$250,000,000
7 3
/ 4 % Senior
Notes due 2019
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
New York, New York
July 28, 2009
Banc of America
Securities LLC
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
RBS Securities Inc.
The Huntington Investment Company
PNC Capital Markets LLC
Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
c/o Banc of
America Securities LLC
One Bryant Park
New York, NY 10036
Greif, Inc., a corporation organized under the
laws of Delaware (the “Company”), proposes to issue and
sell to certain purchasers (the “Initial Purchasers”),
upon the terms set forth in a Purchase Agreement dated as of
July 23, 2009, between the Company and the Initial Purchasers
(the “Purchase Agreement”), relating to the initial
placement (the “Initial Placement”) of $250,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its 7 3 / 4
% Senior Notes due 2019 (the
“Securities”). To induce the Initial Purchasers to
enter into the Purchase Agreement and to satisfy a condition of
your obligations thereunder, the Company agrees with you for your
benefit and the benefit of the holders from time to time of the
Securities (including the Initial Purchasers) (each a
“Holder” and, together, the “Holders”), as
follows:
1. Definitions . Capitalized terms
used herein without definition shall have their respective meanings
set forth in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the
following capitalized defined terms shall have the following
meanings:
“Act” shall mean the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Affiliate” of any specified Person
shall mean any other Person that, directly or indirectly, is in
control of, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such
specified Person. For purposes of this definition, control of a
Person shall mean the power, direct or indirect, to direct or cause
the direction of the management and policies of such Person whether
by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling”
and “controlled” shall have meanings correlative to the
foregoing.
“Broker-Dealer” shall mean any
broker or dealer registered as such under the Exchange
Act.
“Business Day” shall mean any day
other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on
which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or
obligated by law to close in New York City.
“Commission” shall mean the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and
regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Exchange Offer Registration Period”
shall mean the one-year period following the consummation of the
Registered Exchange Offer, exclusive of any period during which any
stop order shall be in effect suspending the effectiveness of the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement.
“Exchange Offer Registration
Statement” shall mean a registration statement of the Company
on an appropriate form under the Act with respect to the Registered
Exchange Offer, all amendments and supplements to such registration
statement, including post-effective amendments thereto, in each
case including the Prospectus contained therein, all exhibits
thereto and all material incorporated by reference
therein.
“Exchanging Dealer” shall mean any
Holder (which may include any Initial Purchaser) that is a
Broker-Dealer and elects to exchange for New Securities any
Securities that it acquired for its own account as a result of
market-making activities or other trading activities (but not
directly from the Company or any Affiliate of the Company) for New
Securities.
“Final
Memorandum” shall have the meaning set forth in the Purchase
Agreement.
“Holder” shall have the meaning set
forth in the preamble hereto.
“Indenture” shall mean the Indenture
relating to the Securities, dated as of July 28, 2009 between
the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, as the
same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms
thereof.
“Initial
Placement” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble
hereto.
“Initial Purchasers” shall have the
meaning set forth in the preamble hereto.
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“Losses” shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 7(d) hereof.
“Majority Holders” shall mean the
Holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of
Securities registered under a Registration Statement.
“Managing Underwriters” shall mean
the investment banker or investment bankers and manager or managers
that shall administer an underwritten offering.
“New Securities” shall mean debt
securities of the Company, identical in all material respects to
the Securities (except that the interest rate step-up provisions
and the transfer restrictions shall be modified or eliminated, as
appropriate) and to be issued under the Indenture or the New
Securities Indenture.
“New Securities Indenture” if any,
shall mean an indenture, if any between the Company and the New
Securities Trustee, identical in all material respects to the
Indenture (except that the interest rate step-up provisions will be
modified or eliminated, as appropriate).
“New Securities Trustee” if any,
shall mean a bank or trust company reasonably satisfactory to the
Initial Purchasers, as trustee with respect to the New Securities
under the New Securities Indenture.
“Prospectus” shall mean the
prospectus included in any Registration Statement (including,
without limitation, a prospectus that discloses information
previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective
registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A under the
Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with
respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the
Securities or the New Securities covered by such Registration
Statement, and all amendments and supplements thereto and all
material incorporated by reference therein.
“Purchase
Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble
hereto.
“Registered Exchange Offer” shall
mean the proposed offer of the Company to issue and deliver to the
Holders of the Securities that are not prohibited by any law or
policy of the Commission from participating in such offer, in
exchange for the Securities, a like aggregate principal amount of
the New Securities.
“Registration Statement” shall mean
any Exchange Offer Registration Statement or Shelf Registration
Statement that covers any of the Securities or the New Securities
pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, any amendments and
supplements to such registration statement, including
post-effective amendments (in each case including the Prospectus
contained therein), all exhibits thereto and all material
incorporated by reference therein.
“Securities” shall have the meaning
set forth in the preamble hereto.
