Exhibit 99.3
October 1, 1997
FORM OF EXCHANGE AGENT AGREEMENT
State Street Bank and Trust Company
00 Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Riverwood International Corporation (the "Company") proposes to make
an offer (the "Exchange Offer") to exchange up to $250,000,000 aggregate
principal amount of its 10-5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007 (the
"Existing Notes") for a like principal amount of its 10-5/8% Senior Subordinated
Notes due 2007 (the "New Notes"), which will be registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, pursuant to a Registration Statement. The terms and conditions of
the Exchange Offer as currently contemplated are set forth in a prospectus,
dated October 1, 1997 (the "Prospectus"), proposed to be distributed to all
record holders of the Existing Notes. The Existing Notes and the New Notes are
collectively referred to herein as the "Notes."
The Company hereby appoints State Street Bank and Trust Company to act
as exchange agent (the "Exchange Agent") in connection with the Exchange Offer.
References hereinafter to "you" shall refer to State Street Bank and Trust
Company.
The Exchange Offer is expected to be commenced by the Company on or
about October 1, 1997. The Letter of Transmittal accompanying the Prospectus
(or in the case of book entry securities, the ATOP system) is to be used by the
holders of the Existing Notes to accept the Exchange Offer and contains
instructions with respect to the delivery of certificates for Existing Notes
tendered in connection therewith.
The Exchange Offer shall expire at 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on
November 3, 1997 or on such later date or time to which the Company may extend
the Exchange Offer (the "Expiration Date"). Subject to the terms and conditions
set forth in the Prospectus, the Company expressly reserves the right to extend
the Exchange Offer from time to time and may extend the Exchange Offer by giving
oral notice (confirmed
in writing) or written notice to you before 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on
the business day following the previously scheduled Expiration Date.
The Company expressly reserves the right to delay acceptance of any
Existing Notes, to amend the Exchange Offer, or to extend or terminate the
Exchange Offer and not to accept for exchange any Existing Notes not previously
accepted for exchange, upon the occurrence of any of the conditions of the
Exchange Offer specified in the Prospectus under the caption "The Exchange
Offer--Conditions." The Company will give oral notice (confirmed in writing) or
written notice to you, as promptly as practicable, of any amendment, termination
or nonacceptance.
In carrying out your duties as Exchange Agent, you are to act in
accordance with the following instructions:
1. You will perform such duties and only such duties as are
specifically set forth in the section of the Prospectus captioned "The Exchange
Offer" or as specifically set forth herein; provided, however, that in no way
will your general duty to act in good faith be discharged by the foregoing.
2. You will establish an account with respect to the Existing Notes
at The Depository Trust Company (the "Book-Entry Transfer Facility") for
purposes of the Exchange Offer within two business days after the date of the
Prospectus, and any financial institution that is a participant in the
Book-Entry Transfer Facility's systems may make book-entry delivery of the
Existing Notes by causing the Book-Entry Transfer Facility to transfer such
Existing Notes into your account in accordance with the Book-Entry Transfer
Facility's procedure for such transfers.
3. You are to examine each of the Letters of Transmittal and
certificates for Existing Notes (or confirmation of book-entry transfer into
your account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility) and any other documents
delivered or mailed to you by or for holders of the Existing Notes to ascertain
whether: (i) the Letters of Transmittal and any such other documents are duly
executed and properly completed in accordance with instructions set forth
therein and (ii) the Existing Notes have otherwise been properly tendered. In
each case where the Letter of Transmittal or any other document has been
improperly completed or executed or any of the certificates for Existing Notes
are not in proper form for transfer or some other irregularity in connection
with the acceptance of the Exchange Offer exists, you will endeavor to inform
the presenters of the need for fulfillment of all requirements and to take any
other action as may be necessary or advisable to cause such irregularity to be
corrected.
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4. With the approval of any Chief Executive Officer, Secretary or
Vice President (each an "Officer") of the Company (such approval, if given
orally, to be confirmed in writing) or any other party designated by such
Officer in writing, you are authorized to waive any irregularities in connection
with any tender of Existing Notes pursuant to the Exchange Offer.
