11.50% Senior Notes due 2017

 

“Business Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 13e-4(a)(3) promulgated by the Commission under the Exchange Act, as the same may be amended or succeeded from time to time.

 

“Closing Date” shall mean the date on which the Securities are initially issued.

 

“Commission” shall mean the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or any other federal agency at the time administering the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, whichever is the relevant statute for the particular purpose.

 

“EDGAR System” means the EDGAR filing system of the Commission and the rules and regulations pertaining thereto promulgated by the Commission in Regulation S-T under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, in each case as the same may be amended or succeeded from time to time (and without regard to format).

 

“Effective Time,” in the case of (i) an Exchange Registration, shall mean the time and date as of which the Commission declares the Exchange Registration Statement effective or as of which the Exchange Registration Statement otherwise becomes effective and (ii) a Shelf Registration, shall mean the time and date as of which the Commission declares the Shelf Registration Statement effective or as of which the Shelf Registration Statement otherwise becomes effective.

 

“Electing Holder” shall mean any holder of Registrable Securities that has returned a completed and signed Notice and Questionnaire to the Company in accordance with Section 3(d)(ii) or Section 3(d)(iii) and the instructions set forth in the Notice and Questionnaire.

 

“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder, as the same may be amended or succeeded from time to time.

 

“Exchange Offer” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(a).

 

“Exchange Registration” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 3(c).

 

“Exchange Registration Statement” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(a).

 

“Exchange Securities” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(a).

 

“Guarantor” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in the introductory paragraph.

 

The term “holder” shall mean each of the Purchasers and other persons who acquire Securities from time to time (including any successors or assigns), in each case for so long as such person owns any Securities.

 

“Indenture” shall mean the indenture, dated as of October 7, 2009, among the Company, the Guarantors and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, as the same may be amended from time to time.

 

“Notice and Questionnaire” means a Notice of Registration Statement and Selling Securityholder Questionnaire substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.

 

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The term “person” shall mean a corporation, limited liability company, association, partnership, organization, business, individual, government or political subdivision thereof or governmental agency.

 

“Purchase Agreement” shall mean the Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 2, 2009, among the Purchasers, the Company and the Guarantors relating to the Securities.

 

“Purchasers” shall mean the Purchasers named in Schedule I to the Purchase Agreement.

 

“Registrable Securities” shall mean the Securities; provided, however, that a Security shall cease to be a Registrable Security upon the earliest to occur of the following: (i) in the circumstances contemplated by Section 2(a), the Security has been exchanged for an Exchange Security in an Exchange Offer as contemplated in Section 2(a) ( provided that any Exchange Security that, pursuant to the last two sentences of Section 2(a), is included in a prospectus for use in connection with resales by broker-dealers shall be deemed to be a Registrable Security with respect to Sections 5, 6 and 9 until resale of such Registrable Security has been effected within the Resale Period); (ii) in the circumstances contemplated by Section 2(b), a Shelf Registration Statement registering such Security under the Securities Act has been declared or becomes effective and such Security has been sold or otherwise transferred by the holder thereof pursuant to and in a manner contemplated by such effective Shelf Registration Statement; (iii) subject to Section 8(b), such Security is actually sold by the holder thereof pursuant to Rule 144 under circumstances in which any legend borne by such Security relating to restrictions on transferability thereof, under the Securities Act or otherwise, is removed by the Company or pursuant to the Indenture; or (iv) such Security shall cease to be outstanding.

 

“Registration Default” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(c).

 

“Registration Default Period” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(c).

 

“Registration Expenses” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 4.

 

“Resale Period” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(a).

 

“Restricted Holder” shall mean (i) a holder that is an affiliate of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405, (ii) a holder who acquires Exchange Securities outside the ordinary course of such holder’s business, (iii) a holder who has arrangements or understandings with any person to participate in the Exchange Offer for the purpose of distributing Exchange Securities and (iv) a holder that is a broker-dealer, but only with respect to Exchange Securities received by such broker-dealer pursuant to an Exchange Offer in exchange for Registrable Securities acquired by the broker-dealer directly from the Company.