“Shelf
Registration” shall mean a registration effected pursuant to
Section 3 hereof.
“Shelf Registration Period” has the
meaning set forth in Section 3(b)(ii) hereof.
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“Shelf Registration Statement” shall
mean a “shelf” registration statement of the Company
pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 hereof which covers
some or all of the Securities or New Securities, as applicable, on
an appropriate form under Rule 415 under the Act, or any
similar rule that may be adopted by the Commission, amendments and
supplements to such registration statement, including
post-effective amendments, in each case including the Prospectus
contained therein, all exhibits thereto and all material
incorporated by reference therein.
“Trustee” shall mean the trustee
with respect to the Securities under the Indenture.
“underwriter” shall mean any
underwriter of Securities in connection with an offering thereof
under a Shelf Registration Statement.
2.
Registered Exchange Offer .
(a) The Company shall prepare and, not
later than 90 days following the date of the original issuance
of the Securities (or if such 90th day is not a Business Day, the
next succeeding Business Day), shall file with the Commission the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement with respect to the
Registered Exchange Offer. The Company shall use its best efforts
to cause the Exchange Offer Registration Statement to become
effective under the Act within 150 days of the date of the
original issuance of the Securities (or if such 150th day is not a
Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day).
(b) Upon the effectiveness of the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly commence
the Registered Exchange Offer, it being the objective of such
Registered Exchange Offer to enable each Holder electing to
exchange Securities for New Securities (assuming that such Holder
is not an Affiliate of the Company, acquires the New Securities in
the ordinary course of such Holder’s business, has no
arrangements with any Person to participate in the distribution of
the New Securities and is not prohibited by any law or policy of
the Commission from participating in the Registered Exchange Offer)
to trade such New Securities from and after their receipt without
any limitations or restrictions under the Act and without material
restrictions under the securities laws of a substantial proportion
of the several states of the United States.
(c) In
connection with the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company
shall:
(i) mail or cause to be mailed or delivered
to each Holder a copy of the Prospectus forming part of the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement, together with an appropriate
letter of transmittal and related documents;
(ii) keep the Registered Exchange Offer
open for not less than 20 Business Days after the date notice
thereof is mailed to the Holders (or, in each case, longer if
required by applicable law);
(iii) use its best efforts to keep the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement continuously effective under
the Act, supplemented and amended as required, under the Act to
ensure that it is available for sales of New Securities by
Exchanging Dealers during the Exchange Offer Registration
Period;
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(iv) utilize the services of a depositary
for the Registered Exchange Offer with an address in the Borough of
Manhattan in New York City, which may be the Trustee, the New
Securities Trustee or an Affiliate of either of them;
(v) permit Holders to withdraw tendered
Securities at any time prior to the close of business, New York
time, on the last Business Day on which the Registered Exchange
Offer is open;
(vi) if requested by the Commission, prior
to effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement,
provide a supplemental letter to the Commission (A) stating
that the Company is conducting the Registered Exchange Offer in
reliance on the position of the Commission in Exxon Capital
Holdings Corporation (pub. avail. May 13, 1988) and
Morgan Stanley and Co., Inc . (pub. avail. June 5,
1991); and (B) including a representation that the Company has
not entered into any arrangement or understanding with any Person
to distribute the New Securities to be received in the Registered
Exchange Offer and that, to the best of its information and belief,
each Holder participating in the Registered Exchange Offer is
acquiring the New Securities in the ordinary course of business and
has no arrangement or understanding with any Person to participate
in the distribution of the New Securities; and
(vii) comply in all respects with all
applicable laws.
(d) As soon as practicable after the close
of the Registered Exchange Offer, the Company shall:
(i) accept for exchange all Securities
tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Registered
Exchange Offer;
(ii) deliver to the Trustee for
cancellation in accordance with Section 5(s) all Securities so
accepted for exchange; and
(iii) cause the Trustee or the New
Securities Trustee, as the case may be, promptly to authenticate
and deliver to each Holder of Securities a principal amount of New
Securities equal to the principal amount of the Securities of such
Holder so accepted for exchange.