5. Tenders of Existing Notes may be made only as set forth in the
Letter of Transmittal and in the section of the Prospectus captioned "The
Exchange Offer--Procedures for Tendering," and Existing Notes shall be
considered properly tendered to you only when tendered in accordance with the
procedures set forth therein.
Notwithstanding the provision of this paragraph 5, Existing Notes that
any Officer shall approve as having been properly tendered shall be considered
to be properly tendered (such approval, if given orally, shall be confirmed in
writing).
6. You shall advise the Company with respect to any Existing Notes
received subsequent to the Expiration Date and accept instructions of the
Company with respect to disposition of such Existing Notes.
7. Notwithstanding the procedures set forth in the Prospectus under
the Section entitled "Exchange Offer" or in the Letter of Transmittal, you shall
accept tenders:
(a) in cases where the Existing Notes are registered in two or
more names only if signed by all named holders;
(b) in cases where the signing person (as indicated on the
Letter of Transmittal) is acting in a fiduciary or a representative capacity
only when proper evidence of his or her authority so to act is submitted; and
(c) from persons other than the registered holder of Existing
Notes provided that customary transfer requirements, including any applicable
transfer taxes, are fulfilled.
You shall accept partial tenders of Existing Notes where so indicated
and as permitted in the Letter of Transmittal and deliver certificates for
Existing Notes to the transfer agent for split-up and return any untendered
Existing Notes to the holder (or such other person as may be designated in the
Letter of Transmittal) as promptly as practicable after expiration or
termination of the Exchange Offer.
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8. Upon satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to the
Exchange Offer, or waiver of any or all such conditions by the Company, the
Company will notify you (such notice if given orally, to be confirmed in
writing) of its acceptance, promptly after the Expiration Date, of all Existing
Notes properly tendered and you, on behalf of the Company, will exchange such
Existing Notes for New Notes and cause such Existing Notes to be canceled.
Delivery of New Notes will be made on behalf of the Company by you at the rate
of $1,000 principal amount of New Notes for each $1,000 principal amount of the
corresponding series of Existing Notes tendered promptly after notice (such
notice if given orally, to be confirmed in writing) of acceptance of such
Existing Notes by the Company; provided, however, that in all cases, Existing
Notes tendered pursuant to the Exchange Offer will be exchanged only after
timely receipt by you of certificates for such Existing Notes (or confirmation
of book-entry transfer into your account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility), a
properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal (or facsimile
thereof) with any required signature guarantees and any other required
documents. You shall issue New Notes only in denominations of $1,000 or any
integral multiple thereof.
9. Tenders pursuant to the Exchange Offer are irrevocable, except
that, subject to the terms and upon the conditions set forth in the Prospectus
and the Letter of Transmittal, Existing Notes tendered pursuant to the Exchange
Offer may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Date.
10. The Company shall not be required to exchange any Existing Notes
tendered if any of the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer are not met.
Notice of any decision by the Company not to exchange any Existing Notes
tendered shall be given (and confirmed in writing) by the Company to you.
11. If, pursuant to the Exchange Offer, the Company does not accept
for exchange all or part of the Existing Notes tendered because of an invalid
tender, the occurrence of certain other events set forth in the Prospectus under
the caption "The Exchange Offer--Conditions" or otherwise, you shall, as soon as
practicable after the expiration or termination of the Exchange Offer, return
those certificates for unaccepted Existing Notes (or effect appropriate
book-entry transfer), together with any related required documents and the
Letters of Transmittal relating thereto that are in your possession, to the
persons who deposited them.
12. All certificates for reissued Existing Notes, unaccepted Existing
Notes or for New Notes shall be forwarded by first-class mail.
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13. You are not authorized to pay or offer to pay any concessions,
commissions or solicitation fees to any broker, dealer, bank, or other persons
or to engage or utilize any person to solicit tenders.
