (2) and (3) of the definition of “Hedging Obligations” and Intellectual Property (as defined in the Intercreditor Agreement) and any rights thereunder.

Global Note Legend ” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(2) hereof, 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 deposited with or on behalf of and registered in the name of the Depository or its nominee, substantially in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto and that bears the Global Note Legend and that has the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto, issued in accordance with Section 2.01(b), 2.06(b)(3), 2.06(b)(4), 2.06(d) or 2.06(f) hereof.

Government Securities ” means direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America (including any agency or instrumentality thereof), and the payment for which the United States pledges its full faith and credit.

Guarantee ” means a guarantee other than by endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business, direct or indirect, in any manner including, without limitation, by way of a pledge of assets or through letters of credit or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof, of all or any part of any Indebtedness (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take or pay or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise).

Guarantors ” means each of:

(1) each of the Company’s Domestic Subsidiaries that are Restricted Subsidiaries as of the date of this Indenture and NewPage Port Hawkesbury Corp.; and

(2) any other Subsidiary of the Company that executes a Subsidiary Guarantee in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture,

 

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and their respective successors and assigns, in each case, until the Subsidiary Guarantee of such Person has been released in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture.

Hedging Obligations ” means, with respect to any specified Person, the obligations of such Person under:

(1) interest rate swap agreements (whether from fixed to floating or from floating to fixed), interest rate cap agreements, interest rate collar agreements and other agreements or arrangements designated for the purpose of fixing, hedging or swapping interest rate risk;

(2) other agreements or arrangements designed to manage interest rates or interest rate risk; and

(3) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices.

HoldCo Indenture ” means the HoldCo Notes indenture, dated May 2, 2005, among NewPage Holding Corporation and HSBC Bank USA, National Association.

HoldCo Notes ” means the floating rate senior unsecured notes issued by the Parent pursuant to the HoldCo Indenture, any exchange notes issued in connection with any registration of such notes, and any additional floating rate senior unsecured notes issued by the Parent as payment of interest.

Holder ” means a Person in whose name a Note is registered.

Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any indebtedness of such Person (excluding accrued expenses and trade payables), 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) (other than letters of credit issued in respect of trade payables entered into in the ordinary course);

(3) in respect of banker’s acceptances;

(4) representing Capital Lease Obligations;

(5) representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services due more than six months after such property is acquired or such services are completed; or

(6) representing any Hedging Obligations,

if and to the extent any of the preceding items (other than letters of credit 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 the specified Person of any Indebtedness of any other Person.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, in connection with the purchase by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any business, the term “Indebtedness” will exclude post-closing payment adjustments to which the seller may become entitled to the extent such payment is determined by a final closing balance sheet or such payment depends on the performance of such business after the closing; provided, however , that at the time of closing, the amount of any such payment is not determinable and, to the extent such payment thereafter becomes fixed and determined, the amount is paid within 30 days thereafter.

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 Notes ” means the first $1,700,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes issued under this Indenture on the date hereof.

Initial Purchasers ” means Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and UBS Securities LLC.

Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding ” means:

 

 

(1)

any case commenced by or against the Company or any other Pledgor under Title 11, U.S. Code or any similar federal or state law for the relief of debtors, any other proceeding for the reorganization, recapitalization or adjustment or marshalling of the assets or liabilities of the Company or any other Pledgor, any receivership or assignment for the benefit of creditors relating to the Company or any other Pledgor or any similar case or proceeding relative to the Company or any other Pledgor or its creditors, as such, in each case whether or not voluntary;

 

 

(2)

any liquidation, dissolution, marshalling of assets or liabilities or other winding up of or relating to the Company or any other Pledgor, in each case whether or not voluntary and whether or not involving bankruptcy or insolvency; or

 

 

(3)

any other proceeding of any type or nature in which substantially all claims of creditors of the Company or any other Pledgor are determined and any payment or distribution is or may be made on account of such claims.

Insurance Financing Arrangements ” means any agreement between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with an insurance carrier or an Affiliate of such issuance carrier providing insurance maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business which enables the Company and its Subsidiaries to pay any insurance premiums and applicable financing charges due in respect of any such insurance coverage in installments over the term of the applicable insurance policy.

Intercompany Notes of Subsidiaries ” means all indebtedness owing by any of the Company’s Subsidiaries to the Company or any of the Company’s other Subsidiaries, whether or not represented by a note or agreement.

Intercreditor Agreement ” means that certain intercreditor agreement, dated as of May 2, 2005, among the Company, NewPage Holding Corporation, certain subsidiaries of the Company, the revolving loan collateral agent under the ABL Facility and the Collateral Trustee, as amended, supplemented, restated, modified, renewed or replaced (whether upon or after termination or otherwise), in whole or in part from time to time, or any other successor agreement and whether among the same or any other parties.

 

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Interest Expense ” means, with respect to any specified 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 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 Hedging Obligations in respect of interest rates; plus

 

 

(2)

the consolidated interest expense of such Person and its Restricted Subsidiaries that was capitalized during such period, whether paid or accrued; plus

 

 

(3)

any interest 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 dividends, whether paid or accrued and whether or not in cash, on any series of Disqualified Stock of such Person or any Disqualified Stock or preferred stock of any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, other than dividends on Equity Interests payable solely in Equity Interests of the Company (other than Disqualified Stock) 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, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

Investments ” means, with respect to any Person, all direct or indirect investments by such Person in other Persons (including Affiliates of such Person) in the forms of loans (including Guarantees or other obligations), advances or capital contributions (excluding (i) commission, travel and similar advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business and (ii) extensions of credit to customers or advances, deposits or payment to or with suppliers, lessors or utilities or for workers’ compensation, in each case, that are incurred in the ordinary course of business and recorded as accounts receivable, prepaid expenses or deposits on the balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with GAAP), 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. 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 Subsidiary of the Company, the Company will be deemed to have made an Investment on the date of any such sale or disposition equal to the Fair Market Value of the Company’s Investments in such Subsidiary that were not sold or disposed of in an amount determined as provided in Section 4.07(c) hereof. Except as otherwise provided in this Indenture, the amount of an Investment will be determined at the time the Investment is made and without giving effect to subsequent changes in value.

 

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Legal Holiday ” means a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the City of 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 on such payment for the intervening period.

Letter of Credit ” means any present and future “letter of credit” (as defined in Article 5 of the UCC).

Letter of Transmittal ” means the letter of transmittal, or its electronic equivalent in accordance with the Applicable Procedures to be prepared by the Company and sent to all Holders for use by such Holders in connection with the Exchange Offer.

Lien ” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest 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, any lease in the nature thereof, any option or other agreement to sell or give a security interest in such asset.

Lien Sharing and Priority Confirmation ” means:

 

 

(1)

as to any Series of Parity Lien Debt, the written agreement of the holders of such Series of Parity Lien Debt, as set forth in the indentures, credit agreement or other agreement governing such Series of Parity Lien Debt, for the enforceable benefit of all holders of each existing and future Series of Priority Lien Debt and Parity Lien Debt, each existing and future Priority Lien Representative and Parity Lien Representative and each existing and future holder of Permitted Liens:

 

 

(a)

that all Parity Lien Obligations will be and are secured equally and ratably by all Parity Liens at any time granted by the Company or any Guarantor to secure any Obligations in respect of such Series of Parity Lien Debt, whether or not upon property otherwise constituting Shared Collateral for such Series of Parity Lien Debt, and that all such Parity Liens will be enforceable by the Collateral Trustee for the benefit of all holders of Parity Lien Obligations equally and ratably; provided that the holders of any future Parity Lien Debt that constitutes a “security” for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, will not be entitled to be secured by any Separate Collateral;

 

 

(b)

that the holders of Obligations in respect of such Series of Parity Lien Debt are bound by the provisions of the Collateral Trust Agreement, including the provisions relating to the ranking of Parity Liens and the order of application of proceeds from the enforcement of Parity Liens;

 

 

(c)

consenting to and directing the Collateral Trustee to perform its obligations under the Collateral Trust Agreement and the other Security Documents; and

 

 

(d)

consent to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement; and

 

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(2)

as to any Series of Priority Lien Debt, the written agreement of the holders of such Series of Priority Lien Debt, as set forth in the credit agreement, indenture or other agreement governing such Series of Priority Lien Debt, for the enforceable benefit of all holders of each existing and future Series of Parity Lien Debt, each existing and future Parity Lien Representative and each existing and future holder of Permitted Liens:

 

 

(a)

that all Priority Lien Obligations will be and are secured equally and ratably by all Priority Liens at any time granted by the Company or any other Pledgor to secure any Obligations in respect of such Series of Priority Lien Debt, whether or not upon property otherwise constituting collateral for such Series of Priority Lien Debt, and that all such Priority Liens will be enforceable by the Collateral Trustee for the benefit of all holders of Priority Lien Obligations equally and ratably; provided that the holders of any future Priority Lien Debt that constitutes a “security” for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, will not be entitled to be secured by any Separate Collateral;

 

 

(b)

that the holders of Obligations in respect of such Series of Priority Lien Debt are bound by the provisions of the Collateral Trust Agreement, including the provisions relating to the ranking of Priority Liens and the order of application of proceeds from enforcement of Priority Liens;

 

 

(c)

consenting to and directing the Collateral Trustee to perform its obligations under the Collateral Trust Agreement and the other Security Documents; and

 

 

(d)

consenting to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement.