(e) Each Holder hereby acknowledges and
agrees that any Broker-Dealer and any such Holder using the
Registered Exchange Offer to participate in a distribution of the
New Securities, if the resales are of New Securities obtained by
such Holder in exchange for Securities acquired by such Holder
directly from the Company or one of its Affiliates, (x) could
not under Commission policy as in effect on the date of this
Agreement rely on the position of the Commission in Morgan
Stanley and Co., Inc. (pub. avail. June 5, 1991) and
Exxon Capital Holdings Corporation (pub. avail. May 13,
1988), as interpreted in the Commission’s letter to Shearman
& Sterling dated July 2, 1993 and similar no-action
letters; and (y) must comply with the registration and
prospectus delivery requirements of the Act in connection with any
secondary resale transaction and such transaction must be covered
by an effective registration statement containing the selling
security holder information required by Item 507 or 508, as
applicable, of Regulation S-K under the Act. Accordingly, each
Holder participating in the Registered Exchange Offer shall be
required to represent to the Company that, at the time of the
consummation of the Registered Exchange Offer:
(i) any New Securities received by such
Holder will be acquired in the ordinary course of
business;
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(ii) such Holder will have no arrangement
or understanding with any Person to participate in the distribution
of the Securities or the New Securities within the meaning of the
Act; and
(iii) such Holder is not an Affiliate of
the Company (or if it is, that it will comply with the registration
and prospectus delivery requirements of the Act to the extent
applicable).
(f) If any Initial Purchaser determines
that it is not eligible to participate in the Registered Exchange
Offer with respect to the exchange of Securities constituting any
portion of an unsold allotment, at the request of such Initial
Purchaser, the Company shall issue and deliver to such Initial
Purchaser or the Person purchasing New Securities registered under
a Shelf Registration Statement as contemplated by Section 3
hereof from such Initial Purchaser, in exchange for such
Securities, a like principal amount of New Securities. The Company
shall use its best efforts to cause the CUSIP Service Bureau to
issue the same CUSIP number for such New Securities as for New
Securities issued pursuant to the Registered Exchange
Offer.
(a) If (i) due to any change in law or
in currently prevailing interpretations thereof by the
Commission’s staff, the Company is not permitted to effect
the Registered Exchange Offer as contemplated by Section 2
hereof; (ii) for any other reason the Registered Exchange
Offer is not consummated within 185 days of the date of the
original issuance of the Securities; (iii) any Initial
Purchaser so requests with respect to Securities that are not
eligible to be exchanged for New Securities in the Registered
Exchange Offer and that are held by it following consummation of
the Registered Exchange Offer; (iv) any Holder is not eligible
to participate in the Registered Exchange Offer or does not receive
freely tradable New Securities in the Registered Exchange Offer
other than by reason of such Holder being an Affiliate of the
Company (it being understood that the requirement that a
participating Broker-Dealer deliver the Prospectus contained in the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement in connection with sales of
New Securities shall not result in such New Securities being not
“freely tradable”); or (v) in the case of any
Initial Purchaser that participates in the Registered Exchange
Offer or acquires New Securities pursuant to Section 2(f) hereof,
such Initial Purchaser does not receive freely tradable New
Securities in exchange for Securities constituting any portion of
an unsold allotment, other than by reason of such Holder being an
Affiliate of the Company (it being understood that (x) the
requirement that an Initial Purchaser deliver a Prospectus
containing the information required by Item 507 or 508 of
Regulation S-K under the Act in connection with sales of New
Securities acquired in exchange for such Securities shall result in
such New Securities being not “freely tradable;” and
(y) the requirement that an Exchanging Dealer deliver a
Prospectus in connection with sales of New Securities acquired in
the Registered Exchange Offer in exchange for Securities acquired
as a result of market-making activities or other trading activities
shall not result in such New Securities being not “freely
tradable”) the Company shall effect a Shelf Registration
Statement in accordance with subsection (b) below.
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(b) (i) The Company shall, as promptly as
practicable (but in no event more than 45 days after so
required or requested pursuant to this Section 3), file with
the Commission and thereafter shall use its best efforts to cause
to be declared effective under the Act a Shelf Registration
Statement relating to the offer and sale of the Securities or the
New Securities, as applicable, by the Holders thereof from time to
time in accordance with the methods of distribution elected by such
Holders and set forth in such Shelf Registration Statement;
provided , however , that no Holder (other than an
Initial Purchaser) shall be entitled to have the Securities held by
it covered by such Shelf Registration Statement unless such Holder
agrees in writing to be bound by all of the provisions of this
Agreement applicable to such Holder; and provided
further , that with respect to New Securities received by an
Initial Purchaser in exchange for Securities constituting any
portion of an unsold allotment, the Company may, if permitted by
current interpretations by the Commission’s staff, file a
post-effective amendment to the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement containing the information required by Item 507 or
508 of Regulation S-K, as applicable, in satisfaction of its
obligations under this subsection with respect thereto, and any
such Exchange Offer Registration Statement, as so amended, shall be
referred to herein as, and governed by the provisions herein
applicable to, a Shelf Registration Statement.
