A/B EXCHANGE
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Dated as of April 6, 1998
by and among
The Musicland Group, Inc.
Musicland Stores Corporation
and
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx
Securities Corporation
BT Alex. Xxxxx Incorporated
NationsBanc Xxxxxxxxxx Securities LLC
This Registration Rights Agreement (this "AGREEMENT") is made and entered
into as of April 6, 1998, by and among The Musicland Group, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "COMPANY"), Musicland Stores Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the "GUARANTOR"), and Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx Securities
Corporation, BT Alex. Xxxxx Incorporated and NationsBanc Xxxxxxxxxx Securities
LLC (each an "INITIAL PURCHASER" and, collectively, the "INITIAL PURCHASERS"),
each of whom has agreed to purchase the Company's 9_% Series A Senior
Subordinated Notes due 2008 (the "SERIES A NOTES") pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement (as defined below).
This Agreement is made pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated April 1,
1998, (the "PURCHASE AGREEMENT"), by and among the Company, the Guarantor and
the Initial Purchasers. In order to induce the Initial Purchasers to purchase
the Series A Notes, the Company has agreed to provide the registration rights
set forth in this Agreement. The execution and delivery of this Agreement is a
condition to the obligations of the Initial Purchasers set forth in the Purchase
Agreement. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have
the meaning assigned to them in the Indenture, dated as of April 6, 1998,
between the Company, the Guarantor and Bank One, NA, as Trustee, relating to the
Series A Notes and the Series B Notes (the "INDENTURE").
The parties hereby agree as follows:
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Agreement, the following capitalized terms shall have the
following meanings:
ACT: The Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
AFFILIATE: As defined in Rule 144 of the Act.
BROKER-DEALER: Any broker or dealer registered under the Exchange Act.
BUSINESS DAY: Any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day in the
City of New York on which banks are authorized to close.
CLOSING DATE: The date hereof.
COMMISSION: The Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONSUMMATE: An Exchange Offer shall be deemed "Consummated" for purposes
of this Agreement upon the occurrence of (a) the filing and effectiveness under
the Act of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement relating to the Series B
Notes to be issued in the Exchange Offer, (b) the maintenance of such
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Exchange Offer Registration Statement continuously effective and the keeping of
the Exchange Offer open for a period not less than the period required pursuant
to Section 3(b) hereof and (c) the delivery by the Company to the Registrar
under the Indenture of Series B Notes in the same aggregate principal amount as
the aggregate principal amount of Series A Notes tendered by Holders thereof
pursuant to the Exchange Offer.
CONSUMMATION DEADLINE: As defined in Section 3(b) hereof.
EFFECTIVENESS DEADLINE: As defined in Sections 3(a) and 4(a) hereof.
EXCHANGE ACT: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
EXCHANGE OFFER: The exchange and issuance by the Company of a principal
amount of Series B Notes (which shall be registered pursuant to the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement) equal to the outstanding principal amount of
Series A Notes that are tendered by such Holders in connection with such
exchange and issuance.
EXCHANGE OFFER REGISTRATION STATEMENT: The Registration Statement relating
to the Exchange Offer, including the related Prospectus.
EXEMPT RESALES: The transactions in which the Initial Purchasers propose
to sell the Series A Notes to certain "qualified institutional buyers," as such
term is defined in Rule 144A under the Act and pursuant to Regulation S under
the Act.
FILING DEADLINE: As defined in Sections 3(a) and 4(a) hereof.
HOLDERS: As defined in Section 2 hereof.
PROSPECTUS: The prospectus included in a Registration Statement at the
time such Registration Statement is declared effective, as amended or
supplemented by any prospectus supplement and by all other amendments thereto,
including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference
into such Prospectus.
RECOMMENCEMENT DATE: As defined in Section 6(d) hereof.
REGISTRATION DEFAULT: As defined in Section 5 hereof.
REGISTRATION STATEMENT: Any registration statement of the Company and the
Guarantor relating to (a) an offering of Series B Notes pursuant to an Exchange
Offer or (b) the registration for resale of Transfer Restricted Securities
pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement, in each case, (i) that is filed
pursuant
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to the provisions of this Agreement and (ii) including the Prospectus included
therein, all amendments and supplements thereto (including post-effective
amendments) and all exhibits and material incorporated by reference therein.
REGULATION S: Regulation S promulgated under the Act.
RULE 144: Rule 144 promulgated under the Act.
SERIES B NOTES: The Company's 9_% Series B Senior Subordinated Notes due
2008 to be issued pursuant to the Indenture: (i) in the Exchange Offer or (ii)
as contemplated by Section 6(b) hereof.
SHELF REGISTRATION STATEMENT: As defined in Section 4 hereof.
SUSPENSION NOTICE: As defined in Section 6(d) hereof.
TIA: The Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S.C. Section 77aaa-77bbbb) as
in effect on the date of the Indenture.
TRANSFER RESTRICTED SECURITIES: Each Series A Note, until the earliest to
occur of (a) the date on which such Series A Note is exchanged in the Exchange
Offer for a Series B Note which is entitled to be resold to the public by the
Holder thereof without complying with the prospectus delivery requirements of
the Act, (b) the date on which such Series A Note has been disposed of in
accordance with a Shelf Registration Statement (and the purchasers thereof have
been issued Series B Notes), or (c) the date on which such Series A Note is
distributed to the public pursuant to Rule 144 under the Act (and purchasers
thereof have been issued Series B Notes) and each Series B Note until the date
on which such Series B Note is disposed of by a Broker-Dealer pursuant to the
"Plan of Distribution" contemplated by the Exchange Offer Registration Statement
(including the delivery of the Prospectus contained therein).
SECTION 2. HOLDERS.
A Person is deemed to be a holder of Transfer Restricted Securities (each,
a "HOLDER") whenever such Person owns Transfer Restricted Securities.
SECTION 3. REGISTERED EXCHANGE OFFER.