Net Income ” means, with respect to any specified Person, the net income (loss) of such Person, determined in accordance with GAAP and before any reduction in respect of preferred stock dividends, excluding, however:

(1) any gain (or loss), together with any related provision for taxes on such gain (or loss), realized in connection with: (a) any Asset Sale (without giving effect to the $10.0 million threshold provided in the definition thereof); or (b) the disposition of any securities by such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or the extinguishment of any Indebtedness of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(2) any extraordinary gain (or loss), together with any related provision for taxes on such extraordinary gain (or loss); and

(3) any unrealized non-cash gains or losses in respect of Hedging Obligations, to the extent that such gains or losses are deducted in computing Net Income.

Net Proceeds ” means the aggregate cash proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in respect of any Asset Sale or Casualty Event (including, without limitation, any cash received upon the sale or other disposition of any non-cash consideration, including Designated Non-cash Consideration, received in any Asset Sale), net of the direct costs relating to such Asset Sale or Casualty Event, including, without limitation, legal, accounting and investment banking fees, appraisal and insurance adjuster fees, and sales commissions, and any relocation expenses incurred as a result of the Asset Sale or Casualty Event, as the case may be, taxes paid or payable as a result of the Asset Sale or Casualty Event, in each case, to the extent applicable to such Asset Sale or Casualty Event, after taking into account, without duplication, (1) any reserve or payment with respect to liabilities associated with such asset or assets and retained by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary after such sale or other disposition thereof, including, without limitation, severance costs, pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities and liabilities related to environmental matters or against any indemnification obligations associated with such transaction, (2) any reserves for adjustment in respect of the sale price of such asset established in accordance with GAAP, and (3) any cash escrows in connection with purchase price adjustments, reserves or indemnities (until released).

 

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NewPage Group ” means NewPage Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation and the direct parent corporation of Parent.

Non-Recourse Debt ” means Indebtedness:

(1) as to which 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;

(2) no default with respect to which (including any rights that the holders of the Indebtedness 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 of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to declare a default on such other Indebtedness or cause the payment of the Indebtedness to be accelerated or payable prior to its Stated Maturity; and

(3) as to which (a) the explicit terms provide that there is no recourse against any assets of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or (b) 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.

Note Documents ” means this Indenture, the Notes and the Security Documents.

Non-U.S. Person ” means a Person who is not a U.S. Person.

Notes ” has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble to this Indenture. The Initial Notes and any Additional Notes subsequently issued under this Indenture will be treated as a single class for all purposes under this Indenture, including, without limitation, waivers, amendments, redemptions and offers to purchase, and unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the Notes shall include the Initial Notes and any Additional Notes.

Obligations ” means any principal (including reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit whether or not drawn), interest (including all interest accrued thereon after the commencement of any Insolvency or Liquidation Proceeding at the rate, including any applicable post-default rate, specified in the Priority Lien Documents, even if such interest is not enforceable, allowable or allowed as a claim in such proceeding), premium (if any), fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, expenses and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any such Indebtedness.

Offering Circular” means the Company’s offering circular dated September 17, 2009, relating to the initial offering of the Notes.

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 Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Controller, the Secretary or any Vice-President of such Person.

Officers’ Certificate ” means a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by two Officers of the Company, one of whom must be the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, that meets the requirements of Section 13.05 hereof.

 

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Opinion of Counsel ” means an opinion from legal counsel that meets the requirements of Section 13.05 hereof. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.

Parent ” means NewPage Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation and the direct parent entity of the Company.

Parity Lien ” means a Lien granted by a Security Document to the Collateral Trustee, at any time, upon any property of the Company or any Guarantor to secure Parity Lien Obligations.

Parity Lien Debt ” means:

 

 

(1)

the Existing Second Lien Notes (including any related Exchange Notes) and the related guarantees issued on May 2, 2005 and December 21, 2007, and all other Obligations of the Company or the Guarantors under the Existing Second Lien Note Indentures; and

 

 

(2)

any other Indebtedness of the Company (including Additional Notes), which may be guaranteed by the Guarantors, that is secured equally and ratably with the Existing Second Lien Notes by a Parity Lien that was permitted to be incurred and so secured under each applicable Secured Debt Document; provided that:

 

 

(a)

the net proceeds are used to refund, refinance, replace, defease, discharge or otherwise acquire or retire Priority Lien Debt or other Parity Lien Debt; or

 

 

(b)

on the date of incurrence of such Indebtedness, after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence thereof and the application of the proceeds therefrom, the Consolidated Coverage Ratio for the Company’s most recently ended four full fiscal quarters for which internal financial statements are available immediately preceding the date on which such additional Indebtedness is incurred would have been at least 2.0 to 1.0, as if the additional Indebtedness had been incurred at the beginning of such four-quarter period;

provided, further , in the case of any Indebtedness referred to in clause (2) of this definition:

 

 

(a)

on or before the date on which such Indebtedness is incurred by the Company, such Indebtedness is designated by the Company, in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to each Parity Lien Representative and the Collateral Trustee, as “Parity Lien Debt” for the purposes of this Indenture, the Existing Second Lien Note Indentures and the Collateral Trust Agreement; provided that no Series of Secured Debt may be designated as both Parity Lien Debt and Priority Lien Debt;

 

 

(b)

such Indebtedness is governed by an indenture, credit agreement or other agreement that includes a Lien Sharing and Priority Confirmation; and

 

 

(c)

all requirements set forth in the Collateral Trust Agreement as to the confirmation, grant or perfection of the Collateral Trustee’s Liens to secure such Indebtedness or Obligations in respect thereof are satisfied (and the satisfaction of such requirements and the other provisions of this clause (c) will be conclusively established if the Company delivers to the Collateral Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that such requirements and other provisions have been satisfied and that such Indebtedness is “Parity Lien Debt”).

 

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Parity Lien Documents ” means, collectively, the Existing Second Lien Note Indentures, any note instrument evidencing Parity Lien Debt, and each indenture, credit agreement or other agreement governing each other Series of Parity Lien Debt and the Security Documents (other than any Security Documents that do not secure Parity Lien Obligations).

Parity Lien Obligations ” means Parity Lien Debt and all other Obligations in respect thereof.

Parity Lien Representative ” means:

 

 

(1)

in the case of each series of the Existing Second Lien Notes, the applicable trustee for such series; or

 

 

(2)

in the case of any other Series of Parity Lien Debt, the trustee, agent or representative of the holders of such Series of Parity Lien Debt who maintains the transfer register for such Series of Parity Lien Debt and (a) is appointed as a Parity Lien Representative (for purposes related to the administration of the Security Documents) pursuant to an indenture, credit agreement or other agreement governing such Series of Parity Lien Debt, together with its successors in such capacity, and (b) has become a party to the Collateral Trust Agreement by executing a joinder in the form required under the Collateral Trust Agreement.

Participant ” means, with respect to the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, a Person who has an account with the Depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, respectively (and, with respect to DTC, shall include Euroclear and Clearstream).

Permitted Business ” means any business engaged in by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries on the date of this Indenture and any business or other activities that are reasonably similar, ancillary, complementary or related to, or a reasonable extension, development or expansion of, the businesses in which the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries are engaged on the date of this Indenture.

Permitted Investments ” means:

(1) any Investment in the Company or in a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company;

(2) any Investment in Cash Equivalents;

(3) 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;

(4) any Investment made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from (a) an Asset Sale that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.10 hereof or (b) a sale or other disposition of assets not constituting an Asset Sale;

 

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(5) any acquisition of assets or Capital Stock solely in exchange for the issuance of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company or a direct or indirect parent of the Company;

(6) any Investment acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries:

(a) in exchange for any other Investment or accounts receivable held by the Company or any such Restricted Subsidiary in connection with or as a result of a bankruptcy, workout, reorganization or recapitalization of a Person or the good faith settlement of delinquent obligations of a Person or of a litigation, arbitration or other dispute, or

(b) as a result of a foreclosure by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries with respect to any secured Investment or other transfer of title with respect to any secured Investment in default;

(7) Investments represented by Hedging Obligations;

(8) loans, Guarantees of loans, advances, and other extensions of credit to or on behalf of current and former officers, directors, employees, and consultants of the Company, a Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, or a direct or indirect parent of the Company made in the ordinary course of business or for the purpose of permitting such Persons to purchase Capital Stock of the Company or any direct or indirect parent of the Company or in connection with any relocation costs related to the relocation of the corporate headquarters of the Company, in an amount not to exceed $10.0 million at any one time outstanding;

(9) repurchases of the Notes;

(10) any Investment of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries existing on the date of this Indenture and any extension, modification or renewal of such existing Investments, to the extent not involving any additional Investment other than as the result of the accrual or accretion of interest or original issue discount or the issuance of pay-in-kind securities, in each case pursuant to the terms of such Investments as in effect on the date of this Indenture;

(11) Guarantees otherwise permitted by the terms of this Indenture;

(12) receivables owing to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, prepaid expenses, and deposits, if created, acquired or entered into in the ordinary course of business;

(13) payroll, business-related travel, and similar advances to cover matters that are expected at the time of such advances to be ultimately treated as expenses for accounting purposes and that are made in the ordinary course of business;

(14) Investments resulting from the acquisition of a Person, otherwise permitted by this Indenture, which Investments at the time of such acquisition were held by the acquired Person and were not acquired in contemplation of the acquisition of such Person;

(15) any Investment in a Receivables Entity or any Investment by a Receivables Entity in any other Person in connection with a Qualified Receivables Transaction, including Investments of funds held in accounts permitted or required by the arrangements governing the Qualified Receivables Transaction or any related Indebtedness; and

 

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(16) other Investments in any Person other than an Affiliate of the Company 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 (16) that are at the time outstanding not to exceed the greater of $50.0 million or 2.5% of Total Assets.