(ii) The Company shall use its best efforts
to keep the Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective,
supplemented and amended as required by the Act, in order to permit
the Prospectus forming part thereof to be usable by Holders for a
period of one years from the date the Shelf Registration Statement
is declared effective by the Commission or such shorter period that
will terminate when all the Securities or New Securities, as
applicable, covered by the Shelf Registration Statement have been
sold pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement (in any such
case, such period being called the “Shelf Registration
Period”). The Company shall be deemed not to have used its
best efforts to keep the Shelf Registration Statement effective
during the requisite period if they voluntarily take any action
that would result in Holders of Securities covered thereby not
being able to offer and sell such Securities during that period,
unless (A) such action is required by applicable law; or
(B) such action is taken by the Company in good faith and for
valid business reasons (not including avoidance of the
Company’s obligations hereunder), including the acquisition
or divestiture of assets to the extent permitted by the terms of
the Indenture, so long as the Company promptly thereafter comply
with the requirements of Section 5(k) hereof, if
applicable.
(iii) The Company shall cause the Shelf
Registration Statement and the related Prospectus and any amendment
or supplement thereto, as of the effective date of the Shelf
Registration Statement or such amendment or supplement, (A) to
comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of
the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission; and
(B) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
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4. Additional Interest . If
(a) on or prior to the 90th day following the original issue
date of the Securities, neither the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement nor the Shelf Registration Statement has been filed with
the Commission, (b) on or prior to the 150th day following the
original issue date of the Securities, neither the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement nor the Shelf Registration Statement has
been declared effective, (c) on or prior to the 185th day
following the original issue date of the Securities, neither the
Registered Exchange Offer has been consummated nor the Shelf
Registration Statement has been declared effective, or
(d) after either the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or
the Shelf Registration Statement has been declared effective, such
Registration Statement thereafter ceases to be effective or usable
in connection with resales of Securities or New Securities in
accordance with and during the periods specified in this Agreement
(each such event referred to in clauses (a) through (d), a
(“Registration Default”), interest (“Additional
Interest”) will accrue on the principal amount of the
Securities and the New Securities (in addition to the stated
interest on the Securities and New Securities) from and including
the date on which any such Registration Default shall occur to but
excluding the date on which all Registration Defaults have been
cured. Additional Interest will accrue at a rate of 0.25% per annum
during the 90-day period immediately following the occurrence of
such Registration Default and shall increase by 0.25% per annum at
the end of each subsequent 90-day period, but in no event shall
such rate exceed 1.00% per annum.
All obligations of the Company set forth in the
preceding paragraph that are outstanding with respect to any
Security at the time such Security is exchanged for a New Security
shall survive until such time as all such obligations with respect
to such Security have been satisfied in full.
5. Additional Registration
Procedures . In connection with any Shelf Registration
Statement and, to the extent applicable, any Exchange Offer
Registration Statement, the following provisions shall
apply.
(i) furnish to you, not less than five
Business Days prior to the filing thereof with the Commission, a
copy of any Exchange Offer Registration Statement and any Shelf
Registration Statement, and each amendment thereof and each
amendment or supplement, if any, to the Prospectus included therein
(including all documents incorporated by reference therein after
the initial filing) and shall use its best efforts to reflect in
each such document, when so filed with the Commission, such
comments as you reasonably propose;
(ii) include the information set forth in
Annex A hereto on the facing page of the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement, in Annex B hereto in the forepart of the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement in a section setting forth
details of the Exchange Offer, in Annex C hereto in the
underwriting or plan of distribution section of the Prospectus
contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement, and in
Annex D hereto in the letter of transmittal delivered pursuant to
the Registered Exchange Offer;
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(iii) if requested by an Initial Purchaser,
include the information required by Item 507 or 508 of
Regulation S-K, as applicable, in the Prospectus contained in
the Exchange Offer Registration Statement; and
(iv) in the case of a Shelf Registration
Statement, include the names of the Holders that propose to sell
Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement as selling
security holders.
(b) The
Company shall ensure that:
(i) any Registration Statement and any
amendment thereto and any Prospectus forming part thereof and any
amendment or supplement thereto complies in all material respects
with the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder;
and
(ii) any Registration Statement and any
amendment thereto does not, when it becomes effective, 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.
(c) The Company shall advise you, the
Holders of Securities covered by any Shelf Registration Statement
and any Exchanging Dealer under any Exchange Offer Registration
Statement that has provided in writing to the Company a telephone
or facsimile number and address for notices, and, if requested by
you or any such Holder or Exchanging Dealer, shall confirm such
advice in writing (which notice pursuant to clauses
(ii) through (v) hereof shall be accompanied by an
instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the Company
shall have remedied the basis for such suspension):
(i) when a Registration Statement and any
amendment thereto has been filed with the Commission and when the
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has
become effective;
(ii) of any request by the Commission for
any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus or for additional information;
(iii) of the issuance by the Commission of
any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that
purpose;
(iv) of the receipt by the Company of any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of
the securities included therein for sale in any jurisdiction or the
initiation of any proceeding for such purpose; and
(v) of the happening of any event that
requires any change in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
so that, as of such date, the statements therein are not misleading
and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of
the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made) not misleading.
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(d) The Company shall use its b
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