(a) Unless the Exchange Offer shall not be permitted by applicable federal
law (after the procedures set forth in Section 6(a)(i) below have been complied
with), the Company and the Guarantor shall (i) cause the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement to be filed with the Commission as soon as practicable
after the Closing Date, but in no event later than 60 days after the Closing
Date (such 60th day being the "FILING DEADLINE"), (ii) use its best efforts
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to cause such Exchange Offer Registration Statement to become effective at the
earliest possible time, but in no event later than 150 days after the Closing
Date (such 150th day being the "EFFECTIVENESS DEADLINE"), (iii) in connection
with the foregoing, (A) file all pre-effective amendments to such Exchange Offer
Registration Statement as may be necessary in order to cause it to become
effective, (B) file, if applicable, a post-effective amendment to such Exchange
Offer Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A under the Act and (C) cause
all necessary filings, if any, in connection with the registration and
qualification of the Series B Notes to be made under the Blue Sky laws of such
jurisdictions as are necessary to permit Consummation of the Exchange Offer, and
(iv) upon the effectiveness of such Exchange Offer Registration Statement,
commence and Consummate the Exchange Offer. The Exchange Offer shall be on the
appropriate form permitting (i) registration of the Series B Notes to be offered
in exchange for the Series A Notes that are Transfer Restricted Securities and
(ii) resales of Series B Notes by Broker-Dealers that tendered into the Exchange
Offer Series A Notes that such Broker-Dealer acquired for its own account as a
result of market making activities or other trading activities (other than
Series A Notes acquired directly from the Company or any of its Affiliates) as
contemplated by Section 3(c) below.
(b) The Company and the Guarantor shall use their respective best
efforts to cause the Exchange Offer Registration Statement to be effective
continuously, and shall keep the Exchange Offer open for a period of not less
than the minimum period required under applicable federal and state
securities laws to Consummate the Exchange Offer; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in
no event shall such period be less than 20 Business Days. The Company and
the Guarantor shall cause the Exchange Offer to comply with all applicable
federal and state securities laws. No securities other than the Series B
Notes shall be included in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement. The
Company and the Guarantor shall use their respective best efforts to cause
the Exchange Offer to be Consummated on the earliest practicable date after
the Exchange Offer Registration Statement has become effective, but in no
event later than 30 Business Days thereafter (such 30th day being the
"CONSUMMATION DEADLINE").
(c) The Company shall include a "Plan of Distribution" section in the
Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement and indicate
therein that any Broker-Dealer who holds Transfer Restricted Securities that
were acquired for the account of such Broker-Dealer as a result of market-making
activities or other trading activities (other than Series A Notes acquired
directly from the Company or any Affiliate of the Company), may exchange such
Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to the Exchange Offer. Such "Plan of
Distribution" section shall also contain all other information with respect to
such sales by such Broker-Dealers that the Commission may require in order to
permit such sales
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pursuant thereto, but such "Plan of Distribution" shall not name any such
Broker-Dealer or disclose the amount of Transfer Restricted Securities held by
any such Broker-Dealer, except to the extent required by the Commission as a
result of a change in policy, rules or regulations after the date of this
Agreement. See the Shearman & Sterling no-action letter (available July 2,
1993).
Because such Broker-Dealer may be deemed to be an "underwriter" within the
meaning of the Act and must, therefore, deliver a prospectus meeting the
requirements of the Act in connection with its initial sale of any Series B
Notes received by such Broker-Dealer in the Exchange Offer, the Company and
Guarantor shall permit the use of the Prospectus contained in the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement by such Broker-Dealer to satisfy such prospectus delivery
requirement. To the extent necessary to ensure that the prospectus contained in
the Exchange Offer Registration Statement is available for sales of Series B
Notes by Broker-Dealers, the Company and the Guarantor agree to use their
respective best efforts to keep the Exchange Offer Registration Statement
continuously effective, supplemented, amended and current as required by and
subject to the provisions of Sections 6(a) and 6(c) hereof and in conformity
with the requirements of this Agreement, the Act and the policies, rules and
regulations of the Commission as announced from time to time, for a period of
one year from the Consummation Deadline or such shorter period as will terminate
when all Transfer Restricted Securities covered by such Registration Statement
have been sold pursuant thereto. The Company and the Guarantor shall provide
sufficient copies of the latest version of such Prospectus to such
Broker-Dealers, promptly upon request, and in no event later than one day after
such request, at any time during such period.
SECTION 4. SHELF REGISTRATION.
(a) SHELF REGISTRATION. If (i) the Exchange Offer is not permitted by
applicable law (after the Company and the Guarantor have complied with the
procedures set forth in Section 6(a)(i) below) or (ii) if any Holder of Transfer
Restricted Securities shall notify the Company within 20 Business Days following
the Consummation Deadline that (A) such Holder was prohibited by law or
Commission policy from participating in the Exchange Offer or (B) such Holder
may not resell the Series B Notes acquired by it in the Exchange Offer to the
public without delivering a prospectus and the Prospectus contained in the
Exchange Offer Registration Statement is not appropriate or available for such
resales by such Holder or (C) such Holder is a Broker-Dealer and holds Series A
Notes acquired directly from the Company or any of its Affiliates, then the
Company and the Guarantor shall:
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(x) cause to be filed, on or prior to 60 days after the earlier of
(i) the date on which the Company determines that the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement cannot be filed as a result of clause 4(a)(i) above
and (ii) the date on which the Company receives the notice specified in
clause 4(a)(ii) above, (such earlier date, the "FILING DEADLINE"), a shelf
registration statement pursuant to Rule 415 under the Act (which may be an
amendment to the Exchange Offer Registration Statement (the "SHELF
REGISTRATION STATEMENT")), relating to all Transfer Restricted Securities,
and
(y) shall use their respective best efforts to cause such Shelf
Registration Statement to become effective on or prior to 90 days after the
Filing Deadline for the Shelf Registration Statement (such 90th day the
"EFFECTIVENESS DEADLINE").
If, after the Company has filed an Exchange Offer Registration Statement
that satisfies the requirements of Section 3(a) above, the Company is required
to file and make effective a Shelf Registration Statement solely because the
Exchange Offer is not permitted under applicable federal law (I.E., clause
4(a)(i) above), then the filing of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement
shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of clause (x) above; PROVIDED that,
in such event, the Company shall remain obligated to meet the Effectiveness
Deadline set forth in clause (y).
To the extent necessary to ensure that the Shelf Registration Statement is
available for sales of Transfer Restricted Securities by the Holders thereof
entitled to the benefit of this Section 4(a) and the other securities required
to be registered therein pursuant to Section 6(b)(ii) hereof, the Company and
the Guarantor shall use their respective best efforts to keep any Shelf
Registration Statement required by this Section 4(a) continuously effective,
supplemented, amended and current as required by and subject to the provisions
of Sections 6(b) and 6(c) hereof and in conformity with the requirements of this
Agreement, the Act and the policies, rules and regulations of the Commission as
announced from time to time, for a period of at least two years (as extended
pursuant to Section 6(d)) following the Closing Date, or such shorter period as
will terminate when all Transfer Restricted Securities covered by such Shelf
Registration Statement have been sold pursuant thereto.