Permitted Liens ” means:

(1) any Liens held by the Collateral Trustee securing (A) the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees to be issued on the date of this Indenture and the Exchange Notes and the related Subsidiary Guarantees to be issued pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (B) any other Priority Lien Debt incurred after the date of this Indenture if the aggregate principal amount thereof, together with the aggregate principal amount of clause (A) above does not exceed the Priority Lien Cap as of any date of incurrence and (C) all Priority Lien Obligations relating to any of the foregoing;

(2) Liens held by the Collateral Trustee equally and ratably securing (A) the Existing Second Lien Notes issued on May 2, 2005 and December 21, 2007 and all future Parity Lien Debt that was permitted by all applicable Secured Debt Documents to be incurred and (B) all related Parity Lien Obligations; provided, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any future Parity Lien Debt that does not constitute a “security” for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, will be permitted to be secured by Separate Collateral pursuant to the clause (2) even if the Liens held by the Collateral Trustee securing such Indebtedness do not equally and ratably secure the Existing Second Lien Notes (and the related exchange notes) and any future Parity Lien Debt that constitutes a “security” for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(3) Liens securing (A) Revolving Credit Debt up to the Revolving Credit Cap and (B) all related Revolving Credit Obligations, together with Liens on the Shared Collateral granting limited access rights with respect to the ABL Collateral;

(4) Liens in favor of the Company or the Guarantors;

(5) Liens to secure the performance of tenders, completion guarantees, statutory obligations, surety or appeal bonds, bids, leases, government contracts, performance bonds or other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(6) Liens to secure Indebtedness (including Capital Lease Obligations) or Attributable Debt permitted by Section 4.09(b)(6) hereof covering only the assets acquired with or financed by such Indebtedness or in the case of real property or fixtures, including additions and improvements, the real property on which such assets is attached;

(7) Liens existing on the date of this Indenture;

(8) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or claims that are not yet delinquent or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently concluded; provided that any reserve or other appropriate provision as is required in conformity with GAAP has been made therefor;

(9) Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s, landlords’, mechanics’, suppliers’, materialmen’s and repairmen’s Liens, or in favor of customs or revenue authorities or freight forwarders or handlers to secure payment of custom duties, in each case, incurred in the ordinary course of business;

 

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(10) any state of facts an accurate survey would disclose, public and private roads, timber cutting and hauling contracts, timber sales contracts, prescriptive easements or adverse possession claims, minor encumbrances, easements or reservations of, or rights of others for, pursuant to any leases, licenses, rights-of-way or other similar agreements or arrangements, development, air or water rights, sewers, electric lines, telegraph and telephone lines and other utility lines, pipelines, service lines, railroad lines, improvements and structures located on, over or under any property, drains, drainage ditches, culverts, electric power or gas generating or co-generation, storage and transmission facilities and other similar purposes, zoning or other restrictions as to the use of real property, or minor defects in title, which were not incurred to secure payment of Indebtedness and that do not in the aggregate materially adversely affect the value of said properties or materially impair their use in the operation of the business of such Person;

(11) Liens created for the benefit of (or to secure) the Notes (or the related Subsidiary Guarantees);

(12) Liens to secure any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness permitted to be incurred under this Indenture (other than Revolving Credit Debt, Parity Debt or Priority Lien Debt); provided, however , that the new Lien shall be limited to all or part of the same property and assets that secured or, under the written agreements pursuant to which the Indebtedness being refinanced arose, could secure the original Lien ( plus improvements and accessions to, such property or proceeds or distributions thereof);

(13) Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company with respect to Indebtedness and other obligations that do not exceed $20.0 million at any one time outstanding;

(14) Liens upon specific items of inventory or other goods and proceeds 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;

(15) Liens incurred or pledges or deposits made in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social security and employee health and disability benefits, or casualty—liability insurance or self insurance including any Lien securing letters of credit issued in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice in connection therewith;

(16) judgment and attachment Liens not giving rise to an Event of Default and notices of lis pendens and associated rights related to litigation being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been made in conformity with GAAP;

(17) Liens securing Hedging Obligations incurred pursuant to clause (b)(11) of Section 4.09;

(18) any extension, renewal or replacement, in whole or in part, of any Lien described in clauses (6), (7), (20), (21) or (22) of the definition of “Permitted Liens”; provided that any such extension, renewal or replacement is no more restrictive in any material respect than the Lien so extended, renewed or replaced and does not extend to any additional property or assets, in conformity with GAAP;

 

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(19) Liens on Receivables and Related Assets of the type specified in the definition of “Qualified Receivables Transaction” to secure Indebtedness incurred and outstanding under clause (b)(2) of Section 4.09;

(20) any interest or title of a lessor, licensor or sublicensee under any operating lease, license or sublicense, as applicable;

(21) Liens on assets of Foreign Subsidiaries securing Indebtedness incurred pursuant to clause (b)(18) of Section 4.09; and

(22) Liens in favor of collecting or payor banks having a right of setoff, revocation, refund or chargeback with respect to money or instruments of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary thereof on deposit with or in possession of such bank.

Permitted Payments to Parent ” means, without duplication as to amounts:

(1) payments to any direct or indirect parent of the Company to permit such direct or indirect parent to pay reasonable accounting, legal and administrative expenses of such Person when due, in an aggregate amount for all such Persons not to exceed $2.0 million per annum (or $5.0 million per annum following the completion of an underwritten public offering of common stock of any such direct or indirect parent holding company);

(2) payments to Parent, NewPage Group or any indirect parent to permit Parent, NewPage Group or any indirect parent to pay reasonable accounting, legal and administrative expenses incurred in connection with Parent’s, NewPage Group’s or any indirect parent’s obligations under the HoldCo Notes or the SuperHoldco Notes and the related registration rights agreements when due, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $1.5 million per annum ; and

(3) for so long as the Company is a member of a group filing a consolidated or combined tax return with any direct or indirect parent of the Company, payments to such direct or indirect parent in respect of an allocable portion of the tax liabilities of such group that is attributable to the Company and its Subsidiaries (“ Tax Payments ”) and to pay franchise or similar taxes and fees of such direct or indirect parent required to maintain such direct or indirect parent’s corporate existence. The Tax Payments shall not exceed the lesser of (i) the amount of the relevant tax (including any penalties and interest) that the Company would owe if the Company were filing a separate tax return (or a separate consolidated or combined return with its Subsidiaries that are members of the consolidated or combined group), taking into account any carryovers and carrybacks of tax attributes (such as net operating losses) of the Company and such Subsidiaries from other taxable years and (ii) the net amount of the relevant tax that the direct or indirect parent actually owes to the appropriate taxing authority. Any Tax Payments received from the Company shall be paid over to the appropriate taxing authority within 60 days of the direct or indirect parent’s receipt of such Tax Payments or refunded to the Company.

 

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Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness ” means:

(1) any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Disqualified Stock) issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to renew, refund, refinance, replace, defease or discharge other Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Disqualified Stock and intercompany Indebtedness); provided that:

(a) the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Indebtedness renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged ( plus all accrued interest on the Indebtedness and the amount of all fees and expenses, including the amount of any reasonably determined premium and defeasance costs, incurred in connection therewith and other amounts necessary to accomplish such refinancing);

(b) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has a final maturity date equal to or later 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 renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged;

(c) if the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes, such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes on terms at least as favorable to the Holders as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged; and

(d) such Indebtedness is incurred either by the Company or by the Restricted Subsidiary who is the obligor on the Indebtedness being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged; and

(2) any Disqualified Stock 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, refund, replace, defease or discharge other Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries (other than Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock held by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries including intercompany Indebtedness); provided that:

(a) the liquidation or face value of such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, if applicable) of the Indebtedness, or the liquidation or face value of the Disqualified Stock, as applicable, so renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged ( plus all accrued interest or dividends thereon and the amount of any reasonably determined premium incurred in connection therewith);

(b) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness has a final redemption date equal to or later than the final maturity or redemption date of, and has a Weighted Average Life to Maturity equal to or greater than the Weighted Average Life to Maturity of, the Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged;

(c) such Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes on terms at least as favorable to the Holders as those contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged; and

(d) such Disqualified Stock is issued either by the Company or by the Restricted Subsidiary who is the issuer of the Indebtedness or Disqualified Stock being renewed, refunded, refinanced, replaced, defeased or discharged.

 

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Person ” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, limited liability company or government or other entity.

Pledgors ” means the Company, the Guarantors and any other Person (if any) that provides collateral security for any Secured Debt Obligations.

Principal ” means Cerberus Capital Management L.P. or any Affiliate thereof, and any fund or account managed by Cerberus Capital Management L.P. or an Affiliate thereof.