14. As Exchange Agent hereunder you:
(a) shall have no duties or obligations other than those
specifically set forth herein or as may be subsequently agreed to in writing by
you and the Company;
(b) will be regarded as making no representations and having no
responsibilities as to the validity, sufficiency, value or genuineness of any of
the certificates or the Existing Notes represented thereby deposited with you
pursuant to the Exchange Offer, and will not be required to and will make no
representation as to the validity, value or genuineness of the Exchange Offer;
(c) shall not be obligated to take any legal action hereunder
that will, in your reasonable judgment, involve any expense or liability, unless
you shall have been furnished with reasonable indemnity;
(d) may reasonably rely on and shall be protected in acting in
reliance upon any certificate, instrument, opinion, notice, letter, telegram or
other document or security delivered to you and reasonably believed by you to be
genuine and to have been signed by the proper party or parties;
(e) may reasonably act upon any tender, statement, request,
comment, agreement or other instrument whatsoever not only as to its due
execution and validity and effectiveness of its provisions, but also as to the
truth and accuracy of any information contained therein, which you shall in good
faith believe to be genuine or to have been signed or represented by a proper
person or persons;
(f) may rely on and shall be protected in acting upon written or
oral instructions from any Officer of the Company;
(g) may reasonably consult with your counsel with respect to any
questions relating to your duties and responsibilities and the advice or opinion
of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in
respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by you hereunder in
good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel; and
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(h) shall not advise any person tendering Existing Notes
pursuant to the Exchange Offer as to the wisdom of making such tender or as to
the market value or decline or appreciation in market value of any Existing
Notes.
15. You shall take such action as may from time to time be requested
by the Company or its counsel (and such other action as you may reasonably deem
appropriate) to furnish copies of the Prospectus, Letter of Transmittal and the
Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (as defined in the Prospectus) or such other forms
as may be approved from time to time by the Company, to all persons requesting
such documents and to accept and comply with telephone requests for information
relating to the Exchange Offer, provided that such information shall relate only
to the procedures for accepting (or withdrawing from) the Exchange Offer. The
Company will furnish you with copies of such documents at your request. All
other requests for information relating to the Exchange Offer shall be directed
to the Company, Attention: Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx.
16. You shall advise by facsimile transmission or telephone, and
promptly thereafter confirm in writing to the Chief Executive Officer and the
Secretary of the Company and such other person or persons as so requested, daily
(and more frequently during the week immediately preceding the Expiration Date
and if otherwise requested) up to and including the Expiration Date, as to the
number of Existing Notes that have been tendered pursuant to the Exchange Offer
and the items received by you pursuant to this Agreement, separately reporting
and giving cumulative totals as to items properly received and items improperly
received. In addition, you will also provide, and cooperate in making
available, to the Company or any such other person or persons, upon oral request
made from time to time prior to the Expiration Date, such other information as
so reasonably requested. Such cooperation shall include, without limitation,
the granting by you to the Company and such person as the Company may request of
access to those persons on your staff who are responsible for receiving tenders,
in order to ensure that immediately prior to the Expiration Date the Company
shall have received information in sufficient detail to enable it to decide
whether to extend the Exchange Offer. You shall prepare a final list of all
persons whose tenders were accepted, the aggregate principal amount of Existing
Notes tendered, the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes accepted and
deliver such list to the Company.
17. Letters of Transmittal and Notices of Guaranteed Delivery shall
be stamped by you as to the date and the time of receipt thereof and shall be
preserved by you for a period of time at least equal to the period of time you
preserve other records pertaining to the transfer of securities, but in any
event for a period of no less than 180
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days. You shall dispose of unused Letters of Transmittal and other surplus
materials by returning them to the Company.
18. You hereby expressly waive any lien, encumbrance or right of
set-off whatsoever that you may have with respect to funds deposited with you
for the payment of transfer taxes by reasons of amounts borrowed by the Company,
if any, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates pursuant to any loan or credit
agreement with you or for compensation owed to you hereunder.
19. For services rendered as Exchange Agent hereunder, you shall be
entitled to such compensation as set forth on Schedule I attached hereto.
20. You hereby acknowledge receipt of the Prospectus and the Letter
of Transmittal and further acknowledge that you have examined each of them. Any
inconsistency between this Agreement, on the one hand, and the Prospectus and
the Letter of Transmittal (as they may be amended from time to time), on the
other hand, shall be resolved in favor of the latter two documents, except with
respect to the duties, liabilities and indemnification of you as Exchange Agent,
which shall be controlled by this Agreement.