(b) PROVISION BY HOLDERS OF CERTAIN INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SHELF REGISTRATION STATEMENT. No Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities may
include any of its Transfer Restricted Securities in any Shelf Registration
Statement pursuant to this Agreement unless and until such Holder furnishes to
the Company in writing, either with such Holder's notice specified in 4(a)(ii)
or
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within 10 days after receipt of a request therefor, the information specified in
Item 507 or 508 of Regulation S-K, as applicable, of the Act for use in
connection with any Shelf Registration Statement or Prospectus or preliminary
Prospectus included therein. No Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities shall
be entitled to liquidated damages pursuant to Section 5 hereof unless and until
such Holder shall have provided all such information. Each selling Holder
agrees to promptly furnish additional information required to be disclosed in
order to make the information previously furnished to the Company by such Holder
not materially misleading.
SECTION 5. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
If (a) any Registration Statement required by this Agreement is not filed
with the Commission on or prior to the applicable Filing Deadline, (b) any such
Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Commission on or
prior to the applicable Effectiveness Deadline, (c) the Exchange Offer has not
been Consummated on or prior to the Consummation Deadline or (d) any
Registration Statement required by this Agreement is filed and declared
effective but shall thereafter cease to be effective or fail to be usable for
its intended purpose without being succeeded immediately by a post-effective
amendment to such Registration Statement that cures such failure and that is
itself declared effective immediately (each such event referred to in clauses
(a) through (d), a "REGISTRATION DEFAULT"), then the Company and the Guarantor
hereby jointly and severally agree to pay to each Holder of Transfer Restricted
Securities affected thereby liquidated damages in an amount equal to $.05 per
week per $1,000 in principal amount of Transfer Restricted Securities held by
such Holder for each week or portion thereof that the Registration Default
continues for the first 90-day period immediately following the occurrence of
such Registration Default. The amount of the liquidated damages shall increase
by an additional $.05 per week per $1,000 in principal amount of Transfer
Restricted Securities with respect to each subsequent 90-day period until all
Registration Defaults have been cured, up to a maximum amount of liquidated
damages of $.50 per week per $1,000 in principal amount of Transfer Restricted
Securities; PROVIDED that the Company and the Guarantor shall in no event be
required to pay liquidated damages for more than one Registration Default at any
given time. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, (i) upon
filing of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement (and/or, if applicable, the
Shelf Registration Statement), in the case of clause (a) above, (ii) upon the
effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration Statement (and/or, if
applicable, the Shelf Registration Statement), in the case of clause (b) above,
(iii) upon Consummation of the Exchange Offer, in the case of clause (c) above,
or (iv) upon the filing of a post-effective amendment to the Registration
Statement or an additional Registration Statement that causes the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement (and/or, if applicable, the Shelf
8
Registration Statement) to again be declared effective or made usable in the
case of clause (d) above, the liquidated damages payable with respect to the
Transfer Restricted Securities as a result of such clause (a), (b), (c) or (d),
as applicable, shall cease.
All accrued liquidated damages shall be paid to the Holders entitled
thereto, in the manner provided for the payment of interest in the Indenture, on
each Interest Payment Date, as more fully set forth in the Indenture and the
Notes. Notwithstanding the fact that any securities for which liquidated
damages are due cease to be Transfer Restricted Securities, all obligations of
the Company and the Guarantor to pay liquidated damages with respect to
securities shall survive until such time as such obligations with respect to
such securities shall have been satisfied in full.
SECTION 6. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES.
(a) EXCHANGE OFFER REGISTRATION STATEMENT. In connection with the
Exchange Offer, the Company and the Guarantor shall (x) comply with all
applicable provisions of Section 6(c) below, (y) use their respective best
efforts to effect such exchange and to permit the resale of Series B Notes by
Broker-Dealers that tendered in the Exchange Offer Series A Notes that such
Broker-Dealer acquired for its own account as a result of its market making
activities or other trading activities (other than Series A Notes acquired
directly from the Company or any of its Affiliates) being sold in accordance
with the intended method or methods of distribution thereof, and (z) comply with
all of the following provisions:
(i) If, following the date hereof there has been announced a
change in Commission policy with respect to exchange offers such as the
Exchange Offer, that in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the Company
raises a substantial question as to whether the Exchange Offer is permitted
by applicable federal law, the Company and the Guarantor hereby agree to
seek a no-action letter or other favorable decision from the Commission
allowing the Company and the Guarantor to Consummate an Exchange Offer for
such Transfer Restricted Securities. The Company and the Guarantor hereby
agree to pursue the issuance of such a decision to the Commission staff
level. In connection with the foregoing, the Company and the Guarantor
hereby agree to take all such other actions as may be requested by the
Commission or otherwise required in connection with the issuance of such
decision, including without limitation (A) participating in telephonic
conferences with the Commission, (B) delivering to the Commission staff an
analysis prepared by counsel to the Company setting forth the legal bases,
if any, upon which such counsel has concluded that
9
such an Exchange Offer should be permitted and (C) diligently pursuing a
resolution (which need not be favorable) by the Commission staff.
(ii) As a condition to its participation in the Exchange Offer,
each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities (including, without
limitation, any Holder who is a Broker Dealer) shall furnish, upon the
request of the Company, prior to the Consummation of the Exchange Offer, a
written representation to the Company and the Guarantor (which may be
contained in the letter of transmittal contemplated by the Exchange Offer
Registration Statement) to the effect that (A) it is not an Affiliate of
the Company, (B) it is not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in,
and has no arrangement or understanding with any person to participate in,
a distribution of the Series B Notes to be issued in the Exchange Offer and
(C) it is acquiring the Series B Notes in its ordinary course of business.
As a condition to its participation in the Exchange Offer each Holder using
the Exchange Offer to participate in a distribution of the Series B Notes
shall acknowledge and agree that, if the resales are of Series B Notes
obtained by such Holder in exchange for Series A Notes acquired directly
from the Company or an Affiliate thereof, then (1) it could not, under
Commission policy as in effect on the date of this Agreement, rely on the
position of the Commission enunciated in XXXXXX XXXXXXX AND CO., INC.