Priority Lien ” means a Lien granted by a Security Document to the Collateral Trustee, at any time, upon any property of the Company or any other Pledgor to secure Priority Lien Obligations.

Priority Lien Cap ” means, as of any date, an amount equal to the sum of (i) the amount permitted to be borrowed on that date under clause (1) of the definition of Permitted Debt plus (ii) the amount permitted to be borrowed on that date under clauses (5) and (20) of the definition of Permitted Debt plus (iii) up to $75.0 million of additional Indebtedness otherwise permitted to be incurred less (y) the amount of Revolving Credit Debt outstanding on that date and less (z) the amount of Parity Lien Debt incurred after the date of this Indenture, the net proceeds of which are used to repay Priority Lien Debt . For purposes of this definition, all letters of credit will be valued at the face amount thereof, whether or not drawn and all Hedging Obligations will be valued at zero.

Priority Lien Debt ” means:

 

 

(1)

the Notes issued pursuant to this Indenture (including any related Exchange Notes) and the related Subsidiary Guarantees and all other Obligations of the Company or the Guarantors under this Indenture that was permitted to be incurred and secured under each applicable Secured Debt Document (or as to which the lenders under this Indenture obtained an Officers’ Certificate at the time of incurrence to the effect that such Indebtedness was permitted to be incurred and secured by all applicable Secured Debt Documents);

 

 

(2)

any other Indebtedness of the Company (including Additional Notes), which may be guaranteed by the Guarantors, that is secured by a Priority Lien that was permitted to be incurred and so secured under each applicable Secured Debt Document; provided , in the case of any Indebtedness referred to in this clause (2), that:

 

 

(a)

on or before the date on which such Indebtedness is incurred, such Indebtedness is designated by the Company, in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to each Secured Debt Representative and the Collateral Trustee, as “Priority Lien Debt” for the purposes of the Secured Debt Documents; provided that no Series of Secured Debt may be designated as both Parity Lien Debt and Priority Lien Debt;

 

 

(b)

such Indebtedness is governed by an indenture, credit agreement or other agreement that includes a Lien Sharing and Priority Confirmation; and

 

 

(c)

all requirements set forth in the Collateral Trust Agreement as to the confirmation, grant or perfection of the Collateral Trustee’s Lien to secure such Indebtedness or Obligations in respect thereof are satisfied (and the satisfaction of such requirements and the other provisions of this clause (c) will be conclusively established if the Company delivers to the Collateral Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that such requirements and other provisions have been satisfied and that such Indebtedness is “ Priority Lien Debt ”); and

 

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(3)

Hedging Obligations of the Company (which may be guaranteed by the Guarantors) incurred to hedge or manage interest rate risk with respect to Priority Lien Debt or Parity Lien Debt, or to protect the Company against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices; provided that:

 

 

(a)

such Hedging Obligations are secured by a Priority Lien on all of the assets and properties that secure the Priority Lien Debt in respect of which such Hedging Obligations are incurred; and

 

 

(b)

such Priority Lien is senior to or on a parity with the Priority Liens securing the Priority Lien Debt in respect of which such Hedging Obligations are incurred.

Priority Lien Documents ” means the Note Documents and any other indenture, credit agreement or other agreement pursuant to which any Priority Lien Debt is incurred and the related Security Documents (other than any Security Documents that do not secure Priority Lien Obligations).

Priority Lien Obligations ” means the Priority Lien Debt and all other Obligations in respect of Priority Lien Debt.

Priority Lien Representative ” means, in the case of any Series of Priority Lien Debt, the trustee, agent or representative of the holders of such Series of Priority Lien Debt who maintains the transfer register for such Series of Priority Lien Debt and is appointed as a representative of the Priority Lien Debt (for purposes related to the administration of the Security Documents) pursuant to the credit agreement or other agreement governing such Series of Priority Lien Debt.

Pro Forma Cost Savings ” means, with respect to any period, the reduction in net costs and related adjustments that (i) were directly attributable to an acquisition that occurred during the four quarter period or after the end of the four quarter period and on or prior to the Calculation Date and calculated on a basis that is consistent with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act as in effect and applied as of May 2, 2005, (ii) were actually implemented by the business that was the subject of any such acquisition within six months after the date of the acquisition and prior to the Calculation Date that are supportable and quantifiable by the underlying accounting records of such business or (iii) relate to the business that is the subject of any such acquisition and that the Company reasonably determines are probable based upon specifically identifiable actions to be taken within six months of the date of the acquisition and, in the case of each of (i), (ii) and (iii), are described, as provided below, in an Officers’ Certificate, as if all such reductions in costs had been effected as of the beginning of such period. Pro Forma Cost Savings described above shall be accompanied by a certificate delivered to the Trustee from the Company’s chief financial officer that outlines the specific actions taken or to be taken, the net cost savings achieved or to be achieved from each such action and that, in the case of clause (iii) above, such savings have been determined to be probable.

Private Placement Legend ” means the legend set forth in Section 2.06(g)(1) hereof 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.

Qualified Capital Stock ” means any Capital Stock that is not Disqualified Stock.

 

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Qualified Proceeds ” means any of the following or any combination of the following:

(1) Cash Equivalents; and

(2) the Fair Market Value of the Capital Stock of any Person engaged primarily in a Permitted Business if, in connection with the receipt by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries of such Capital Stock, such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or such Person is merged or consolidated into the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary.

Qualified Receivables Transaction ” means any transaction or series of transactions that may be entered into by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary pursuant to which the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may sell, convey, contribute to capital or otherwise transfer to a Receivables Entity, or may grant a security interest in or pledge, any Receivables or interests therein and any assets related thereto, including, without limitation, all collateral securing such Receivables, all contracts and contract rights, purchase orders, security interests, financing statements or other documentation in respect of such Receivables, any Guarantees, indemnities, warranties or other documentation in respect of such Receivables, any other assets that are customarily transferred or in respect of which security interests are customarily granted in connection with asset securitization transactions involving receivables similar to such Receivables and any collections or proceeds of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Related Assets”), which transfer, grant of security interest or pledge is funded in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by the incurrence or issuance by the transferee or any successor transferee of Indebtedness, fractional undivided interests, or other securities that are to receive payments from, or that represent interests in, the cash flow derived from such Receivables and Related Assets or interests in Receivables and Related Assets, it being understood that a Qualified Receivables Transaction may involve:

(1) one or more sequential transfers or pledges of the same Receivables and Related Assets, or interests therein, and

(2) periodic transfers or pledges of Receivables or revolving transactions in which new Receivables and Related Assets, or interests therein, are transferred or pledged upon collection of previously transferred or pledged Receivables and Related Assets, or interests therein, and provided that:

(a) the Board of Directors of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary which is party to such Qualified Receivables Transaction shall have determined in good faith that such Qualified Receivables Transaction is economically fair and reasonable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary as applicable, and the Receivables Entity, and

(b) the financing terms, covenants, termination events and other provisions thereof shall be market terms (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary which is party to such Qualified Receivables Transaction).

The grant of a security interest in any accounts receivables of the Company or any of Restricted Subsidiary to secure Indebtedness incurred pursuant to the Credit Agreements shall not be deemed a Qualified Receivables Transaction.

Receivables ” means accounts receivable (including all rights to payment created by or arising from the sale of goods, or the rendition of services, no matter how evidenced (including in the form of chattel paper) and whether or not earned by performance) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary, whether now existing or arising in the future.

Receivables Entity ” means any Person formed for the purposes of engaging in a Qualified Receivables Transaction with the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary which engages in no activities

 

30


other than in connection with the financing of Receivables of the Company and Restricted Subsidiaries, all proceeds thereof and all rights (contractual or other), collateral and other assets relating thereto, and any business or activities incidental or related to such business, and which is designated by the Board of Directors of the Restricted Subsidiary that is the direct parent company of such Receivables Entity, or, if the Receivables Entity is not a Subsidiary of the Company, by the Board of Directors of any Restricted Subsidiary participating in such Qualified Receivables Transaction (in each case as provided below), as a Receivables Entity and:

(1) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of which:

(a) is guaranteed by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than a Receivables Entity (excluding any guarantees (other than Guarantees of the principal of, and interest on, Indebtedness and Guarantees of collection on Receivables) pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings);

(b) is recourse to or obligates the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than a Receivables Entity) in any way other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings; or

(c) subjects any property or asset of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than a Receivables Entity, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings;

(2) with which neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary other than a Receivables Entity has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding other than on terms which the Company reasonably believes to be no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary than those that might be obtained at that time from Persons that are not Affiliates of the Company; and

(3) to which neither the Company nor any Restricted Subsidiary has any obligation to maintain or preserve such entity’s financial condition or cause such entity to achieve certain levels of operating results (other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings).

Any such designation by the Board of Directors of the applicable Restricted Subsidiary shall be evidenced to the Trustee by filing with the Trustee a certified copy of the resolution of such Board of Directors giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing conditions.

Receivables Financing ” means any transaction (including, without limitation, any Qualified Receivables Transaction) pursuant to which the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary may sell, convey or otherwise transfer or grant a security interest in any Receivables or Related Assets of the type specified in the definition of “Qualified Receivables Transaction.”