21. The Company covenants and agrees to indemnify and hold you
harmless in your capacity as Exchange Agent hereunder against any loss,
liability, cost or expense, including attorneys' fees and expenses, arising out
of or in connection with any act, omission, delay or refusal made by you in
reliance upon any signature, endorsement, assignment, certificate, order,
request, notice, instruction or other instrument or document reasonably believed
by you to be valid, genuine and sufficient and in accepting any tender or
effecting any transfer of Existing Notes reasonably believed by you in good
faith to be authorized, and in delaying or refusing in good faith to accept any
tenders or effect any transfer of Existing Notes; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be liable for indemnification or otherwise for any loss,
liability, cost or expense to the extent arising out of your gross negligence or
willful misconduct. In no case shall the Company be liable under this indemnity
with respect to any claim against you unless the Company shall be notified by
you, by letter or cable or by facsimile confirmed by letter, of the written
assertion of a claim against you or of any other action commenced against you,
promptly after you shall have received any such written assertion or notice of
commencement of action. The Company shall be entitled to participate at its own
expense in the defense of any such claim or other action, and, if the Company so
elects, the Company shall assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any
such claim. In the event that the Company shall assume the defense of any such
suit, the Company shall
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not be liable for the fees and expenses of any additional counsel thereafter
retained by you so long as the Company shall retain counsel satisfactory to
you to defend such suit.
22. With respect to the Exchange Offer, you shall arrange to comply
with all requirements under the tax laws of the United States, including those
relating to missing Tax Identification Numbers, and shall file any appropriate
reports with the Internal Revenue Service. The Company understands that you are
required to deduct 31% on payments to holders who have not supplied their
correct Taxpayer Identification Number or required certification. Such funds
will be turned over to the Internal Revenue Service in accordance with
applicable regulations.
23. You shall deliver or cause to be delivered, in a timely manner to
each governmental authority to which any transfer taxes are payable in respect
of the exchange of Existing Notes, your check in the amount of all transfer
taxes so payable, and the Company shall reimburse you for the amount of any and
all transfer taxes payable in respect of the exchange of Existing Notes;
provided, however, that you shall reimburse the Company for amounts refunded to
you in respect of your payment of any such transfer taxes, at such time as such
refund is received by you.
24. This Agreement and your appointment as Exchange Agent hereunder
shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New
York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely within such
state, and without regard to conflicts of law principles, and shall inure to the
benefit of, and the obligations created hereby shall be binding upon, the
successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto; provided, however, that
you may not assign or transfer any of your rights or obligations hereunder
without the prior written consent of the Company.
25. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each
of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall
constitute one and the same agreement.
26. In case any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid, illegal
or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining
provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
27. This Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be modified,
amended, rescinded, canceled or waived, in whole or in part, except by a written
instrument signed by a duly authorized representative of the party to be
charged. This Agreement may not be modified orally.
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28. Unless otherwise provided herein, all notices, requests and other
communications to any party hereunder shall be in writing (including facsimile
or similar writing) and shall be given to such party, addressed to it, at its
address or telecopy number set forth below:
If to the Company:
Riverwood International Corporation
0000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
State Street Bank and Trust Company
00 Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
29. Unless terminated earlier by the parties hereto, this Agreement
shall terminate 180 days following the Expiration Date. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Paragraphs 19, 21 and 23 shall survive the termination of this
Agreement. Upon any termination of this Agreement, you shall promptly deliver
to the Company any certificates for Notes, funds or property then held by you as
Exchange Agent under this Agreement.
30. This Agreement shall be binding and effective as of the date
hereof.
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Please acknowledge receipt of this Agreement and confirm the
arrangements herein provided by signing and returning the enclosed copy.
RIVERWOOD INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
By:
--------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President and Treasurer
Accepted as of the date
first above written:
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY,
as Exchange Agent
By:
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Title: Vice President
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SCHEDULE I
FEES
The Company will pay the Exchange Agent a total of $______ for the services
described herein and the Exchange Agent's legal fees relating hereto.