 

“Rule 144,” “Rule 405”, “Rule 415”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430B” and “Rule 433” shall mean, in each case, such rule promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Act (or any successor provision), as the same may be amended or succeeded from time to time.

 

“Securities” shall mean, collectively, the $150,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 11.50% Senior Notes due 2017 to be issued and sold to the Purchasers, and securities issued in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof pursuant to the Indenture.  Each Security is entitled to the benefit of the guarantees provided by the Guarantors in the Indenture (the “ Guarantees ”) and, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference

 

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herein to a “Security,” an “Exchange Security” or a “Registrable Security” shall include a reference to the related Guarantees.

 

“Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder, as the same may be amended or succeeded from time to time.

 

“Shelf Registration” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(b).

 

“Shelf Registration Statement” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in Section 2(b).

 

“Trust Indenture Act” shall mean the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder, as the same may be amended or succeeded from time to time.

 

“Trustee” shall mean U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee under the Indenture, together with any successors thereto in such capacity.

 

Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference herein to a “Section” or “clause” refers to a Section or clause, as the case may be, of this Agreement, and the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Section or other subdivision.

 

2.      Registration Under the Securities Act .

 

(a)  Except as set forth in Section 2(b) below, the Company and the Guarantors agree to file under the Securities Act no later than 180 days after the Closing Date, or if the 180th day is not a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter, a registration statement relating to an offer to exchange (such registration statement, the “Exchange Registration Statement” , and such offer, the “Exchange Offer” ) any and all of the Securities for a like aggregate principal amount of debt securities issued by the Company and guaranteed by the Guarantors, which debt securities and guarantees are substantially identical to the Securities and the related Guarantees, respectively (and are entitled to the benefits of the Indenture), except that they have been registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and do not contain provisions for Additional Interest contemplated in Section 2(c) below (such new debt securities hereinafter called “Exchange Securities” ).  The Company and the Guarantors agree to use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Exchange Registration Statement to become effective under the Securities Act no later than 270 days after the Closing Date or, if the 270th day is not a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter.  The Exchange Offer will be registered under the Securities Act on the appropriate form and will comply with all applicable tender offer rules and regulations under the Exchange Act.  Unless the Exchange Offer would not be permitted by applicable law or Commission policy, the Company further agrees to use all commercially reasonable efforts to (i) commence the Exchange Offer promptly (but no later than 10 Business Days) following the Effective Time of such Exchange Registration Statement, (ii) hold the Exchange Offer open for at least 20 Business Days in accordance with Regulation 14E promulgated by the Commission under the Exchange Act and (iii) exchange Exchange Securities for all Registrable Securities that have been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn promptly following the expiration of the Exchange Offer.  The Exchange Offer will be deemed to have been “completed” only upon the Company having exchanged, pursuant to the Exchange Offer, Exchange Securities for all Registrable Securities that have been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn before the expiration of the Exchange Offer, which shall be on a date that is at least 20 and not more than 30

 

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Business Days following the commencement of the Exchange Offer.  The Company and the Guarantors agree (x) to include in the Exchange Registration Statement a prospectus for use in any resales by any holder of Exchange Securities that is a broker-dealer and (y) to keep such Exchange Registration Statement effective for a period (the “Resale Period” ) beginning when Exchange Securities are first issued in the Exchange Offer and ending upon the earlier of the expiration of the 180th day after the Exchange Offer has been completed or such time as such broker-dealers no longer own any Registrable Securities.  With respect to such Exchange Registration Statement, such holders shall have the benefit of the rights of indemnification and contribution set forth in Subsections 6(a), (c), (d) and (e).