Registration Rights Agreement ” means the Exchange and Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of the date of this Indenture, among the Company, the Guarantors and the other parties named on the signature pages thereof, as such agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time and, with respect to any Additional Notes, one or more registration rights agreements among the Company, the Guarantors and the other parties thereto, as such agreement(s) may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, relating to rights given by the Company to the purchasers of Additional Notes to register such Additional Notes under the Securities Act.

 

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Regulation S ” means Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act.

Regulation S Global Note ” means a Regulation S Temporary Global Note or Regulation S Permanent Global Note, as appropriate.

Regulation S Permanent Global Note ” means a permanent Global Note in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto bearing the Global Note Legend and the Private Placement Legend 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 Regulation S Temporary Global Note upon expiration of the Restricted Period.

Regulation S Temporary Global Note ” means a temporary Global Note in the form of Exhibit A2 hereto 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.

Related Party ” means:

(1) any controlling stockholder, partner, member, 80% (or more) owned Subsidiary, or immediate family member (in the case of an individual) of any Principal; or

(2) any trust, corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity, the beneficiaries, stockholders, partners, members, owners or Persons beneficially holding an 80% or more controlling interest of which consist of any one or more Principals and/or such other Persons referred to in the immediately preceding clause (1).

Required Parity Lien Debtholders ” means, at any time, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of all Parity Lien Debt then outstanding, calculated in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.2 of the Collateral Trust Agreement. For purposes of this definition, Parity Lien Debt registered in the name of, or beneficially owned by, the Company or any Affiliate (other than Existing Second Lien Notes held by any Person that is an Affiliate of the Company as of May 2, 2005 and that is regulated by any banking or insurance authority) of the Company will be deemed not to be outstanding.

Responsible Officer ” when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee (or any successor group of the Trustee) having direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture and also means, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and that has direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

Restricted Definitive Note ” means a Definitive Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

Restricted Global Note ” means a Global Note bearing the Private Placement Legend.

Restricted Investment ” means an Investment other than a Permitted Investment.

Restricted Period ” means the 40-day distribution compliance period as defined in Regulation S.

Restricted Subsidiary ” of a Person means any Subsidiary of the referent Person that is not an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

 

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Revolving Credit Agent ” means, at any time:

 

 

(1)

the Person serving at such time as the “Agent” or “Administrative Agent” under the ABL Facility or any other representative then most recently designated in accordance with the applicable provisions of the ABL Facility, together with its successors in such capacity; and

 

 

(2)

in the case of any other revolving credit Indebtedness, the trustee, agent or representative of the holders of such revolving credit Indebtedness who maintains the transfer register for such revolving credit Indebtedness and (a) is appointed as a Revolving Credit Agent (for purposes related to the administration of the Security Documents) pursuant to the agreement governing such revolving credit Indebtedness, together with its successors in such capacity, and (b) has become a party to the Collateral Trust Agreement by executing a joinder in the form required under the Collateral Trust Agreement.

Revolving Credit Debt ” means:

 

 

(1)

Indebtedness of the Company (which may be guaranteed by the Guarantors) under the ABL Facility that was permitted to be incurred and secured under each applicable Secured Debt Document (or as to which the lenders under such Credit Agreement obtained an Officers’ Certificate at or before the time of incurrence to the effect that such Indebtedness was permitted to be incurred and secured by all applicable Secured Debt Documents); and

 

 

(2)

any other Indebtedness of the Company (which may be guaranteed by the Guarantors) that is secured by a Lien on ABL Collateral that was permitted to be incurred and so secured under each applicable Secured Debt Document; provided, in the case of any Indebtedness referred to in this clause (2) that on or before the date on which such Indebtedness is incurred, such Indebtedness is designated by the Company, in an Officers’ Certificate delivered to each Secured Debt Representative and the Collateral Trustee, as “Revolving Credit Debt” for the purposes of the Secured Debt Documents; provided, further , that no Series of Secured Debt may be Designated as Revolving Credit Debt and Priority Lien Debt or Parity Lien Debt;

provided further that no Indebtedness will be considered to be “Revolving Credit Debt” if on the date it was incurred the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Revolving Credit Debt exceeds the Revolving Credit Debt Cap as of such date (unless the lenders under the applicable Credit Facility obtained an Officers’ Certificate at or before the time of incurrence to the effect that such Indebtedness was permitted to be incurred and secured by all applicable Secured Debt Documents).

For purposes of this definition, letters of credit may constitute “Revolving Credit Debt.” All outstanding letters of credit will be deemed to have a principal amount equal to the maximum potential liability of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries thereunder.

Revolving Credit Debt Cap ” means an amount equal to the amount of Indebtedness permitted to be incurred pursuant to clauses (1) or (20) of the definition of Permitted Debt less (A) any Indebtedness incurred under clauses (1) or (20) of the definition of Permitted Debt that has been designated Priority Lien Debt and (B) less any Parity Lien Debt applied to repay revolving credit Indebtedness incurred under clauses (1) or (20) of the definition of Permitted Debt.

Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 144A ” means Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

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Rule 903 ” means Rule 903 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rule 904 ” means Rule 904 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Rumford L.P. ” means Rumford Cogeneration Company Limited Partnership, a Maine limited partnership.

Sale of a Guarantor ” means (1) any Asset Sale to the extent involving a sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of the Capital Stock of a Guarantor or (2) the issuance of Equity Interests by a Guarantor, other than (a) an issuance of Equity Interests by a Guarantor to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary of the Company, and (b) directors’ qualifying shares.

Sale of Shared Collateral ” means any Asset Sale to the extent involving a sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of Shared Collateral.

Sale/Leaseback Transaction ” means an arrangement relating to property owned by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary on the date of this Indenture or thereafter acquired by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary whereby the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary transfers such property to a Person and the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary leases it from such Person.

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Secured Debt ” means, collectively, all Parity Lien Debt and Priority Lien Debt.

Secured Debt Documents ” means the Parity Lien Documents and the Priority Lien Documents.

Secured Debt Representative ” means each Parity Lien Representative and each Priority Lien Representative.

Secured Leverage Ratio ” means, on any date, the ratio of:

 

 

(1)

the aggregate principal amount of Secured Debt, Revolving Credit Debt and Capital Lease Obligations outstanding on such date plus all Indebtedness of Restricted Subsidiaries of the Company that are not Guarantors outstanding on such date (and, for this purpose, letters of credit will be deemed to have a principal amount equal to the face amount thereof, whether or not drawn), net of Unrestricted Cash on the balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries as of such date, to:

 

 

(2)

the aggregate amount of the Company’s Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the most recent four-quarter period for which financial information is available.

In addition, for purposes of calculating the Secured Leverage Ratio:

 

 

(1)

acquisitions that have been made by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, including through mergers or consolidations, or any Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries acquired by the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, and including any related financing transactions and including increases in ownership of Restricted Subsidiaries, during the four-quarter reference period or subsequent to such reference period and on or prior to the date on which the event for which the calculation of the Secured Leverage Ratio is made (the “ Secured Leverage Calculation Date ”) will be given pro forma effect (in accordance with Regulation S-X under the Securities Act),

 

34


 

including Pro Forma Cost Savings whether or not such Pro Forma Cost Savings comply with Regulation S-X, as if they had occurred on the first day of the four-quarter reference period;

 

 

(2)

the Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Secured Leverage Calculation Date, will be excluded (including by adding back the amount of any attributable Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA that was negative);

 

 

(3)

the Interest Expense attributable to discontinued operations, as determined in accordance with GAAP, and operations or businesses (and ownership interests therein) disposed of prior to the Secured Leverage Calculation Date, will be excluded, but only to the extent that the obligations giving rise to such Interest Expense will not be obligations of the specified Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries following the Secured Leverage Calculation Date;

 

 

(4)

any Person that is a Restricted Subsidiary on the Secured Leverage Calculation Date will be deemed to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at all times during such four-quarter period;

 

 

(5)

any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary on the Secured Leverage Calculation Date will be deemed not to have been a Restricted Subsidiary at any time during such four-quarter period; and

 

 

(6)

if any Indebtedness bears a floating rate of interest, the interest expense on such Indebtedness will be calculated as if the rate in effect on the Secured Leverage Calculation Date had been the applicable rate for the entire period (taking into account any Hedging Obligation applicable to such Indebtedness if such Hedging Obligation has a remaining term as at the Secured Leverage Calculation Date in excess of 12 months).

Secured Obligations ” means, collectively, all Parity Lien Obligations and all Priority Lien Obligations.

Security ” means any stock, shares, partnership interests, voting trust certificates, certificates of interest or participation in any profit sharing agreement or arrangement, options, warrants, bonds, debentures, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness, secured or unsecured, convertible, subordinated or otherwise, or in general any instruments commonly known as “securities” or any certificates of interest, shares or participations in temporary or interim certificates for the purchase or acquisition of, or any right to subscribe to, purchase or acquire, any of the foregoing.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Security Documents ” means the Collateral Trust Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement, each Lien Sharing and Priority Confirmation, and all security agreements, pledge agreements, collateral assignments, mortgages, deeds of trust, collateral agency agreements, control agreements or other grants or transfers for security executed and delivered by the Company or any other Pledgor creating (or purporting to create) a Lien upon Collateral in favor of the Collateral Trustee, in each case, as amended, modified, renewed, restated or replaced, in whole or in part, from time to time, in accordance with its terms and the provisions of Section 8.1 of the Collateral Trust Agreement.

Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes ” means the 10% Senior Secured Notes due 2012 issued pursuant to the Senior Secured Fixed Rate Note Indenture.

 

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Senior Secured Fixed Rate Note Indenture” means the 10% Senior Secured Note Indenture, dated May 2, 2005, among NewPage Corporation, the guarantors party thereto and HSBC Bank USA, National Association as Trustee.

Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes ” means the Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2012 issued pursuant to the Senior Secured Floating Rate Note Indenture.

Senior Secured Floating Rate Note Indenture” means the Senior Secured Floating Rate Note Indenture, dated May 2, 2005, among NewPage Corporation, the guarantors party thereto and HSBC Bank USA, National Association as Trustee.

Senior Subordinated Note Indenture” means the Senior Subordinated Note Indenture, dated May 2, 2005, among NewPage Corporation, the guarantors party thereto and HSBC Bank USA, National Association.

Separate Collateral ” means Stock of Subsidiaries and Intercompany Notes of Subsidiaries unless, at the relevant time of consideration, such Intercompany Notes of Subsidiaries secure Obligations under the ABL Facility.

Series of Parity Lien Debt ” means, severally, the Existing Second Lien Notes and each other issue or series of Parity Lien Debt for which a single transfer register is maintained.

Series of Priority Lien Debt ” means, severally, the Notes and the Indebtedness outstanding under any Credit Facility that constitutes Priority Lien Debt.

Series of Secured Debt ” means each Series of Parity Lien Debt and each Series of Priority Lien Debt.

Shared Collateral ” means all properties and assets at any time owned or acquired by the Company or any of the other Pledgors, except:

 

 

(1)

Separate Collateral;

 

 

(2)

ABL Collateral;

 

 

(3)

any properties and assets in which the Collateral Trustee is required to release its Liens pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.1 of the Collateral Trust Agreement; and

 

 

(4)

any properties and assets that no longer secure the Notes or any Obligations in respect thereof pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.4. of the Collateral Trust Agreement;

provided that, in the case of clauses (3) and (4), if such Liens are required to be released as a result of the sale, transfer or other disposition of any properties or assets of the Company or any other Pledgor, such assets or properties will cease to be excluded from the Collateral if the Company or any other Pledgor thereafter acquires or reacquires such assets or properties.

Shelf Registration Statement ” means the Shelf Registration Statement as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

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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, as such Regulation is in effect on the date of this Indenture.

Special Interest ” means all special interest then owing pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.

Standard Securitization Undertakings ” means all representations, warranties, covenants, indemnities, performance guarantees and servicing obligations entered into by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company (other than a Receivables Entity) which are customary in connection with any Qualified Receivables Transaction.

Stated Maturity ” means, with respect to any installment of interest or principal on any series of Indebtedness, the date on which the payment of interest or principal was scheduled to be paid in the documentation governing such Indebtedness as of the date of this Indenture, and will 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.

Stock of Subsidiaries ” means all Capital Stock of, and Equity Interests in, Subsidiaries of the Company.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any specified Person:

(1) any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or stockholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees of the corporation, association or other business entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

(2) any partnership (a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof); provided, however , that notwithstanding the foregoing, Rumford L.P. shall not constitute a Subsidiary of the Company, unless and until the Company directly or indirectly acquires all of the limited partner interests in Rumford L.P.

Subsidiary Guarantee ” means the Guarantee by each Guarantor of the Company’s obligations under this Indenture and the Notes, executed pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture.

SuperHoldCo Notes ” means the floating rate senior unsecured notes due 2015 issued by NewPage Group on December 21, 2007, any exchange notes issued in connection with any registration of such notes, and any additional floating rate senior unsecured notes issued by NewPage Group as payments of interest thereon.

TIA ” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (15 U.S.C. §§ 77aaa-77bbbb).

Total Assets ” means the total consolidated assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, as shown on the most recent internal balance sheet of the Company prepared on a consolidated basis (excluding Unrestricted Subsidiaries) in accordance with GAAP.

 

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Transactions ” means the amendments entered into on September 11, 2009 to certain provisions of the Term Loan Credit and Guaranty Agreement and the ABL Facility, together with the issuance of the Notes on the date of this Indenture.

Treasury Rate ” means, as of any redemption date, the yield to maturity as of such redemption date of United States Treasury securities with a constant maturity (as compiled and published in the most recent Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (519) that 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 March 31, 2012; provided, however , that if the period from the redemption date to March 31, 2012, is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year will be used.

Trustee ” means The Bank of New York Mellon, until a successor replaces it in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture and thereafter means the successor serving hereunder.

“UCC ” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York or, when the context implies, the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in any other applicable jurisdiction.

Unrestricted Cash ” means, with respect to any specified Person for any date, the aggregate amount of cash and Cash Equivalents on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries which is free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens), other than segregated cash and Cash Equivalents the use of which, as of such date, is restricted by law or Contractual Obligation to any specific purpose.

Unrestricted Definitive Note ” means a Definitive Note that does not bear and is not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

Unrestricted Global Note ” means a Global Note that does not bear and is not required to bear the Private Placement Legend.

Unrestricted Subsidiary ” means Consolidated Water Power Company (until such time, if any, when Consolidated Water Power Company ceases to constitute an Unrestricted Subsidiary under the terms of this Indenture) and any other Subsidiary of the Company that is designated by the Board of Directors of the Company as an Unrestricted Subsidiary pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Directors, but only to the extent that such Subsidiary:

(1) has no Indebtedness other than Non-Recourse Debt;

(2) except as permitted by Section 4.11 hereof, is not party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or understanding with the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company unless the terms of any such agreement, 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

 

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(4) has not guaranteed or otherwise directly or indirectly provided credit support for any Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries unless such Guarantee or credit support is released upon its designation as an Unrestricted Subsidiary.

U.S. Person ” means a U.S. Person as defined in Rule 902(k) promulgated under the Securities Act.

Voting Stock ” of any specified Person as of any date means the Capital Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled to vote in the election of the Board of Directors of such Person.

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 of the Indebtedness, 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”

  

4.11

“Asset Sale Offer”

  

3.09

“Authentication Order”

  

2.02

“Change of Control Offer”

  

4.15

“Change of Control Payment”

  

4.15

“Change of Control Payment Date”

  

4.15

“Covenant Defeasance”

  

8.03

“DTC”

  

2.03

“Event of Default”

  

6.01

“Excess Proceeds”

  

4.10

“incur”

  

4.09

“Legal Defeasance”

  

8.02

“Offer Amount”

  

3.09

“Offer Period”

  

3.09

“Paying Agent”

  

2.03

“Payment Default”

  

6.01

“Permitted Debt”

  

4.09

“Purchase Date”

  

3.09

“Redemption Date”

  

3.07

“Registrar”

  

2.03

“Restricted Payments”

  

4.07

 

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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 Subsidiary 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; and

“obligor” on the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees means the Company and the Guarantors, respectively, and any successor obligor upon the Notes and the Subsidiary Guarantees, respectively.

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 and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings so assigned to them either in the TIA or SEC rule.

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) “will” shall be interpreted to express a command;

(6) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and

(7) references to sections of or rules under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or the TIA will be deemed to include substitute, replacement of successor sections or rules adopted by the SEC from time to time.

ARTICLE 2

THE NOTES

Section 2.01 Form and Dating.

(a) General . The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication will be substantially in the form of Exhibits A1 and A2 hereto. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rule or usage to which the Company is subject, if any. Each Note will be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes shall be issued in denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess of $2,000.

 

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The terms and provisions contained in the Notes will constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of this Indenture and the Company, the 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 any provision of any Note conflicts with the express provisions of this Indenture, the provisions of this Indenture shall govern and be controlling.

(b) Global Notes . Notes issued in global form will be substantially in the form of Exhibits A1 or A2 hereto (including the Global Note Legend thereon and the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Notes issued in definitive form will be substantially in the form of Exhibit A1 hereto (but without the Global Note Legend thereon and without the “Schedule of Exchanges of Interests in the Global Note” attached thereto). Each Global Note will represent such of the outstanding Notes as will be specified therein and each shall provide that it represents 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 thereof and transfers of interest therein. 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 will be made by the Trustee or the Custodian, at the direction of the Trustee, in accordance with instructions given by the Holder thereof as required by Section 2.06 hereof.

(c) Temporary Global Notes. Notes offered and sold in reliance on Regulation S will be issued initially in the form of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note, which will be deposited on behalf of the purchasers of the Notes represented thereby with the Trustee, at its New York office, as custodian for the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or the nominee of the Depositary for the accounts of designated agents holding on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the Trustee as hereinafter provided. The Restricted Period will be terminated upon the receipt by the Trustee of:

(1) a written certificate from the Depositary, together with copies of certificates from Euroclear and Clearstream certifying that they have received certification of non-United States beneficial ownership of 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note (except to the extent of any beneficial owners thereof who acquired an interest therein during the Restricted Period pursuant to another exemption from registration under the Securities Act and who will take delivery of a beneficial ownership interest in a 144A Global Note bearing a Private Placement Legend, all as contemplated by Section 2.06(b) hereof); and

(2) an Officers’ Certificate from the Company.