(available June 5, 1991) and EXXON CAPITAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION (available
May 13, 1988), as interpreted in the Commission's letter to SHEARMAN &
STERLING dated July 2, 1993, and similar no-action letters (including, if
applicable, any no-action letter obtained pursuant to Section 6(a)(i)
above), and (2) it must comply with the registration and prospectus
delivery requirements of the Act in connection with a secondary resale
transaction and that such a secondary resale 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.
(iii) Prior to effectiveness of the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement, the Company and the Guarantor shall provide a supplemental
letter to the Commission (A) stating that the Company and the Guarantor are
registering the Exchange Offer in reliance on the position of the
Commission enunciated in EXXON CAPITAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION (available May
13, 1988), XXXXXX XXXXXXX AND CO., INC. (available June 5, 1991) as
interpreted in the Commission's letter to SHEARMAN & STERLING dated July 2,
1993, and, if applicable, any no-action letter obtained pursuant to Section
6(a)(i) above, (B) including a representation that neither the Company nor
any Guarantor has entered into any arrangement or understanding with any
Person to distribute the Series B Notes to be received in the Exchange
Offer and that, to the best of the Company's and
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the Guarantor's information and belief, each Holder participating in the
Exchange Offer is acquiring the Series B Notes in its ordinary course of
business and has no arrangement or understanding with any Person to
participate in the distribution of the Series B Notes received in the
Exchange Offer and (C) any other undertaking or representation required by
the Commission as set forth in any no-action letter obtained pursuant to
Section 6(a)(i) above, if applicable.
(b) SHELF REGISTRATION STATEMENT. In connection with the Shelf
Registration Statement, the Company and the Guarantor shall
(i) comply with all the provisions of Section 6(c) below and use
their respective best efforts to effect such registration to permit the
sale of the Transfer Restricted Securities being sold in accordance with
the intended method or methods of distribution thereof (as indicated in the
information furnished to the Company pursuant to Section 4(b) hereof), and
pursuant thereto the Company and the Guarantor will prepare and file with
the Commission a Registration Statement relating to the registration on any
appropriate form under the Act, which form shall be available for the sale
of the Transfer Restricted Securities in accordance with the intended
method or methods of distribution thereof within the time periods and
otherwise in accordance with the provisions hereof, and
(ii) issue, upon the request of any Holder or purchaser of Series
A Notes covered by any Shelf Registration Statement contemplated by this
Agreement, Series B Notes having an aggregate principal amount equal to the
aggregate principal amount of Series A Notes sold pursuant to the Shelf
Registration Statement and surrendered to the Company for cancellation; the
Company shall register Series B Notes on the Shelf Registration Statement
for this purpose and issue the Series B Notes to the purchaser(s) of
securities subject to the Shelf Registration Statement in the names as such
purchaser(s) shall designate; provided that the Company shall not be
required to pay duplicate registration filing fees to the Commission when
registering Series B Notes previously registered as Series A Notes. The
Company shall use its best efforts to cause the CUSIP Service Bureau to
issue the same CUSIP No. for the Series A Notes sold pursuant to the Shelf
Registration Statement and the Series B Notes.
(c) GENERAL PROVISIONS. In connection with any Registration Statement and
any related Prospectus required by this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantor
shall:
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(i) use their respective best efforts to keep such Registration
Statement continuously effective and provide all requisite financial
statements for the period specified in Section 3 or 4 of this Agreement, as
applicable. Upon the occurrence of any event that would cause any such
Registration Statement or the Prospectus contained therein (A) to contain
an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (B) not to be
effective and usable for resale of Transfer Restricted Securities during
the period required by this Agreement, the Company and the Guarantor shall
file promptly an appropriate amendment to such Registration Statement
curing such defect, and, if Commission review is required, use their
respective best efforts to cause such amendment to be declared effective as
soon as practicable.
(ii) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and
post-effective amendments to the applicable Registration Statement as may
be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for the
applicable period set forth in Section 3 or 4 hereof, as the case may be;
cause the Prospectus to be supplemented by any required Prospectus
supplement, and as so supplemented to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under
the Act, and to comply fully with Rules 424, 430A and 462, as applicable,
under the Act in a timely manner; and comply with the provisions of the Act
with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such
Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance with the
intended method or methods of distribution by the sellers thereof set forth
in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;
(iii) advise each Holder promptly and, if requested by such Holder,
confirm such advice in writing, (A) when the Prospectus or any Prospectus
supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, and, with respect to
any applicable Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment
thereto, when the same has become effective, (B) of any request by the
Commission for amendments to the Registration Statement or amendments or
supplements to the Prospectus or for additional information relating
thereto, (C) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Act or of the
suspension by any state securities commission of the qualification of the
Transfer Restricted Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or
the initiation of any proceeding for any of the preceding purposes, and (D)
of the existence of any fact or the happening of any event that makes any
statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus, any amendment or supplement thereto or any document
incorporated by reference therein untrue, or that
12
requires the making of any additions to or changes in the Registration
Statement in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that
requires the making of any additions to or changes in the Prospectus in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading. If at any time the Commission
shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement, or any state securities commission or other regulatory authority
shall issue an order suspending the qualification or exemption from
qualification of the Transfer Restricted Securities under state securities
or Blue Sky laws, the Company and the Guarantor shall use their respective
best efforts to obtain the withdrawal or lifting of such order at the
earliest possible time;
(iv) subject to Section 6(c)(i), if any fact or event contemplated
by Section 6(c)(iii)(D) above shall exist or have occurred, prepare a
supplement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or
related Prospectus or any document incorporated therein by reference or
file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to the
purchasers of Transfer Restricted Securities, the Prospectus will not
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(v) furnish to the designated representative of each Holder as
specified in Section 7(b) in connection with such exchange or sale, if any,
before filing with the Commission, copies of any Registration Statement or
any Prospectus included therein or any amendments or supplements to any
such Registration Statement or Prospectus (including all documents
incorporated by reference after the initial filing of such Registration
Statement), which documents will be subject to the review and comment of
such Holders in connection with such sale, if any, for a period of at least
five Business Days, and the Company will not file any such Registration
Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any such
Registration Statement or Prospectus (including all such documents
incorporated by reference) to which such Holders shall reasonably object