 

(b)  If (i) on or prior to the time the Exchange Offer is completed existing law or Commission interpretations are changed such that the debt securities or the related guarantees received by holders other than Restricted Holders in the Exchange Offer for Registrable Securities are not or would not be, upon receipt, transferable by each such holder without restriction under the Securities Act, (ii) the Effective Time of the Exchange Registration Statement is not within 270 days following the Closing Date and the Exchange Offer has not been completed within 30 Business Days of such Effective Time or (iii) any holder of Registrable Securities notifies the Company prior to the 20 th  Business Day following the completion of the Exchange Offer that: (A) it is prohibited by law or Commission policy from participating in the Exchange Offer, (B) it may not resell the Exchange Securities to the public without delivering a prospectus and the prospectus contained in the Exchange Registration Statement is not appropriate or available for such resales or (C) it is a broker-dealer and owns Securities acquired directly from the Company or an affiliate of the Company, then the Company and the Guarantors shall, in lieu of (or, in the case of clause (iii), in addition to) conducting the Exchange Offer contemplated by Section 2(a), file under the Securities Act no later than 90 days after the time such obligation to file arises (but no earlier than 180 days after the Closing Date), a “shelf” registration statement providing for the registration of, and the sale on a continuous or delayed basis by the holders of, all of the Registrable Securities, pursuant to Rule 415 or any similar rule that may be adopted by the Commission (such filing, the “Shelf Registration” and such registration statement, the “Shelf Registration Statement” ).  The Company and the Guarantors agree to use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shelf Registration Statement to become or be declared effective no later than 180 days after such Shelf Registration Statement filing obligation arises (but no earlier than 270 days after the Closing Date); provided , that if at any time the Company is or becomes a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405) and is eligible to file an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405), then the Company and the Guarantors shall file the Shelf Registration Statement in the form of an automatic shelf registration statement as provided in Rule 405.  The Company and the Guarantors agree to use all commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective for a period ending on the earlier of the second anniversary of the Effective Time or such time as there are no longer any Registrable Securities outstanding.  No holder shall be entitled to be named as a selling securityholder in the Shelf Registration Statement or to use the prospectus forming a part thereof for resales of Registrable Securities unless such holder is an Electing Holder.  The Company and the Guarantors agree, after the Effective Time of the Shelf Registration Statement and promptly upon the request of any holder of Registrable Securities that is not then an Electing Holder, to use all commercially reasonable efforts to enable such holder to use the prospectus forming a part thereof for resales of Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, any action necessary to identify such holder as a selling securityholder in the Shelf Registration Statement (whether by post-effective amendment thereto or by filing a prospectus pursuant to Rules 430B and 424(b) under the Securities Act identifying such holder), provided, however, that nothing in this sentence shall relieve any such holder of the obligation to return

 

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a completed and signed Notice and Questionnaire to the Company in accordance with Section 3(d)(iii).

 

(c)  In the event that (i) the Company and the Guarantors have not filed the Exchange Registration Statement or the Shelf Registration Statement on or before the date on which such registration statement is required to be filed pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b), respectively, or (ii) such Exchange Registration Statement or Shelf Registration Statement has not become effective or been declared effective by the Commission on or before the date on which such registration statement is required to become or be declared effective pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b), respectively, or (iii) the Exchange Offer has not been completed within 30 Business Days after the Effective Time of the Exchange Registration Statement relating to the Exchange Offer (if the Exchange Offer is then required to be made) or (iv) any Exchange Registration Statement or Shelf Registration Statement required by Section 2(a) or Section 2(b) is filed and declared effective but shall thereafter either be withdrawn by the Company or shall become subject to an effective stop order issued pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Securities Act suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement (except as specifically permitted herein without being succeeded immediately by an additional registration statement filed and declared effective (each such event referred to in clauses (i) through (iv), a “Registration Default” and each period during which a Registration Default has occurred and is continuing, a “Registration Default Period” ), then, as liquidated damages for such Registration Default, subject to the provisions of Section 9(b), additional interest ( “Additional Interest” ), in addition to the Base Interest, shall accrue on the outstanding principal amount of the Registrable Securities then outstanding at a per annum rate of 0.25% for the first 90 days of the Registration Default Period, at a per annum rate of 0.50% for the second 90 days of the Registration Default Period, at a per annum rate of 0.75% for the third 90 days of the Registration Default Period and at a per annum rate of 1.0% thereafter for the remaining portion of the Registration Default Period.  Additional Interest shall accrue and be payable only with respect to a single Registration Default at any given time, notwithstanding the fact that multiple Registration Defaults may exist at such time.