Following the termination of the Restricted Period, beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note will be exchanged for beneficial interests in the Regulation S Permanent Global Note pursuant to the Applicable Procedures. Simultaneously with the authentication of the Regulation S Permanent Global Note, the Trustee will cancel the Regulation S Temporary Global Note. The aggregate principal amount of the Regulation S Temporary Global Note and the Regulation S Permanent Global Note may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Trustee and the Depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, in connection with transfers of interest as hereinafter provided.

(3)  Euroclear and Clearstream Procedures Applicable. The provisions of the “Operating Procedures of the Euroclear System” and “Terms and Conditions Governing Use of Euroclear” and the “General Terms and Conditions of Clearstream Banking” and “Customer Handbook” of Clearstream will be applicable to transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note and the Regulation S Permanent Global Note that are held by Participants through Euroclear or Clearstream.

 

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Section 2.02 Execution and Authentication.

At least one Officer must sign the Notes for the Company 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 will nevertheless be valid.

A Note will not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or its authenticating agent as provided below. The signature will be conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The aggregate principal amount of Notes which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited.

The Trustee will, upon receipt of a written order of the Company signed by at least one Officer (an “ Authentication Order ”), authenticate Notes for original issue that may be validly issued under this Indenture, including any Additional Notes. The aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding at any time may not exceed the aggregate principal amount of Notes authorized for issuance by the Company pursuant to one or more Authentication Orders, except as provided in Section 2.07 hereof.

The Company may, subject to Article 4 and the terms of this Indenture and applicable law, issue Additional Notes and Exchange Notes under this Indenture. The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Notes. Unless otherwise provided in the appointment, 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 the Company.

Section 2.03 Registrar and Paying Agent.

The Company will maintain an office or agency where Notes may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (“ Registrar ”) and an office or agency where Notes may be presented for payment (“ Paying Agent ”). The Registrar will keep a register of the Notes and of their transfer and exchange. The Company 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 Company may change any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Holder. The Company will notify the Trustee in writing of the name and address of any Agent not a party to this Indenture. If the Company fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any of its Subsidiaries may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.

The Company initially appoints The Depository Trust Company ( “DTC” ) to act as Depositary with respect to the Global Notes.

The Company initially appoints the Trustee to act as the Registrar and Paying Agent and to act as Custodian with respect to the Global Notes, and the Trustee hereby agrees to so initially act.

 

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Section 2.04 Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

The Company will 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 or Special Interest, if any, or interest on the Notes, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company 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 Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it for the purpose of making payments on the Notes to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) will have no further liability for the money, as Paying Agent, other than to account to the Trustee and the Company for any funds disbursed. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it will segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent. Upon any Event of Default under Sections 6.01(7) and 6.01(8) hereof relating to the Company, the Trustee will serve as Paying Agent for the Notes.

Section 2.05 Holder Lists.

The Trustee will 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 § 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company will furnish or cause the Registrar to 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 and the Company shall otherwise comply with TIA § 312(a).

Section 2.06 Transfer and Exchange.

(a) Transfer and Exchange of Global Notes . A Global Note may not be transferred except as a whole 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 will be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes if:

(1) the Company delivers 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 Company within 120 days after the date of such notice from the Depositary;

(2) the Company in its sole discretion determines that the Global Notes (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged for Definitive Notes and delivers a written notice to such effect to the Trustee; provided that in no event shall the Regulation S Temporary Global Note be exchanged by the Company for Definitive Notes prior to (A) the expiration of the Restricted Period and (B) the receipt by the Registrar of any certificates required pursuant to Rule 903(b)(3)(ii)(B) under the Securities Act; or

(3) there has occurred and is continuing a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes.

Upon the occurrence of either of the preceding events in (1) or (2) above, Definitive Notes shall be issued in such names 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 this Section 2.06 or 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), (c) or (f) hereof.

 

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(b) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in the Global Notes . The transfer and exchange of beneficial interests in the Global Notes will be effected through the Depositary, in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture and the Applicable Procedures. Beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes will be subject to restrictions on transfer comparable to those set forth herein to the extent required by the Securities Act. None of the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial interests of a Global Note or maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial interests. Transfers of beneficial interests in the Global Notes also will require compliance with either subparagraph (1) or (2) below, as applicable, as well as one or more of the other following subparagraphs, as applicable:

(1) 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 Restricted Period, transfers of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary 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 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)(1).

(2) All Other Transfers and Exchanges of Beneficial Interests in Global Notes. In connection with all transfers and exchanges of beneficial interests that are not subject to Section 2.06(b)(1) above, the transferor of such beneficial interest must deliver to the Registrar either:

(A) both:

(i) 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

(ii) instructions given in accordance with the Applicable Procedures containing information regarding the Participant account to be credited with such increase; or

(B) both:

(i) a written order from a Participant or an Indirect Participant given to the Depositary in accordance with the Applicable Procedures directing the Depositary to cause to be issued a Definitive Note in an amount equal to the beneficial interest to be transferred or exchanged; and

(ii) instructions given by the Depositary to the Registrar containing information regarding the Person in whose name such Definitive Note shall be registered to effect the transfer or exchange referred to in (1) above; provided

 

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that in no event shall Definitive Notes be issued upon the transfer or exchange of beneficial interests in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note prior to (A) the expiration of the Restricted Period and (B) the receipt by the Registrar of any certificates required pursuant to Rule 903 under the Securities Act.

Upon consummation of an Exchange Offer by the Company in accordance with Section 2.06(f) hereof, the requirements of this Section 2.06(b)(2) shall be deemed to have been satisfied upon receipt by the Registrar of the instructions contained in the Letter of Transmittal delivered by the Holder 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 and the Notes or 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.

(3) 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 Section 2.06(b)(2) 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; and

(B) if the transferee will take delivery in the form of a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note or the Regulation S Permanent Global Note, then the transferor must deliver a certificate in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof.

(4) Transfer and Exchange of Beneficial Interests in a Restricted Global Note for Beneficial Interests in an 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 Section 2.06(b)(2) above and:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the 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, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it 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) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the 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; or

 

45


(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, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

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 Company 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 in an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of beneficial interests transferred pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (D) above.

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 Definitive Notes .

(1) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

(A) if the holder of such beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Restricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(a) thereof;

(B) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

(D) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

 

46


(E) if such beneficial interest is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

(F) if such beneficial interest is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

the Trustee shall cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c) shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest shall instruct the Registrar through instructions from the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee shall deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(1) shall bear the Private Placement Legend and shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer contained therein.

(2) Beneficial Interests in Regulation S Temporary Global Note to Definitive Notes. Notwithstanding Sections 2.06(c)(1)(A) and (C) hereof, a beneficial interest in the Regulation S Temporary Global Note may not be exchanged for a Definitive Note or transferred to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note prior to (A) the expiration of the Restricted Period and (B) the receipt by the Registrar of any certificates required pursuant to Rule 903(b)(3)(ii)(B) under the Securities Act, except in the case of a transfer pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act other than Rule 903 or Rule 904.

(3) Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A holder of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note may exchange such beneficial interest for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or may transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note only if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the holder of such beneficial interest, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it 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) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the 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 an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(b) thereof; or

 

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(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 an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(4) Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. If any holder of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note proposes to exchange such beneficial interest for a Definitive Note or to transfer such beneficial interest to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a Definitive Note, then, upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 2.06(b)(2) hereof, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Global Note to be reduced accordingly pursuant to Section 2.06(h) hereof, and the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Person designated in the instructions a Definitive Note in the appropriate principal amount. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(4) will be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denomination or denominations as the holder of such beneficial interest requests through instructions to the Registrar from or through the Depositary and the Participant or Indirect Participant. The Trustee will deliver such Definitive Notes to the Persons in whose names such Notes are so registered. Any Definitive Note issued in exchange for a beneficial interest pursuant to this Section 2.06(c)(4) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

(d) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Beneficial Interests.

(1) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Restricted Global Notes. If any Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note or to transfer such Restricted Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, then, upon receipt by the Registrar of the following documentation:

(A) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Note proposes to exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in a Restricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (2)(b) thereof;

(B) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a QIB in accordance with Rule 144A, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (1) thereof;

(C) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to a Non-U.S. Person in an offshore transaction in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (2) thereof;

 

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(D) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in accordance with Rule 144, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(a) thereof;

(E) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(b) thereof; or

(F) if such Restricted Definitive Note is being transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, a certificate to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (3)(c) thereof,

the Trustee will cancel the Restricted Definitive Note, increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of, in the case of clause (A) above, the appropriate Restricted Global Note, in the case of clause (B) above, the 144A Global Note and in the case of clause (C) above, the Regulation S Global Note.

(2) Restricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of a Restricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Restricted Definitive Note to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note only if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it 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) such transfer is effected pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(c) thereof; or

(ii) if the Holder of such Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in the Unrestricted Global Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests or if the Applicable Procedures so require, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance

 

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with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

Upon satisfaction of the conditions of any of the subparagraphs in this Section 2.06(d)(2), the Trustee will cancel the Definitive Notes and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of the Unrestricted Global Note.