within five Business Days after the receipt thereof. A Holder shall be
deemed to have reasonably objected to such filing if such Registration
Statement, amendment, Prospectus or supplement, as applicable, as proposed
to be filed, contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading or fails to comply with the applicable requirements of the Act;
13
(vi) promptly prior to the filing of any document that is to be
incorporated by reference into a Registration Statement or Prospectus,
provide copies of such document to the designated representative of each
Holder as specified in Section 7(b) in connection with such exchange or
sale, if any, make the Company's and the Guarantor's representatives
available for discussion of such document and other customary due diligence
matters, and include such information in such document prior to the filing
thereof as such Holders may reasonably request;
(vii) make available, at reasonable times, for inspection by the
designated representative of each Holder as specified in Section 7(b) or
any accountant retained by such Holders, all financial and other records,
pertinent corporate documents of the Company and the Guarantor and cause
the Company's and the Guarantor's officers, directors and employees to
supply all information reasonably requested by any such designated
representative or accountant in connection with such Registration Statement
or any post-effective amendment thereto subsequent to the filing thereof
and prior to its effectiveness;
(viii) if requested by any Holders in connection with such exchange
or sale, promptly include in any Registration Statement or Prospectus,
pursuant to a supplement or post-effective amendment if necessary, such
information as such Holders may reasonably request to have included
therein, including, without limitation, information relating to the "Plan
of Distribution" of the Transfer Restricted Securities; and make all
required filings of such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment
as soon as practicable after the Company is notified of the matters to be
included in such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment;
(ix) furnish to the designated representative of each Holder as
specified in Section 7(b) in connection with such exchange or sale, without
charge, at least one copy of the Registration Statement, as first filed
with the Commission, and of each amendment thereto, including all documents
incorporated by reference therein and all exhibits (including exhibits
incorporated therein by reference);
(x) deliver to each Holder without charge, as many copies of the
Prospectus (including each preliminary prospectus) and any amendment or
supplement thereto as such Persons reasonably may request; the Company and
the Guarantor hereby consent to the use (in accordance with law) of the
Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto by each selling Holder
in connection with the offering and the sale of the Transfer
14
Restricted Securities covered by the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto;
(xi) upon the request of any Holder who holds at least 5% in
aggregate principal amount of such class of Transfer Restricted Securities,
enter into such agreements (including underwriting agreements) and make
such representations and warranties and take all such other actions in
connection therewith in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of
the Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to any applicable Registration
Statement contemplated by this Agreement as may be reasonably requested by
any Holder in connection with any sale or resale pursuant to any applicable
Registration Statement provided, that, the Company and the Guarantor shall
not be required to enter into any such agreements more than once with
respect to all of the Transfer Restricted Securities. In such connection,
the Company and the Guarantor shall:
(A) upon request of any Holder, furnish (or in the case of
Sections 6(c)(xi)(A)(2) and 6(c)(xi)(A)(3), use its best efforts to
cause to be furnished) to each Holder, upon Consummation of the
Exchange Offer or upon the effectiveness of the Shelf Registration
Statement, as the case may be:
(1) a certificate, dated such date, signed on behalf of the
Company and the Guarantor by (x) the President or any Vice
President and (y) a principal financial or accounting officer
of the Company and the Guarantor, confirming, as of the date
thereof, the matters set forth in Sections 9(a), 9(b) and
9(c) of the Purchase Agreement and such other similar matters
as such Holders may reasonably request;
(2) an opinion, dated the date of Consummation of the
Exchange Offer or the date of effectiveness of the Shelf
Registration Statement, as the case may be, of counsel for
the Company and the Guarantor covering matters similar to
those set forth in paragraph (e) of Section 9 of the Purchase
Agreement and such other matter as such Holder may reasonably
request, and in any event including a statement to the effect
that such counsel has participated in conferences with
officers and other representatives of the Company and the
Guarantor, representatives of the independent public
accountants for the Company and the Guarantor and have
considered the matters required to be
15
stated therein and the statements contained therein, although
such counsel has not independently verified the accuracy,
completeness or fairness of such statements; and that such
counsel advises that, on the basis of the foregoing (relying
as to materiality to the extent such counsel deems
appropriate upon the statements of officers and other
representatives of the Company and the Guarantor) and without
independent check or verification), no facts came to such
counsel's attention that caused such counsel to believe that
the applicable Registration Statement, at the time such
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment
thereto became effective and, in the case of the Exchange
Offer Registration Statement, as of the date of Consummation
of the Exchange Offer, contained an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading, or that the Prospectus contained in such
Registration Statement as of its date and, in the case of the
opinion dated the date of Consummation of the Exchange Offer,
as of the date of Consummation, contained an untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. Without limiting the foregoing, such counsel may
state further that such counsel assumes no responsibility
for, and has not independently verified, the accuracy,
completeness or fairness of the financial statements, notes
and schedules and other financial data included in any
Registration Statement contemplated by this Agreement or the
related Prospectus; and
(3) a customary comfort letter, dated the date of
Consummation of the Exchange Offer, or as of the date of
effectiveness of the Shelf Registration Statement, as the
case may be, from the Company's independent accountants, in
the customary form and covering matters of the type
customarily covered in comfort letters to underwriters in
connection with underwritten offerings, and affirming the
matters set forth in the comfort letters delivered pursuant
to Section 9(g) of the Purchase Agreement; and
16
(B) deliver such other documents and certificates as may be
reasonably requested by the selling Holders to evidence compliance
with the matters covered in Section 6(c)(xi)(A) above and with any
customary conditions contained in any agreement entered into by the
Company and the Guarantor pursuant to this Section 6(c)(xi);
(xii) prior to any public offering of Transfer Restricted
Securities, cooperate with the selling Holders and their counsel in
connection with the registration and qualification of the Transfer
Restricted Securities under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such
jurisdictions as the selling Holders may request and do any and all other
acts or things necessary or advisable to enable the disposition in such
jurisdictions of the Transfer Restricted Securities covered by the
applicable Registration Statement; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that neither the
Company nor the Guarantor shall be required to register or qualify as a
foreign corporation where it is not now so qualified or to take any action
that would subject it to the service of process in suits or to taxation,
other than as to matters and transactions relating to the Registration
Statement, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject;
(xiii) in connection with any sale of Transfer Restricted Securities
that will result in such securities no longer being Transfer Restricted
Securities, cooperate with the Holders to facilitate the timely preparation
and delivery of certificates representing Transfer Restricted Securities to