 

(d)  The Company shall take, and shall cause the Guarantors to take, all actions necessary or advisable to be taken by it to ensure that the transactions contemplated herein are effected as so contemplated, including all actions necessary or desirable to register the Guarantees under any Exchange Registration Statement or Shelf  Registration Statement, as applicable.

 

(e)  Any reference herein to a registration statement or prospectus as of any time shall be deemed to include any document incorporated, or deemed to be incorporated, therein by reference as of such time; and any reference herein to any post-effective amendment to a registration statement or to any prospectus supplement as of any time shall be deemed to include any document incorporated, or deemed to be incorporated, therein by reference as of such time.

 

3.      Registration Procedures .

 

If the Company and the Guarantors file a registration statement pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 2(b), the following provisions shall apply:

 

(a)  At or before the Effective Time of the Exchange Registration or any Shelf Registration, whichever may occur first, the Company shall qualify the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.

 

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(b)  In the event that such qualification would require the appointment of a new trustee under the Indenture, the Company shall appoint a new trustee thereunder pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Indenture.

 

(c)  In connection with the Company’s and the Guarantors’ obligations with respect to the registration of Exchange Securities as contemplated by Section 2(a) (the “Exchange Registration” ), if applicable, the Company and the Guarantors shall:

 

(i)         prepare and file with the Commission, no later than 180 days after the Closing Date, or if the 180th day is not a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter, an Exchange Registration Statement on any form which may be utilized by the Company and the Guarantors and which shall permit the Exchange Offer and resales of Exchange Securities by broker-dealers during the Resale Period to be effected as contemplated by Section 2(a), and use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Exchange Registration Statement to become effective no later than 270 days after the Closing Date or, if the 270th day is not a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter;

 

(ii)        as soon as practicable prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to such Exchange Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein as may be necessary to effect and maintain the effectiveness of such Exchange Registration Statement for the periods and purposes contemplated in Section 2(a) and as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions applicable to the form of such Exchange Registration Statement, and promptly provide each broker-dealer holding Exchange Securities with such number of copies of the prospectus included therein (as then amended or supplemented), in conformity in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act, as such broker-dealer reasonably may request prior to the expiration of the Resale Period, for use in connection with resales of Exchange Securities;

 

(iii)       promptly notify each broker-dealer that has requested or received copies of the prospectus included in such Exchange Registration Statement, and confirm such advice in writing, (A) when such Exchange Registration Statement or the prospectus included therein or any prospectus amendment or supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, and, with respect to such Exchange Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective, (B) of the receipt of any comments by the Commission and by the blue sky or securities commissioner or regulator of any state with respect thereto or any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to such Exchange Registration Statement or prospectus or for additional information, (C) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Exchange Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for that purpose, (D) if at any time the representations and warranties of the Company contemplated by Section 5 cease to be true and correct in all material respects, (E) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Exchange Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose, (F) of the occurrence of any event that causes the Company to become an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405, or (G) if at any time during the Resale Period when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, that such Exchange Registration Statement, prospectus, prospectus amendment or supplement or post-effective

 

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amendment does not conform in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing;

 

(iv)      in the event that the Company and the Guarantors would be required, pursuant to Section 3(c)(iii)(G), to notify any broker-dealers holding Exchange Securities, promptly prepare and furnish to each such holder a reasonable number of copies of a prospectus supplemented or amended so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of such Exchange Securities during the Resale Period, such prospectus shall conform in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act and shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing;