(3) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Beneficial Interests in Unrestricted Global Notes. A Holder of an Unrestricted Definitive Note may exchange such Note for a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note or transfer such Definitive Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in an Unrestricted Global Note at any time. Upon receipt of a request for such an exchange or transfer, the Trustee will cancel the applicable Unrestricted Definitive Note and increase or cause to be increased the aggregate principal amount of one of the Unrestricted Global Notes.

If any such exchange or transfer from a Definitive Note to a beneficial interest is effected pursuant to subparagraphs (2)(B), (2)(D) or (3) above at a time when an Unrestricted Global Note has not yet been issued, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof, the Trustee will authenticate one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of Definitive Notes so transferred.

(e) Transfer and Exchange of Definitive Notes for Definitive Notes. Upon request by a Holder of Definitive Notes and such Holder’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 2.06(e), the Registrar will register the transfer or exchange of Definitive Notes. Prior to such registration of transfer or exchange, the requesting Holder must present or surrender to the Registrar the Definitive Notes duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instruction of transfer in form satisfactory to the Registrar duly executed by such Holder or by its attorney, duly authorized in writing. In addition, the requesting Holder must provide any additional certifications, documents and information, as applicable, required pursuant to the following provisions of this Section 2.06(e).

(1) Restricted Definitive Notes to Restricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be transferred to and registered in the name of Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of a Restricted Definitive Note if the Registrar receives the following:

(A) if the transfer will be made pursuant to Rule 144A, 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.

 

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(2) Restricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. Any Restricted Definitive Note may be exchanged by the Holder thereof for an Unrestricted Definitive Note or transferred to a Person or Persons who take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note if:

(A) such exchange or transfer is effected pursuant to the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Holder, in the case of an exchange, or the transferee, in the case of a transfer, certifies in the applicable Letter of Transmittal that it 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 the Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement;

(C) any such transfer is effected by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement; or

(D) the Registrar receives the following:

(i) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to exchange such Notes for an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit C hereto, including the certifications in item (1)(d) thereof; or

(ii) if the Holder of such Restricted Definitive Notes proposes to transfer such Notes to a Person who shall take delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note, a certificate from such Holder in the form of Exhibit B hereto, including the certifications in item (4) thereof;

and, in each such case set forth in this subparagraph (D), if the Registrar so requests, an Opinion of Counsel in form reasonably acceptable to the Registrar to the effect that such exchange or transfer is in compliance with the Securities Act and that the restrictions on transfer contained herein and in the Private Placement Legend are no longer required in order to maintain compliance with the Securities Act.

(3) Unrestricted Definitive Notes to Unrestricted Definitive Notes. A Holder of Unrestricted Definitive Notes may transfer such Notes to a Person who takes delivery thereof in the form of an Unrestricted Definitive Note. Upon receipt of a request to register such a transfer, the Registrar shall register the Unrestricted Definitive Notes pursuant to the instructions from the Holder thereof.

(f) Exchange Offer. Upon the occurrence of the Exchange Offer in accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company will issue and, upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof and the documents required by Section 13.04 hereof, the Trustee will authenticate:

(1) one or more Unrestricted Global Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the beneficial interests in the Restricted Global Notes accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer by Persons that certify in the applicable Letters of Transmittal that (A) they are not Broker-Dealers, (B) they are not participating in a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (C) they are not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company; and

 

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(2) Unrestricted Definitive Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of the Restricted Definitive Notes accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer by Persons that certify in the applicable Letters of Transmittal that (A) they are not Broker-Dealers, (B) they are not participating in a distribution of the Exchange Notes and (C) they are not affiliates (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company.

Concurrently with the issuance of such Notes, the Trustee will cause the aggregate principal amount of the applicable Restricted Global Notes to be reduced accordingly, and the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver to the Persons designated by the Holders of Definitive Notes so accepted Unrestricted Definitive Notes in the appropriate principal amount.

(g) Legends. The following legends will appear on the face of all Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued under this Indenture unless specifically stated otherwise in the applicable provisions of this Indenture.

(1) Private Placement Legend .

(A) Except as permitted by subparagraph (B) below, each Global Note and each Definitive Note (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) shall bear the legend in substantially the following form:

“THIS NOTE (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND THIS NOTE MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION THEREFROM. EACH PURCHASER OF THIS NOTE IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE SELLER OF THIS NOTE MAY BE RELYING ON THE EXEMPTION FROM THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 OF THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144A THEREUNDER.

THE HOLDER OF THIS NOTE AGREES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMPANY THAT (A) THIS NOTE MAY BE OFFERED, RESOLD, PLEDGED OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, ONLY (I) IN THE UNITED STATES TO A PERSON WHOM THE SELLER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) IN A TRANSACTION MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF RULE 144A, (II) OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN AN OFFSHORE TRANSACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 904 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (III) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144 THEREUNDER (IF AVAILABLE) OR (IV) PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, IN EACH OF CASES (I) THROUGH (IV) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND (B) THE HOLDER WILL, AND EACH SUBSEQUENT HOLDER IS REQUIRED TO, NOTIFY ANY PURCHASER OF THIS NOTE FROM IT OF THE RESALE RESTRICTIONS REFERRED TO IN (A) ABOVE.”

(B) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Global Note or Definitive Note issued pursuant to subparagraphs (b)(4), (c)(3), (c)(4), (d)(2), (d)(3), (e)(2), (e)(3) or (f) of this Section 2.06 (and all Notes issued in exchange therefor or substitution thereof) will not bear the Private Placement Legend.

 

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(2) Global Note Legend . Each Global Note will 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 (1) THE TRUSTEE MAY MAKE SUCH NOTATIONS HEREON AS MAY BE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.01 AND SECTION 2.06 OF THE INDENTURE, (2) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE EXCHANGED IN WHOLE BUT NOT IN PART PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.06(a) OF THE INDENTURE, (3) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE DELIVERED TO THE TRUSTEE FOR CANCELLATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.11 OF THE INDENTURE AND (4) THIS GLOBAL NOTE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMPANY.

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) (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS 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.”

(3) Regulation S Temporary Global Note Legend. The Regulation S Temporary Global Note will bear a Legend in substantially the following form:

“THE RIGHTS ATTACHING TO THIS REGULATION S TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE, AND THE CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING ITS EXCHANGE FOR CERTIFICATED NOTES, ARE AS SPECIFIED IN THE INDENTURE (AS DEFINED HEREIN). NEITHER THE HOLDER NOR THE BENEFICIAL OWNERS OF THIS REGULATION S TEMPORARY GLOBAL NOTE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE PAYMENT OF INTEREST HEREON.”

“THIS NOTE (OR ITS PREDECESSOR) WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED IN A TRANSACTION ORIGINALLY EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OR BENEFIT OF, ANY U.S. PERSON EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND ALL APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. TERMS USED ABOVE HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.”

(4) Original Issue Discount Legend. Each Note issued with original issue discount will bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“FOR THE PURPOSES OF SECTIONS 1272, 1273 AND 1275 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED, THIS SECURITY IS BEING ISSUED WITH ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT; FOR EACH $1,000 PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF THIS SECURITY, THE ISSUE PRICE IS $              , THE AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT IS $              , THE ISSUE DATE IS                          , 200      AND THE YIELD TO MATURITY IS          % PER ANNUM.”

 

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(h) Cancellation and/or Adjustment of Global Notes. At such time as all beneficial interests in a particular Global Note have been exchanged for Definitive Notes or a particular Global Note has been redeemed, repurchased or canceled in whole and not in part, each such Global Note will 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 Definitive Notes, the principal amount of Notes represented by such Global Note will be reduced accordingly and an endorsement will 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 will be increased accordingly and an endorsement will 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.

(1) To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes upon receipt of an Authentication Order in accordance with Section 2.02 hereof or at the Registrar’s request.

(2) No service charge will be made to a Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Note or to a Holder of a Definitive Note for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company or the Trustee 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, 4.10, 4.15 and 9.05 hereof).

(3) All Global Notes and Definitive Notes issued upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Global Notes or Definitive Notes will be the valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Global Notes or Definitive Notes surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

(4) Neither the Registrar nor the Company will be required:

(A) to issue, to register the transfer of or to exchange any Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of the Notes to be redeemed under Section 3.02 hereof and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing;

(B) to register the transfer of or to exchange any Note selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Note being redeemed in part;

(C) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note between a record date and the next succeeding interest payment date; or

(D) to register the transfer of or to exchange a Note tendered and not withdrawn in connection with a Change of Control Offer or an Asset Sale Offer.

 

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(5) Prior to due presentment for the registration of a transfer of any Note, the Trustee, any Agent and the Company 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, premium and Special Interest, if any, and interest on such Notes and for all other purposes, and none of the Trustee, any Agent or the Company shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

(6) The Trustee will authenticate Global Notes and Definitive Notes in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.02 hereof.

(7) All certifications, certificates and Opinions of Counsel required to be submitted to the Registrar pursuant to this Section 2.06 to effect a registration of transfer or exchange may be submitted by facsimile.

(8) 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 depositary participants or beneficial owners of interests in any Global Note) other than to require delivery of such certificates 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 compliance as to form with the express requirements hereof.

(9) Neither the Trustee nor any Agent shall have any responsibility for any actions taken or not taken by the Depositary.

Section 2.07 Replacement Notes.

If any mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or the Company and the Trustee receives evidence to its satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Note, the Company will issue and the Trustee, upo


 
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