be sold and not bearing any restrictive legends; and to register such
Transfer Restricted Securities in such denominations and such names as the
selling Holders may request at least two Business Days prior to such sale
of Transfer Restricted Securities;
(xiv) use their respective best efforts to cause the disposition of
the Transfer Restricted Securities covered by the Registration Statement to
be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or
authorities as may be necessary to enable the seller or sellers thereof to
consummate the disposition of such Transfer Restricted Securities, subject
to the proviso contained in Section 6(c)(xii) above;
(xv) provide a CUSIP number for all Transfer Restricted Securities
not later than the effective date of a Registration Statement covering such
Transfer Restricted Securities and provide the Trustee under the Indenture
with printed certificates for the Transfer Restricted Securities which are
in a form eligible for deposit with the Depository Trust Company;
17
(xvi) otherwise use their respective best efforts to comply with
all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and make generally
available to its security holders with regard to any applicable
Registration Statement, as soon as practicable, a consolidated earnings
statement meeting the requirements of Rule 158 (which need not be audited)
covering a twelve-month period beginning after the effective date of the
Registration Statement (as such term is defined in paragraph (c) of Rule
158 under the Act);
(xvii) cause the Indenture to be qualified under the TIA not later
than the effective date of the first Registration Statement required by
this Agreement and, in connection therewith, cooperate with the Trustee and
the Holders to effect such changes to the Indenture as may be required for
such Indenture to be so qualified in accordance with the terms of the TIA;
and execute and use its best efforts to cause the Trustee to execute, all
documents that may be required to effect such changes and all other forms
and documents required to be filed with the Commission to enable such
Indenture to be so qualified in a timely manner; and
(xviii) provide promptly to each Holder, upon request, each document
filed with the Commission pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or
Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
(d) RESTRICTIONS ON HOLDERS. Each Holder agrees by acquisition of a
Transfer Restricted Security that, upon receipt of the notice referred to in
Section 6(c)(iii)(C) or any notice from the Company of the existence of any fact
of the kind described in Section 6(c)(iii)(D) hereof (in each case, a
"SUSPENSION NOTICE"), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of
Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to the applicable Registration Statement
until (i) such Holder has received copies of the supplemented or amended
Prospectus contemplated by Section 6(c)(iv) hereof, or (ii) such Holder is
advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed,
and has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus (in each case, the "RECOMMENCEMENT
DATE"). Each Holder receiving a Suspension Notice hereby agrees that it will
either (i) destroy any Prospectuses, other than permanent file copies, then in
such Holder's possession which have been replaced by the Company with more
recently dated Prospectuses or (ii) deliver to the Company (at the Company's
expense) all copies, other than permanent file copies, then in such Holder's
possession of the Prospectus covering such Transfer Restricted Securities that
was current at the time of receipt of the Suspension Notice. The time period
regarding the effectiveness of such Registration Statement set forth in Section
3 or 4 hereof, as applicable, shall be extended by a number of days equal to the
number of days in the period from and
18
including the date of delivery of the Suspension Notice to the date of delivery
of the Recommencement Date.
(e) The Company's obligation to file the Registration Statements, and to
cause such Registration Statements to become effective, shall be limited to the
filing and effectiveness of one (1) Exchange Offer Registration Statement and,
if required under Section 4 of this Agreement, one (1) Shelf Registration
Statement.
SECTION 7. REGISTRATION EXPENSES.
(a) All expenses incident to the Company's and the Guarantor's performance
of or compliance with this Agreement will be borne by the Company, regardless of
whether a Registration Statement becomes effective, including without
limitation: (i) all registration and filing fees and expenses; (ii) all fees and
expenses of compliance with federal securities and state Blue Sky or securities
laws; (iii) all expenses of printing (including printing certificates for the
Series B Notes to be issued in the Exchange Offer and printing of Prospectuses),
messenger and delivery services and telephone; (iv) all fees and disbursements
of counsel for the Company and the Guarantor and, to the extent provided in
Section 7(b), the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Holders of Transfer
Restricted Securities; (v) all application and filing fees, if any, in
connection with listing the Series B Notes on a national securities exchange or
automated quotation system pursuant to the requirements hereof; and (vi) all
fees and disbursements of independent certified public accountants of the
Company and the Guarantor (including the expenses of any special audit and
comfort letters required by or incident to such performance).
The Company will, in any event, bear its and the Guarantor internal
expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its
officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expenses
of any annual audit and the fees and expenses of any Person, including
special experts, retained by the Company or the Guarantor.
(b) In connection with any Registration Statement required by this
Agreement (including, without limitation, the Exchange Offer Registration
Statement and the Shelf Registration Statement), the Company and the Guarantor
will reimburse the Initial Purchasers and the Holders of Transfer Restricted
Securities who are tendering Series A Notes in the Exchange Offer and/or selling
or reselling Series A Notes or Series B Notes pursuant to the "Plan of
Distribution" contained in the Exchange Offer Registration Statement or the
Shelf Registration Statement, as applicable, for the reasonable fees and
disbursements of not more than one counsel, who shall be Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx,
unless another firm shall be chosen by the Holders of a majority in principal
amount of
19
the Transfer Restricted Securities for whose benefit such Registration Statement
is being prepared.
SECTION 8. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) The Company and the Guarantor agree, jointly and severally, to
indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, its directors, officers and each
Person, if any, who controls such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act), from and against any and all losses,
claims, damages, liabilities, judgments, (including without limitation, any
legal or other expenses incurred in connection with investigating or defending
any matter, including any action that could give rise to any such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or judgments) caused by any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration
Statement, preliminary prospectus or Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) provided by the Company to any Holder or any prospective purchaser of
Series B Notes or registered Series A Notes, or caused by any omission or
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or judgments are caused by an untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission that is based upon
information relating to any of the Holders furnished in writing to the Company
by any of the Holders; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the foregoing indemnity agreement
with respect to the preliminary prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any
Holder who failed to deliver the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented (so
long as the Prospectus and any such amendment or supplement was provided by the
Company to the Holders in the requisite quantity and on a timely basis to permit
proper delivery) to the person asserting any losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or judgments caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in the preliminary prospectus, or caused
by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if
such material misstatement or omission or alleged material misstatement or
omission was cured in the Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented..