 

(v)       use all commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of such Exchange Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto at the earliest practicable date;

 

(vi)      use all commercially reasonable efforts to (A) register or qualify the Exchange Securities under the securities laws or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions no later than the commencement of the Exchange Offer, to the extent required by such laws, (B) keep such registrations or qualifications in effect and comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of offers, sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions until the expiration of the Resale Period, (C) take any and all other actions as may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable each broker-dealer holding Exchange Securities to consummate the disposition thereof in such jurisdictions and (D) obtain the consent or approval of each governmental agency or authority, whether federal, state or local, which may be required to effect the Exchange Registration, the Exchange Offer and the offering and sale of Exchange Securities by broker-dealers during the Resale Period; provided, however, that neither the Company nor the Guarantors shall be required for any such purpose to (1) qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction wherein it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for the requirements of this Section 3(c)(vi), (2) consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction or become subject to taxation in any such jurisdiction or (3) make any changes to its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other governing documents or any agreement between it and its stockholders;

 

(vii)     obtain a CUSIP number for all Exchange Securities, not later than the applicable Effective Time; and

 

(viii)    comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and make generally available to its securityholders no later than eighteen months after the Effective Time of such Exchange Registration Statement, an “earning statement” of the Company and its subsidiaries complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158 thereunder).

 

(d)  In connection with the Company’s and the Guarantors’ obligations with respect to the Shelf Registration, if applicable, the Company and the Guarantors shall:

 

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(i)         prepare and file with the Commission, within the time periods specified in Section 2(b), a Shelf Registration Statement on any form which may be utilized by the Company and which shall register all of the Registrable Securities for resale by the holders thereof in accordance with such method or methods of disposition as may be specified by the holders of Registrable Securities as, from time to time, may be Electing Holders and use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Shelf Registration Statement to become effective within the time periods specified in Section 2(b);

 

(ii)        mail the Notice and Questionnaire to the holders of Registrable Securities (A) not less than 30 days prior to the anticipated Effective Time of the Shelf Registration Statement or (B) in the case of an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405), mail the Notice and Questionnaire to the holders of Registrable Securities not later than the Effective Time of such Shelf Registration Statement, and in any such case no holder shall be entitled to be named as a selling securityholder in the Shelf Registration Statement, and no holder shall be entitled to use the prospectus forming a part thereof for resales of Registrable Securities at any time, unless and until such holder has returned a completed and signed Notice and Questionnaire to the Company;

 

(iii)       after the Effective Time of the Shelf Registration Statement, upon the request of any holder of Registrable Securities that is not then an Electing Holder, promptly send a Notice and Questionnaire to such holder; provided that the Company shall not be required to take any action to name such holder as a selling securityholder in the Shelf Registration Statement or to enable such holder to use the prospectus forming a part thereof for resales of Registrable Securities until such holder has returned a completed and signed Notice and Questionnaire to the Company;

 

(iv)      as soon as practicable prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and supplements to such Shelf Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein as may be necessary to effect and maintain the effectiveness of such Shelf Registration Statement for the period specified in Section 2(b) and as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions applicable to the form of such Shelf Registration Statement, and furnish to the Electing Holders copies of any such supplement or amendment simultaneously with or prior to its being used or filed with the Commission to the extent such documents are not publicly available on the Commission’s EDGAR System;

 

(v)       comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all of the Registrable Securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the Electing Holders provided for in such Shelf Registration Statement;

 

(vi)      provide the Electing Holders and not more than one counsel for all the Electing Holders the reasonable opportunity to participate in the preparation of such Shelf Registration Statement, each prospectus included therein or filed with the Commission and each amendment or supplement thereto (excluding any document that is to be incorporated by reference into a Shelf Registration Statement);

 

(vii)     for a reasonable period prior to the filing of such Shelf Registration Statement, and throughout the period specified in Section 2(b), make available at

 

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