(b) Each Holder of Transfer Restricted Securities agrees, severally and
not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Guarantor,
and their respective directors and officers, and each person, if any, who
controls (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act) the Company, or the Guarantor to the same extent as the
foregoing indemnity from the Company and the Guarantor set forth in Section
8(a) above, but only with reference to information relating to such Holder
furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use in any
Registration Statement. In no
20
event shall any Holder, its directors, officers or any Person who controls such
Holder be liable or responsible for any amount in excess of the amount by which
the total amount received by such Holder with respect to its sale of Transfer
Restricted Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement exceeds (i) the
amount paid by such Holder for such Transfer Restricted Securities and (ii) the
amount of any damages that such Holder, its directors, officers or any Person
who controls such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
(c) In case any action shall be commenced involving any person in respect
of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b) (the
"INDEMNIFIED PARTY"), the indemnified party shall promptly notify the person
against whom such indemnity may be sought (the "INDEMNIFYING PERSON") in writing
and the indemnifying party shall assume the defense of such action, including
the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party and
the payment of all fees and expenses of such counsel, as incurred (except that
in the case of any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant
to both Sections 8(a) and 8(b), a Holder shall not be required to assume the
defense of such action pursuant to this Section 8(c), but may employ separate
counsel and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of
such counsel, except as provided below, shall be at the expense of the Holder).
Any indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any
such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of
such counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnified party unless (i) the
employment of such counsel shall have been specifically authorized in writing by
the indemnifying party, (ii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume
the defense of such action or employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
indemnified party or (iii) the named parties to any such action (including any
impeded parties) include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party,
and the indemnified party shall have been advised by such counsel that there may
be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or
additional to those available to the indemnifying party (in which case the
indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such action
on behalf of the indemnified party). In any such case, the indemnifying party
shall not, in connection with any one action or separate but substantially
similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same
general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the fees and expenses of
more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to any local counsel) for
all indemnified parties and all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as
they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by a majority of
the Holders, in the case of the parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a),
and by the Company and Guarantor, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to
Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall indemnify and hold harmless the
indemnified party from and against any and all
21
losses, claims, damages, liabilities and judgments by reason of any settlement
of any action (i) effected with the indemnifying party's written consent or (ii)
effected without the indemnifying party's written consent if the settlement is
entered into more than twenty Business Days after the indemnifying party shall
have received a request from the indemnified party for reimbursement for the
fees and expenses of counsel (in any case where such fees and expenses are at
the expense of the indemnifying party) and, prior to the date of such
settlement, the indemnifying party shall have failed to comply with such
reimbursement request. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written
consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement or compromise of, or
consent to the entry of judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened
action in respect of which the indemnified party is or could have been a party
and indemnity or contribution may be or could have been sought hereunder by the
indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes
an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability on claims
that are or could have been the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not
include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to
act, by or on behalf of the indemnified party.
(d) To the extent that the indemnification provided for in this Section 8
is unavailable to an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or judgments referred to therein, then each indemnifying
party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, shall contribute to the
amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or judgments (i) in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the
Guarantor, on the one hand, and the Holders, on the other hand, from their sale
of Transfer Restricted Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause
8(d)(i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate
to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above
but also the relative fault of the Company and the Guarantor, on the one hand,
and of the Holder, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
judgments, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative
fault of the Company and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and of the Holder, on
the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether
the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or
alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the
Company or the Guarantor, on the one hand, or by the Holder, on the other hand,
and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
22
The Company, the Guarantor and each Holder agree that it would not be just
and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(d) were determined by
pro rata allocation (even if the Holders were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph.
The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or judgments referred to in the immediately
preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set
forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such indemnified party in
connection with investigating or defending any matter, including any action,
that could have given rise to such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
judgments. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Holder, its
directors, its officers or any Person, if any, who controls such Holder shall be
required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by
which the total received by such Holder with respect to the sale of Transfer
Restricted Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement exceeds (i) the
amount paid by such Holder for such Transfer Restricted Securities and (ii) the
amount of any damages which such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by
reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning
of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Holders'
obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8(d) are several in
proportion to the respective principal amount of Transfer Restricted Securities
held by each Holder hereunder and not joint.
SECTION 9. RULE 144A AND RULE 144.
The Company and the Guarantor agree with each Holder, for so long as any
Transfer Restricted Securities remain outstanding and during any period in which
the Company or the Guarantor (i) is not subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act, to make available, upon request of any Holder, to such Holder or
beneficial owner of Transfer Restricted Securities in connection with any sale
thereof and any prospective purchaser of such Transfer Restricted Securities
designated by such Holder or beneficial owner, the information required by Rule
144A(d)(4) under the Act in order to permit resales of such Transfer Restricted
Securities pursuant to Rule 144A, and (ii) is subject to Section 13 or 15 (d) of
the Exchange Act, to make all filings required thereby in a timely manner in
order to permit resales of such Transfer Restricted Securities pursuant to Rule
144.
SECTION 10. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) REMEDIES. The Company and the Guarantor acknowledge and agree that
any failure by the Company and/or the Guarantor to comply with their
23
respective obligations under Sections 3 and 4 hereof may result in material
irreparable injury to the Initial Purchasers or the Holders for which there is
no adequate remedy at law, that it will not be possible to measure damages for
such injuries precisely and that, in the event of any such failure, the Initial
Purchasers or any Holder may obtain such relief as may be required to
specifically enforce the Company's and the Guarantor's obligations under
Sections 3 and 4 hereof.
(b) NO INCONSISTENT AGREEMENTS. Neither the Company nor the Guarantor
will, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with
respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the rights granted to the
Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof.
Neither the Company nor the Guarantor has previously entered into any
agreement granting any registration rights with respect to its securities to
any Person, except for the Warrant and Registration Rights Agreement dated as
of June 16, 1997 among the Guarantor and the Investors listed therein. The
rights granted to the Holders hereunder do not in any way conflict with and
are not inconsistent with the rights granted to the holders of the Company's
and the Guarantor's securities under any agreement in effect on the date
hereof.
(c) AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS. The provisions of this Agreement may not be
amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to or departures from
the provisions hereof may not be given unless (i) in the case of Section 5
hereof and this clause 10(c)(i), the Company has obtained the written consent of
Holders of all outstanding Transfer Restricted Securities and (ii) in the case
of all other provisions hereof, the Company has obtained the written consent of
Holders of a majority of the outstanding principal amount of Transfer Restricted
Securities (excluding Transfer Restricted Securities held by the Company or its
Affiliates). Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to departure
from the provisions hereof that relates exclusively to the rights of Holders
whose Transfer Restricted Securities are being tendered pursuant to the Exchange
Offer, and that does not affect directly or indirectly the rights of other
Holders whose Transfer Restricted Securities are not being tendered pursuant to
such Exchange Offer, may be given by the Holders of a majority of the
outstanding principal amount of Transfer Restricted Securities subject to such
Exchange Offer.
(d) THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY. The Holders shall be third party
beneficiaries to the agreements made hereunder between the Company and the
Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Initial Purchasers, on the other hand, and
shall have the right to enforce such agreements directly to the extent they may
deem such enforcement necessary or advisable to protect its rights or the rights
of Holders hereunder.
24
(e) NOTICES. All notices and other communications provided for or
permitted hereunder shall be made in writing by hand-delivery, first-class mail
(registered or certified, return receipt requested), telex, telecopier, or air
courier guaranteeing overnight delivery:
(i) if to a Holder, at the address set forth on the records of
the Registrar under the Indenture, with a copy to the Registrar under the
Indenture; and
(ii) if to the Company or the Guarantor:
The Musicland Group, Inc.
00000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000-0000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: General Counsel
With a copy to:
Xxxx & Xxxxxxx
4800 Norwest Center
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Telecopier No.: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly
given: at the time delivered by hand, if personally delivered; five Business
Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; when receipt
acknowledged, if telecopied; and on the next Business Day, if timely delivered
to an air courier guaranteeing overnight delivery.
Copies of all such notices, demands or other communications shall be
concurrently delivered by the Person giving the same to the Trustee at the
address specified in the Indenture.
(f) SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of
and be binding upon the successors and assigns of each of the parties, including
without limitation and without the need for an express assignment, subsequent
Holders; PROVIDED, that nothing herein shall be deemed to permit any assignment,
transfer or other disposition of Transfer Restricted Securities in violation of
the terms hereof or of the Purchase Agreement or the Indenture. If any
transferee of any Holder shall acquire Transfer Restricted Securities in any
manner, whether by
25
operation of law or otherwise, such Transfer Restricted Securities shall be held
subject to all of the terms of this Agreement, and by taking and holding such
Transfer Restricted Securities such Person shall be conclusively deemed to have
agreed to be bound by and to perform all of the terms and provisions of this
Agreement, including the restrictions on resale set forth in this Agreement and,
if applicable, the Purchase Agreement, and such Person shall be entitled to
receive the benefits hereof.
(g) COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of
which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which
taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
(h) HEADINGS. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of
reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
(i) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE
CONFLICT OF LAW RULES THEREOF.
(j) SEVERABILITY. In the event that any one or more of the provisions
contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held
invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of
any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions
contained herein shall not be affected or impaired thereby.
(k) ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement is intended by the parties as a
final expression of their agreement and intended to be a complete and exclusive
statement of the agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of
the subject matter contained herein. There are no restrictions, promises,
warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein
with respect to the registration rights granted with respect to the Transfer
Restricted Securities. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and
understandings between the parties with respect to such subject matter.
26
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date
first written above.
The Musicland Group, Inc.
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
--------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title: CEO and Chairman
Musicland Stores Corporation
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
--------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title: CEO and Chairman
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx
Securities Corporation
BT Alex. Xxxxx Incorporated
NationsBanc Xxxxxxxxxx Securities LLC
By: Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx
Securities Corporation, on behalf
of the Initial Purchasers
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
-------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President
27
EXHIBIT A
NOTICE OF FILING OF
A/B EXCHANGE OFFER REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Date:___, 1998
To: Xxxxxxxxx, Lufkin & Xxxxxxxx Securities Corporation
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx (Compliance Department)
Fax: (000) 000-0000
From: The Musicland Group, Inc.
9_% Series A Senior Subordinated Notes due 2008
For your information only (NO ACTION REQUIRED):
Today, ______, 1998, we filed [an A/B Exchange Registration Statement/a
Shelf Registration Statement] with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We
currently expect this registration statement to be declared effective within __
business days of the date hereof.
CROSS-REFERENCE TARGET LIST
NOTE: DUE TO THE NUMBER OF TARGETS SOME TARGET NAMES MAY NOT APPEAR IN THE
TARGET PULL-DOWN LIST.
(This list is for the use of the wordprocessor only,
is not a part of this document and may be discarded.)
ARTICLE/SECTION TARGET NAME ARTICLE/SECTION TARGET NAME ARTICLE/SECTION TARGET NAME ARTICLE/SECTION TARGET NAME
-------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
-------------------------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
2. . . . . . . . . . . . holders
3. . . . . . . . . .xxx.xxxx.xxx
3(a) . . . . . . . . . .deadline
3(b) . . . . . . . . . . off.eff
3(c) . . . . . . . . . plan.dist
4. . . . . . . . . . . shelf.reg
4(a) . . . . . . .shelf.reg.dead
4(a)(i). . . . exch.off.not.perm
4(a)(ii) . . . . . holder.notify
4(b) . . . . . . .xxxx.xxxx.xxxx
5. . . . . . . . . . . . liq.dam
6. . . . . . . . . . . . xxx.xxx
6(a) . . . . . exch.off.reg.stmt
6(a)(i). . . . . chg.comm.policy
6(b) . . . . . . .shelf.reg.stmt
6(b)(i). . . sale.trans.restrict
6(b)(ii) . . . . .series.b.notes
6(c) . . . . . . . . . .gen.prov
6(c)(i). . . . . . .reg.cont.eff
6(c)(iii). . . . aff.xxxx.marker
6(c)(iii)(C) . . .iss.stop.order
6(c)(iii)(D) . exist.fact.untrue
6(c)(iv) . . . . . .prepare.supp
6(c)(xi) . . . . . . .holder.req
6(c)(xi)(A). . . . . .req.holder
6(c)(xi)(A)(2) . . .co.coun.opin
6(c)(xi)(A)(3) . . . comfort.ltr
6(c)(xii). . . . . . . .xxxx.xxx
6(d) . . . . . .restrict.holders
7(b) . . . . . company.reimburse
8. . . . . . . . . . . . . indem
8(a) . . . . . . . . . .co.indem
8(b) . . . . . . . .holder.indem
8(c) . . . . . . . . xxxxx.xxxxx
8(d) . . . . . . . indem.unavail
8(d)(i). . . . . . .appro.propor
10(c)(i) . . writ.consent.holder
